Beauty and the Beast

Everyone has their favorite Disney Princess and mine has always been Belle from Beauty and the Beast. I was kid when it came out and at the time I was a total book worm...so she spoke to me! The feeling hasn't change. So when I heard they were making a live action remake of the classic I was both skeptical and excited all at the same time. When you are a die-hard fan of something and it gets updated or change...you have a mini freak out but you hope they do it justice.

If you've followed my Instagram or Etsy shop you know I love to sew, even though I am pretty basic with it. I recently visited my mom and she had, along with many other childhood memories, a few of my bedsheets from when I was a kid, from Mickey to Dr. Seuss...but the cherry on top was my Beauty and the Beast bed sheets and tea cup curtains. Ideas just raced around in my head so I knew I had to take them home and whip up an outfit with them. And what perfect timing as well! I made a full circle skirt with the fabric and matched it up with a pink Lauren Top by Pinup Girl Clothing (pinupgirlclothing.com) for the opening night of the movie. It was a hit! 

The movie was beautifully made and the cast did an amazing job at bringing to life our favorite characters from the film we all fell in love with so many years ago. I don't want to spoil it for anyone who hasn't seen it but I just want to say that I loved Emma Watson as Hermione in Harry Potter...not as Belle. Optimism is Belle's key trait and none of that was conveyed to me through Emma Watson. I felt as if she was holding back in her character...as if I knew she had it in her but it wasn't there for the movie. The support cast was quite phenomenon though...from Gaston to Lumiere. They all did an amazing job and the entire look of the film was beautiful. 

All in all, I highly recommend seeing this masterpiece. It will have you singing the lyrics to all those songs you can't deny knowing by heart. ;)

Museum Mice

The hubby and I had a weekend filled with local museums. We visited two local gems...the San Bernardino County Museum and The Lincoln Shrine Memorial, both in Redlands, California.
I was decked out in an awesome planet/outer-space print dress by Retrolicious. I was the lucky winner of their recent Instagram contests. I was so excited since I never win anything...especially not a dress I have been drooling over for some time now. (Review on this dress coming later!)

We first headed down to the San Bernardino County Museum. There was a Mid-Century Modern Architecture exhibit we wanted to see and it was well worth it. The museum is snuggled in Redlands, located next to the gorgeous Victorian home known as the Edwards Mansion. The museum features quaint exhibits ranging from local history to dinosaurs!

The second museum we ventured to was the Lincoln Shrine museum in Redlands. This museum was a true hidden gem for me. I must have driven past that museum numerous times and never gave it a second thought. There is also an adjacent library on the premises. Perfect for me, right? The Lincoln Shrine building gives the illusion of an observatory with it's distinctive dome at the front center of the museum. The location is small but packs in quite a bit of history pertaining all to the Civil War and Lincoln. Both the hubby and I are history buffs...so this detour in our day was a true treat. I recommend it to anyone in the area. You won't be sorry!

Double Trouble!

My best friend, Emily, and I recently hit up the sites at Palm Springs...but in matching colors of course. We couldn't wait to sport our favorite retro labels, from Vixen by Micheline Pitt to Banned Apparel. Here we are in front of the gorgeous grass wall in the Riviera Hotel and Spa. Fun! Fun! Fun!

I am wearing a Red Sabrina top by Pinup Girl Clothing and black trousers by Banned Apparel.
Emily is wearing a Red Powder Puff Top by Vixen by Micheline Pitt.

Happy Anniversary Sleeping Beauty

Yesterday, Janurary 29th, we celebrated the 58th anniversary of the release of the Disney classic Sleeping Beauty. I grew up admiring every second of that movie, from the enchanted art to the whimsical score. I had also just finished a custom Sleeping Beauty skirt for a client depicted the famous fairy "color battle"..."make it pink! make it blue!" We all know and love that fun scene. I combined two parts of pink and blue skirts into one full skirt. One half pink and one half blue. Each side has it's fairy, Merryweather and Flora, along with their wands and a little magical fairy dust.

 I had quite an obsession with Maleficent as a child for some reason...I didn't think much of Aurora's beauty but I thought the beautiful one was Maleficent. She was strong, demure, and had attitude for days. I was hooked! I bought this amazing Maleficent sculpture during the 50th anniversary of Disneyland. Her magical staph even lights up! During the same celebration period I picked up a figurine of her shoe as well as a Maleficent Barbie.

And of course if you ever get a chance to tour the inside of Sleeping Beauty's castle...you have to take the obligatory Maleficant lurking in the shadows picture. It's so spooky and amazing!

Mickey Mouse Jewelry!

I have collected quite a bit of craft supplies throughout the years...and I never decided what I was going to do with my massive amounts of Disney charms. I couldn't help but think jewelry would be the best option for these gorgeous charms...and well I went a little crazy. I picked up a micro drill bit and started making the cutest dangle earrings for the fellow Mickey obsessed...such as myself. What do you think?

Revisitng the past at Santa's Village

I recently took a trip down memory lane...this time at Santa's Village which has now reopened after nearly 20 years. Nestled in the San Bernardino Mountains in a little town of Sky forest, just north of Lake Arrowhead, Santa's Village was once the go to spot year-round for a dose of Christmas cheer and fun. Decked out with Santa's very own home and workshop, a gingerbread house and toy store, the park reopened it's doors like it once did in 1955! I myself had numerous great memories at this park with my parents. This time I brought my mother along for the fun.

The one thing you will notice is that the buildings have been updated and are now all neutral colors which I don't prefer to be honest. I remember loving the bright and kitschy colors that decked the buildings. It gave it that "Toyland" feel. It's much more modern and plain...but still very beautiful. A lot of the old rides have been removed...like the Bumble Bee ride, which was the absolute best! Of course...no one could ever forget the Mushrooms! Those were like a ride itself...you would jump on them and off of them as a kid. Those, thankfully stayed. Admission includes a visit to Santa himself and access to the beautiful ice skating rink. I am a child at heart so of course I was ecstatic to see Santa and Mrs. Claus. If you feel just the same as me...go! It is a beautiful site to see, and located in a beautiful pocket of the mountains.

Located on scenic Rim of the World Highway (California State Route 18) in the city of Skyforest.
http://skyparksantasvillage.com

Going Plaid!

My best friend, Emily, and I purchased the most amazing plaid tops by Heart of Haute. This blouse is called the Estelle blouse and it accented with a cute tie bow at the neckline and is adorned in a beautiful red holiday plaid print. The top is made of 100% cotton. The fit is also so flattering. We couldn't resist taking advantage of the snow fall one weekend in Big Bear Lake at the cabin...and the pictures we took were too cute not to share.