Gold Watch

[Michael Kors Watch (on sale!)]

I took advantage of the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale this weekend to buy myself a birthday present. A sparkly gold watch adds a little luxury to every outfit and with the sale, this one was a great price. Prices go up on August 6, so make sure you hurry over to Nordstrom to check out the sale before they do!

Tea Party Look

Missoni dress, Giovannio Hat, Prada heels, J. Crew purse

I chose the white hat for the tea party, and I paired it with some of my favorite vintage finds. I stopped by Shareen Vintage while I was in LA in March, and I found this beautiful Missoni dress at a great price. I have only worn it twice, but I hope it will be in my closet for many years to come. The shoes have a similar story! While I was living in Florence, I started reading Emily Schuman's blog and I became obsessed with a pair of Prada booties that she wore in a few outfit posts. A couple weeks in to my obsession, I was walking by a vintage store on my way home from a museum and spotted the same shoes in the window! They were exactly my size, so I felt like it was meant to be. They always remind me of my time in Italy, which makes them even more fun to wear.

[Lip Stain: Revlon Just Bitten in Passion]

London Inspired

In honor of my 22nd birthday and the London Olympics, I hosted a tea party with some of my favorite girlfriends (and fellow recent graduates!) at the Savannah Tea Company in Nashville. The muffins, sandwiches, and sweet treats were delicious and I loved trying the different types of tea. Just like how I bet on race horses, I chose my individual pot of tea based on the most creative name. My first choice was the Hermès Orange White Tea, which just so happened to be the most delicious as well. I might have to stop by tomorrow and pick up a bag to make at home!

[favorite treats: chocolate covered strawberries; cucumber, dill, & cream cheese sandwiches; lemon & raspberry cupcakes]

[Coronation black tea + spinach & feta quiche]

[the almond & lemon poppyseed muffin was perfection. I am determined to find a similar recipe as soon as possible]

Thank you to everyone who came to celebrate with me, and thank you so much for reading!

Florence, Italy

[view of the Florence Cathedral from the beautiful Boboli Gardens]

While I was in college, I had some wonderful opportunities to study and live abroad. My favorite place was in Florence, Italy, where I lived for five months studying Art History. Florence will always have the most special place in my heart. I completely moved out of my comfort zone, learned a little Italian (but not much that I remember, sadly!), and most relevantly, developed a love for blogging through a travel blog I kept for my family while I was there. It is always fun to look back through the photos, so I would love to share some of my favorite ones with you.

[the charming terrace in my Italian apartment]

[The Ponte Vecchio: the oldest and most famous bridge in Florence, lined with jewelry shops]

[learning how to make gnocchi at a cooking class]

A few times a week, I would stop in to the most amazing luxury store on my way home from class. Now, most of my favorite bloggers go to Florence each year for an event hosted by this very store! Maybe someday that will be me. 

The Céline Luggage Tote was released while I was in Florence, and luckily, I lived very close to the Céline store. I remember when I first saw this bag in the window, I knew that it was going to be major. It has such a special quality about it that you only find in an "It bag". I should have picked one up while I was there since they are so difficult to find now and the price keeps going up! The version above is my favorite.

[Halfway through the semester, I had my hair cut by Antonio, the most attractive Italian man I have ever had the pleasure to meet. I let him convince me to cut my hair incredibly short, but I was so in love that I probably would have let him shave my head if he had wanted to!]

[the view on the way to class every morning]

[my roommates and me on our last day in Florence together]

Thanks for letting me take a trip down memory lane! xoxo

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