Sew Cute Travels: Hawaii Snapshots

It's been a minute since I was on my Hawaii trip, but today I wanted to share some gorgeous snapshots of my trip! From staying at Aualni, exploring the Island, going to the Dole Plantation, and more there is so much to see on Oahu. Hope you enjoy these few photos from my trip!

This isn't the last of my Aulani content! If you have any requests leave them down below... 

XOXO 

Miranda

Dose of Disney: Somewhere Over the Rainbow

Somewhere over the rainbow... is Aulani! I'm back with another Aulani post because let's be honest it is just too gorgeous of a place not to share. 

This tee is from the Target Mickey collection a while back but I still love it. All of the pieces I picked up from the collection are adorable and great pieces to have in my Disney Style closet. For this look I styled the tee with my go-to basic white chino shorts from J. Crew. Nothing crazy, but it's a great look to walk around Aulani or even the parks in. 

Naturally I paired the tee with these gorgeous Aulani ears. These ears are exclusive to the resort so I had to pick up a pair! They are a coral color with a fun Aulani print. Plus a pretty hibiscus flower on the side. Basically the epitome of Aulani in ears!

Where it's from: 

Tee: Target (old Mickey collection) 

Shorts: J. Crew 

Ears: Aulani Resort 

Necklace: Kiel James Patrick 

Belt: vineyard vines 

Location: Aulani Resort and Spa

What is your favorite color in the rainbow? I am a purple person personally! Let me know in the comments below.... 
XOXO 
Miranda

Dose of Disney: Spirit of Aulani

I'm back on my old sh** with another Spirit Jersey! Let me tell you guys, I wear these things almost every day of my life. That's what happens when you work from home kids. But, in all seriousness I do really love Spirit Jerseys. They are super #basic and remind me of my college days. So, when I was in Aulani of course I had to pick up a few. 

I picked up this new style they had which was a cropped rainbow tie dye jersey. Not going to lie I had to track this thing down! They only had large sizes left then luckily I found a small on property, then eventually an XS. A major lesson of Aulani is if you see something you want from the gift shop, get it right away! Things sell out so quickly there. Between people just coming by the resort to look around, guests, and people picking up gifts things go so fast. 

This jersey is perfect to wear at night in Hawaii as it can get a little chilly and you may want a light layer. A cropped style like this is also great to throw over your swimsuit! Here I just paired it with basic white shorts and a fun pair of Aulani ears. 

Where it's from: 

Spirit Jersey: Aulani Resort

Ears: Aulani Resort 

Shorts: J. Crew 

Shoes: Jack Rogers 

How do you wear your spirit jerseys? Let me know in the comments! 

XOXO 

Miranda

High School Graduation Gift Ideas

college crest necklace | college theme Stoney Clover pouch 

needlepoint key fob | gift cards to local spots | clear stadium bag 

sleeping mask | hair scrunchie | tie bar | performance polo 

academic planner | customized Yeti | school ornament | designer crossbody 

It's high school graduation season! Which means you most likely have to pick out a gift for a grad in your life. Whether it be a sibling, cousin, or just a family friend I always think its so hard to think of gift ideas. Obviously everyone appreciates a nice check or cash. But, I prefer to think of something more unique or things they can use in college or the next step in their lives. So today I'm sharing some of my graduation gift picks perfect for the grad you know heading off to college next year!

This guide is themed for University of Alabama because that is where the grad I was shopping for is going! You can easily switch this up to whatever school your grad is heading off too.

Guys are always harder to shop for, but I thought of a few basic ideas that could work for a guy graduate! First up is a nice performance polo with their college logo or colors. This will be a great piece for them to wear around campus, at sporting events, or for whatever! My boyfriend lived in these during college and after so they are really great gifts to give for the long haul. Next up is a tie clip! This one is from Nordstrom and is under $40 so you could even clip this to a check or some cash for an extra bonus gift.

There are a few gift ideas that could work for literally anyone graduating! I love the idea of giving gift cards to food or coffee places on campus that they can use once they get to school. Ask friends that have been to that school for ideas on what is popular in the area. But, Starbucks is always a safe bet too. Next up, a personalized Yeti tumbler is the perfect gift for anyone. Again, you could always slip some cash or a check inside and just make this a fun extra gift. I used my Yeti cup in my college apartment like crazy. They are also great to use on campus as a reusable option. Plus, it keeps your drink super cold all day while you are walking around from class to the library then back to your dorm or apartment. Another easy idea is a key fob or keychain. I use a Smathers & Branson key fob and I love it! I've had a Pi Beta Phi sorority one as well but currently mine is from Keeneland. You could also get a generic key chain, key fob, or landyard if you don't want it to scream the university they are going too. I also love the idea of giving them an ornament to show off their new school. I am such an ornament or Christmas person and I love getting them as gifts. Whenever I see an ornament I remember who gave it to me, which is a fun memory!

Next up are some gift ideas for the lady graduates in your life. For a splurge gift you can opt for a designer crossbody bag in their school colors or a classic color. This will be a gift they keep forever! If you'd rather not splurge quite that much you could opt for just a fun crossbody purse they can use for going out or an everyday tote bag. Speaking of bags most stadiums now have a clear bag policy. Personally I have this Packed Party crossbody bag in gold, also comes in black, and it is fabulous! For under $50 the quality is great and will be a super useful gift for any grad planning on going to football or basketball games at school. Plus, it's nice enough that it's not cheap looking but its not super expensive to the point you'd be worrying about someone stealing it. Another great gift would be a customized item from Stoney Clover Lane. I love this striped clutch in their school colors with a fun varsity letter patch or a college patch! They have this Tuscaloosa patch which is obviously perfect for any Bama fan. You could also do their initials, monogram, or just a fun random patch. These are great for packing for trips home, throwing in their backpack or tote, or for other random uses. Another useful gift is an agenda! I love Erin Condren agendas, but you can always get a more affordable option like The Happy Planner at Michael's or Hobby Lobby. But, you can customize the Erin Condren with their name on the cover, pictures, and more! One more splurge gift would be a fun piece of jewelry. I think this Alabama crest necklace is so pretty. Although a little dainty Tiffany and Co. necklace would be a great idea as well. Lastly, are a few random small gifts that would be useful in a dorm like a face mask, hair scrunchie, or other random essentials. I love the idea of creating an essentials kit of items you loved during college or things that you'd find useful.

What would you love to receive as a graduation gift? Let me know in the comments! 
XOXO 
Miranda

OOTD: Sparkling Sands

Shining shimmering splendid... Sorry had to throw in an Aladdin reference! Today I am sharing this fun colorful look I wore in Aulani. This is an old dress from Lilly Pulitzer, but it is one of my favorite shapes they make. This dress is just so easy to wear. It's super soft and comfortable, and can be styled a ton of ways. 

Here I am wearing it on the beach with some Minnie ears of course! But, you could dress this up with a pair of wedges and statement earrings easily. Or, if you want to be more casual you could pair it with a pair of Jack Rogers and a white denim jacket. Honestly, these are the best Lilly dresses to get and you can usually score them from the After Party Sale for under $70. Not to mention this dress is perfect for a tropical vacation to Aulani!

Now, I have to mention these ears. Aloha Ear Design makes the best 3D ears in my opinion! These are an older pair but they feature cute little pineapples wearing sunglasses. So obviously they are a must for any Aulani trip. The neon pink matched a ton of my tropical outfits and of course goes great with Lilly too!

Where it's from: 

Dress: Lilly Pulitzer (print is Sparkling Sands)

Ears: Aloha Ear Design 

Sunglasses: Ray Ban 

Location: Aulani Resort 

What is your go-to Lilly shape? Let me know in the comments! 

XOXO 

Miranda

Dose of Disney: Meet & Greet Tips at Aulani

In my opinion, one of the best parts about Aulani is meeting some of your favorite characters in adorable Hawaiian themed looks! Aulani's character meet and greets are super fun, but I for sure have some tips and tricks to help optimize your day when it comes to hunting down characters. 

First things first, how do you know where to find the characters? Well, there is a phone number you can call on your in room phone to get a list of the characters that will be out that day. There is no pamphlet that is available to see which characters are available. You have to call the number each morning before you leave your room! I always wrote down the characters, times, and locations for the day on a piece of paper that I through in my beach bag. This was a major help because I could kind of plan out my day around which characters were a must-see for me. 

Once you have a plan of which characters you want to see you're going to want to make sure you have your room key or a pool wristband to show to the character handlers. Character meet and greets are ONLY for hotel guests. They don't always check for your hotel credentials, but they did a few times. The main reason for this is because as a paying guest at the hotel you get the perks of meeting the characters. If you are not staying at Aulani but want to visit characters you have to book a reservation at the character breakfast. There you can meet Mickey, Goofy, and Minnie. The nice thing about the breakfast is a. you get food and b. you don't have to stay at the hotel to eat there and meet the characters! You may get lucky and not have someone check for your credentials if you see a character, but you have to decide if you want to risk it! 

My biggest tip is to arrive early to the meet and greet spot. I am a person that believes if you are not early you are late. So, I always went over to the photo location 5-10 minutes prior to the scheduled time. Also, during our first few days at the resort I had no idea where anything was! So it took a little bit to find each location because they can sometimes be confusing. By arriving 5-10 min early you can either start creating the line or get behind people who are already there. This way you guarantee you get to meet the character. Sometimes if there were too many people in line they'd have to cut it short for them to go in for a break. But, this isn't like the parks where a new Mickey will come out in 3 minutes. These characters take much longer breaks. 

Now that you are at your character meet and greet how do I get the photos? Well, this part is a little tricky. Some characters had Photopass photographers taking photos for you that you could then purchase (same thing as at the parks). But, others just had their handler and no photographers. I suggest at least bringing your phone with you to meet the characters so you have a backup if the photographers aren't there. You may not be interested in buying the Photopass so you may need to just take your own photos! We ended up buying all of our photos as a package because we took family pictures on the beach, character photos, etc. When in doubt bring your own phone or camera for photos just to be safe! Usually the handlers are really great at taking photos (exhibit a below!). But, the handler who took my cellphone pictures with Duffy (the character I REALLY wanted to meet) were so awful. If possible try and bring a friend or family member to meet and greets for photos. I went to meet too many characters that my family eventually became annoyed so I went by myself (#noregrets). 

If characters are a major thing for you at Aulani I will say most characters were out on Fridays and Saturdays. During the week randomly they'd have characters throughout the day. But, if you are trying to get the most bang for your buck character wise being at the resort during the weekend is key. Sunday is a slower day, but Friday all day and Saturday were busy character days. Also, while we were there Duffy only came out ONCE! If you are set on meeting Duffy and Shelly Mae you may not want to get your hopes up. Shelly Mae wasn't out once during our entire 10 day trip to Aulani. She was "on vacation", which who knows what that means. I was really upset I couldn't meet Shelly Mae and that my picture with Duffy wasn't the greatest because it had rained and they changed the location. 

Some specific tips on meeting Duffy would be to show up legit 20 minutes before the time. You think I am joking, but I assure you I am not. When I met Duffy the line was at least 40+ people and I was one of the first few there. By the time I took my picture the line was wrapped about 3 times. It was nuts!!! This was also at night and the meet and greet was re-scheduled due to the rain. So, I'm not sure if it was for that reason or not. But, you don't want to spend 40+ minutes waiting for Duffy while you are at a gorgeous resort! So, just get there as early as you can and feel out the crowd levels. 

I mentioned rain above so I wanted to touch on that a little bit. So, if it is raining at the resort and the characters were scheduled for an outside meet and greet they are subject to cancellation or re-location. If it is raining and you had a character you wanted to meet try and find one of the entertainment staff members and they can give you further details on what the status of the character is. It only rained one day while we were there, so it only effected really my Duffy meet and greet. But, so you are aware it does happen! 

Those are all of my tips and tricks to meet and greets at Aulani! If you have ever been on a Disney cruise I'd say it's a similar system to that. Hopefully you found this helpful if you are planning an upcoming trip to Aulani! I am planning a lot of Aulani content so stay tuned for that. 

XOXO 

Miranda

Sew Cute Travels: Stoney Clover Lane Pouches

It's no secret I travel... A LOT. So, I'm sharing one of my biggest go-to products when it comes to packing. Stoney Clover Lane pouches have been a game changer to keep my suitcase organized and stylish. 

I discovered Stoney Clover Lane years ago for their fun Liberty fabric bracelets. But now they are well known for their pouches, duffle bags, and travel accessories. I am a huge fan of the brand and have a lot of pouches to help make packing easier. Plus you can customize their pouches with patches! Whether you put a nickname, your initials, or the use of the pouch there are so many combinations and options. 

Today, I wanted to share how I use each pouch for different packing purposes....

Mini Pouch | First up is my most used pouch, the mini pouch! I use the pouch on an everyday basis and for traveling. This size makes the perfect everyday makeup bag to throw in your purse. I have a powder compact, foundation compact, lip balm, lipstick, medicine, tide to go stick, and a few other essentials that I keep in my mini for my purse. For traveling I have a plane pouch which I keep my headphones, medicine, hand sanitizer, and other plane essentials so they are at easy reach. Usually I will place my pouch in the back seat pocket for easy access during the flight. What I love about the mini pouch is that it has so many uses! Plus, it's small enough that it fits in a wide variety of bags. You can even place it in a large Stoney Clover Lane pouch.

| fun small pouch | original mini pouch | 

Small Pouch | The small pouch is the next size up from the mini and is a long rectangle shape. This makes it perfect for cosmetics and toiletries! When traveling I keep all of my makeup in a small pouch. It has room for my foundation, powder, eyeshadow palette, brushes, and other makeup essentials. This keeps everything in one spot and super organized. I also travel with another small pouch which I keep my hair stuff in. I usually have a hair brush, wet brush, full size Dry Bar dry shampoo, small size hair spray, and a tin of hair ties. Both of these pouches house everything beauty related I need, but keeps it separate and organized.

| fun small pouch | original small pouch | 

Large Pouch | Next up is my newest pouch to my collection, the large pouch. The large pouch holds two small pouches so I keep my makeup and hair pouches in one large pouch. This helps me keep both pouches together and organized in my suitcase. Plus, in case something explodes in my bag everything is contained in my large pouch. Even with two large pouches I can still fit some other items on the top or within the pouch. I usually throw my toothbrush, toothpaste, body wash, and shampoo in the large pouch in addition to the other two pouches.

| fun large pouch | original large pouch | 

Flat Pouch | Flat pouches are super fun to carry as a clutch or use to organize accessories! I use flat pouches to store accessories like headbands, jewelry, or neck scarves when going on a trip. When going to Disney I usually will throw my magic band, Disney pins, and other small accessories in a flat pouch to keep in my carryon.

| clear flat pouch | flat pouch | 

Jewelry Box | A more obvious travel item is the Stoney Clover Lane jewelry box. This box has really helped my organize my jewelry when traveling. It's nice because it is a box shape so you aren't constricted when putting your jewelry in it. Since I wear a lot of statement earrings this box makes it easy to pack them!

| mini jewelry box | 

Hopefully this post gives you an idea on how you can use different Stoney Clover Lane pouches! I feel like people are always super interested in my packing tips and this is a major key to my packing. Also, if you've been thinking of picking up a pouch this can give you an idea on how you can use them to pack. 

Have you purchased from Stoney Clover Lane before? Let me know in the comments! 

XOXO 

Miranda

OOTD: Rainbow Body Con

Somewhere over the rainbow.... It's a new month and I'm focusing on a new color on my Instagram page! Well, this month I'm focusing on a ton of colors. For June I am showcasing a ton of rainbow colorful looks! First up is this amazing body con style dress I picked up in a local Lexington boutique E. Leigh's. 

I wore this adorable dress on my trip to Mexico for dinner and I love it! It's not only super comfortable but also has an adorable little ruffle hem detail. Normally I am not about a tight dress, but this one hugs you without being grossly tight. The straps are adjustable so depending on your height you can change it up as needed. Since this dress was from a boutique it was available in S, M, or L. I am currently wearing the small, so I'd say it runs on the smaller side! 

To accessorize the look I paired the dress with a fun white statement earring from Target. Pro tip: If you want to find cute affordable statement earrings Sugarfix by Baublebar at Target is the way to go! Then I wore this fun straw circle bag from Amazon. I've seen so many bloggers carrying these crazy expensive straw inspired bags, but could not get myself to spend more than $20 on one. So, I opted for this dupe version from Amazon! 

Where it's from: 

Dress: E. Leigh's 

Shoes: Jack Rogers 

Bag: Amazon 

Earrings: Sugarfix by Baublebar 

Location: Dreams Riviera Cancun Resort & Spa 

What is your favorite color of the rainbow? Let me know in the comments below! 

XOXO 

Miranda

Rainbow Swimsuit- ON SALE!

Let's talk about this swimsuit, it is so so cute! I love the bright colors and the stripes. Plus I am all about a one piece swimsuit right now. But, the best part is it is 70% currently at Aerie! It is a higher cut swimsuit and is described as a cheeky booty, but I don't think it is too aggressive. I am not about that cheeky life, not since about sophomore year spring break..... We won't get into that though. Plus, my super cute cover up is from Amazon Prime and is super affordable! 

Where it's from: 

Swimsuit | rainbow striped swimsuit

Sunglasses | Ray Ban 

Coverup | Amazon 

Be sure to check out Aerie's current sale! They have a ton of great swimsuits on 70% off!! 

XOXO 

Miranda

My Birthday Wishlist 2019

Rothy's flats | ABCDior bag | Louis Vuitton key pouch | LV leather bracelet

 YSL Lipstick set | white denim jacket | pearl headband
feminine jumpsuit | cardigan | slip hair ties | ombre ring
bracelet set | Erin Condren gift card | Olivia Burton watch 

Sulley headband | Chip n Dale charm | Kate Spade crossbody
Alex and Ani bangle | do the impossible bracelet | H20 set
rainbow Mickey necklace | yellow spirit jersey | rose gold ears 
Uniqlo tee | villans charm set | Cinderella mug | bar necklace

It's almost my birthday, YAY! I love creating little gift guides and wishlists so I thought I'd create two for my birthday this year. One is fashion items on my wishlist then some fun Disney items too! Honestly though, I am very much into giving experiences for gifts vs. stuff now and days. Like for my mom's birthday I am taking her to afternoon tea downtown Chicago for a fun girls day! Think of fun creative activities, trips, or places to go for gifts vs. an object. But, unwrapping something is fun too! All of the fashion items are things I have been eyeing lately. Some are for sure a splurge and I for sure do not expect anyone to buy them for me, but I'd love to save up for them!

What is your favorite gift you've received? Let me know in the comments! 
XOXO 
Miranda