HW

I remember first seeing Tangled in the theater. It was November 2010 and my hubby and I were still just newlyweds. He knew how much I loved Disney movies and how excited I was to see this one. I remember watching it and feeling just like a little kid. The music, the colors, the storyline, all had me completely enraptured. The scene with the lanterns and the Song, "I See the Light" literally took my breath away. And don't even get me started on the part where Flynn cuts off all Rapnzel's hair to save her. Tears. But if you know me, that's not all that surprising. When I started this "Disney Cottage Core" journey I knew immediately that for my "Rapunzel inspired look," I wanted to go to the local lavender fields to shoot since that color is just perfect for her. I called up Young Living Fields and asked when the best time of year would be and what I needed to do to get permission to do a photoshoot there. They said to call back the begi...

Is it that time of year where you're looking for an awesome costume for all the prestigious Halloween parties you've been invited to? Or maybe you're planning a trip to The Happiest Place on Earth and want to make your trip EVEN MORE MAGICAL? You may have heard the term "DisneyBounding" but aren't quite sure what that means. You want to dress up, but dont want to wear a cheap or uncomfortable costume. Maybe you have a small budget and dont want to spend a ton of money. Maybe you have a really cool husband and he's given you a HUGE budget for costumes. Whatever your situation, DisneyBound is the answer. Disneybounding is a really fun way to dress up as your favorite Disney characters without having to wear a cheap or uncomfortable costume. What I really love about it is that you can be as extravagant and obvious as you want, or you can go super subtle so only you know how magical your outfit really is. A couple things that I LOVE about DisneyBounding is th...

We've survived our first month with four babies and it's been a dream! Going from 3 to 4 kids has definitely been the easiest transition so far. Thank goodness! I've been super excited to get photos of all my babies together but tend to stress about coordinating outfits. (Silly, I know. You just never know when you'll get the perfect photo to frame for your house, right?!)  Here's a few things I've learned about looking our best for portraits! How to Coordinate Outfits for Family Photos   Don't Wear the Same Thing You want to coordinate not match exactly. Sure, it'd be so much easier to all get the same tshirt for everyone to wear, but it definitely wont look as good as it could.    2. Consider Textures I absolutely love textures and these can be pretty easy to incorporate into your outfits through a scarf or a hat or sweater. If someone is wearing a sleek and slim dress, put someone else in a chunky sweater   3. Don't Forget Patterns Pattern mi...

This pregnancy has been really hard on me physically and emotionally. I didn't get sick much with my other three and overall I had really easy pregnancies. This time, however, I was already drained plus adding on the pounds, the queasiness, the breaking out... Not to mention I freakin MISS my long hair and dont particularly feel like myself with this short "do." All this combined really has taken it's toll on me and I became depressed.  It's hard to know how to change your attitude when you have no idea if it's hormones, (it is) or morning sickness (or all day sickness) or anything pregnancy related. How do you know if you need to go easy on yourself- or if there are things you need to force yourself to do to feel normal again? Aka- fake it until you make it.  These were questions I was asking myself daily. During the first trimester I took the 'take it easy' approach. I hardly had enough energy to get out of bed, let alone do things I enjoyed doing. B...

If you know me, you know that I absolutely love anything and everything whimsical. Whether it's books, movies, photographs, crafts and yes, even clothes. If it has a bit of whimsy- I need it in my life. Obviously. After all... I'm only a mermaid some of the time, so how do I carry that whimsy with me wherever I go? Well in this new series, I am going to show you how to: Add a little Whimzy to your Wardrobe! (...and let your inner magic shine!) Before we start, you may be wondering:  "What exactly does 'whimzy' mean? I don't understand what it means to add whimzy to my wardrobe?" Well, beautiful reader, I'm so glad you asked.  whim·zy ˈ(h)wimzē n. playfully quaint or fanciful behavior or humor.   PLAYFUL. QUAINT. FANCIFUL. HUMOR. Um. Seriously, what's not to love?   So this first series will be what I personally look for when putting together my very own Whimzical Wardrobe. 1. Disney  MOVIE Bound:  Buttercup Bound Dress c/o Pink Blush | Claire ...

To My Love, Part of me can't believe we've been together almost ten years. In some ways it feels like yesterday, but at the same time it feels we've been together forever. Time flies when we're having fun, right? And we sure have a lot of fun together.    After whirlwind of cotton candy, a dorm room full of pink balloons and a horse ride through trees that seem straight out of Whoville, I knew you were the one for me. As we celebrate our life together I want you to know just how loved you are. When my seas are stormy, you calm the waves. When life is the bubbles, you're there to shellabrate. ;) We've traveled to depths unknown, but we've done it by each others side. You are my anchor and I love you more than all the dragons, unicorns, mermaids and fairies combined. You are my fairy tale. You are my happily ever after. Eternally Yours, Lauren       I have to say that it can be a little tricky to get gifts for Gavin, but I think I nailed it on the h...