March DisneyBound Challenge 2019 outfit summary

It's THAT time of the year again! March flew by so fast that the only thing I actually remember doing is bounding through the whole month. I must confess this year's DisneyBound challenge caught me off guard (just like last year), except that this time I had the experience of the past DBC and the Fall Into Disney Style challenge from October. Phew! Here's a good summary of what went down last month.

Definitely, participating in your first DisneyBound Challenge is both exhilarating and scary, especially if you've rarely (or never) done it before because you just don't know where to begin, how to organize yourself and how to align your expectations. All you want to do is start channeling your favorite characters and showing your best Disney side, which is exactly the point of Disneybounding. However, the more you do it and participate in these long-term events, the better you get at planning your outfits and photos ahead of time, which ultimately plays in your favor. By the way, you can read my summary about last year's DBC right here!

I've been seeing plenty of dear Disneybounders out there who are naturals at recreating characters, attractions, snacks and even obscure items from Disney films. The dedication that goes into every post is incredible! That's why one of the best parts of DisneyBounding is discovering amazing fellows who share your passion, and interacting with them thanks to our strong feelings for Disney. I feel overjoyed and inspired by everyone sharing their best outfits prepared with all their love, creativity and Disney flare. It's 31 days of friendship, fashion, magic... and a little madness.

This year I felt quite proud of my Disneybounds, especially since eight of them were featured on the official Disneybound's Instagram stories. (Yay me!) The DBC included some new themes like DuckTales, Mary Poppins Returns, 80s styles, Kim Possible and Meet the Robinsons, as well as other recurring topics from last year such as sidekicks, Marvel and characters who are/wear green.  People usually find at least a couple of prompts to be particularly challenging, but the good news is that there's always a way around them: all it takes is thinking outside the box (or closet), or skipping/swapping it for another. Either way, it's all about the fun, just as each year more and more people jump in the DisneyBound fun-wagon.

As a fun fact, the Instagram hashtags #DisneyBoundChallenge and #MarchDisneyboundChallenge escalated to over 46,000 and 21,000 posts respectively this March. I strongly encourage you to follow these hashtags to check out all the amazing Disney-inspired attire put together by everyone who partook in this event. Plus, if you haven't already, you must take a good look at the holy grail and sparkler of this trend: @TheDisneybound

I also want to dedicate this tiny space to make a shout out to some of my favorite March outfits by fabulous DisneyBounders, several of which I also have the privilege of calling my friends. Make sure to check them out!

1. @allthingsbritneylee 's Giselle 2. @dislifeofaya 's Morph 3. @dapperonthedaily 's Mama Odie 4. @sarawtsumtsum 's Judy Hopps 5. @ashleyromantic 's Bo Peep and Woody 

6. @daily.disney.dreaming 's Rapunzel 7. @ambiguousleahcosplay 's Ariel 8. @disroebounder 's Kida 9. @krazykellpics 's Haunted Mansion 10. @didney_magic 's Purple wall 

11. @yay.ima.llama.again 's Tamatoa 12. @quirkychrissy 's Flounder 13. @bryanagriffith 's Dot 14. @kati.nanna.bonana 's Huey, Dewey and Louie 15. @the_littlest_pan 's Hit Cat 

16. @whimsical_lindsical 's Georgette 17. @pixiedustedprincess 's Dr. Delbert Doppler 18. @chim_chim_caity 's Ray 19. @camillakari 's Elastigirl and Jack Jack 20. @shellygram87 's Jane

It was an absolute honor flooding the Instagram feed with Disney fashion all through March alongside these and so many other fantastic DisneyBounders! We'll just have to wait and see what next year's challenge holds for us, while we DisneyBound our way through life. By the way, don't forget to see my wacky #DisneyboundBloopers right there on Instagram. We like to show our fails in the process of taking great pictures! If you liked what you saw, please follow my Instagram account @edu_and_joy to check out all my DisneyBounds and other shenanigans.

Keep an eye out for upcoming posts! 

March DisneyBound Challenge 2018 outfit summary

It's obvious that this year has been slow for me in terms of blog writing. Only one post in three whole months! However, I must highlight that I've been a little busy planning a new project that you'll likely discover soon enough. But, I really didn't want March to go by unnoticed because of the wonderful experience in which I took part during the last 31 days.

For those of you who follow me on Instagram, you've probably already noticed that every single day of March I have posted a Disney-inspired outfit portraying a Disney character, item or park. What you may not know is that every year the fabulous Leslie Kay promotes the March DisneyBound Challenge from her well-known @TheDisneybound Instagram account and her DisneyBound Tumblr. Following the hashtag #DisneyBoundChallenge you will find quite a fashionable flood of Disney-inspired ensembles from hundreds of Disney fans from all around the world.

The trick about the DisneyBound Challenge -it is a challenge, after all- is that you must follow a pre-determined theme for each day of the month. This year some of the topics included movies like The Little Mermaid, A Wrinkle in Time, and Cinderella; characters like princes, sidekicks and villains; and even some other themes like rule breakers, 90s styles and park attractions.

According to @TheDisneybound, this year's challenge doubled the amount of Instagram posts using #DisneyboundChallenge, going from less than 14,000 images before the challenge started to an overwhelming post count of almost 29,000. This implies there's a flowing river of Disney-inspired outfits to admire and take inspiration from. What I liked the most about this challenge was seeing all the different styles, combinations and creative views within the Disney community. Everyone comes together, free to use their imagination and express their personality, thanks to a conjoined love and admiration for the happiest place on Earth and everything around it.

In the photos above you can see my 31 bounds for the month. It was so fun to participate in this year's #DisneyboundChallenge, but it was also a daring task to keep up with the challenge every day. I'm also really glad about taking the decision of changing my backdrops after the first four DisneyBounds that I posted. The extra effort of finding locations was really worth it! Feel free to visit my Instagram account @edu_and_joy to check out all my March bounds and some older Disney outfits from past months.

Remember to follow me on social media to get all my new posts! 

Mermaid Monday: Ariel visits the aquarium

Welcome, March! And welcome to my first post of the year! I seriously can't believe how fast time flies. It feels like it was yesterday that I made my last blog post, when in reality it's been three months. Ooops! Lots of things have been going on these months, but today I wanted to share our experience at the Barcelona Aquarium, a place I'd been wanting to visit since we arrived to the city, for a really cool Mermaid Monday (though I know it's actually Thursday).

First of all, no good visit to any aquarium could be complete without a proper Disneybound of an ocean-related character. Honestly, I feel it's very hard to find a comfortable and beautiful outfit with these cold temperatures. I wish I could Disneybound every day of my life, which is already quite a daunting task, but it's even more difficult when you have to wear three or four layers of clothes to protect yourself from the cold. I'm so not feeling like Elsa in winter! But with a bit of planning I was able to choose a nice ensemble to portray Ariel during my trip to the aquarium honoring a lovely Mermaid Monday.

My outfit was simple, but highly recognizable. The beautiful green mermaid dress by Retrolicious, which I got from The Oblong Box Shop, served as a wonderful base to channel Ariel. You can read a detailed review of this dress if you go back a few posts in the blog, or simply click here. Its green scaley pattern perfectly resembles the little mermaid's tail, while the dark purple cardigan tied over it evokes her sea shell top. Everything came together nicely with a pair of tropical-themed flats in a similar color scheme. Those weren't my first shoe option, but given that we had a long walk ahead of us, they started to seem like a pretty good choice. We left our coats and scarves inside a locker at the aquarium's entrance, since the building is completely enclosed and has no outdoor tanks or shows. Here's a little side-by-side:

We had a *splash* at the aquarium, where we got to see dozens of large fish tanks with around 450 different species of marine animals. Fish, eels, sharks, starfish, mantas, jellyfish, and even penguins made their appearances throughout the place. There are special daily "feeding show" schedules, where you can see crew members feeding some of the animals. My absolute favorite part was a long underwater tunnel filled with fish and sharks, which reminded me of the similar tunnels at the Boston Aquarium and Sea World Orlando. However, I must say that larger animals like orcas, walruses, dolphins and others were nowhere to be found. We really expected to see some big mammals, but the only sizable beast we saw was a really hunchbacked bull shark. He is the pride of the Barcelona Aquarium, and you can actually opt to swim with the sharks in that tank... for quite a high price!

Tickets are also a bit overpriced in relation to what you get to see, at least according to us, so it's nice to wait for discounts and offers. We actually got a great coupon with 4€ off each ticket. Savings, savings, come to me! Although it was a fun adventure, I think the Barcelona Aquarium definitely doesn't rank in my top three favorite aquariums. Regardless, it was a wonderful experience and this little Ariel is always glad to visit fishy friends. I truly felt like a mermaid in the ocean for a whole day. Aquariums are one of my go-to places all around the world... I think I'll be going back soon to get a new shark plushie from the aquarium store to add to my collection.

By the way, I was able to identify all the fish species from Finding Nemo swimming in different tanks. I'm guessing that after the movie became so popular, hundreds of aquariums around the world began to place these fish together for Disney fans to discover. You can use my guide "A study on Finding Nemo's aquarium fish" to look for them next time you go to any aquarium! Just follow this link. And speaking of Nemo, have you checked out @TheDisneybound 's new March Disneybound challenge? I will be partaking in this, so stick around my Instagram account to check all the Disney-inspired outfits I post this month. Let's get our Disney on!

Come back later for new posts and cool findings! 

Disneybound summary: August & September

New month, new Disneybound summary! I've combined August & September's Disney-inspired outfits into one cool post, showcasing bounds from four different animated films plus one iconic treat. Every single bound has been a new and exciting challenge, where I dare myself to put together the most fashionable and creative combinations. Now, let's talk about each ensemble.

Wendy

Have you noticed how most Disney princesses and some other characters tend to wear pastel colors? I'm completely in love with these color hues, but I scarcely have any pastel garments in my closet. Wendy is a great example of an iconic baby blue base, and I was lucky enough to have this old Zara dress in my closet. To make it a little bit more romantic I added my favorite cream cardigan from Doll Me Up. Finally, I accessorized the outfit with blue ribbons for the waistband and hair, silver star earrings and a thimble necklace... all winks to icons present in the film.

Note to self: sew more clothes in pastel fabrics.

Pongo & Perdita

Seeing as this doggy couple has a similar look between Pongo & Perdita, I decided to create the same aesthetic for both and switch the secondary color from red (Pongo) to blue (Perdita). It was a total win because I had the skirts, ribbons and headbands in both colors, so it felt like the outfits were meant to be. The base is a black & white spotted button-up by Jonathan Z, paired with inherited tennis skirts from Ellesse. I also styled my hair in two high ponytails to simulate dog ears.

Gaston

My, what a guy, that Gaston! This bound came to my mind as soon as I was given the scarlet polo shirt. I've never liked polo shirts, but I knew this one would serve a beautiful purpose for the outfit. Paired with a cropped mustard cardigan tied around the shoulders, and a vintage black skirt with a big silver belt buckle, the appearance it casts is phenomenal. To complete the look, I styled my hair in a high ponytail and a pompadour.

Joy

Joy as Joy. Nothing more to say. Since many years ago I've been dreaming about dying my hair, but I've never decided on finally doing it. That's why I recently purchased some bright-colored wigs to satisfy my whim of having colored locks. Portraying Joy through Disneybound was a perfect opportunity to wear this royal blue wig for the first time. I paired it with a yellow speckled cocktail dress (digitally altered to make it look slightly greener), royal blue eyeshadow and a ball pool ball I just randomly happened to have around my house. Doesn't the glow make the outfit pop?

Strawberry Minnie lollipop

Who says Disneybounding is only about characters? Trying out a new kind of bound was both challenging and thrilling. Truth be told, I'd had that lollipop inside my freezer for about three years, so I decided it was the right moment to experiment with it. This time I wore an old pink striped Zara shirt to recreate the lollipop's swirls, and a pink pencil skirt from French Connection. To top off the ensemble, of course I had to hold the strawberry lollipop itself!

Check out my Instagram account for more Disneybounds and other outfits! 

Disneybound summary: July

We're back with a new late edition of monthly Disneybounds! It seems like I've kept a somewhat steady pace posting at least four Disney-inspired outfits per month (one for each week of the month), though my goal is to increase this kind of post and, at least, double it. Let's see how I do in August!

In the past few weeks I incarnated four different Disney characters through fashion, portraying their personalities with cool and beautiful ensembles put together by yours truly. Belle, Duchess, Jasmine and Minnie Mouse (girl power!) were my characters of choice this time. My favorite one was definitely Belle, whose outfit I tried to match with the live-action movie ensemble. And in case you were wondering: the floral underskirt is actually a tactically-positioned scarf! You can also see me holding a vintage Chip cup from the 90's. The blue ruffled dress I wore is one of my favorite clothes ever (made by Super Dry). I'll make sure to review it later in another blog post.

There's a short story behind the Minnie-inspired skirt that I'm wearing in one of these pictures. During a Disney trip I made with my family years ago, I saw a little girl walking through the park sporting a skirt just like this one. I immediately fell in love with it and proceeded to look for that same skirt in every single park shop and Disney store, but it was nowhere to be found. I can only assume that her mother made it for her, so I decided to make one for myself. I believe it was the first skirt I ever made from scratch, since I was only beginning to get serious with sewing. Since then I've had lots of people complimenting me for it and even asking me to lend it to them.

Duchess was the easiest one to put together, keeping it classy and simple with a white dress, golden accents, and an elegant hair up-do. Contrasting with my previous "The Aristocats" Marie Disneybound, this white dress is more formal and graceful, while Maries's is playful and juvenile. Fun fact: I wore this white dress to my civil wedding! Finally, Jasmine was quite a challenge since apparently, I only own a couple of clothes in teal/turquoise shades. However, they matched perfectly and fit wonderfully with the vintage golden accessories that I was able to borrow from my mother, gather and combine with the outfit. I was especially impressed with how the shirt looked with the belt. It has been my most popular Disneybound so far, and I'd even add that it's one of the best-looking of all!

If you haven't already, follow me on Instagram @edu_and_joy to keep track of my Disneybounds, sewing projects and other adventures. See you later! 

Disneybound summary: June & May

I'd been wanting to join the Disneybounder community of the world since some time now. So, I've recently started to prepare and post on our Instagram my very own Disneybounds with regularity, and my goal is to keep that same rhythm. For those of you that the term "Disneybound" doesn't ring any bells, it all goes back to the year 2011, when blogger Leslie Kay began posting Disney-inspired outfits in a Tumblr account. In her own words, Disneybound is "a way of showing your love and appreciation of Disney through fashion". 

This idea has since become a trend and thousands of Disney fans have joined in the fun, sporting creative outfits resembling their favorite Disney characters and harvesting a broad community of followers. Disneybounders should guide themselves by their chosen character's color palette and style, but may tweak their look following special holidays (like Halloween, Christmas, Dapper Day, etc) or add in particular themes to achieve festival looks, dapper fashions, summer styles, and others.

Disneybounding is a great idea for those who love Disney but don't feel comfortable or simply dislike wearing costumes and cosplaying characters. The good thing about Disneybounding is that you can be as subtle as you like or as obvious as you can, without hitting the road to costuming. From your shoes to your head, it's your job to choose what clothes to wear and which accessories to add that suit your Disney style. The picture below features all my Disneybounds from the past two months. Can you name them all? (The answers are hidden in the tags by the end of the post).

The most natural Disneybounds that came to me were Snow White and Esmeralda; I didn't even have to put much thought into their outfits, as I had mentally imagined them a while back. In fact, I even once dressed up unintentionally like Snow White and got quoted for it. Ariel was also easy because I'd recently purchased the green tie dye dress and thought it reminded me so much about the Little Mermaid. I struggled a little bit finding the right fit with the cardigan, but managed to make it work. Moana, Boo and Zeus were very fun to put together because I had the perfect meant-to-be accessories for each of the outfits, and it seemed like all the clothes were waiting for me to use them for Disneybounds. Finally, Pegasus and Marie followed a white hue with different contrasting colors and accents. I really love how the spunky blue wig added a bit of craze to Pegasus!

If you want to know where I get the clothes for each outfit, go ahead and skip into my Instagram account. Likes and follows are quite appreciated! I'll be posting a monthly summary of my Disneybounds by the end of each month, but you can still see them regularly through our account.

Follow our Instagram @edu_and_joy and stay tuned for more Disneybound summaries and other cool blog posts! 

Cinderella goes back to her castle

"Once upon a time in a faraway land, there was a tiny kingdom..."

Lots of little girls dream about walking into Disney's Magic Kingdom, all dressed up as Cinderella, and live the story themselves by visiting the beautiful castle in the middle of the park. Sadly, we (grownups) are not allowed to enter the park in costume, but this time I decided to do something about it.

Right before the release of Disney's live-action Cinderella film, Hot Topic (always so avant-garde) presented a collection inspired by this romantic Disney classic. The collection consisted in five items: a peasant sweetheart dress, a striped knit top, a high-waisted skirt with graphics, a Victorian waistcoat, and of course, one of the garments was an adaptation of the iconic blue dress worn by Cinderella herself.

The dress has a marvelous construction. It has a semi-boned corset bodice (with a functional lace-up back) attached to quite a full skirt, which is lined with two layers of thick tulle. The light blue fabric is soft polyester sateen, delicately stitched with a shiny damask print that features two memorable details: the glass slipper and the pumpkin carriage. This garment is incredible soft and light, making it super comfortable to wear.

The dress also has two chiffon sleeves, which you can wear on or off-shoulder. The volume and movement of this dress make you feel like you're sporting your very own small version of Cinderella's exquisite ball gown. Naturally, strolling around Cinderella's castle and Fantasyland's attractions was a must for this outfit.

Nowadays it has been discontinued, and it's only available in plus size.

Undoubtedly, this has been one of my best catches from this store. Hot Topic has been among the top 5 in my "favorite stores ranking" since a very, very long time ago. They have such a magnificent array of merchandise, but this particular dress definitely raised the bar!

My next stop is Hot Topic's Belle Ball Gown, inspired by the new live-action film Beauty and the Beast.

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