Disney Half Marathon Outfits .....The Tremaine Transformation Begins .

At last years half-marathon Davina and I marveled at the array of costumes being worn. Some were sparkly, some were sporty and some were just downright amazing - tuba guy we're talking to you. As new and slow runners we decided to just keep it simple and wear Ariel colors, but after seeing so many great ideas we decided to get a bit more adventurous this year. If you've read our posts before then you know our love for the stepsisters, Anastasia and Drizella. It's almost as if it would be blasphemous to consider anything else.

Perfection. I die

Our dilemma now lies in how to achieve their amazing look. We're not the type to run in layers of tulle. It's hard enough for us to run in Athleta pants. We did however find these beauties on Rock City Skirts

Drizella = me

Anastasia = Davina

They seem perfect . Not too much fabric, lightweight and spot on with the colors. These are getting ordered for sure. The hard part now is finding the running capris and shirts to match....and no Tremaine outfit would be complete without the lil gold crown and bow.

 

I've  seen some really good RunDisney outfits posted by other gals and have asked for suggestions on where they bought their items, but we'd love some input from you all. Any great ideas? Keep in mind...we sweat lots and need sleeveless shirts or risk getting very fussy. One step closer to stepsisters already.


~ Karen
 

The Eyes Have It: The Down Low on Disney Lashes

If you know anything about Karen and I, you know we love false lashes. We seek out special occasions to wear new lashes and have been known to take a selfie or two simply to capture the lashes-- even before selfies were a thing (yes we are old).

Lash Selfie Circa 2008

We have always admired the Disney character lashes and it seems ladies around the world do too. Here is our round up of the top 5 Disney lashes-- with a special shout out to Japanese girls who seem to have this market cornered.

#5: Disney Villains. Who doesn't love to be a little bit bad? These lashes (most available on Amazon for $8.99) will have heads turning. It takes a brave gal to pull off some of these bold looks, but if you like to steal puppies or find yourself sabotaging young love at the bottom of the sea, these may be just right for you.

Bad Ass Lashes

#4: Daisy Duck. I have always had a strange fascination with Daisy's lashes. She is so glam and somehow ends up overshadowed by her BFF Minnie. While the US lash market seems slow in capitalizing off her look she is even hard to locate globally. This set was nowhere to be found (in the obvious places) online-- but I betcha I would find this in every major drugstore in Japan. Road trip anyone?

What? Nobody wants duck lashes?

#3: Maleficent. I know, I already mentioned villains. But with the recent MAC and Maleficent make up collection, this bad girl needs her own shout out. This collection is long gone, but you can find it for a price online. Amazon has these lashes listed at $33. An investment for something this fleeting for sure, but wouldn't it be fun?

If I wear these, do I get Angelina's cheekbones?

#2: Minnie Mouse. A lash list would not be complete without Minnie included. Search for Minnie lashes and options abound. Unfortunately, they all seem to be in the wrong country making looking like Minnie a bit cost prohibitive. I did find some fun ones on Amazon at a reasonable "add on" price. For $9.90 (with a total order of $25) you can get the Minnie lashes below. I'm not gonna lie. I just ordered them.

Japanese drug stores must be heaven

And finally, at #1: No lash list would be complete without a princess or two. My princess of choice will always be Ariel so I was thrilled to find the lash set below right down the street at my local Walgreens. At only $7.99 it's the perfect price point for a gal just trying lashes out for the first time, or some old pros like Karen and I trying to save a few coins.

These really should be waterproof-- I'm just sayin'

Did we miss anyone in our list? Let us know in the comments below. We would love to hear from you.

~Davina and Karen

Star Wars Weekend 2014 - A Newbie Retrospective

Last year we had the good fortune of being at Disney during the Limited Time Magic, May the 4th Be With You. It was amazing. The characters, the dance party, the fireworks. It psyched us up so much we naturally thought, "we need to be there for the real deal". So we planned on a weekend in 2014 to visit during Star Wars weekend.

Let me begin by saying that it was fun. We all enjoyed ourselves-- I mean how can you not? But it was different from the Limited Time Magic and I can't figure out if the unexpected spontaneity of the May The 4th weekend has some extra pixie dust, or Disney needs to adjust a few things. Here are my thoughts on what worked (and what didn't) as a Star Wars weekend newbie. 

WORKED - The excitement. It's hard to describe the nerdy tingles that run through your body when you hear the Cantina theme song playing as you walk into the park. While Hollywood Studios could still be enjoyed by those not into Star Wars during Star Wars Weekend, it would take some serious Force to ignore the movie theme at every turn.

just try to ignore the Storm Troopers on pedestals 

Storm Troopers take over the main stage

Oh Han. 

DID NOT WORK - Crowds.  I know, I know. Disney gets crowded. But Hollywood Studios is already on the small side. Couple that with a parade route the length of my kitchen and eager 40 year old nerds (I am married to one, so I can say this without pause) trying to catch a glimpse of one of the celebs in the motorcade-- well, your kids aren't going to see much. We tried to watch the parade and maybe caught a glimpse of the top of Mickey Mouse's ears-- maybe. We still aren't sure. I'm just not into throwing elbows to wave to the guy who played Jar Jar. I have no photo proof of the crowds as I think I went and bought a cocktail. Or some popcorn. Or maybe both. 

WORKED - Happy accidents. Here's a tip for next year. Skip the parade and head to the back of the Mouse hat. When the parade ends the characters have to go somewhere and if you position it right, you will have an AMAZING vantage point for all your favs. We just pulled over to tie some shoes, and then the pictures below happened.

Not planned at all

An unplanned side-eye

Glamour Droid Shot!

Slow down Boba Fett!

There were more photos, but as you can see from the above, it was just us watching the characters walk by. No crowds, and an impromptu parade of sorts. Even the droids spun around and beeped for us for a bit. Way more fun than standing in a line of people 10 deep waiting for a parade you never get to see.

WORKED, and at the same time DID NOT WORK - VIP access. So there is this new trend at Disney where if you would like to pay a boat load of money you can get pretty much whatever you want. I say this is new because in all my years of traveling to Disney I have not seen the have and have nots divided so blatantly. 

Let me explain.

I knew from blog posts and the like that getting character autographs Star Wars weekend was a lesson in patience and sometimes futility. So when I saw that Disney was offering a dining option with the characters I was all in. There were two choices. One was with the Disney characters dressed up like Star Wars characters. The other was the Star Wars characters themselves. We opted for straight up Star Wars characters. It was breakfast and we got to see Darth Vadar, Boba Fett, Storm Troopers, Greedo, and Jawas. I'm not even going to go into how much my French Toast cost me. It was slightly ridiculous at $49 per adult and $29 per child, but hey-- nobody was forcing me to do this. I was considering this an investment in time saving. It was fast, but good. We had some themed breakfast items:

C3PO breakfast pastry anyone?

Enjoy Yoda yogurt parfait you will

 And we got to meet all the mentioned characters:

We traded Jawas some JetBlue pins for gold coins. 

set your blasters to "look at the wrong camera"

Greedo swagger

my husband is the side-eye master

Breakfast was at the Sci-Fi Drive In, so we sat in a car and watched clips of the various Star Wars movies as we ate our overpriced meals. Overall, a really good time. One could argue that we were paying to get to the front of the character line. True. But at least we got some pastries in the process. What I didn't expect, were all the people who paid to get to the front on every line. All day. And also into the evening.

Disney also offered front of the line options for the parade, the fireworks, and around Star Wars weekend in general. It felt like one velvet rope add on after another. When my 6-year old asked me to hold him up so he could get a glimpse of James Arnold Taylor at the end of the day finale,  at first I was like "who?" and then I held him up as high as I could and glared at the ropes that separated the audience into various categories.

VIP offerings are a slippery slope. One thing that was always nice about Disney is that we all have pretty much the same access and definitely the same treatment. Sure, the celebs skip the lines-- but you kind of expect that and it happened quietly. What I don't love is this new trend of creating visible class systems that make me feel like my price of admission is somehow worth less. Shouldn't we all have a shot at the best parade route spot or fireworks view? The fact I'm pretty good about carving out good spots and that my family just didn't have a chance made me feel a little bleh. And who wants to be at Disney and feel bleh? My advice, if there is something you know to be a priority for your upcoming trip, check and see if Disney offers an upgrade experience.  Even if you decide not to go that route, at the very least you will know/understand the situation when you see the ropes that divide. . 

WORKED - Shopping. I heard horror stories about lines for days at Darths Mall. Apparently that was just the first weekend. The weekend we went was pretty quiet and totally manageable. It was like the Christmas Tree Shop for Star Wars stuff. Those of your from the New England area will totally get that reference. Everything you think you want but have no idea where to put it when you get home.

It's a trap! Don't buy it. 

Refer to photo caption above

Here's a fun fact. I asked the cashier at Darth's Mall what the hot items were. He paused, thought about it and said, "well, whatever they were, they were long gone the first weekend." And there you have it.

Would we do it again? Probably. Yes we made some newbie mistakes, but all-in-all we had a great time and I really can't complain. I mean, I can. I can always find something to complain about, but Star Wars Weekend is a tough, hard core nerd-out weekend and so long as you go prepared, the entire experience is out of this world (pun intended). 

Do you have some tips for navigating this inter-galactic weekend? We would love to hear them. Feel free to comment and let us know what we should have done differently. 

May the force be with you. Always.

~Davina

These Crocs are Made for Walking...

I am always amazed that I have not gained 20 pounds when I return from a trip to Disney World. The popcorn, the meals out, the desert/cookie with every meal, dole whip after dole whip. I throw out my Weight Watcher points tracker the minute I reach the airport.

So how is it that the net-gain post-vacation is generally 0? I am convinced it's the walking. A Disney trip requires walking everywhere and it ads up. For example, from the entrance of Epcot to the Margarita stand in Mexico has to be at least 3/4 of a mile (I know someone out there knows this stat-- help me out) and all this hoofing adds up. Which is why good shoes are essential. Here is my breakdown of the top three must have Disney shoes:

• Crocs (around $35)

Jibbitzs Optional

Come on now. These are the work horse of the Disney shoe and, love them or hate them, you must admit they get the job done. For years these have been a Disney staple, and if you must pair them with socks to avoid blisters, I won't judge you much.

You want more proof of our love? We love them so much Karen even busted out an impromptu jam about jibbitzs while waiting for the rest of the gang to get off of the Rockin' Roller Coaster.

the jam is around the 1:43 mark

• Toms (around $44)

Toms are relatively new to the Disney park scene, but they are showing strong signs of staying power. While they have less cushion than the Crocs, they offer some fashion while completely covering your feet (If your pedicure is looking shabby by the end of the vaca, not a bad option).

I have a basic blue pair as well as a disco ball silver pair. But the latest in Disney fashion is the customized version found on Etsy. 

Could these be any cuter?

• Havaianas (around $35 for custom flip flops)

You can't visit Disney without some flop flops. From scuffing to the pool to simply letting your worn-out feet breath for a bit, flop flops are an essential Disney suitcase item. Generally any old pair of flip flops will do but if you would like to add some flair to your "thwap thwap thwap" (my impersonarion of a flip flop sound) you should check out the Havaianas website. Not only do the have cute Disney options for the kids, you can actually build your own custom pair of flip flops.

You can select the color of the base as well as the thong. They also offer up to 4 custom "jewels" which includes everything from palm trees to initials. While the custom jewels are pretty cool, my wish is that the folks at Havainas offer some Disney branded options. Offer me a castle or some mouse ears and I swear I would never buy another pair of flip flops again.

for tiny feet only

What's in your suitcase on a Disney trip? Let us know what we should try out as well as avoid.

Happy walking!

~Davina

Remind Us Again Why We Live In New England?

It's about this time of year , every year, that we look at each other and ask " Why do we live in New England "? This month we finally asked that question again.

Between the 28 inches of snow, sleet, extreme cold temperatures and overall crappiness, we are always daydreaming of what it would be like to live in Disney World. Kind of like the college program, but for old ladies. We started reminiscing and found a video that sums it all up for us nicely.
The boat horn gets me every single time, and Stitch makes an appearance which always guarantees some unexpected moments.

And guess what...it's going to snow again this weekend.
sigh



~ Karen

This Is Not Your Daughters Princess Dress

Harrod's has surprised me by embracing two of my favorite things and combining them into one big ,sparkly explosion. Starting November 1 the iconic storefront windows ( christmas window browsing -fave thing 1) will be adorned with designer dresses inspired by Disney princesses ( fave thing 2).


The designers are some names you're sure to recognize . Mussoni, Marchesa, Versace and  Ellie Saab anyone? In my dreams...but the sketches look absolutely beautiful. Some are open to interpretation, while others hit the princess straight on the head.



Tiana- I love this dress- Pocahontas and Ariel...yes Ariel



Aurora...Saab wisely made it pink




Oscar De La Renta does Snow White and Versace inspired Cinderella. Mind you I'm judging the dress not the impossible waist size




Now who's up for a road trip across thre pond? Try and find all your favorites in the video !

•Cinderella in Versace


•Aurora from "Sleeping Beauty" in Elie Saab

•Belle from "Beauty and the Beast" in Valentino

•Ariel from "The Little Mermaid" in Marchesa

•Snow White in Oscar de la Renta

•Rapunzel from "Tangled" in Jenny Packham

•Pocahontas in Roberto Cavalli

•Jasmine in Escada

•Tiana from "The Princess & The Frog" in Ralph & Russo

•Mulan in Missoni


~ Karen

The Break Down Of A`Disney Halloween Costume - With a Touch Of Evil

We take Halloween costumes VERY seriously in my house. Almost too seriously according to my husbands wallet. My house stays moderately decorated inside and a spooky pumpkin or too adorn the outside, so I make up for that in costumes. And yes they usually are Disney related

My daughter has been everything. Snow White, Tinkerbell, Alice In Wonderland , Cinderella and all the sparkly things you can think of. Since she was 3 years old though she has been fascinated by the villains. It was a love/ hate relationship, but watching her was reaction was fantastic. She WANTED to turn away from them but couldn't. It only made her look more. The first time she saw Ursula creep by in Spectromagic ( I miss you ) she squeezed my husband so tight and made a sort of "ooooh" noise, but refused to look away. The dragon in Fantasmic...dumbfounded by it. I think it was her first exposure to watching Snow White , and the transformation from Evil Queen to old hag blew her mind. Don't get me wrong, she loves Snow White, but if you ask her her favorite character from it , the answer will always be the Evil Queen.

Case in point this picture that's been hanging in her room since she was three. Please do not call child services on me if you think it's too scary. Clearly from the artwork on it , she spent hours staring at it and loving it.

I am now framed behind glass to avoid further graffiti

Years ago I bought her the Evil Queen costume, via EBay, and she would just gaze at it. It was always too big for her bitty body , so we put it away in her dress up trunk, and would take it out every now and then to admire. I came home one night about three weeks ago to find it laid out on her bed with a note next to it that stated, "this is my Halloween costume this year". So 5 years later here we are with a sparkly Evil Queen costume that her 3 year old self could only dream about wearing one day. I immediately went into accessory planning mode , since no Evil Queen can be without them.

A poison apple...because what's the Evil Queen without it.



Yes I made this apple and yes I love it. Have a bite?

An Emma approved trick or treat bag suitable for holding massive amounts of candy. This is courtesy of Hot Topic. I don't have the skills to make this





I can hold enough candy for the neighborhood.

Her costume didn't come with the big gold and ruby bling you see above , and of course we need it, so once again I turned to EBay and found this pin.





Pin to the costume and voila...evil brooch complete

 Now for the actual costume and head wrap...well you're going to have to wait for that. Our Evil Queen transformation will be complete on Halloween for you to see. I think it's my favorite costume so far and can't wait to share it!

Now you can see why my husbands wallet recoils at Halloween time, but then again, it does whenever I say the word Disney.



~ Karen


writing this in hopde of winning a trip through bodylogicmd. check em out!

http://www.bodylogicmd.com/contests

A LeSportsac Contest and a Trip to the Kingdom

So I'm headed to Disney tomorrow. Sadly without my bestie Karen-- though she is claiming to stow away in my luggage.

It's been far too long for our girls trip. But that's a tale for another day.

In the meantime this trip is happening, and I want to document it. So what do you want to see? What do you miss when your not on Disney property? Is it the food? The weather report? How about some pics from the Halloween party? Let me know and I'll blog/tweet it up for you.

And while we are at it, a new give away is in the mix. LeSportsac was kind enough to send the perfect bag from the Small World collection for us to share. It's a cross the chest style you see everywhere these days and we want to give it to you. So follow us, retweet us, comment us and win this kick ass bag.

i want to come home with you

And one editors note, Im not bringing my computer so my phone will be doing the heavy lifting. I apologize in advance for grammatical shenanigans.

I'll check in from WDW tomorrow! In the meantime, enter to win!


~davinaa Rafflecopter giveaway



wanna win a trip! check out Bodylogicmd

http://www.bodylogicmd.com/contests

Take A Ride On Test Track With Us. P.S...We Like To Scream

It's  a  Monday...meh.

Beat the Monday blues with a little ride on Test Track with us , but three things

1. You may find us annoying
2. We like to scream
3. It was so not faster than any other time. We had a few drinks in France.

Enjoy!

~ Karen


try to win a trip here!

http://www.bodylogicmd.com/contests

Hey Is That Paul Blart? My Bad, It's Just A Nerd On a Segway At Epcot

If you've eyeballed the segways at Epcot before but never tried their existing tour then hold up...a new tour is starting in September entitled the "Keep Moving Forward: See the World, Share the Dream".

Included are segway riding lessons, since Disney is not stupid enough to just throw you out there and say " GO" , breakfast at Sunshine Seasons, a tour of World Showcase and a special pin for all you pin junkies. Give yourself three hours for the tour and bring $99 with you, if you're 16 or older.

I've never done any Segway tour before and prefer to just see the world and share the dream on my own two feet. The segway takes away my favorite part of touring the World Showcase, drinking along the way. Do they maybe come with cup holders?


If you want to learn more or to book a tour, please call (407) WDW-TOUR, but I bet you already knew that number by heart didn't you?




where's the cup holder for my margarita?

~ Karen

Jet Blue....Can you Make My Disney Dreams Come True?

I live in a little place called Worcester , Massachusetts. An hour away from Boston, it's got a little bit of everything . Parks, museums, great colleges, some notable restaurants, an airport....oh wait...scratch that airport part since what good is an airport with no airline.

Yes that's right, I live in a town with a fully functioning, abandoned airport. Last November I flew out of here with my family for a Disney vacation. I had heard horror stories about Direct Air -the previous airline-and was skeptical. The price and convenience were too good to pass up, so I booked my tickets, drove the 10 minutes to the airport and had the easiest flight ever. I praised the Worcester Airport swearing my allegiance to them and 5 months later Direct Air declared bankruptcy and the airport shut down. I did hear that Tom Hanks was up there shooting a movie though. That was sarcasm if you couldn't tell.

Every Disney vacation was planned in my mind out of Worcester, even though Jet Blue is my preferred airline. So imagine my excitement overload when  I read this week that Jet Blue CEO Dave Barger was coming to visit the ghost town for the second time this week!! Word on the street is that the deal revolves around the installation of a category 3 landing system at the airport.  Basically that means jazzing the airport up to Jet Blue standards and giving it the capability for planes to land in all types of weather. If it snowed up there in February and you had Direct Air tickets, you crossed your fingers and said a silent prayer.

This is news that , for a small town Disney freak like me, gives me butterflies of excitement. Imagine my fave airline ten minutes away, offering all the ease and convenience that Logan doesn't give me? I can also tell you I am not alone in feeling this. The people almost rioted around here when Direct Air said adios, so Jet Blue, if you are reading this ( please read this ) Worcester LOVES you. With service to Orlando you are guaranteed full planes every time. Everyone loves Mickey just as much as they love you.  Please help us make our airport more than a set from the Walking Dead.



Take us to Big Thunder Mountain Jet Blue!!!!!!!!!!

 

~ Karen

No One Rocks A Fountain Like Gaston

Check out the video from Disney Parks showing new additions to Belle's Village. I feel so sneaky watching it like I'm peeking into a Christmas present before Christmas morning, which I have been known to do.

It looks amazing and to be honest it wouldn't be the same without Gaston. Add him to my our list of characters to stalk  and please take note of Lefou on the bottom. Classic.








 ~ Karen

Scan And Plan!- Epcot Food And Wine Festival QR Code

I love the Epcot Food and wine Festival , but sadly cannot go this year. There's a lot of Disney events I cant go to this year and thinking about them all makes me weepy. I'm not sure if scanning this QR code with all the details makes me feel better or worse. It's fun to check out the details, but now I feel like more of a loser for getting excited over things I won't get to do.

You can be a loser like me and scan to be jealous, OR  if you are lucky enough to go then scan and plan out all the awesome things you'll be doing. The new Italian Regional Food and Wine Luncheon sounds extra fantastic. You can find me crying into my wine at home instead.


Scan away and have fun...sniff sniff










Oh the torture

  
~ Karen

Evil Stepsisters Unite!

Halloween is really just around the corner. I'm the type of gal who plans my daughters costume months in advance and yes they typically are Disney themed. I pay attention to all the details and spend more than any grown woman should on accessories, sparkles , shoes and the like. I haven't dressed up in years. Back in the day we used to have grown up parties but now we are all just all so lame. Davina and I have vowed though that if someone DOES decide to have a party and not be lame, we are ready to go. Better yet we imagine our next  girls trip to Disney in October and attending MNSSHP. We did it once before and didn't wear costumes. We've regretted it ever since.


Behold our costumes that we found on one of our favorite spots, Ebay. The price tags are high but since this is for an imaginary Halloween party we are sparing no expense.





Anastasia






Drizella

These costumes look AMAZING! A seller on ebay who is a seamstress is selling them and I literally look at them every day. I just can't stop. I practice making stepsister faces in the mirror so I can achieve the look perfectly. I try to walk like them, talk like them and I'm pretty confident that I would be a fantastic stepsister. Put Davina next to me in her costume and you may as well hire us for Disney.We haven't decided who's who yet, but in the end it really doesn't matter. I'm willing to wear a wig if I have to. Check out the listings below.

The prices are a whopping $229 each at Buy it now, but like I said, my imaginary Halloween party spares no expense. If we do suddenly win a trip To WDW complete with Halloween party tickets, that baby is as good as mine....make evil stepsister face.


http://www.ebay.com/itm/290736816843?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649


http://www.ebay.com/itm/290626081138?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649


~ Karen

Fall LeSportsac Disney Bags Arriving Soon! It's a Best Friends Must Have.

We've talked before about our love of the Disney inspired LeSportsac bags and even received a real beauty from them to review ( two girly bloggers...one bag...one sad girl with no bag) . Davina was the lucky winner of their gift since she's going to WDW in September and has a fabulous theme planned our for her bag.  We also took some guesses as to what the new collection might look at here
http://thebestfriendsguideto.blogspot.com/2012/06/small-world-lesportsac-best-guesses-for.html

In the mean time check out some new pictures from the Fall line " A Wondrous Journey Under The Moroccan Sun" coming in August. August can't come soon enough!




Were our guesses close?




Are we obsessed with these bags? Yes...yes we are



~ Karen

Small World LeSportsac - Best Guesses for Fall Designs

My obsession with the Small World LeSportsac collection (available at www.lesportsac.com) continues and I am officially unable to save the one pictured below for my Disney vacation in September. How can something so cute sit in a closet just waiting? Answer: it doesn't.

Love you. Must use you.

The BFFs have it on good authority that the designs for the Fall Small World collection are going to be announced soon. Which not only makes me giddy but I am also crazy curious. We do know is that the collection includes five seasonal deliveries, each inspired by a specific country (Tahiti was the country for summer 2012) but I thought I might make some wild guesses/suggestions on the upcoming design patterns.

The burnt colors of Latin America would be a
nice pattern for Fall. I'm thinking carry-on bag?

What could be better than the pure whites
for the holiday season?

We will keep you posted on the new designs as they become available. But while we wait, we would love to hear from you what patterns you would like to see on upcoming releases. Leave us a comment. Don't be shy.

~Davina

Disney T Shirts -- Going Beyond the Classic Mickey T

I'm cleaning out my closet in preparation to move to a new house. As I dig through my clothes I have realized that I have a serious Disney t-shirt addiction.

I can't be the only one, so I thought I would share some of my favs.

Now I just need to decide which one to wear...

~davina

When I want to go retro - including ringer sleeves

When I feel like a princess

Front.

Back. Poncho not included.

To be worn with Lapu Lapu in hand