Rome Part One

There is so much to see in Rome that it can really get overwhelming. I have been to Rome once before so there were some things I was really excited to see again and some I thought we could pass on. We squeezed so much into the couple of days that we were there, I decided to break Rome up into a couple of posts. There are still a bunch of pictures though so be prepared :)

Our first stop when we arrived in Rome was the Vatican. Since I had been inside the Vatican Museum the last time I was there and my friend had no real desire to wait in line to see it, we just walked over and gaped at it from the outside. Apparently Roman people do not wear sleeveless things even though it was over 80 degrees that day. On our walk from the train to the Vatican, everyone was talking to us in English. Walking American billboards apparently. We did bring cardigans to wear inside of Vatican City though. You definitely don't want bare shoulders there!

Many of the main "sights to see" are in small area so these are pretty easy to cover in a short amount of time. I thought the Spanish Steps looked even prettier than the last time I was here. Probably because we were there much later in the spring than before so there were a lot more flowers everywhere!

One of my favorite places in Rome has to be the Trevi Fountain. It is beautiful during the day as well as at night. I could sit there all day if all the throngs of tourists would allow it. I had to throw my coin in to ensure my return to Rome because it worked the last time :) PS, if you want to see a cute movie about Rome that isn't Roman Holiday (which is amazing) then check out Three Coins in the Fountain.

Then, we headed over to the Pantheon. Just the sheer age of this building blows my mind. It was a pretty quick stop but one that we had to make.

Piazza Navona is probably my favorite piazza in Rome. There are artists set up everywhere with a real variety of art. Plus, a lot of them are painting while they are sitting there so you know it is their work. No prints or imposters here which is really refreshing when you've walked through lots of tourist shops. I didn't pick up any art this time around since I was traveling with a backpack but I hope to go back someday and get some art! We also had to get gelato which was really delicious!

We walked by Altare della Patria which holds the tomb of the unknown soldier and the eternal flame. Apparently, Romans don't really care for this building but I think it's great!

We did even more on the first day we were there but I'll save that for another day. We headed to the Colosseum and walked around the interior which was really amazing! Stay tuned for that soon.

Outfit Post - By the Lake

Last Saturday, I was driving around picking up some things for a couple of DIY projects I want to try. I thought it would be nice to show you a place that I used to go all the time as a kid, Lake Johanna. My friends and I used to ride our bikes down here and hang out by the beach. Those were the best days. No worries, no responsibilities. Just hanging out with friends and enjoying the lake.

It was REALLY windy and cold the day I was here (hence the red nose) but because of that, I was alone at the beach save for a couple of runners and people driving by. I love beaches in the cold weather and wish I had brought some cocoa and a blanket or two with to enjoy it more. Empty beaches also make for very easy and non-awkward photos shoots so enjoy the plethora of photos :)

  

Also, if you couldn't tell, my new remote came in the mail! Yay! Back to better photos. I'm hoping to get better at going places when I take photos but I can't promise anything :) I started a notes page in my phone to write down outfits that I come up with when I'm looking at Pinterest or thinking about my closet. This is one of my ideas come to life! If you want see more of my outfit inspiration for Fall/Winter, follow my board here! I think the top half came out better than the bottom half but I'm sure I'll wear this again soon.

Outfit Details:

Shirt - Old Navy

Jeans, boots, necklace - Target

Blazer - Vintage, thrifted

Hat - Forever 21

PS. I was wearing a coat and gloves with this before, during and after these photos. Brrr!

Product Review - Fall Leaves

I finally got a chance to crunch around in the leaves. This past Sunday was sunny and gorgeous so I thought it was the perfect time to try out my new dress from eShakti. The last dress I got, I loved and this dress is the same! You can't tell so much from the pictures but it is this beautiful dark green. The tuxedo front has enough interest so you really only have to wear minimal jewelry (my favorite) but I could also see a great brooch looking nice as well. I can't wait to style it again for the holidays!

  

Like last time, I picked a standard size and it fits like a glove. I customized the length to hit at the knees which is great option that eShakti provides. I have a really short torso and long legs so to being able to customize the waist and length is perfect for me! I left the sleeves on this style alone because I like the cap style but you can pick whatever sleeve length you want on the site. Everything is customizable! I braved the cold for a couple seconds so you all could see how cute the sleeves are!

I hope you all head over to eShakti and look at all of their great new styles!

Outfit Details:
Dress - c/o eShakti
Boots - Lulu's
Cardigan - Old Navy (old)
Tights - We Love Colors
Scarf - gift (I think it's from Target)
Sunglasses - Forever 21
Earrings - No clue! I've had them forever


*as always, the product reviewed here was provided free in exchange for the review but the opinions expressed are my own. Thanks for supporting the companies that support Babes in Thriftland!*

DIY - Magnetic Spice Rack

This isn't my invention at all. I saw this on A Beautiful Mess and it was one craft I knew would work for me. I've said this a bunch of times but my place is small and doesn't really have much in the way of storage. Everything has to be out so it also has to look nice. I wanted to display my spices more so because of my deep cupboards and forgetfulness (see my cupboard re-do from yesterday). Now I know exactly what spices I have, what I need and I can clearly see when I'm running low. It's awesome! I think I will use spices more now because they are right next to the stove and clearly visible.

On ABM, they used a magnetic board to display their spices but I decided to use my underutilized fridge. I have a stainless steel one so only the side is magnetic. The only part that is visible is between the top of the counter and the bottom of the upper cabinet. Perfect spot for spices since the fridge is right next to the stove!

Before:

You can consult the original DIY on ABM here but this is what I did. I ordered the jars online here and ordered 25 (I linked to the specific jar I bought). They were actually pretty reasonably priced and I will have extras for when I want to add more spices down the road. Then, I just picked up a basic set of circle labels and a perfect green sharpie from Staples. I ordered circle magnets online but they didn't come soon enough and I wanted to get this project done. When I was organizing my craft bins for this DIY, I found some magnets I had ordered on Etsy a long time ago. I just taped them to the back of the jars with clear tape. That was it! I might swap them for the ones that just came from Amazon or leave them as is for now.

The jars are the perfect size for the smaller spice jars you get at the store. If you buy one of the larger ones, just pour what you want in the jar and put the rest in the back of the cupboard. I think this will also be a lot easier when baking because it will be much easier to get the measuring spoon into this jar opening than the tiny one they come in! Plus, I can buy spices from markets or specialty stores now. Since they usually come in bagies, I was always hesitant to get them before. Horizons=expanded! haha

PS, I also alphabetized mine cause I'm cool like that...

DIY - Organization

Whenever I throw a party, I somehow decide to tackle a bunch of house projects right before. Do you do that? I feel like it's the push I need to get stuff done but it also makes me stressed out. I am happy that I got around to doing some organization though. In my quest to be more organized, I decided to head over to the Container Store the other day. Oh boy. I did not know what I was getting myself into. Have you ever been there? PS it's heaven. I never knew all the things I needed to organize before I walked in there. I bought so much stuff. One thing I picked up was a lazy susan. My cupboards are quite small but very deep. Since I only have 3 upper cabinets, I wanted to make better use out of at least one of them. I'm going to show you the before but don't be scared...

Notice how you can't see anything in the back? Yeah, that's a problem. I have like 5 bags of chocolate chips because I keep buying them since I don't know they are there. Enter the lazy susan (cue angelic music). 

I know it still looks kind of crowded but I can spin that lazy susan and see everything that's in there. All the stuff I don't use it way in the back and my peanut butter (Jif holla!) still has room to be front and center. You don't know how many things I pulled out from the back of the cupboard and said, "I KNEW I had ____" or "Huh, I didn't know I had _____. Could have come in handy that one time." Now everything is much more accessible and my forgetful brain is happier.

What made this possible is what I did with the spices. Stay tuned for that tomorrow!

Outfit Post - New In!

A couple weekends ago, I went to visit my brother in Chicago. He just recently moved there from LA so it's nice to have him so much closer! We never really get to hang out just the two of us so it was really nice to do just that. While I was there (and he was working), I stopped at Market Supply Company. I had heard about this new store because I follow Merl's blog and her Instagram. She is a very talented jewelry designer and has teamed up with Deathrose Vintage and Midnorth Mercantile who both sell vintage clothing and accessories. I was blown away by how great the store looked. I wanted to own every item and also have my condo look exactly like it. It was very hard but I narrowed it down to this pale green dress. It fits me perfectly and I can't wait to wear it over and over! Maybe next time I will get a new remote and have much better photos for you :)

My boots are a recent purchase from Lulus and they are really comfortable! I love how much they look like real leather but were very reasonably priced. My jacket is a recent acquisition from a swap I hosted a couple weekends ago.

I'm obviously terrible at this whole self timer thing...

Outfit Details:

Dress - Market Supply Co

Boots - Lulus

Coat - via Swap

Tights - Target (I think)

Scarf - H&M (old)