Hannah Morrison

Family, faith, fashion, home design, and lifestyle

How To Easily Elevate Your Home

We are about 50 days out from our closing date (PRAISES – there’s an end in sight!) and I cannot wait to get my hands on this home. Obviously, it’s going to be beautiful as-is when we move in, but I have a lot of plans to further customize our semi-custom build and really make it unique. I did my best with our tile and basic choices to create a space that provides a blank canvas for design. I chose unique floor tiles and splurged on these more than anything else at our builder’s design center, because it’s something much more difficult to change once you’ve moved in.

Lighting, bathroom mirrors, wallpaper, and doors are things we will be doing to elevate our space once moved in.

Tip: We asked our builder to not even install the builder grade mirrors in our bathrooms so that we wouldn’t have to deal with damaged walls the moment we moved in after removing them. They were totally down to skip that step of installation! As far as lighting goes, majority of our home is recessed canned lighting. I will be replacing all bedrooms (4) and main living/dining space lights.

WALLPAPER

I have BIG plans for our downstairs powder bath, including a beautiful gold mirror and wallpapered ceiling. I have been sifting through every wallpaper website imaginable, trying to find THE perfect wallpaper – see my current top contenders below! I also plan to replace our stand alone sink in there with a beautiful vanity down the line. But for now, I am happy with a standalone white porcelain sink with black hardware.

Knox’s Reading Nook:

Lighting

Literally, the moment we move in, I plan to replace lighting. It will immediately make the space feel less like a new build and a little more customized. Currently, they have in gray/silver ceiling fans and the dreaded dome flushed lights that look precariously like … something I won’t say here. I will be replacing ALL the dome flushed lights as well as the gray (cheap looking) dining room light and the large gray fan currently in our living room. This will be a slightly hefty initial investment, but one that is VERY worth it in my opinion. See all my top picks below (I can’t wait to show the EXACT ones I end up buying!)

Iron Arched Door

I am SO excited about this. Taking inspiration from Studio McGee and Cara Loren, I am having a custom iron arched door installed in our master bedroom for the entry into our bathroom. It will tie into our black vanity, black hardware, and iron black shower frame as well as our black metal canopy bed! Additionally, I will have black iron accents all throughout the home as well as the black metal awning on the front of our home. We have a few different quotes for this and I will share once we have somebody booked. BUT, in general, replacing your doors or having a custom entryway like this installed makes your home feel luxurious!

Madewell Denim Try-On Haul

If you have been around here, you’ve for sure seen me share about Madewell jeans. If you take good care of quality denim, I promise it makes spending $130 on jeans worth it. But… what about ALL THE DIFFERENT fits and styles they have? I GOT YOU, BOO!

First of all, they have a new fit called The Perfect Vintage Jean… and it’s exactly that. PERFECT. It’s not skinny, but not a boyfriend jean – it’s just a tailored jean that fits in all the right places. I give this new fit an A+!

Sizing: I am 5’2 and 110 pounds, so generally speaking, I go for a 25 petite – this fits like a 0/1. However, some of these, depending on the fit and where the waistline hits, I needed a 24. I was actually a little shocked by how far off the waist was in a couple fits (like, we are talking over an inch of extra denim I could pull). I noted which ones I prefer for each in case you’re in between sizes, too!

Cali Demi Boot: The Demi-slim version (below on the right) are what I brought home! I love this lighter wash for spring and summer – perfect for a white tee and sneakers. These fit just a hair cropped off the ankle. I purchased a 25 regular, although after wearing them all day yesterday, I think I needed a 24 or at least a 25 P. I will likely purchase again in the future in a 24.

The Perfect Vintage Jean: I tried a 24 and a 25 in these, and the waist fit the same for the most part, but it came down to the space in the hips! The 24 fit like a skinny jean but more space from the calves down while the 25 fit a bit looser all throughout the legs – but generally pretty closely fit to my shape in all options.

The High-Rise Slim Boy Jean: These were actually arguably my FAVORITE pair I tried on, but they didn’t have any 24 or petite options for me to try on in-store and so I didn’t feel confident in what size to purchase. The 25 shown in these pics were too big in the waist. I believe I would do a 24 (not petite to keep some bag to them!). But, I think these are SO CUTE.

11″ High-Rise Skinny: These are the jeans that made me LOVE Madewell denim. And… now, 5 years and two babies later… they are THE best mom pooch jean hehe. They make me feel like I have a 6 pack because it just sucks you right in. Whether you purchase in petite for length or keep long to be able to roll… they fit petite gals SO well. This line in particular, shown below, is the Rivet & Thread special collaboration and the raw denim is amazing. They’re expensive but currently on sale. They fit REAL tight, so I would actually have bought a 25 in these for a little breathing room. But pictured are the 24.

The Classic Straight: I would say these fit quite closely to the Boy Jean, but just a hair more tailored through the hips. I am pictured in a 25, but needed a 24. I would have probably purchased these, too, in-store if they had my size!

Doing Disney Gluten Free

Two weeks later and still shedding fairy dust from my first trip to Disney World over here… hehe. If you missed it, my besties and I started planning this trip over a year ago before COVID, and some how we still pulled it off. Of the 7 of us, 3 of us have food allergies, and we were a little nervous about where we would be able to eat. Turns out, Disney is so allergy aware and they go to great measures to make sure people can eat and eat WELL.

Ordering food is really simple through the app (which is required right now to control the amount of people in each restaurant at a time), and majority of the places we went gave you the GF menu through the app. Some did not, so we had to special order at the counter. 1000% to eat on a budget at Disney is to order the kids meals and then you snack all day around the park! We documented everything we ate on our trip so that I could report back here!

POP Century: This was the resort we were at! 

  • Kids GF Mickey Waffles with Eggs and Bacon *I ordered this every morning and it was only $7!*

Disney Springs: We came here night 1 and our last night in the park

  • Erin McKenna Bakery is a fully GF bakery! You can literally eat anything here.
  • The Boathouse: We ate dinner here night 1!
    • Wedge Salad *YUM!*
    • Truffle Fries
    • Lobster Bisque
    • Mahi Tacos
  • Paradiso 37
    • Chips and Trio Dip
    • Frozen Margaritas
    • Salmon and veggies with lime rice

Magic Kingdom:

  • Joffrey’s Coffee: Iced black coffee with almond milk
  • Pecos Bills (Frontier Land)- Kids chicken and rice bowl
  • Dole Whip
  • Popcorn
  • Ice Cream Parlor on Main Street
  • Mickey Ice Cream Bar
  • Cinderella’s Castle
    • Lamb shank, Salmon (sub potatoes for pasta), Beef tenderloin, starter salad, charcuterie starter, coconut coffee custard, chocolate mousse, pumpkin cheesecake 

Hollywood Studios:

  • Joffrey’s Coffee: Iced black coffee with almond milk
  • Rizzo’s Pizzaria
    • Kids GF Pepperoni Pizza

Epcot:

  • California rolls in Japan at Sushi Cart
  • Choza de Margarita
    • Tostado de pollo
    • Chips and Guacamole with Pineapple Toppings
    • Mango and Strawberry Margarita

 

Family-Friendly Rides at Magic Kingdom

Okay, so I went to Magic Kingdom for the first time ever with a group of besties. Picture 7 of the most laid back people and you’ve got our group hehe. Most women who hear traveling with 6 other ladies think “chaos” or “heck no!” But not my group! We are so close and legit had the time of our life together. Most of us have babies/toddlers and all we could think about was how much we couldn’t wait to get our family back after this trip. It’s just SO magical. Kristen, one of my BFFs who also happens to be a Disney Travel Agent, helped guide us through the park with ease on a schedule that made most sense. She can book and schedule out a trip for you that is tailored to your family *all for FREE*! Seriously, her services to book and schedule out your dream vacay are free and she is taken care of by Disney and her Travel Agency. It’s of ZERO extra cost to you.

I kept tabs on all the rides we rode that would be toddler friendly for Knoxy boy. And, in fact, majority would be safe for Rory to ride as well. I will likely just wear Rory in my carrier when we hop on rides as a family!

TIP: Get to the park as EARLY as possible (8:30 AM or sooner) to run to rides before anybody else, experience the castle without as many people around, grab photos, and start your journey around the park. As guests at a Disney Resort, we had access into the parks before they actually opened. This meant we got to see things and get in lines before people not staying in the park did. Again, Kristen can take care of ALL this for you!

Family-Friendly Rides at Magic Kingdom

  • Winnie the Pooh (Rory, too)
  • Peter Pan (Rory, too)
  • Dumbo 
  • Little Mermaid (Rory, too)
  • Magic Carpets 
  • Astro Orbiter 
  • Buzz Light Year Game
  • It’s a Small World (Rory, too)

Between all of these, this is a VERY packed day. You’re going to wait in line for these anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour. BUT, I will say, the cues are set up in a way that waiting in line NEVER felt daunting. I never thought to myself how miserable it felt to be in a line. Everything is an experience at Disney – even the lines. I would suggest splitting these into two days or at least morning/nap time/late afternoon.

My First Trip to Walt Disney World *at 28 years old!*

I honestly didn’t know if I would ever go to Disney World – Partly because we never went as a kid and partly because the idea of a theme park (as I know them) just doesn’t sound exactly appealing to me anymore. Sweaty thighs sticking to yucky roller coasters, an unclean environment, and just the general yucky theme parks we all know… I just didn’t believe Disney World would be THAT different.

BOY WAS I WRONG.

They are clean, kind, everybody loves their job, and the park literally smells like donuts. Everything I dislike about a Six Flags is what Disney does WELL. Disney workers own that they get to make somebody’s day magical and you can see it in every single person employed at the park, from the person driving you on the bus to the coffee carts, to the dancers and characters themselves. They all love that they get to see you that day. There’s just nothing like it.

Our trip was one of 7 best friends, most of whom it was our first time ever at Disney. I will be rolling out a Disney Series since it’s just so much information, but in general… it was amazing. Disney is as much for adults as it is for kids. Tip: Our bestie, Kristen, is a Disney travel agent and can help you with your own trip! Her services are ZERO extra cost, and she can book/plan your entire trip to any Disney park. She could walk these parks with her eyes closed, and would truly help you plan an entire trip that is best suited for your family. From an itinerary to where to stay, and everything in-between!

FAQ’s

How long was your trip? Thursday-Monday

Where did we stay? POP Century! This is a bargain resort on site at Disney and was amazing. It is newly refurbished and was top notch. We ordered our breakfast here every day and then went to the busses or sky liner depending on where we were going that day.

What parks did you go to? Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, and Epcot

How much did it cost? This is entirely dependent on when you go and your group size, so it’s hard to say. But, our trip averaged out for 2 people at $1464 for a 3 night stay with 2 day park tickets that included park hopper. We also paid this over the course of a year… so it literally felt like I went on a free vacation. This cost doesn’t include food, but I would average $40ish a day for food. This is why booking with Kristen is so helpful, because she can find you deals and save you money.

Did masks bother you? TBH, not as much as I thought. It’s hot and humid, and certainly not ideal. But I was having such a blast that it just didn’t bother me too much! When it does start to bother you, you are allowed to remove it for active eating or drinking… so just keep food on hand and find somewhere to sit and eat to remove it! 😉

Daily Itinerary

Night 1: Disney Springs

Day 1: Magic Kingdom

Day 2: Hollywood Studios/Epcot (Park hopper pass)

Day 3: Off-site at Universal Studios for Harry Potter World (will do a separate post for this one!)

Night 3: Disney Springs for Dinner

Day 4: Disney Springs for shopping before flying back

 

LET’S GET SOCIAL