Wait for it.... Wait for it... Oh okay- sorry I'm being a nerd :)
Congrats Laura! The winning random number was 8 and your comment was the lucky 8th! Please send me an email with your contact information so you can pick out something cute from Shabby Apple for your fall wardrobe!
Thank you to everyone that entered the giveaway last week! It was fun reading all the comments as they rolled in! Lastly, thank you to Shabby Apple for providing such an awesome giveaway for all of our blog friends!
After a crazier than normal week, I came home to the sweetest surprise Wednesday night!
Alex set up a little fall campfire for two, complete with some of my fall favorite treats- Pumpkin Beer and the next best thing to Pumpkin Pie (since you can't bake a pie over a campfire), Cookie S'mores!
It was just what I needed and I just loved the cute little set up Alex come up with, what a guy :) I always look forward to backyard bonfires when fall arrives!
Sadly though (and if you live near Minneapolis you already know), about five minutes into sitting and relaxing it began to downpour... tons of icky, wet, cold rain.... boo.
I guess that went along with the theme of my week, rain on my parade campfire. We still made the best of it though and snuggled up in our PJ's with my Pumpkin Beer and I still got my Cookie S'more, it was oven baked :) I think we will give our little backyard campfire another try this weekend, hoping we get a break from the rain that's in our forecast, we'll see!
What about you? Do you love backyard bonfires in the fall too?
I'd love to know if you have a special set up, treat, or if you have favorite kind of Pumpkin Beer... I'm trying to search for the best one so let me know! Have a great weekend everyone!
I don't know about you, but when the seasons change I might always have a handle on the home decor, but I always feel stuck when it comes to pulling an outfit together. Alex confirmed that this happens every Spring and Fall usually and that I show the same symptoms every time, ha!
According to him, signs of this seasonal fashion confusion include:
-Making a complete mess in my closet after failed attempts at an ensemble
-Talking to myself with grumblings like"I don't have anything to wear!" and/or "where did sweater/pant/shirt X go?!?"
-Spontaneous online shopping orders and spending
-Repeating, "Does this look stupid? I feel like I look stupid!" to get reassurance that I don't look stupid, but regardless will continue to insist that I look stupid.
Maybe I sound crazy but if anyone else is in a fall fashion rut like I am, I have the perfect thing for you today- a dress giveaway fromShabby Apple! If you haven't heard of them, it's a site full of vintage clothes -- think dresses, jackets, pants, tops and swimsuits. My favorites are always the dresses, so many fun & feminine looks to choose from! I'm totally digging a few fall looks like Shetland, At Last, and the Rosalin sweater. I think each one would be fun for making layered fall look with cute boots to top them off!
What do you think? What dresses, skirts, or sweaters are you liking this fall?
For a chance to win a Shabby Apple dress, all you need to do is...
1. Post a comment below to enter the giveaway and let us know which dress you'd pick (be sure to include your name or email in the comment if you post as"Anonymous")
2. "Like" Shabby Apple on Facebook
3. Follow Shabby Apple on Instagram
That's it! So which dress is your favorite? Let me know in the comments and you can win, that would totally get anyone out of a fashion rut, right? Here's to hoping it's YOU, but if not you can get 10% off using the coupon code fanfavorites10. The winner will be chosen at random and announced here one week from today on Monday, October 7th. Good luck!!!
After contacting SAS Airlines and the Coopenhagen police via email multiple times and two failed 2:00am international calls to the Copenhagen Police, I had pretty much given up hope that we'd get it back. While on the phone we were told that they didn't have a camera turned into the lost & found that matched our description. I waited a week and gave one more 2:00am call to the police a shot and heard the magical words "we have an item on hand fitting that description & matching serial number."
From there we did a wire transfer to cover the shipping cost, gave our address, and just waited hoping it would arrive in one piece with a full memory card. None of the process was easy at all, but I am so, so, so thankful it's here at last with every beautiful memory still there! Yes, I did have my iPhone pictures but there's about a thousand more moments on the camera, maybe some I've even forgotten about? I can't wait to find out! I was so geeked that I just had to share the excitement but I'm going to start sifting through all the photos and videos now! See ya!
Oh PS- I've gotten a few emails from people asking how we planned our multi-city Europe trip or other tips, so I'm thinking about writing up a post with that info- sound good? Would you be interested in that kind of post if I did? Let me know!
I finished doing some fall decorating on our mantle last night and I'm excited to share it with you! I followed some of the inspiration in the photos from my last post and kept it pretty clean, simple, and not too theme-y. Here's a look!
My favorite part of the decor is the floral arrangement I DIY'ed using some simple greenery and foliage from our own yard. It was so easy and it was FREE! Maybe that's the best part?
I just grabbed pieces in dark red, green and yellow tones and started arranging them in the pitcher to sort of look like the floral arrangement from my inspiration board (but greenery insteadof all florals). I just love how it turned out and it was fun to make!
For the rest of the look, I stuck with white mainly for color and layered in that touch of copper I wanted thanks to the two little votive holders I found at Goodwill for just $2.00! I had the frame, lantern, and white vase filler branches already so it came together pretty easily!
Although tomorrow's Autumnal Equinox officially marks the beginning of fall, it's certainly been feeling like it here in Minnesota for a couple weeks now. The shorter days have been sunny with a crisp chill in the air and the nights have been down right chilly almost getting to freezing temperatures. I have to say though, I don't mind at all! I used to be a summer gal but I've grown to love the fall season. Everything from fashion to home decor just feels cozier, even social gatherings!
With fall on the brain, I've been been looking for some decor ideas for our home- and yes, I better get my rear in gear since its almost October! Anyway, I'm really feeling the idea of rich dark green, navy, and brown with some warmer copper mixed as my alterative to the orange kind of look. I'm hoping to cozy things up a bit and pull together that type of look so it feels fall-ish without screaming fall themed.
It's the last stop for all of our Europe vacation posts (then we'll be going back to reality home stuff), time to wrap things up with a look at our visit to Rome, Italy!
The eternal city was stunning with it's concentration of art, history, romantic scenery and charm- but I'm not going to lie, Rome was hot, crowded, confusing, and did I mention crowded?!! Anyway, here's a look at the good, the bad, and some ugly moments from Rome...
The hot Rome misery is on display in this video, I was just as grumpy as Alex sounds, that crowd was insane!
Dinner and entertainment at Cafe de Paris in Rome! Loved every part of this dinner, felt like family and learned a thing or two about Italian dining!
Rooftop breakfast included at our hotel- uh, amazing! Simple, table served and delicious!
Also included with our hotel- balcony from room, rooftop hot/cold tubs (needed after hot gross days sightseeing), and views of Roman ruins. So glad we found the Relais Badoer hotel near all the sights we wanted to see!
What was your favorite moment in Rome?
Alex: My favorite moment in Rome was when we first rounded the corner to see the Pantheon. This behemoth of a building is truly breathtaking and dwarfs everything else around it (literally and figuratively). We caught ourselves going back to it a few more times just to see it – as if we thought it was going to disappear on us. Nevertheless, this marvel of Roman ingenuity is amazing! Oh, also, riding a Vespa all over Rome on our quest to find the best Cacio e pepe only to get lost (several times) and end up at a very local “off the beaten path” restaurant for lunch where no one spoke English before speeding off to visit the Colosseum…yep, that was pretty great too
Carla: The moment I saw the Pantheon for the first time, the size, opulance, and structure was astonishing! This grand dome shaped ancient structure sits tucked away down several small Roman streets but once you have a chance to lay eyes on it, it overtakes you.... along with all the younger buildings surrounding it. In that beautiful moment, I saw The Eternal City's layers upon layers of civilization that have existed with life continuing on no matter how much things change around it.
What surprised you about Rome?
Alex: It surprised me that I had to intentionally slow down in order to fell really excited about Rome. Maybe it was the crowds or the fact that it was the last leg of our trip. Maybe it was the fact that I had built this place up to the image that Hollywood portrays in all of the period films. Regardless, it wasn’t until I slowed down and thought about the marvel of what I was looking at that I felt truly moved by Rome. Sure, walking into St. Peter’s Square for the first time, or zipping around the Colosseum on the Vespa were truly spectacular moments but, few and far between were the moments that I felt as though that magic feeling came naturally. I loved Rome but, I wasn’t in love with Rome. I think I secretly longed for the Rome from Gladiator – the Rome of legends.
Carla: The massive, and I mean MASSIVE crowds of tourists that ruined the special moments I envisioned when dreaming of traveling to Rome one day. I know it sounds lame but it was such a bummer during our trip and yes, I know we went in the high tourism season but this was OUT of control- again watch that video we posted from the Trevi Fountain, the size of the crowd is insane! We've been to many other cities in Europe in August and nothing was this bad. Biggest disappointment was when we visited the Sistine Chapel, I dreamed for so long to see it with my own eyes and truthfully, the experience was much like being in a crowded loud bar or club with wall to wall people and security guards pushing you along while yelling at you to "move, no cameras, keep moving, put that camera away!" Yea, not special at all and I imagine Leonardo DaVinci didn't envision that either.
What was your must-try menu item while in Rome?
Alex: Pasta. It seriously is that much better than when you’re sitting down at the never ending pasta bowl :) Yes, you can find bad/average pasta all over Rome but there are plenty of places that do it right, and won’t let you down. Yep it’s cliché but the Pasta and Pizza were outstanding! I recommend Café de Paris and anything else that's not on a major tourist trap street.
Carla: Order Cacio e Pepe- but make sure it is at an off-beat, non-tourist location. It's an amazing Italian dish, just pasta, fresh Parmesan, salt, pepper, and bam! Done right, those simple ingredients become an AMAZING, rich pasta dish! Aside from that, find a great authentic bakery and get lots of treats to sample! We found one near the Piazza Campo D. Fiori (photos above) and enjoyed picking lots of goodies to snack on while sitting in the piazza people watching.
What tip would you share for someone going there?
Alex: First, If you’re going to Rome in the high season, be prepared to deal with crowds and let go of your dreams of capturing that timeless photo of you and your loved ones all alone in front of some amazing landmark. Second, get a Vespa and get lost in the eternal city. Third, eat and drink anything you want, whenever you want.
Carla: See my above response for more details, but go in the fall or winter :) avoid the hot HELL that Rome is in August.
Why would you go back?
Alex: I want to go back to Rome in the off-season and really take it in slowly. There are too many sights and sounds going on that make it easy to get caught up in the action and forget to visit Rome like a Roman. If you’re not sure what I mean by that, I recommend watching Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations Rome episode. Tony found his “Rome” and I will go back to find mine someday.
Carla: I would love to go back to see the Trevi Fountain again... and not hate it. Seeing that was one of my 'someday I dream of seeing' places and it was awful- so crowded, couldn't enjoy it, wanted to curse at people, wanted to hit people with a stick so they'd get out of my personal space, and yea, it was awful. Despite all that awful, there is something I regret- I didn't throw a coin in the fountain and make a wish. The long time legend/tradition in Rome is if you throw a coin in the Trevi Fountain, you will return to Rome someday. At the time the crowd was to large to even try pitching a coin in the fountain but more than that the crowd made me so disappointed and mad that I thought I wouldn't want to return to Rome. I guess this is my honest, regretful public statement, I would love to go back so I can throw my wish in the foutnain... Just not in August.
That's a wrap for Europe, phew! I kind of got sick of that stuff, glad it's all done! Ready to get back to home, house, DIY, and fashion fun! Hope ya'll are ready for it!
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