A couple weeks ago I jetted off to Disney for five days of fun with some friends. We planned this trip at the beginning of the year (March!) when Disney World announced the opening for Star Wars Galaxy's Edge. Sadly Christian couldn't come because he was already using his allotted days off for our honeymoon. Don't worry, we're hopefully going to Disney (and Universal) in May!
November seemed like the best time to go because the initial opening crowds for Star Wars would have slightly dwindled and we could celebrate the Holidays by going to Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party! We also knew that EPCOT would be having either their Food & Wine Festival or Festival of the Holidays! When dates were announced I was excited to read we would be there for Food & Wine.
Last year my friend and I went to EPCOT 4 times during our stay so we could get the Annual Passholder cutting board but this year we only went for 1 day so I had less time to try foods and had to be much more strategic. Here's what I tried this year as well as a few tips to get the most bang for your buck!
1. Download the WDW - Food&Wine app to keep track of everything you want to try and have tried! Before our trip I wish-listed everything I wanted to try so I wouldn't have to think about it while in the park. (this is not an official Disney app)
2. Buy the Festival gift card. I find it helpful to buy the special festival gift card on a wrist coil. You have to load it with at least $15 but we all know if you're going to eat around the world you'll spend at least that! Plus they always have a cute design, this year it was Remy. (Last year they had 3 separate Remy designs so I had to buy all of them!) It's a great way to control your spending because you can load it with whatever your budget for the day.
3. Pace yourself. If you can spread this out over a few days of your trip, definitely do! Park hop back to EPCOT once you're done at another park for a few bites. If you only have one day don't try to eat too much or you won't be able to enjoy what you do have.
4. When you're with a group you might want to share bites with others so you can sample even more! If 2 or 3 people want to try the same thing why wouldn't you split it so you have room for even more snacks? And, if you happen to really like it, go back to get a second if you're still hungry at the end of the day!
I wore my Passholder tee from 2018 because how could I not?! The perfect shirt for tasting around the world. It was a chillier - and windy - day so jeans were necessary. I also had my Mickey Sweatshirt on to save me from freezing.
Graphic Tee: EPCOT Food & Wine Festival Passholder Tee, Jeans: FRAME 'Le Skinny de Jeanne' (Shopbop), Sandals: Ancient Greek Sandals 'Athanasia' in Croc (Moda Operandi)
November seemed like the best time to go because the initial opening crowds for Star Wars would have slightly dwindled and we could celebrate the Holidays by going to Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party! We also knew that EPCOT would be having either their Food & Wine Festival or Festival of the Holidays! When dates were announced I was excited to read we would be there for Food & Wine.
Last year my friend and I went to EPCOT 4 times during our stay so we could get the Annual Passholder cutting board but this year we only went for 1 day so I had less time to try foods and had to be much more strategic. Here's what I tried this year as well as a few tips to get the most bang for your buck!
1. Download the WDW - Food&Wine app to keep track of everything you want to try and have tried! Before our trip I wish-listed everything I wanted to try so I wouldn't have to think about it while in the park. (this is not an official Disney app)
2. Buy the Festival gift card. I find it helpful to buy the special festival gift card on a wrist coil. You have to load it with at least $15 but we all know if you're going to eat around the world you'll spend at least that! Plus they always have a cute design, this year it was Remy. (Last year they had 3 separate Remy designs so I had to buy all of them!) It's a great way to control your spending because you can load it with whatever your budget for the day.
3. Pace yourself. If you can spread this out over a few days of your trip, definitely do! Park hop back to EPCOT once you're done at another park for a few bites. If you only have one day don't try to eat too much or you won't be able to enjoy what you do have.
4. When you're with a group you might want to share bites with others so you can sample even more! If 2 or 3 people want to try the same thing why wouldn't you split it so you have room for even more snacks? And, if you happen to really like it, go back to get a second if you're still hungry at the end of the day!
What I tried
The Donut Box
I had already had breakfast earlier in the morning but when my friend had time to kill while waiting for the other 2 members of our group (who decided to sleep in) I wanted to try the Strawberry-dusted yeast donut holes! It was $4 for 4 really big donut holes so we split them and it was the perfect portion.
Spain
Spain had this dish last year and it remains one of my favorite bites of the Food & Wine Festival. It's the Spanish-style Paella with Botifarra and Roasted Chicken for $5.50. The portion size is great for this price and it was delicious and flavorful!
China
Another repeat from last year was the Chicken Dumplings with Chinese Slaw for $4.95. The dumplings were delicious but you only get 2 for the $5 so it's not that big of a portion. I was going to try the black pepper shrimp with garlic noodles as well but figured I should try something different instead.
India
When we arrived at the India booth I decided to be brave and try the Korma Chicken with cucumber tomato salad, almonds, cashes and warm naan for $5.25. I say "brave" because I'm not a big fan of saucy foods (yes, even pasta.) But the flavor was amaaazing and I really enjoyed it!
France
This is not part of the food festival but every time I go to EPCOT I have to get some chocolate ice cream in France. I'm not lying when I say this is my favorite ice cream anywhere and it's totally worth the $5 for a single scoop. Every time I'm always tempted to get a french macaron with ice cream but I just can't quit my go-to.
Festival Merchandise
I was going to try not to buy any festival specific merchandise apart from a passholder pin and regular pin but they had some ADORABLE Mickey and Remy mugs in the Passholder merchandise section. They also happened to be 25% off (plus my 20% off passholder discount) so I couldn't resist!
What I wore
I wore my Passholder tee from 2018 because how could I not?! The perfect shirt for tasting around the world. It was a chillier - and windy - day so jeans were necessary. I also had my Mickey Sweatshirt on to save me from freezing.
Graphic Tee: EPCOT Food & Wine Festival Passholder Tee, Jeans: FRAME 'Le Skinny de Jeanne' (Shopbop), Sandals: Ancient Greek Sandals 'Athanasia' in Croc (Moda Operandi)
I have such a backup of outfit posts that this one is from almost 5 weeks ago, wowza! Anyway, this is what I wore for a food blogger dinner at First & Last Tavern in Plainville! As was becoming tradition for these blogger nights out it was threatening rain so Lydia and I had to take our photos super quick. It was also pretty dark at 6pm so we were battling fading light as well.
I wanted to wear my Autumn Cashmere sweater with one of my favorite pairs of boots by Alexander Wang so that meant wearing super skinny jeans, which probably wasn't the smartest idea for a dinner event, but I was able to squeeze the food in! I've had these boots for 8 years now and my love for them has not faded. The color is amazing and I love all the small details from the open toe to the laces and ability to fold the top down.
Note: There was a version of the boots made for an H&M collaboration a few years after this so make sure you're getting actual high end ones if you want to recreate this look in the same quality. Or if you want a budget version, go for the H&M pair, just make sure you don't overpay for those! (I noticed The RealReal has the H&M boots listed for almost $400)
Sweater: Autumn Cashmere Landscape Sweater, High Waisted Jeans: J Brand 'Maria' High Rise in Supreme (Gilt Groupe), Peep-Toe Boots: Alexander Wang suede Freja boot in brick red (The Outnet), Bag: Dark Purple Chloé Faye (eBay)
A look at some of the delicious food!
I wanted to wear my Autumn Cashmere sweater with one of my favorite pairs of boots by Alexander Wang so that meant wearing super skinny jeans, which probably wasn't the smartest idea for a dinner event, but I was able to squeeze the food in! I've had these boots for 8 years now and my love for them has not faded. The color is amazing and I love all the small details from the open toe to the laces and ability to fold the top down.
Note: There was a version of the boots made for an H&M collaboration a few years after this so make sure you're getting actual high end ones if you want to recreate this look in the same quality. Or if you want a budget version, go for the H&M pair, just make sure you don't overpay for those! (I noticed The RealReal has the H&M boots listed for almost $400)
Sweater: Autumn Cashmere Landscape Sweater, High Waisted Jeans: J Brand 'Maria' High Rise in Supreme (Gilt Groupe), Peep-Toe Boots: Alexander Wang suede Freja boot in brick red (The Outnet), Bag: Dark Purple Chloé Faye (eBay)
A look at some of the delicious food!
It's almost Thanksgiving week and you know what that means - big sales are coming!!! The Net-a-Porter End of Season Sale started today and we all know it's one of my favorite sales of the year! Sharing some of the pieces that are on my wishlist today! I know I share this every year, but let's recap my sale process for the new readers out there!
I will be updating this list throughout the day as there are over 250 pages of clothes alone! (I already went through all the shoes, accessories, bags and other categories...) Click on any of the images below to shop the items!
The Outnet Sale Picks:
- Go through every page of the sale and add EVERYTHING you like to your cart
- Wait until the end of the sale to purchase because you can get up to 85% off this way
- If there is something you REALLY love, that you know will sell out, I give you permission to buy right away (I try to avoid this as much as possible but have done it in the past - see these shoes)
- Check the "Whats New To Sale" section every few days for new items added
- Keep checking your cart to see if anything goes down in price enough for you to buy early
- At the end of the sale see what's left and pick your favorite item(s)
- I usually try to get only 1 big thing but some years I get a few lower priced pieces
I will be updating this list throughout the day as there are over 250 pages of clothes alone! (I already went through all the shoes, accessories, bags and other categories...) Click on any of the images below to shop the items!
The Outnet Sale Picks:
This light teal cashmere sweater is one of my favorites for cooler temperatures. The color matches pretty much everything in my closet so it's easy to layer with blazers or larger cardigans. I decided to wear it with a statement jean for this weekend outing and finished off the look with my new flats! Normally I have a hard time being comfortable in flats because my heels get blisters, but thanks to the slingback my heels have plenty of room to move around and won't rub up on the back of the shoe.
Cashmere Sweater: Ellen Tracy, Jeans: Free People 'Jax', Flats: Restricted 'Memo' (DSW), Labradorite Necklace: Indulgems (Gilt), Sunglasses: Gucci aviators in tortoise, Bag: Dark Purple Chloé Faye (eBay)
Cashmere Sweater: Ellen Tracy, Jeans: Free People 'Jax', Flats: Restricted 'Memo' (DSW), Labradorite Necklace: Indulgems (Gilt), Sunglasses: Gucci aviators in tortoise, Bag: Dark Purple Chloé Faye (eBay)
These photos are obviously from before Halloween as I'm at the pumpkin patch, but I feel like pumpkins and gourds are still great decor all the way up through Thanksgiving. I still have all 12 (they were 12 for $20, haha) gourds we bought on this trip and my pumpkin since we didn't have time to carve it.
While I'm all for decorating for Christmas as early as you want I still like to keep it more Fall themed until closer to Thanksgiving (I usually start decorating Thanksgiving night, haha.) This year I'm decorating before - probably this week - since we only have three and a half weeks after Thanksgiving to get all our Christmas cheer out!
On to the outfit, I was originally going to go sans vest, but in the end I knew it would be a bit cold at the pumpkin patch so I threw on one of my faux fur vests to keep the chill off.
Vest: Simply Vera Vera Wang faux fur shawl vest c/o Kohl's, Double V-Neck Cashmere Sweater: Calypso St. Barth 'Gylden' (shop more v neck sweaters), Jeans: J Brand 'Mid Rise Photo Ready Super Skinny Jean' (shop more J Brand jeans), Boots: Eighteen 68 'Megan' (Gilt Groupe), Leather Bag: Bought in Italy
While I'm all for decorating for Christmas as early as you want I still like to keep it more Fall themed until closer to Thanksgiving (I usually start decorating Thanksgiving night, haha.) This year I'm decorating before - probably this week - since we only have three and a half weeks after Thanksgiving to get all our Christmas cheer out!
On to the outfit, I was originally going to go sans vest, but in the end I knew it would be a bit cold at the pumpkin patch so I threw on one of my faux fur vests to keep the chill off.
Vest: Simply Vera Vera Wang faux fur shawl vest c/o Kohl's, Double V-Neck Cashmere Sweater: Calypso St. Barth 'Gylden' (shop more v neck sweaters), Jeans: J Brand 'Mid Rise Photo Ready Super Skinny Jean' (shop more J Brand jeans), Boots: Eighteen 68 'Megan' (Gilt Groupe), Leather Bag: Bought in Italy
As I mentioned on Tuesday, I had two weddings to attend last month. This is what I wore to the second for a friend I've had since elementary school. She was friends with my sister and I was friends with her sister so we kind of became a foursome. Her wedding was the weekend after my cousins and we had warmer weather and no wind, which was lovely!
It was held at the Keller Tavern Museum Garden House, a beautiful location especially in Fall! For this wedding I went with a more Fall color palette by wearing my brown Edun dress and Prada sandals. This dress, like my Burberry one, has been in my closet since early 2012. I first wore it to the Grand Opening of the Harry Potter Studio Tour in London. I'm also pretty sure I found the exact necklace I bought in Santorini online - shop it here!
I got a compliment on the dress from a very stylish wedding guest who was in a voluminous black top and pants with what I'm assuming were Chanel pumps because they looked a bit like this but with camellias or logos on the mesh (she also had a Chanel bag.) I enjoy how even if a piece is technically "past season" it doesn't matter as long as it makes a statement. There's no need to buy a new dress for every special occasion as long as you have a few standout pieces to rotate through. I have another wedding in January and am still deciding which of the dresses I already own I will wear. (But who knows, I may break my own rule and buy something new.)
And now I'm taking a week off of posting as I'll be at Disney World from Monday to Friday! I'll be back the next week with more outfits and a couple Disney posts! Follow my trip on Instagram!
Dress: Edun brown printed layered dress (The Outnet, shop more cocktail dresses), Sandals: Prada suede caged high heel (The RealReal), Olive Branch Pearl Necklace: bought in Santorini (shop delicate necklaces)
And a bonus shot of Christian and I at the wedding:
It was held at the Keller Tavern Museum Garden House, a beautiful location especially in Fall! For this wedding I went with a more Fall color palette by wearing my brown Edun dress and Prada sandals. This dress, like my Burberry one, has been in my closet since early 2012. I first wore it to the Grand Opening of the Harry Potter Studio Tour in London. I'm also pretty sure I found the exact necklace I bought in Santorini online - shop it here!
I got a compliment on the dress from a very stylish wedding guest who was in a voluminous black top and pants with what I'm assuming were Chanel pumps because they looked a bit like this but with camellias or logos on the mesh (she also had a Chanel bag.) I enjoy how even if a piece is technically "past season" it doesn't matter as long as it makes a statement. There's no need to buy a new dress for every special occasion as long as you have a few standout pieces to rotate through. I have another wedding in January and am still deciding which of the dresses I already own I will wear. (But who knows, I may break my own rule and buy something new.)
And now I'm taking a week off of posting as I'll be at Disney World from Monday to Friday! I'll be back the next week with more outfits and a couple Disney posts! Follow my trip on Instagram!
Dress: Edun brown printed layered dress (The Outnet, shop more cocktail dresses), Sandals: Prada suede caged high heel (The RealReal), Olive Branch Pearl Necklace: bought in Santorini (shop delicate necklaces)
And a bonus shot of Christian and I at the wedding:
This Autumn Cashmere sweater is still a closet favorite. I wore it three times within two weeks and had to stop myself from wearing it to the pumpkin patch so I could get outfit pictures of something different. People think printed sweaters are hard to wear but I find them much easier because you can wear them with almost anything. This sweater has so many colors that it goes with many pieces in my closet depending on what color I want to coordinate with. I will probably try wearing this landscape printed sweater with a skirt next time!
When it comes to printed pieces I find that if I pick out one (or more) colors from the print to match that I can find a great outfit. In this case I matched the bit of burgundy with my purse and finished off with some grays. I've also paired this sweater with a dusty blue and will probably try a pair of green-ish pants soon as well. You also can't go wrong with plain denim or black.
Sweater: Autumn Cashmere Landscape Sweater (shop sweaters), Velvet Jeans: J.Crew Mid-Rise Skinny Jean (shop straight leg pants), Velvet Floral Embroidered Mules: Zigi Soho 'Emalie' (shop more mules), Italian Leather Bag: shop mini bags
When it comes to printed pieces I find that if I pick out one (or more) colors from the print to match that I can find a great outfit. In this case I matched the bit of burgundy with my purse and finished off with some grays. I've also paired this sweater with a dusty blue and will probably try a pair of green-ish pants soon as well. You also can't go wrong with plain denim or black.
Sweater: Autumn Cashmere Landscape Sweater (shop sweaters), Velvet Jeans: J.Crew Mid-Rise Skinny Jean (shop straight leg pants), Velvet Floral Embroidered Mules: Zigi Soho 'Emalie' (shop more mules), Italian Leather Bag: shop mini bags
