Beauty and the Beast. It's a tale as old as time, a tale of beauty and love, and it has stolen the hearts of true princesses everywhere. But what can a princess do to celebrate this beautiful story?

I don't know about you, but I can't get enough of the Beauty and the Beast spirit, so I found 10 ways to live like my inner Belle. Be careful, or by the end of this post Beauty and the Beast will take over your life as well!

1. Go See It

This one is pretty obvious. If you haven't seen the new release, GO WATCH IT!!! Cancel your plans, drag your best friend to the theater, and sigh with happiness the entire time.

image found here

2. Dress inspired by it

I LOVE wearing clothes inspired by my favorite movies, and Beauty and the Beast is no exception. One of my favorite parts of the costuming was actually a very small detailing: Belle's ear cuff in the ball room scene. Naturally, I found a few designs that are sold in this day and age to make up for the fact that the wardrobe can't dress me for dinner. Check out this rose ear jacket and gold plate ear vine from Etsy.

I also saw a few Beauty and the Beast clothing pieces at Disney World that they also sell online. This long sleeve shirt is so lovely! This rose purse, though, steels the show!


If you want to look at more Beauty and the Beast clothing collections, look at JCPenny, Kohls, or Macys!

3. Bake something royal

I bake for every occasion, so of course I found some adorable Beauty and the Beast cupcakes from Cupcake Diaries! I love the two designs she presents- one for Belle and one for the Beast.

No Beauty and the Beast dessert conversation is complete without mentioning the grey stuff (it's delicious!) My mom made this recipe a while back, and it is very good! (Although Disney World does it better. If you have a chance, go to Be Our Guest and try it for yourself!)

4. Cook a meal worthy of Lumiere 

Beef ragout
Cheese souffle
Pie and pudding "en flambe"
We'll prepare and serve with flairA culinary cabaret

Make the feast yourself with these scrumptious looking recipes for beef ragout and cheese souffle.

5. Host a Sing Along

Share your love for Beauty and the Beast with others by hosting a sing along party. This doesn't have to be anything fancy. Just pop in the original movie, play it with subtitles, and sing with gusto. The grey stuff is optional but highly encouraged. For other party-throwing tips if you want to get fancy, check out this post from Cutesy Crafts with some cheep and east ideas!

6. Read a book

What is a more Belle thing to do than reading? So really, most of us celebrate Beauty and the Beast every day without knowing it! If you want a great Beauty and the Beast retelling, try out these favorites:

Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow.  by Jessica Day George. This book is one of my all-time favorites. A must read!

Jessica Day George

Scarlet by Marissa Meyer. This is the second book in the Lunar Chronicles, one of the best series I've ever read!

Beauty by Robin McKinley. I've never read this one, but it comes highly recommended. It's been on my to-read list for a while.

Beastly by Alex Flinn. I'm a bit ashamed to say that I've only watched the movie version of this book, but since the book is almost always better, then I'm sure this book is great because the movie rocked!

Harry Potter. Belle would approve.

7. Drink Tea

8. Watch inspired YouTube videos

9. Make your own video

Better yet, make your own video! I want to see what you think. Maybe a music video? A voice over by your three-year-old cousin? Get creative!

10. Indulge in some merchandise 

Every Disney movie comes with the high price of amazing themed merchandise! As Once Upon a Time says, "All magic comes with a price." My favorite Beauty and the Beast merchandise options are this playful coloring book and exquisite puzzle!

BONUS: GO SEE IT!!! 

Princess Hannah

She Reads Truth

1. Do an Advent Bible study

The Greatest Gift

She Reads Truth

2. Read an Advent book

Hidden Christmas

3. Light an Advent wreath

I've been hinting forever at a Simply Tuesday review, but I kept putting it off and life got in the way and you know what I mean. I wanted to give this book the attention it deserves. And so, on its one year anniversary (which is this Thursday), I'm finally telling you all about this wonderful book, and even more, giving you a chance to win the book!


Simply Tuesday, where do I begin? It is a book of grace, of moments, of God's whisper that His power is made perfect in weakness. It is a book that slowly comes into your life and changes you when you're not looking. It is a book that soon fills with pink highlighter marks and hurried penciled notes on almost every page. And for me, it is a book that changed my life.

But I get ahead of myself.


Simply Tuesday's purpose is for Christians to have "small moment living in a fast-moving world." Which is why I don't think that Emily would mind that I took my time reading it. It grew with my my freshmen year, comforting me in just the right times, often bring tears to my eyes.

Because Emily speak so much truth in this book. Truth that speaks to the soul. Truth the helped me understand the soul. Mainly, though, truth about the Truth, Jesus, and how He works among us even now.

She talked of how to be where we are, not where we want to be. She wrote on how to work for excellence instead of perform for perfection. She invites us to look for meaningful, soul-inspiring community and not competition. She describes how to joyfully sit with Jesus in the fog of life, in the crossroads of desire and disappointment. And in all of this she speaks with a Christ-centered focus that's refreshing and real.


Emily writes with such elegance and rawness that I ended up underlining every other sentence and wanting to scream out "YESSSSS" several times, even when I sat in public. Throughout the book I seriously considered if Emily and I were the same person because she oftentimes described life just as I see it. And then she talked of how Jesus taught her to see Him more clearly in this life, and I just had to freak out a bit.

One of my favorite quotes from the book, one that encompass the theme so concisely is as follows:

"Let's dig deep, not to create meaning where there isn't any, but to see Christ, our companion, where he actually is, not where we wish he was. Let's gently poke our sleepy souls, refusing to wait for a big event to wake us up. Let's stop running from ordinary time but begin to sit right in the middle of it." (page 48)


Oh how this book taught me to sit in the ordinary time and see something extraordinary. This extraordinary life isn't always beautiful, but is good and for the glory of God. This book taught me joy even in the midst disappointment. It taught me a soul-rest that transformed last year to something of true beauty.

All of this to say, I recommend this book highly to all of those seeking a soul-rest and adventure in Christ. In fact, thinking back on this book, I convinced even myself to read it again!


Because I want you to read this book so much, that I'm giving a copy of it away! All you have to do to enter is leave a comment. I didn't want to make this giveaway about gaining followers or promoting something, for something always seems fishy about that. No, I'm just giving it away because I so very much want to see what y'all think about it! (Too bad I don't have funds enough to buy a book for each one of you!)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Also, be sure to check out Emily Freeman's encouraging, soul-opening blog.

Leave a comment about one of the books that has changed your life. Do you now want to read Simply Tuesday? And y'all, I cleaned my desk for these pictures, and I'm pretty darn proud of it!

Princess Hannah

Your body doesn't quite remember what it feels like to move because you've been laying down reading for so long. Your head aches with the overload of words, but you don't want to stop turning pages, flipping through chapters, finishing books.

But the stomach knows best and calls you up. You feel a bit dizzy when standing upright. The shock of coming back into the real world wakes you up too quickly. You left part of yourself behind in between the binding and the covers, in the world of the impossible.

Because it was a reading day. A glorious, adventuring reading day.

Some people may call this madness, others may call it heaven. But really, is there much of a difference? Maybe heaven is a glorious mystery of impossibilities and head-spinning truths waiting for us. Maybe pieces of heaven can be found in a good book (most of all THE good book, the Bible).

I've always loved to read. From fairy tales and American Girl as a little girl to Ella Enchanted and Jane Austen later on, I would spend hours under the blankets with nothing but a book and a peaceful afternoon.


But then things changed. I started getting busy. My days filled with school, ballet, family, and more. I started spending more time writing, thinking, and studying God's Word. As my mind flew from one thing to do to the next, I forgot the feeling of reading. I forgot the joy of being overloaded with words.

I do not call busy-ness bad. I do not want to avoid work or productivity, in fact, I embrace it. Hard work and full schedules are an integral part of the life God's given us to live on earth. And so I do not regret how I abandoned reading for the past couple of years. Well, not a lot. In that time of my life, I needed to learn how to work hard. I needed to learn how to adjust to the new aspects of life, and that took all of my sanity, concentration, and time. I couldn't give as much of it to books.

But I'm ready to come home. I'm ready to lose my mind again to the wonder of words. I'm ready to read again.

Reading may not be the most productive thing to do. Reading may not be the most logical thing to do. But reading is good for my soul. Reading is peace for my mind. And reading is rest for my body. I'm ready.

I've already started this journey home by spending a few afternoons just reading, something that I haven't done in ages. The rain danced outside as I delved into The Help. Quiet filled the room full of sleeping campers as I turned many pages. Everyone sat around the living room Sunday afternoon as I picked up Winter to read a chapter or two.

Or the whole book.

Because, it's Winter. fdskalfsjlfnlksdnflksajfsdlkf. (Please comment if you understand my excitement in the form of attacking a keyboard.)

These afternoons refreshed me more than I understood. They reminded me of who I am and how much I've changed from that little girl under the covers with a book. These changes aren't bad but are for God's glory! But I'm still Hannah. I'm still the girl who read all of the Nancy Drew books the library owned. I'm still the girl who had to go the bookstore on the second week of her summer trip because she ran out of books. I'm still the girl who writes her own stories. I'm still that girl, even if my use of time has changed and my place in life is different and always changing.

Hello, book world. I've missed you. But I'm coming home.



With all of that said, I NEED BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS!!!!!! Right now I'm reading The Help and some nonfiction books (a post about my newfound love for nonfiction coming soon). Next up is Anne of Green Gables, but after that... THE POSSIBILITIES!!!!

I'd like to say that I'm not picky, but that's not true. I love all kinds of books, but my moods like to swing around and pick random things. Therefore, I ask for ALL of the favorites. Fantasy. Mystery. Historical. Christian. Contemporary. I'd love to read something kinda quirky and unique. Obviously, good writing is key. Once I learned how to write my own book, my standards became much higher.

Anyways, I know that y'all will bombard me with a plethora of fantabulous books, and so I send my thanks you way. Comment books (obs), but also if you have struggled with finding time to read. How do you enjoy a good book even in the midst of a busy life? I really could use all of the suggestions. 

(Also, check out my newest Odyssey post: To the Reader Too Busy to Read!)

Thanks bunches, and God's grace be with you,

Princess Hannah