I recently traveled to Portugal for a work conference. I opted to spend my first night in Lisbon before heading to Porto. Although I was massively jet-lagged, I was determined to see some of Lisbon in the few hours I had available. Luckily, Pats contacted me a few days prior to my departure, offering me…
I love the off the shoulder trend because it feels so romantic and feminine. I’m also glad stores are carrying vibrant colors, interesting prints, and not-so-obvious styles (like white-lace only). The only issue I have with the off shoulder shirt trend is that I personally think it is difficult for a lot of women to…
One of my favorite fashion trends that continues from 2016 is the saddle bag purse trend. I love their retro, yet practical vibe. I’m constantly searching for the perfect cross-body bag for all my travels and I think I finally found it. I’m obsessed with my denim blue saddle bag for three reasons. 1. A Saddle…
We decided to use Airbnb in Italy instead of using hotels. I initially looked at hotels because I travel a lot for work. I thought we’d stay in one of the hotel chains I usually stay at so I could add to my rewards points. However, I quickly found hotel prices were outrageous in the…
Italy is more than just major tourist destination to me. My grandparents are from a small village in southern Italy, so this a story about the search for my southern Italian heritage, and the family roots I have been dying to explore. Summer 2016 was special for me for many reasons. I led my first…
So what do you think of this tassels fashion trend? Do you love it or hate it? Fall 2016 fashion seems a bit disjointed. Skinny jeans are still majorly on trend, but now I’m seeing major bell bottoms and also ultra baggy jeans (think 90s grunge) are also making a comeback. The fringe and tassels…
I’m somewhat hesitant to share my first TV appearance because it didn’t go as well as I had hoped. I’m probably being overly self-critical. I keep seeing the areas where I made little mistakes or could have done better. But I need to get over myself. I mean, how cool is it that I was…
Nautical stripes is a classic American sportswear pattern that I happen to love wearing year-round, but especially in the summer. Ralph Lauren’s style guide put it perfectly, nautical stripes evokes a sporty, all-American elegance. The nautical stripes blouse I’m wearing happen to think is ultra flattering because the stripes are diagonal, which is visually interesting and…
A couple weeks before I was set to leave for London and Paris, I thought a lot about what was most important to include on my Europe packing list. The obvious things that came to mind were a universal charger, my passport, and an umbrella. To my complete shock, it only rained one of the…
About a year ago, my hubby decided to make grilled sweet potato wedges with cilantro and lime dressing as one of our side dishes for a family party. I love grilled vegetables. Actually, I like all grilled food, but especially grilled veggies. His mom and sister were visiting from California so he created a mini…
Stripes are a quintessential spring trend. The nautical style always pops up in the spring. You know, the classic navy and white striped top paired with flowy white pants, or maybe some gold accents for some bling. This spring, the nautical vibe gets an updated twist with multi-colored stripes taking the place of the traditional navy and…
I’m not a huge skirt person. I just recently decided I can wear pencil skirts, after years of avoiding them. The same goes for a maxi skirt. I’ve worn maxi dresses every now and then, but I generally stick to knee-length or midi-length skirts or dresses because I find them more flattering on my figure….
Have you noticed lace up sandals popping up all over fashion for spring? It seems the lace up trend is here to stay. We’ve seen the lace up heels and lace up ballet flats for a couple seasons, but the newest thing is lace up sandals in all sorts of colors and styles. Some have…
Have you noticed neoprene and scuba clothes everywhere the past few seasons? I personally love these pieces because of the architectural nature of the stiffer fabric. I recently found this scuba biker jacket (on sale!) and chose it for a couple reasons. First, it is super comfortable – like wearing a sweatshirt, but still has the…
I’m a total school nerd. Growing up, I loved school and I still love school (I work at a university). I also loved summer breaks, but I always looked forward to getting ready for another year to start in school. I looked forward to back to school shopping so much–I used to make up lists…