Tag: travel blogger

The Belle Dress

For my daughter’s 3rd birthday and trip to Walt Disney World (our favorite) she asked me to make the two different dresses Belle wears in Beauty and The Beast. I love to sew but this is a major project for any seamstress. I try to make her something for every trip to Disney but this was a bit extreme. Through Etsy I found two different pattern makers to make (what I call) Belle’s Blue Dress and Belle’s Yellow Dress.

Gianna & Mama
Model & Dressmaker

The Blue Dress I purchased was just the pattern with written instructions which was somewhat difficult. It’s a wonderful pattern with good instructions. The dress is finely tailored and absolutely beautiful. It was designed by PaperScissorsFrocks who makes amazing costumes and turned out exactly like the film.

Blue Dress Front
Belle’s Blue Dress

 

The Yellow Dress (a lifetime sewing goal for me) was designed by Marina at Frocks And Frolics who has not only a great pattern and written instructions but an academy as well online with broken down instructional videos for each section. It was so much fun to watch and make. I honestly can’t wait to make my next one with her.  Even the Epcot Akershus Princesses and everyone at the Be Our Guest restaurant at Magic Kingdom complimented her dress and she was so proud. The finished product was exactly what she dreamed of and we couldn’t be happier!

Telling Belle about her dress
Birthday Princess Bib
Getting Belle’s Autograph

 

I even ended up making a matching bib from another pattern (Yuzu & Pear that I altered) so we didn’t ruin her beautiful dress while eating all her birthday treats at Walt Disney World for our Be Our Guest dinner at Beast’s Castle & our Akershus Royal Banquet Hall Princess lunch at Epcot.

Birthday Cake
Birthday Princess Bib

Both dresses and bib were made on a Brother SE625 and many of the items I made them with were bought locally in The Bahamas or on Amazon. See the photos and video of our trip to Walt Disney World and her beautiful dream dresses and let me know in the comments if you decide to make either of these. I would love to see them! Send me your ideas of what we should make next. 💖

xoxo

Jaimarie

 

0

Tru Tru Bahamian Festival

While in the Bahamas we have been trying to see more than the normal tourist things you might see on a day in Nassau from a cruise stop. Doing this has been really fun because it’s forced me to think outside of what Trip Advisor (although great) offers and find other events and places you may only hear about from locals.

Our family recently went to the Tru Tru Bahamian Festival at the John Watlings Distillery  in Nassau.  It is an annual event put on by the Bahamas Hotel and Tourism Association in Partnership with the Ministry of Tourism.

Tru Tru
Tru Tru Bahamian Festival – Nassau Bahamas

It was a great event with something for the whole family! Food, music, crafts, games for kids, information about local events and museums and even a “History of the Bahamas Runway Show” featuring some of the local pirates who once lived here. We purchased both conch and cod fritters, local Bahamian Limeade and candied nuts from The Nutty Bavarian (they were really wonderful!).

 

It is an annual event so if you are lucky enough to be visiting Nassau when it is going on make sure to check it out and learn about real Bahamian culture and local fun!

❤️

Jaimarie

0

A Model Baby

When Gianna was just over one year old (exactly a year ago actually) she shot her first product packaging and print job as a model for the company Lulyboo. She had a great time doing it and enjoyed her first day in front of the camera at a professional photo studio.

Waiting for her next shot
Getting to know the Lulyboo products

I have worked as a model since I was a teenager and it was amazing to see her so comfortable on her first photo shoot (I know I wasn’t!). The whole team was so wonderful and knew just how to work with a baby and make her feel at ease. We shot in San Diego, California and she had a great day.

During the shoot with Lulyboo
Gianna on set with the wonderful women behind Lulyboo

Here is her ad for their Shopping Cart & Highchair cover. It is perfect for travel and even has a place for a tablet or phone to keep kids busy while you shop or dine if you choose to. You can purchase it on the Lulyboo website, at Amazon, ToysRus, Walmart, BuyBuyBaby, Bed Bath and Beyond and many more retailers.

The advertisement for Lulyboo’s Shopping Cart & Highchair Cover from their website
The advertisement for Lulyboo’s Shopping Cart & Highchair Cover from their website

(Photos from Lulyboo’s website)

 Since then she has done more shoots and enjoys playing to the cameras (and all of the attention) but this was her first professional modeling job and we will never forget it and the wonderful crew she worked with at Lulyboo.

❤️

Jaimarie

1

Avocado aka Pear

In the Bahamas I have had some of the most amazing local food I could imagine.  The freshness and quality of the seafood is unmatched as well as much of the local produce.  Since it is a group of islands, things take time to get here (produce and meat not grown locally), but you can find some wonderful food right on the islands!

Having Endometriosis and a special diet because of it, I try to eat organic, hormone/pesticide free fresh food as much as I can.  I also try to feed my daughter and family this way. I am in luck because there is a lot available.  One major difference is my favorite (and my toddler’s) – avocados 🥑.  They are incredibly good for you and quite popular, especially lately.  Locally in the Bahamas, they can be known as “Pears” instead.

Being from California I was confused at first, but when I was told by friends what they were, I was excited to try them.  The local “pears” are roughly three times the size of American or Mexican Hass avocados naturally (much easier to make guacamole with! 😜). They are beautiful and smooth with a buttery creamy texture inside.  The flavor is a little more mild than Hass or Bacon but they can be used the same way (guacamole, on toast, with salad dressing, eaten alone, made into ice-cream or milkshakes, etc).

Buttery inside

It is a good lesson for us all to give something new a chance (what I try to teach Gianna) – even with a different name – because you never know just how good different things can be, especially while traveling!

❤️

Jaimarie

0

Santa Baby

Look who’s taking a Bahamas holiday before the big night! 🎄🏝🇧🇸🎅 The kids here loved it and enjoyed hot cocoa and treats after their personal meeting with Mr. and Mrs. Claus. Sending lots of holiday love from us here at A Tiny Suitcase.  Follow us on Instagram for more about the holiday season here in The Bahamas!

 

❤️

Jaimarie

IMG_2855.JPG
Merry Christmas from The Bahamas!
0

A Tiny Suitcase is Moving!

It’s been awhile since a post at ATS but we have been having lots of changes around here! We are moving to Nassau in The Bahamas.

We are moving in the next two weeks! A Tiny Suitcase will still be based around family travel but now include much more about our Island life and travel based from there.

We hope you follow along with us on our next A Tiny Suitcase adventure and check our social media for photo and video updates.

Lots of love,

❤️

Jaimarie

0

Travel Under 2

When I was pregnant with my daughter a good friend told me to try to travel as much as we could when she was still a young baby. At the time of midnight feedings and a new baby we were just learning about, this sounded so overwhelming and staying at home seemed like the much easier option. Her reasoning for this was not only for the baby to become comfortable traveling while still young enough to adapt to it, but also because children under age two can fly on your lap (not as safe as purchasing their own seat with a car seat) for free. Once turning two they need their own purchased seat and are no longer a “lap riding infant”.

Since she was a newborn our family has been many amazing places and travel has become a very normal part of our lives with her.  She is now approaching two and we just bought her first airline ticket with her own seat. It’s more expensive now and she will still probably prefer to lay on us but the extra room for snacks and in flight entertainment will be a nice change.

1

Inspired by Luxury

If you like to travel and you have read articles in places like Yahoo! Travel, CNN Travel, Business Traveler USA and many more you have probably read something by “Luxury Fred” Sherman. He is a family friend and I really enjoy reading his blog and articles about his international trips and reviews. His specialty is luxury travel and between his blog, articles and YouTube you get a first hand look at his adventures up close.

I now travel with my family most of the time and my trips are quite different to his. It’s really interesting to see the places that he goes and to see him describe it in his pieces. He inspires you to book that next ticket to a new place! If you’re looking for an escape from your everyday life check out Luxury Fred’s site.

 

 

0

Create a website or blog at WordPress.com

Up ↑