Up, Up & Away! Hot Air Balloon Festival Style

Three and a half hours south and I would hit the Gulf Coast’s prized white sandy beaches. Three and a half hours north, however, and I would land in the epicenter of hot air balloons.

The beach will always be there. The hot air balloon festival won’t.

This was my inner struggle when deciding how to spend the Memorial Day weekend. That and what could I do for less than $200. I chose the Alabama Jubilee, or Alabama’s annual hot air balloon festival that has been around for more than 30 years. Little did I know that the festival wasn’t just scores and scores of big beautiful flying contraptions.

We got there just past noon, skulking around wondering why it was so empty. After trying some delicious homemade chocolate mint fudge, we discovered that the balloons weren’t supposed to start flying until 5 p.m.  After a few hours of exploring the city and being oh so very tempted to try deep fried shark on a stick (Welcome to Alabama), we picked us a cozy spot in the grass and hunkered down prepping for the balloons to finally show up. Just past 7 p.m. the baskets were out and the balloons were inflating (finally!!!).

Oh my goodness, it was so worth the wait.

Here is my sweet setup I created while waiting for the balloons. Snagged the super cute hot pink chair for $6 at Walmart earlier that day!

This was the perfect opportunity to wear my spring green off the shoulder dress I just bought! I paired it with my mom’s old gardening hat 🙂 and some beautiful blue gingham espadrilles. The best part is the entire outfit (dress & shoes) costs under $60!

I also added my new gold bar initial necklace one of my friends just gifted me! (Low key never taking it off. ) I almost bought the same one for myself a week prior and then she ended up giving me one (fate)!

Here are the links and dupes I promised! 

• Spring Green Off the Shoulder Ruffle Dress ($29.99) From Target. 
• Blue Gingham Slight Heeled Espadrilles ($24.99) From Target.
• Gold Bar Initial Necklace Etsy shop QberryCreations ($18).
• Straw Hat Dupe ($40):  (This would look AMAZING with some DIY pom poms tied around it or ribbon. The possibilities are endless and this type of hat never goes out of style.)
• Embroidered Straw Tote Bag: I got this bag for a STEAL ($8).  I highly encourage you to search your local thrift or antique stores for these kind of hot items. Here are some similar bags I found online.
  • Etsy ($95)
  • The Modist ($155)

Don’t hesitate to comment below with any questions! I would love to hear your thoughts and recommendations. 

As always, Stay Wild.