Ariel and Alder

Long time no talk! I took a little blogging break for spring break (we went to SF, then Disneyland!), but now I am back with some usual postings and more details about my trip. I will go into more detail about what we did, where we stayed, and what I would do differently within the next few weeks but what I came home to is the focus of today's post!

PS. I have received quite a few emails and comments asking me about advice for going to Disney Parks. If this is something you would be more interested in as a reader, please send comment or send me any questions you may have and I will make sure to address them :) As always, some of my park favorites can be found on my Travel Guide! I update it with regularly with new discoveries.

Moving on, I came home tired, sunburned, and in need of a nap after an eventful trip. I also came home to find a Star Wars "Smugglers Bounty" package from Funko in my mailbox! I will be receiving one periodically as an ambassador for the subscription program; this was my first one and I was so excited to see what was inside!

Cameron and I have been casually collecting various Disney and Star Wars Funko vinyl figures for our house, but awaiting a box every few months has upped our excitement levels for sure! Each vinyl figure inside is exclusive to the box and can't be purchased without a subscription.

We ordered a medium size for the T-shirts so that we could take turns keeping them; if one person liked a design more than the other, then they keep the shirt. This one was not one of my favorites, but luckily Cam loved it, so the shirt this month goes to him!

The two figures this month were Ben Kenobi and Red Snaggletooth, which are cool but a little more obscure than previous ones like Chewbacca. None the less, these figurines are still really really cool.

By far the cutest thing in the Cantina box was the mini Chewy pen. It is so, so adorable and for sure my favorite item in the entire box.

PS. thanks Ethan for providing the flowers in this post. He brought them over from his garden on Easter and they are the brightest thing in my living room right now! So psyched about the change in weather this year.

You can sign up for smugglers bounty here! Can't wait to share what comes next in May, we are hooked :)

This post was sponsored by Funko, a brand I truly love! Thank you for supporting the brands that make Ariel and Alder a possibility.

As a few of you may know from following me on Instagram, I am road tripping down to Disneyland for spring break this year. Because the drive down is a little long from Oregon, we decided we wanted to make a quick pit stop in SF before we landed in Orange County.

My all time favorite place to visit in SF is (not shockingly), The Walt Disney Family Museum. Its an entire museum thats entirely devoted to Walt's life and works and the building itself is in the most gorgeous park. The Presidio is stuffed with beauty and immense history and is a place that I can boldly say, Walt would have loved.

The Inn At The Presidio extended an offer for us to stay with them during or quick visit, and I jumped at the chance to immerse my self in a historic hotel and the beauty of an authentic Northern California experience. We were overall so impressed with our stay, our visit to the museum, and the experience truthfully left us refreshed and ready to hit up Disneyland in full force!

I wore my new favorite overalls so I could display a few new steamboat willie pins ;) Our visit to the museum was the perfect excuse!

Lauren made a new friend on our walk to the Golden Gate Bridge!

The gorgeous windows were probably my favorite thing about the room, it rained pretty hard and we were able to warm up a bit and watch the rain fall into the trees. The hotel also hosted a free wine and cheese hour that was so appreciated after a long walk to the bridge.

Such an easy walk to the Golden Gate!

The rooms and lobby have decks and rocking chairs that you can sit on! So fun for the summer months.

The rooms are so roomy to begin with, but the bathroom space is especially appreciated with two girls getting ready in the morning!

Outfit Details: Overalls/ Vintage Steamboat Willie Brooch (c/o)/ Watch/ Travel Wrap/Sweater (c/o)/ Striped Tee/ Monogrammed Mini Bag (c/o)/ Birkenstocks

We had the best time and are looking forward to the rest of our visit! Special thanks to The Inn At The Presidio and The Walt Disney Family Museum for such a wonderful stay :) Next stop, Disneyland!!

xo,

Natalie

After living in the dorms my freshman year of college I thought I would hate living in a small space like an apartment, but as it turns out... I kinda love it!

Living small forces you to clean out regularly because all the junk you own surrounds you full time. For the most part there is no garage, crawl space, or one too many closets for the mess to hide in so every so often you need to clean it out and re-evaluate what you actually need. Living in an apartment has changed my way of thinking and my attachment to sentimental items. Our apartment has a pretty open and visible floor plan, which has accelerated my need to keep things neat and tidy.

We try to clean out and toss at least every three months, but you have to get creative when it comes to storage. Here are a few tips that help display, organize, and sort the things I love while living in a small space.

1. Create ways to switch out art and decor

Some of our art pieces are semi-permanent (like the giraffe head) and others (like the magnetic chain) allow for us to switch out what we display which means we don't have to marry what we hang up and can swap it out seasonally and when tastes change. This also comes in handy when seasonal decorations come out and need a place to be hung, our tree gets pretty full around Christmas time.

2. Use walls and shelves for unconventional accessory storage

Shoes on shelves (example), hats on walls (example), purses in bookcases (example). All great ways to create more closet space and display your favorite things.

3. Consolidate hobbies

Crafting, Kayaking, Golf, Sewing, Rock Climbing, Pottery, Kitting. All are fun but all also come with unnecessary junk. For bulky sporty items like golf clubs and skateboards try to find creative ways to store and lift up into unused ceiling space. For smaller (clutter inducing) activities like crafting, consolidate and try to limit it to one drawer, area, or cupboard. Also consider alternatives like rentals and community use programs.

4. Re-use containers and re-label them

I personally keep some high quality boxes and jars for re-use and storage. In my craft drawer i keep boxes re-labeled (this label maker is the best!!) with things like glue sticks and beads in them. Overall it keeps things neat and creates a storage space for small items that I didn't overpay for at the container store.

Wishing you a weekend full of organizing projects ;) TGIF

xo,
Natalie

With a trip down to Disneyland coming up for spring break, I have been perusing Etsy for some cute new goodies for the trip. While not everyone is as Disneyland obsessed as I am, adding a little magic to your home or wardrobe is just so cute. Etsy has tons of great Disneyland stuff and the prices can often be a welcome alternative to the merchandise within the parks. Plus of course, the added bonus of supporting a small business or independent artist :)

Here are few things that I found!

Mini Dumbo Painting

Disneyland Coordinates Necklace

Vintage Mickey Brooch

Vintage Disneyland Spoon Ring

Disneyland/California Adventure Watercolor Print

Mouse Ear Paperclips

Mouse Ear Stamps (Personalized!)

Will my mouse shaped obsession ever be quenched? Probably not.

xo,

Natalie

A spell of rain hit us in Oregon this week and part of me was a little bummed that I had to dress for the cold weather, but then another part of me realized spring break is ten (TEN!) days away so I will enjoy the rain and wind for what it is. On Tuesday I pulled out my favorite beanie and new favorite wrap sweater.

Pastel spring-y colors, practical winter-y layers. Im compromising with mother nature and its working out for me so far.

#PartTimeMermaid

Outfit Details: Cakeworthy "Mermaid" Beanie/ Wrap Sweater (c/o)/ Lavender Chino Pants/ Tank Top/ Small Stone Necklace (c/o)/ Nail Color

TGIF!

My plans for the weekend include seeing Zooptopia for the 3rd time (it was that good) and working on stuff around the house for a project next week! Also, making my hands bleed from all the embroidery I have been working on. Have a happy happy weekend friends :)

xo,

Natalie

As some of you may have noticed on Instagram, I picked up a new hobby and the hobby has quickly turned into obsession. I'm definitely not a newbie when it comes to Disney Crafting, but this is turning out to be my favorite way to get crafty.

Its fun, its cheap, and I thought I would share what I've been stitching lately!

Mosaic Mouse

#ShareYourEars Hoop which was featured on Disney Style!

And my latest one, which is inspired by world of color in DCA. One of my favorites for sure! Below is a little graphic about its progress, it was one of the harder ones I have done and I definitely stabbed myself a few times in the process.

And of course I owe my friend Lauren a healthy dose of Starbucks for teaching me to do this! Her Etsy shop just opened up and its unreal! The "hello" hoop is my absolute favorite!! You can shop her other hoops in the widget below this post :)

Anyone else hooked on hoops?

xo,

Natalie

Not usually much of a peruser at Shopbop, but since there is a sale going on I took a quick look at some spring goodies and fell in love with like a dozen items. Now not all of them are necessary per say, but its definitely a good time to prepare for the season ahead and shave a percentage off the top.

Sunnies, Watches, Shoes. All good basics!