So many shoes to consider... not enough days to wear them all

This admission may come as no surprise, but: I am over-packer. Not only am I the left-brained, cautious planner who wants to make sure that every possible travel scenario is covered - from lost luggage to freak mid-summer snowstorm - but I'm also the right-brained dreamer who revels in the opportunity to be whoever I want to be in each new place I visit. I can't be the only person who sees travel as a kind of escapism from who you are in daily life (right..?).

Travel to me is a lot like being an expat: you are anonymous and new (not so-and-so's daughter, or that girl in high school who did something horribly embarrassing), and therefore can be anyone you want to be. So an excursion like next week's road trip across the entirety of France presents a particularly challenging packing dilemma: who do I want to be this trip? Do I want to be the fashionable Parisian? The knowledgeable wine country woman? The seaside luxuriator? Or something else entirely...?

I imagine my luggage will consist of a lot of blue, red and stripes, in a very French, but also very me, statement. Little nods to the French countryside (floral accents and a bag big enough to tote a bottle of wine and a baguette for the impromptu picnic) and the south of France coast (sea-tousled hair and large sunnies) not to mention a few of-the-moment items (wedge sneakers, anyone?) for the likes of Paris will be tucked in there amongst some of my favorite items. For me, it's all about balancing who I am with what I want out of a holiday and what the locals are like. One part me + two parts the location = what I dream my holiday self to be.

Who I dream of being in Bordeaux...

Who I'd like to be in Arcachon...

Here's to culling down the piles strewn all around our apartment into some semblance of a cohesive wardrobe in time for our departure early next week!

Who are you when you go on holiday..?

As excited as I am about next week's holiday in French wine country and at the seaside, Paris is by far the bit I get most excited to pack for. There is an energy and sense of style like no other, and I can't help but feel inspired whenever I am in this wonderful city.

To help differentiate myself from the throngs of tourists in this peak season, I plan to keep away from the museums and tourist attractions, just eating at burger trucks and our favorite hole-in-the-wall taco place, strolling the streets and soaking in the joie de vivre - and I plan to pack accordingly. While I greatly admire the Parisian who can somehow maneuver the steep streets of the 18th and the city's cobblestones while in three-inch heels and balancing her of-the-moment designer bag on her delicate wrist after dropping €20 on her café et croissant, I must admit to being a bit more practical.

I'm thinking, casual, classic French with some fashion-forward updates (picture Coline, but painfully less cool). A spritz of my favorite Chanel, a hands-free bag for making full use of my new DSLR and the perfect soundtrack for people-watching in the park, and I'm set. Well, with a good hat and umbrella for those notorious grey and rainy Paris days, of course (yes, even in the summer). Now to just practice my French and that aloof city attitude...



Style photo credits, top to bottom: Et Pourquoi Pas Coline, unknown via Pinterest, Andy T. on Lookbook.nu

Don't get me wrong, I am a color fanatic. When we first moved to Germany, I stuck out like a sore thumb in my bright California color, so visible amidst the sea of khaki/navy/black-clad Germans. Now, I happily rock my neon pink pieces and playfully patterned dresses because I love how color makes me feel more than I worry about being looked at as an outsider.

Even with all this color love, most especially after my many recent acquisitions in the neon family, I have found myself drawn to graphic black and whites. While they may not be technically colorful, these bold patterns stand up to even the most saturated tones and blindingly bright hues with the strong statement they make. It's just the pop of something new and fresh my bright wardrobe and colorful home needs.

sandals / kitchen towels /  duvet cover / pillow / camera strap / shorts / silk top / striped bangles / maxi dress / triangle tote

After hemming and hawing over my hair for quite some time now, I finally took the plunge on Sunday and did a whole at-home cut and color. First and foremost, not only am I not a professional (yikes!), but I had no idea what I was doing. So here's how I tackled this challenge and how it turned out...

Since I had cut my bangs at home many times, I was actually less nervous about the cut until the morning of when I realized I had absolutely no idea how to go about an entire haircut. True to form, the great wealth of knowledge that is the internet offered some suggestions. I found this nice little tutorial that seemed simple enough... that is, until I started cutting. Seeing as I also decided to cut my hair dry for fear of cutting off more than I intended, it meant chopping through a ponytail full of half my hair - and I have a lot of hair. I quickly started to see how this would be much easier when wet, but I had started down this road and was now committed (in case you were wondering, I was using proper hair-cuttings scissors, so the issue was clearly my hair).

I managed to get through the ponytails as even as I could, but had to enlist my husband's help evening out the back (to avoid that v-shape). I was so nervous, I cut little by little until I was just too scared to cut anymore and made the whole process an hour longer than it needed to be. It's probably a touch longer than what I was shooting for, but better that than too short. My first finger still bears the blister and bruising from all this effort with the scissors, but hey, I didn't have to shell out €100 for a haircut, so I'm sucking it up. I evened it out a bit more when it was wet from my post-color shampoo and I think that helped. Luckily, I also had a hair-cutting-experienced friend who offered to help out if the cut went to awry.

I decided to go ombre with the color because of it's low commitment (no roots to touch up!) and because I'm still not sold on getting rid of my natural color all together, even as just a base for highlights. So, I watched several tutorials on the L'Oréal Wild Ombrés colors (I believe these are under the Féria line in the States, but over here, it's part of the Préférence line) and it looked even easier than regular hair color. I also liked that the 'after' photos on the all the reviews I saw weren't crazy drastic, but more of a subtle lighter color. I also chose the less drastic Ombré N°2 (070 in the Féria line), for dark blond to medium brown hair, rather than the lightest blond, so that my results would err more on the natural side. I figured I could always go back over it with a lighter color if I wanted it more dramatic.

The one thing I did notice on all but one review of the product was that everyone seemed to follow the instructions literally, which resulted in more of a dip-dye look as opposed to a fading ombre. Since I wanted more of a fade, applied the color higher and higher up my hair in ten minute increments, so that the color on the bottom was on for the longest and therefore would be more processed (read: lighter) than the next section higher. I had my husband help a bit with the back (so as not to end up with a color-v as well), but mostly just brushed it in haphazardly so that it would result in what I hoped would be a naturally-highlighted fade. I brushed some higher in the pieces that frame my face for even more color variation. In all, I would say I had the color on some part of my hair for nearly the maximum amount of time (45 minutes) before I washed it out.

In the shower, I could already see how blonde the ends looked and this was only magnified as my hair began to dry. But after my hair was totally dry and styled, the blond no longer seemed as light. Perhaps it was because of the curl in my hair or the rapidly fading daylight, but it was harder to see the significantly lighter ends.

Some close-up shots, as well as seeing the color in various lighting, helped demonstrate the color results a bit better. It is definitely on the warmer, brassier side of blond, but because my hair still has a fair amount of red tones from my time as a redhead, it works nicely with the color I already have on my hair.

Overall, I'm very happy with the results of my little hair experiment. I got fun new hair for the cost of a box of color (€6,95) and a bit of a bruised finger. While I may decide to brush some even lighter color through the bottom section and may have to enlist the help of my hair-cutting friend once I see the cut on a more straight hair day, for now, I am a convert to this whole DIY hair concept. I'm sure my wallet is too!

My favorite episode of Top Model, always, is the makeover show. Sure, like most members of the female sex, I get off on a great transformation, but really I'm in it for the haircut meltdowns. The whiny little bitches who cry as if they are cutting off an arm, unaware they could actually be one haircut away from $5,000 runway gig. I take a little joy in the ridiculousness, but mostly I'm just baffled. I mean, what fun is it being a girl if not for the multitude of ways we can alter and play with our appearance? Ever since I learned that I could - as in, chopping my waist-length locks to a short bob for the start of the first grade - I have reveled in the transformative power of changing my hair.

But now, nearly thirty years later, I've found myself stuck again in that long hair rut. I suppose that is just sort of the way with long hair though. You grow it and grow it (and grow it...) until one day you think, okay, now what? Well I've hit that point a few times, so I've cut it and took it from auburn to dark blond - and dyed the tips blue at one point - and I'm still saying 'now what?'. It's clearly time for something new.  

I have really been loving the blunt, long bobs - or 'lobs', if you will - that have been popping up all over the place, especially on Emily Blunt (no pun intended). Then when J.Crew posted its little St. Barths shoot with the model with the collarbone-grazing cut, I became obsessed. So I'm not sure what's been stopping me. Well, money for the usually nice haircuts I insist on, for one, but I'm thinking of just going all Man Repeller in my bathroom and chopping it myself. Then there's still the color to contend with...

My shift back to a golden dark blond/light brown with honey highlights has brought me closer to my natural color, but as you can see from the many months of grow out, it's nothing to write home about. That dull, mousy hue hasn't been dubbed 'dishwater blond' for nothing. I now remember why I started dying my hair all those years ago... So I can either pick up where that pricey colorist left off and do my own roots in the closest thing I can find to this warm dark blond, or I can run with the grow out and lighten just the ends for an ombre effect. I'm afraid anything more involved - i.e. all-over highlights or a new color altogether - would require a professional. With our strict savings plan for our Berlin move, I'm strictly in DIY territory here.

So readers, what do you think? A cut? A color? Am I crazy for trying to take this on myself..? I'm open to suggestions and opinions!

top images from (clockwise): Zara, Getty Images, J.Crew, Splashnews

Today being March first and with the spring equinox just weeks away - or earlier, if you believe Punxsutawney Phil's predictions - it is time for spring blossoms, and therefore, spring color, to begin. With the depressing, oppressing grey winter, I have been a little too eager to jump right to summer with neon brights (been loving me some highlighter yellow and hot pink), but perhaps it's time to slow things down and take joy in the soft, budding colors of spring. 

Now, I'm not a huge fan of pastels. I think baby blues, powder pinks and pale lavenders just wash my pasty self out. But mint, oh magical mint green... I don't know what it is about this color that I've come to be to love so much, but I might be obsessed. Perhaps because mint is so much more than just a color, the smell and taste simultaneously invoking relaxing, uplifting and soothing feelings, the shade invades your senses as though it possessed the same qualities as mint itself. Even with all my intense desire for this color over the past year, I've barely managed to add to my mint collection and I'm getting a serious itch to now that the season is just right. 

Lucky for me, it seems this popular hue is still going strong and is showing up everywhere - in all its solid, color-blocked, striped, polka dotted, sequined and initialed glory. My favorites right now are the subtle polka dotted sweater, Madewell's darker mint skinnies (because, let's face it, some of our asses just don't belong in super pale pants), that monogrammed leopard pouch (I will forever be a prep and obsessed with all things monogrammed) and my all-time favorite shoes, now being offered with a pop-of-mint sole. Of course, I am still pining for that oh-so-spring iPhone case and the go-to Essie shade, Mint Candy Apple. Oh mint, you just make me happy with your pleasing hue!      

So here's to that glorious season called spring. May you be full of blossoms and sun - and, as predicted, come early!




see this collage and its details bigger here

In an effort to control my spending as we save for Berlin, I thought I would start this new thing each month where I focus on the things I'm loving most at the moment - both things I own (to appreciate what I have) and things I'm coveting (to try to focus my spending, or better yet, quell the urge to spend at all). So here goes...

1. Graphic pillows // Every time I see the awesome sofa pillows on Nat the Fat Rat's blog, I believe our massive sofa looks hopelessly empty and is begging for an equally amazing collection to snuggle into. This one from Ikea is topping my list.

2. Rose gold triangle studs // So simple, so perfect - so affordable!

3. Dr. Hauschka Gesichtsöl // Going from coastal California to super-dry, land-locked Germany has left my sensitive skin positively parched. This stuff works wonders.

4. An Eames chair // Every time I see the classic white version of this chair, the green-eyed monster comes out to play. Then I see the price, and he disappears without a peep. This color - mauve-grau, they're calling it - is gorgeous, not to mention versatile enough to lighten up some of our other heavy furniture - and it's half the price of the white version. Something to look forward to for our new apartment, perhaps...

5. Ginger Beer // We stock up on this at the Kleinmarkthalle in Frankfurt (same place we stock up on my white corn tortilla flour and salsa verde) to make my new favorite drink: this, a bit of Makers Mark and orange peel over ice. Delish!

6. Animal magnets // Another find from Natalie (I think I'm a little obsessed with her blog right now...), I too was charmed by these sweet little magnets. I wish I could try a little DIY action and make my own, but I'm fairly certain I'd be a few fingers short by the time I finished. So for now, I pine for the giraffe one especially.

7. Jacket with faux leather sleeves // I've been stalking this style of jacket since they first started appearing on fashion bloggers last year (already having tried one, which only looked like I was trying way too hard) and this is the first one I've found that really fits the bill. I may or may not have already ordered it with H&M Germany's recent 10% promo... (to which I plan to diligently pay off with the next few weeks makings from afternoons with the Italian girls, promise)

8. Wedge sneakers // Much to the chagrin of my husband, I've become obsessed with the all-black, laced version of this trendy shoe. For the price, I think this Dorothy Perkins version is well worth the trend.

9. Cambridge Satchel in Rose Gold // This limited edition color would make the perfect bag, for a special occasion or just to make every day feel a little special.

10. The Terror by Dan Simmons // This massive tome (nearly 800 pages!) has been at my bedside for several weeks now (admittedly, I picked it up at the English book sale because of the beautiful cover artwork). Reading about the arctic temperatures makes me thankful it is only as cold as it is here. No lost fingers and toes for me, thanks.


Phew! That felt good. More next month...

o, I felt a little bad heading to Milan without much of anything planned or written down (save a few restaurants - more on those in another post) in my usual pre-travel way. I'm sure there were scores of amazing sights I didn't see and lots of cool things I missed, but I was in the mood for a wandering, low-key kind of holiday. I knew I wanted to shop, I wanted to eat well and most of all, I didn't want to feel like a tourist in such a touristy city. I wanted to get by on my own (while the hubby was at work) in language I didn't speak in a city I didn't know.

Before even getting into town on the first day (we were staying on the outskirts in San Donato Milanese), I had an altercation with a gypsy in the train station trying to take my money, where I had to grab her hand away and yell to get her to leave me alone. So I knew, much like I tell my husband he becomes a much more aggressive version of himself behind the wheel when driving in a big city, I too had immediately switched on 'city mode'. I looked down instead of gawking open-mouthed at all the glorious architecture above me and avoided the hoards of scam artists jumping on every obvious tourist in the main piazza at the Duomo. I managed to snap a couple of photos, but really, I played the local card as much as I could.

Apparently this worked well enough to be asked something (a place nearby, perhaps?? I speak next to no Italian...) by a couple of Italians while I was sitting and enjoying a foccacia lunch one day, though I still felt terribly unstylish next to the real locals. Whether they were glammed out in the latest designer offerings and handbags worth more than my yearly clothing allowance or tatted up with short, punky hair and bras worn as integral parts of an outfit, it was clear they were serious about fashion as an art form. It was a far cry from the 'fashion' I'm used to seeing in our town - head-to-toe Marc O'Polo and Louis Vuitton handbags. Women look nice, but it's just not the same. I felt inspired just being around such inspiring people, not to mention inspiring retail space. The Zara on Corso Vittorio Emanuele II was one of the most impressive shops I've ever seen (which I describe in this post) and the Replay store was literally a rainforest, with real, live plants growing out of the two-story walls in the front and what looked to be a working metal waterfall. 

Serendipitously, it was also Fashion Week. As the events got going halfway through the week, the influx of increasingly glamorous-looking people was incredible. Every time I turned around, there was another woman in a pleated leather dress, a strapless satin dress or an amazing pair of printed pants - of course all with 3, 4, or 5" heels on. When we headed out of town on Friday, we passed a massive event at which I spied this girl out front and just knew she would wind up photographed for her impressive style. A few days later, as expected, I see her photo pop up on Elle UK's round-up of Milan Fashion Week style. I was hoping to see Scott Schuman in action, but only saw one street photographer I didn't know taking photos of a woman on super swanky Via Della Spiga wearing these amazing trousers and the requisite impossibly high heels.

The models were also out in full-force, their stick-like arms clutching their Books and never once seen with any food (whereas I was rarely seen without gelato or a cheesy, fried panzerotti in hand). I almost had to laugh when the super nice metro station man helping me with directions asked if I was a model (likely just because he had to look up at me), since it's pretty clear I love to eat. I even debated getting this tee to sport while there, but was a little embarrassed to be so presumptuous. Ah well, at least I got to enjoy the culinary greatness Milan had to offer while all those models looked so hungry.

Sure, the Duomo was pretty impressive...

But I was here for the fashion! Nearly every window had some reference to Fashion Week:

There was even an amazing giant 'snowglobe' in front of one of the H&Ms promoting the upcoming collaboration with Italian fashionista Anna Dello Russo (ahhh, a giant shoe...):

A few of my favorite shopping acquisitions include this sweater, an awesome combination of two of my favorite sweater details - stripes and fair isle:

... these dominatrix-esque Zara heels:

...and finally, the perfect slouchy grey hat I've been on the lookout for for over a year:

There were of course a few things I had to pass up that I'm sorry I did. Like this H&M cardi:

... and this Benetton duffle (especially after discovering it's sold out everywhere in Germany in my size already):

Aside from fighting off the gypsies, the other major downfall in Milan was being out at night with the mosquitoes (which I have terrible reactions from, obviously):

It's making me seriously rethink that trip to Thailand, where I'm likely to wind up in the hospital from all the bug bites I will probably get, much like our trip to Hawaii where 40+ infected mosquito bites landed me at a nearby clinic. I think my delicate constitution requires that I stay in colder European climates. I suppose there are worse things. 

So the next time I want to shop - and eat! - Milan may be my city of choice. Next up, a round-up of the amazing things we ate...

Daily Drop Cap by Jessica Hische  

Ahhh, Fall... (looks here from Boden)

 have always been obsessed with fall fashion. Perhaps it was because it filled back-to-school shopping bags or because my birthday list-making time coincided so perfectly with all the new fall lines hitting the shelves, but it's always been my favorite season to dress for. Even being a California girl, I never really identified with the whole tank, shorts and flip-flop thing (no wonder I fit in here in Germany). If I could live every day in sweaters and boots, I'd be a happy girl.

While my local friends often refer to me as a fashionista, I'm not much more than just an average dresser who takes particular delight in trying to find things I actually like that fit my lanky limbs, disproportionate body and bigfoot feet. I would say I'm stylish more than fashionable. I'm more likely to take sartorial cues from bloggers (like nat the fat rat and Kendi Everyday, with a touch of Atlantic-Pacific for good measure), than from the runway. I am generally a preppy, Gap-at-heart kind-of-girl, with a recent desire to mix up my wardrobe in ways that say more J.Crew ca. 2012, rather than J.Crew ca. 1995. So without any expectations of designer names and avant-garde styles, here are a few of my favorite things for fall...

After seeing sneak previews of Lands End Canvas's fall and winter lines (oh, that cowl-neck poncho and gold sequined skirt!), I was super excited for it to hit on Wednesday. Alas, much like last season, I was rather disappointed. Perhaps in answer to their petite customers begging for their sizes, it appears they keep rising the hemlines, shortening the inseams and cropping tops. So much for my go-to shop for clothes that actually suited my long frame. Note to these pint-sized complainers: it's called a tailor - get one. Us Amazonians have no option when things are too short for us, other than to look like we're a hooker/borrowing our little sister's clothes. We're SOL. Speaking of, it appears that Canvas has also stopped making shoes in size 11. The disappointment keeps on rolling in. Well, the only thing that got me clamoring for my credit card were these mint green cords (shown here with the pretty but overpriced silk henley blouse), only to discover they are not yet for sale. Perhaps when they are (along with that sequin skirt and poncho sweater), I might also be tempted to pick up this slouchy linen striped tee, mostly because it's one of the few stripe color combinations I don't already own. Until then, I'm waiting to be wowed Canvas.

Lands End equally piqued my interest with items they don't have in stock (the peek of a Fair Isle sweater, shown above) or that they don't carry in my size (this beautiful, year-round boot - see #16, 17 & 21 on Liv's list of 'What I Know About Germans' ), but I still have hope. These ankle cords drew me in with their slim leg - a must when six months out of the year require knee-high boots for warmth alone - and their beautiful mustard-y and oh-so-autumn-y hue. While they look a little boring at first glance, I'm thinking rolled up and put with a chambray shirt, a cozy shawl sweater and my beloved, new and as-of-yet unworn Frye boots, they would make the perfect autumn outfit. I can't wait...

Ahh, Gap. Probably the shop I most miss over here, magnified even more after finding gap.eu is a joke in comparison. Great-fitting jeans and reasonably-priced basics - made out of real fabrics, mind you! - are things I feel lost without in the European retail marketplace. While I regularly place orders with Gap, and it's little discount sister Old Navy- and HUGE thanks to my mom, for shipping them to me - there are two bigger ticket items (re: more than I can justify snapping up on a whim due to a discount) that are topping my fall list: the cotton twill parka and the dark sexy boyfriend jean (neither of which, ahem, come in tall on gap.eu). I just picked up H&M's new slim boyfriend jeans and now I'm obsessed. Just that perfect calculation of slim and slouch make for the most comfortable and flattering jeans. And I used to have an olive safari-type jacket that for some reason I chucked in my massive clothing overhaul in packing up our lives to move over here. Now dying to replace it with a hooded version (thank you, German rain) and this is one of the best I've seen yet. 

Boden's fall line snuck up on me. I realized fall was starting to happen in the retail world and I hadn't heard from Boden in awhile - then, bam! One look and its website and I knew I was in trouble. Fall was there and it was beautiful. Not to mention the new addition of Helena Christensen in their model line up. Well done, Boden! Nothing wrong with moving a little away from the whole 'yummy mummy' image. If only I could look like Helena in 10 years... Ah, but I digress. The clothes. Oh, the clothes. As it usually happens, I peruse, adding things to my online cart with abandon. At only a couple items in and already over a €1000 tally, I realized, as I always do, that this is never going to happen. Why so crazy expensive, Boden?! Here I thought J.Crew was getting a bit big for its britches. Well, if I really had to narrow it down, I think my favorites would be the swishy, polka-dotted cinnamon-colored skirt (oh, that color!) and the grey boiled wool coat (although the green is truly phenomenal, albeit less 'practical'). Boden, why do you torture me so? And why do you not offer coupons in Germany like in the U.S.?! We Deutschland folks deserve that deal just as much, if not more, after all the taxes we pay.

Noa Noa is another one I often pass up due to price, but after picking up the catalog from in front of its shop in town, I fell head over heels in love with this silk paisley dress. Not too overly frooffy or lacy like so much of their stuff, this simple dress in a beautiful print has autumn written all over it. And seeing that my wardrobe is filled with bright, summer dresses or a couple of dark wool ones, this is just what I need to fill that void in between. Or perhaps I could call it my 'birthday dress' for a night out in September...

Madewell is slower to bring out it's fall big guns, same as sister store J.Crew. They trickle a few things, but much of their fall lines remain elusively in 'sneak peek' format to work us all into a frenzy by the time the season actually arrives. While Madewell sometimes turns me off with its teenaged-sizing and overly trendy pieces, there are a couple of things I've been coveting since the preview launched. Namely, this pebbletoss cardigan (mostly because I think it actually looks like giraffe print) and those lace-up boots, the likes of which I have been on an epic hunt for for the past few years. They are always either too bulky, too short, the wrong shade of brown or have that ridiculous zipper down the side (hello? laces!), but these, from the tiny lookbook images, seem to be perfect. Now I'm just crossing my fingers they aren't some crazy-priced designer collaboration that I can't afford. *prettypleaseprettypleaseprettyplease*

The item that has become the holy grail of my fall wishlist? This amazing J.Crew coat. It's only available for pre-order, so there is, as of yet, no price tag. By the looks of it, it's a Collection piece (which is really just a fancy term to justify making it ten times the cost of the rest of their merchandise) and even thinking about owning it is nothing short of a pipe dream. Seriously, I might actually cry when they list the price for this stunner. So, if anyone wins the lottery and would like to buy me a birthday present, it's Fall Lookbook look No.7, item #99554. Thanks.

Now, if only this damn summer weather that has finally hit would just give way to autumn, I can get started...

Daily Drop Cap by Jessica Hische

ver since a trip to Disneyworld's Animal Kingdom and some notable giraffe sightings on the safari attraction, I've felt a connection with these animals. After all, we're both super-tall, awkward and look as though we might topple to the ground with one misplaced step. I've seen some OK giraffe items in the past, and of course there's one of my very favorite Charley Harper pieces, but nothing has compared to the fall line-up at Fossil. It's like a giraffe wonderland! That giraffe-print dress pretty much tops my list, but the clutch wallet, flats and bracelet are tied for a close second. I don't quite know how I'm going to keep myself from buying the entire line.

Fossil's last season giraffe necklace is one piece I luckily picked up on sale and have been wearing like crazy ever since (little did I know it was a preface for the giraffe extravaganza to come!). I had my eye on J.Crew's version a while back, but upon studying a close-up photo of their version, the poor animal had a rather mentally-ill look about him, so I passed. Then this little rhinestone-dotted version appeared and I was able to get my giraffe love on (accessory-speaking, of course). Here's hoping I can add to my collection once my favorite pieces come in at Fossil...

Speaking of my love of giraffes, I was blown away when I saw this post from A Cup of Jo - a giraffe-centric holiday??! These photos absolutely blew my mind! Kenya's Giraffe Manor is now officially topping my dream travel wish list. So much world still to see...   





Daily Drop Cap by Jessica Hische