Pretty Photos from Around the World

Last week we visited Disney World. That place is absolutely packed with the greatest little details. Everything from the sidewalk to the trees were thought about in some way. The architect in me loves every little bit of it.

All around Disney World I noticed endless amounts of beautiful flowers in bloom, and we even came across a lovely little rose garden near the castle. I'm guessing the rose garden is one of those places that gets very little attention from excited vacationers. Most children don't think of stopping to literally smell the roses, especially while they have Mickey Mouse on the brain. We really enjoyed the relief from the crowds that garden offered. It was a much needed peaceful spot in an otherwise bustling location.

I suppose knowing you can come back again soon, and having a few decades behind you, puts you in a more observant frame of mind at times. Having a nice camera around your neck doesn't hurt either. Looking around for the perfect angle, frame, or background is like an exciting treasure hunt. One that yields preserved memories to be saved for eternity. If I ever lose the digital file or photograph itself, I think some of these shots will be burned into my memory anyways.

Disney World has so much to offer aside from the rides, characters, and food. Looking around may result in sensory overload. You just have to take your time, slow down, and remember to stop and smell the roses.

Holiday Decorations at Disney { part 2 }

If you missed yesterday's Disney holiday decoration extravaganza, you should go check out those photos first. { part 1 here } Today I'm sharing photos from our visit to Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa. The name of the place alone sounds regal, and then you approach the front doors and find yourself transported to another time and place. Vintage Cadillacs and hotel workers dressed to impress. Walking through the front doors into such a spacious lobby was breathtaking, and then you spot the magnificent tree. Turning the corner you find yourself standing next to a life-size gingerbread house. The whole experience at the Grand Floridian just oozes historic luxury. It's luxurious but welcoming all at the same time. See for yourself.

... nothing says welcome like a beautiful vintage car ...

... pass under the garland ...

... behold the tree ...

... and its twinkling lights and sparkly bows ...

... a life-size gingerbread house that smelled amazing ...

... a grand space for a beautiful tree ...

... there was never a shortage of people admiring the beauty ...

... wandering around the upstairs shops, taking in the sights ...

... quick self-portrait with a tree in the background ...

... browsing the lovely, and rather expensive, clothes ...

... so many details to catch ...

... a friendly stranger snapped this one ...

If you ever get a chance to visit any of the Disney parks, try your best not to rush. It will be tough, because you'll want to see every bit of the place. Take it all in though; there are so many details that will go unnoticed if you're simply hurrying off to your next destination. Sometimes the finest details exist in the journey... the little things.

We took time during our visit to just sit and gaze at all amazing ideas that have been brought to life. I am telling you, Disney is a place of the tiniest details. I wish I could have met that Walt Disney guy. I think we would have gotten along just fine.

I don't know about you, but I'm trying my hardest not to rush through this month. Is it just me, or is it seriously flying by so far?! Sorry I have over 30 emails I hope to respond to this week, and I hate sending one liners back to you all. I'll try to get back to you soon!

Happy Tuesday

Holiday Decorations at Disney { part 1 }

Last week my husband and I drove over to Walt Disney World and took in some of the holiday displays. We saved major cash by avoiding the theme parks, and we spent the entire day touring a handful of the resort hotels. Each one of them had beautiful holiday decorations themed perfectly to match each resort's unique theme. Disney does details perfectly, and every direction you look holds something interesting just waiting to be noticed.

Since we visited so many resorts in one day, I have a rather large assortment of photos. I have far too many photos for one post, so today you'll see photos from only Disney's Wilderness Lodge. It was hands down mine and my husband's favorite resort. I hope you like pictures of Christmas decorations, because you're about to be bombarded by pictures.

Disney's Wilderness Lodge was the perfect way to begin our Disney holiday decoration tour! Every last detail made us feel like we were in Colorado. I mean, they even had antlers in the tree. How perfect is that? We had fun eating breakfast at Whispering Canyon Cafe, wandering the resort looking for hidden Mickeys, snapping photos all over the place, and dreaming about taking a vacation there with the children we hope to have some day. I hate to sound cheesy, but it was pretty magical.

Have you ever visited Disney during the holidays?

{ come back tomorrow for more pictures of the pretty decorations }

P.S. The Christmas ornament swap is closed for sign-ups, so if you've signed up keep an eye out for an email with your swap partners name and address!

Just Another Magic Monday

Before my husband and I even knew his job would take us to Florida (which you can read about Here), I was talking about visiting Disney World. Last year we even took part in Disney's 'Give a Day, Get a Day' but never used our free park tickets, because we just couldn't manage to work a Florida vacation into our schedules. Even though our free Disney tickets expired, I was still set on visiting Disney in the near future. Imagine my excitement when I found out that through a friend of a friend we could visit Disney World for free!

If you read my last post about our time spent at Disney, you'll see that anything free at Disney World is something worth celebrating. Parking at the theme parks alone costs about $14/day, but Downtown Disney parking is free. Even though parking is only free at Downtown Disney, a hot dog with fries will set you back almost $9 alone. Your bank account will thank you whenever you find ways to save money at Disney World. Our bank account downright jumped for joy when we were so graciously given free entrance by a park employee. Too bad we didn't live closer to Orlando, or I know where I would be looking for a job!

Unfortunately, we left the dSLR on this visit to Disney World. I knew we would be focused on getting the most out of our time at the parks, and I was worried it might take some abuse in the midst of our craziness. I really hope we visit again (when the weather is much cooler) so that I can get some better photos from around the parks.

I have more photos and possibly a video to share with you from this trip to Disney World, so check back in the next couple of days for those. When I read a blog post over at Keeping up with Kelly & Company, she mentioned making videos on iMovie. We have a Mac too, and our computer came with iMovie but we never use it. I can see where I'll be spending some time over the next few days.

I just saw a cockroach scurry away into the little space between our carpet and baseboard. I have to run! Talk to you later. (:

I hope you're having a magic Monday!

Better Late Than Never : Disney

Remember how we watched the Atlantis launch a couple of weeks ago? Since we were in the neighborhood, we stopped by Downtown Disney on our way back home from the east side of Florida. These photos from our visit to Disney are better late than never, right?

After navigating heavy traffic due to the launch of Atlantis, my husband and I had worked up an appetite the size of Texas. Subway sandwiches just didn't do cut it. I could feel that we were getting closer to Disney, so I convinced my husband that we must stop at Downtown Disney for food (and maybe a little bit of tourist activity too). Score! Mentioning food always seems to do the trick. My husband likes food, and I like Disney. Actually, I really like food too. It was a win-win for me, but my husband was the tough sell.

Downtown Disney is great for a few reasons. It's very close to the interstate, which makes it a quick stop for enjoying a meal or browsing the many stores. Not to mention the parking is free! Anything 'free' at Disney is hard to come by, so take what you can get. Granted, you will most likely spend money in their stores and/or restaurants. However, with a conscious effort, you can manage to spend a small amount of cash while still having fun.

We walked the entire length of Downtown Disney, and I made sure to stop in almost every store along the way. I wanted to get our time's worth of stuffed animal fondling and merchandise ogling. Not to mention, the obligatory silly hat-wearing photos. We managed to escape the grasp of Disney without spending money on anything other than food and drinks. Not too shabby if you ask me.

After browsing some dinner options, we decided to eat at Paradiso 37 where we split appetizers for dinner. The water view from our seats was probably the best part about eating there. Our ceviche was gorgeous, but it looked much better than it tasted. I gave them an A+ for presentation, but we have enjoyed much better food elsewhere. We should have known better than to order seafood at Disney. You live, and you learn.

We probably should have drank/ate our dinner at the Ghirardelli Soda Fountain & Chocolate Shop instead. I'm sure that would have been a fail-safe option. You can rarely go wrong with chocolate for dinner. Right? There's always next time!

After having our fill of over-priced appetizers, we made our way through the shops of Downtown Disney. Curl had some really great surf-inspired clothing and accessories, but my favorite shop was the TrenD boutique store. The chandeliers hanging overhead made the whole place feel luxurious and chic. They sold some candies in really great boxes with silly names and phrases. I found some scarves that I liked, but someone already gave me one as a gift. It was really fun just browsing all of the items, and it was even more fun walking out without spending a penny! After making our way across Downtown Disney, we made mental notes of places we would visit again when we return.

On our way out of the park, we noticed the House of Blues was selling fairly affordable tickets to a concert. Unfortunately we had not planned on staying out all night, so we passed on the tickets. Attending a concert at the House of Blues would be a fun way to spend an adult evening at Disney World. They really do have something for everyone at Disney!

Walt Disney World always gives you plenty of things to look at while visiting. They have beautiful gardens, they pay incredible attention to detail, and they provide plenty of entertainment throughout the parks. Minus the cost of entrance, if you are able to avoid buying everything in sight (they don't make it easy to avoid) and eating the over-priced food, you can probably escape Disney without hurting the pocketbook too badly.

Have you ever visited Disney on a budget?

How did you fare?