Love&Fashion

  Being in what I believe is truly one of the most romantic cities on Earth has inspired me to let love in. Not that I've found a European romance or anything like that, but the idea of loving myself, loving new cultures, food, languages, experiences, music and fashion have been so important since I've gotten to Italy. With each day I wake up, I find that I love something else about Florence. Today it was the flea market in Piazza de Santo Spirito, followed by the new verbs I learned in Italian class. The perfect ending to the day? Dark chocolate gelato from the famous spot, Gromo located near the Duomo which was shared with my amazing friends Anna & Chris.
  "It's those moments when you seem suspended in time, a bubble of sorts that you live for."


  Last night I watched Blue Valentine with Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams and that made me think a lot about love as well. If you haven't seen it, I would definitely recommend it, although its not an uplifting movie at all. It centers around Cindy and Dean and a six year span of their relationship which alternatively leads to a broken marriage.

When I think love, I used to think all kissy, mushy, pink, hearts, candy and "I love you's" But now I think sharing secrets with your best friend, holding hands, laughter, late nights and a comfort that is so different than the comfort of being alone.

Fashion is a whole different kind of love. A love for self-expression, self-confidence and inspiration.

So in a certain way, these two really do go hand in hand.

images from We Heart It.

Kat & Bee

I attended London Fashion Weekend on Thursday and found a gorgeous jewelry line called "kat & bee"  I was instantly drawn to the use of skulls and roses.  The rings are all hand made and stunning.  The spring/summer line entitled "Momento Mori" is what they were showing at LFW.  Be sure to check them out! 


http://www.katandbee.co.uk/

*images found on the Kat&Bee website

Dream Like New York.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-sQi1bB2OM

"So many dreams come and go,blink our eyes time flies by, we don't know. Whatever happened to those childhood years when we thought we could fly? Gotta keep those dreams alive..."

I'm not sure what it is about a city that is so inspiring. The food? The people? The scenery? The diversity?Every city has different vibes, different people and a completely different feel. Growing up in a small town and visiting my family in nearby Chicago has made me love the fastpaced lifestyle and the hustle and bustle of developed, urban areas. A song recommended by a friend inspired me to write this post, and made me think about my future goals to move and live in my favorite city, New York City. Every city I have visited in my life, both in the United States and Europe has completely inspired me in an entirely different way. Some cities I feel more stylish, some I feel more artistic, some are historically inspiring but all are amazing and have etched fantastic memories in my mind.  Some may think that if they grew up in a small town that cities are not for them, but I can guarantee that somewhere in the world there is a city that will make you feel at home. Florence, a small city where it feels as though everybody knows everybody, or New York where the city lights blind you at all hours of the night, and so many creative souls gather to achieve their goals of becoming well-known and successful. This post has little to no point, but I guess my advice to you would be get out there and explore. Explore cities, countries, cultures and languages to find out where you fit in best. My time here in Italy is flying by so extremely fast, I can't believe I only have two more months here. Traveling really gives you the best perspective on life and extremely well rounded and accepting views of people. As cliche as it sounds, being alone in a foreign country has made me grow up, find myself and really live each day to its fullest.
 So as best said by Tyrone Wells himself;
"Run on down Broadway, catch the next train and go make your way,".
xoxo, Emily

Macaroons.Manoush.&Memories

I spend the past Wednesday through Sunday in the beautiful Paris.  Just wanted to share a few highlights from my trip. 

 We were invited to go to the top of the LV flagship store to the exhibition and also the back entrance to the store.  

 Laudree is the place to go fro macaroons.  I ate one too many.  not to mention the flavors range from madagascar chocolate to rose petal. 

 I cried when i laid eyes on this McQueen dress.

We got to go through an amazing museum of fashion which featured designs from the 90's into the new millennium. 

Check out the brand Manoush.  its very Betsy Johnson meets Anthropology.  

-Keep calm & carry on, Anna

Viva Madrid!

This past weekend, I took a much needed trip outside of beautiful Florence to Madrid, Spain. Me and my roommate Jenna left early on Friday morning with our two girlfriends from L.A (ironically enough named Jenna and Emily).  We took a quick train from Florence to Pisa, where the RyanAir flights go out of, and then from Pisa took a 2 hour flight to Madrid.  I have been to Spain before, but not to Madrid so I was very excited and enthusiastic upon landing there. We hopped into a cab and I immediately fell in love with the modernity of the city and the fastpaced lifestyle which is much more my speed.  We settled into our hostel and began exploring the city. The shopping was amazing, and so was the nightlife. On Friday night we went to Kapital, which is dubbed one of the largest clubs in Europe and it definitely lived up to its title. 7 floors of pure insanity, live dancers & loud music made for an unforgetable night. Saturday we went to el Museo del Prado, which is one of the most popular and most visited art museums in the world. So many pieces of art are located here by amazing artists such as Velasquez, El Greco & Goya. I have been obsessed with art for as long as I can remember . Growing up,my dad and I would go & explore the Art Institute of Chicago for hours and I fell in love with paintings by Edward Hopper,Monet and Georges Seurat. My favorite part of El Prado was definitely seeing Las Meninas by Velasquez and The Garden of Earthly Delights by Hieronymus Bosch. We finished up our Spanish weekend by a night filled with tapas and dancing at an authentic spanish bar/club where the peoplewatching was fantastic. It was SO refreshing to speak Spanish and be able to communicate more effectively. Spain was an amazing getaway with amazing friends that I will never forget. 
xoxo, Emily

The Art of Dress:Italian Men

I've been living in Italy for almost three weeks now, and have been trying to pin down the quintessential Italian style. I've sat in every piazza and pizzeria scouring and taking not so discreet pictures of locals to try and identify what makes up the Italian way of dressing. For me, it is much easier to describe how the men dress here. Tailoring is extremely important to Italians. Whether their clothes are from Dolce&Gabbana or Zara, everything is tailored and fitted perfectly. A pair of twenty dollar pants can look like a million dollars if you spend an extra ten dollars to get them hemmed to the perfect length. Italians in general but especially men do not have huge closets stuffed with things that are never worn, but strive to spend money on quality classic pieces, that are timeless and will last for a long time.  It's a lesson that Im trying to learn, however my shopping addiction doesn't agree with it. I think all american men, especially college students should take a hint from the Italians, and take pride in the way that they dress and present themselves. Italian men are innately chic and fashion forward.
Images above are from The Sartorialist, photographed in Florence, Italy

sing along.

No matter where I go out in London whether it's a club, a bar, a pub, or anything in between this song always and I mean ALWAYS plays.

enjoy..........        http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HuGPVcug1QM

"Beauty, to me, is about being comfortable in your own skin. That, or kick-ass red lipstick"-Gwyneth Paltrow

If coming to London has taught me one thing... 

never leave your flat without lipstick.  

It is my favorite new obsession. I admit that at home I would buy the 99 cent lipstick just for fun and rarely wear it out but here I have learned to embrace a bold lip. Women of all ages are seen rocking hot pink, bright red, and the latest trend tangerine lips at all hours of the day. Lipstick empowers you to walk taller, feel better and simply look sexier. I personally love to wear my deep shimmery red lipstick from Clinique called "sugared maple" just about everyday. I of course have bright red lipstick that I find more suited for an all black ensemble and a night on the town, and my latest purchase is the hottest pink lipstick you will ever find which im pretty much obsessed with.  Now its normal for women here to wear lipstick all day and night but back in the states you may get a few looks.  Just remember to own it! you will look fabulous

-keep calm & carry on ,Anna