Santa Sabina

While wandering by myself today, an activity that I have come to enjoy, I stumbled upon a beautiful church called Santa Sabina.  It was so quiet that I completely forgot I was in a city.  Behind the church, I found a courtyard filled with dozens of orange trees, full of hundreds of the fruit.  Santa Sabina sits on a hill on the Aventino, overlooking the city of Rome.  The view was breathtaking and I cannot wait to go back.

Cobblestones and Heels

I realized today that I have neglected posting regularly on this blog.  So many things have happened.  I have been to the Roman Forum and Colosseum twice already and I don't think that I can get enough.  Everything here is so beautiful.  The Italians live so differently.  They live leisurely - most stores are closed between 1 and 4 for siesta, and the people even walk slow, taking their time to get places.  I have seen so much but I feel as though there is so much more to do. Unfortunately, most of the shoes that I brought along with me have been unused.  Most of the streets here are cobblestone and I haven't gathered the courage to attempt wearing heels on them for fear of breaking my ankle. I see the Italian women wearing their stilettos on the cobblestones, however, so hopefully one day I will be able to be like them :-)

Arrival

I am finally in Rome! The last few days have been pretty crazy and hectic so I haven't had much time to relax.  Trastevere, where I am living, is a beautiful neighborhood with lots of little streets with lights that turn on at night.  It is less touristy, as well, so it's quieter and things are less expensive which is always nice.  I haven't done too much exploring yet but I plan on doing more this weekend so I will post more pictures then. 

Roma Tomorrow

Night Out

With my trip to Rome quickly approaching, I have been panicking and feeling as though I have no time left to both pack and relax before four months of moving nonstop.  I have been warned that the Italian women are always dressed to the nines which has left me feeling as though I will stick out as an American like a sore thumb.  I am planning to pack both casual and fun clothing to bring with me which has led me to search through websites and magazines for outfit ideas.  

For going out, I have used both this BCBG MAXAZRIA ruffled zebra-print dress, and this sequined Elie Tahari mini dress for inspiration.  Both can be used for a fun night out in the city or easily be made casual with the addition of a blazer.  They can be purchased here. 

For more daily activities, I have been thinking of a casual wear that still looked put together.  I received this Marc by Marc Jacobs cross body bag in Shell Pink for Christmas.  It is small enough that it doesn't weigh down my shoulder by large enough to fit all the essentials - cellphone, wallet, sunglasses, lip balm - and I will definitely be putting it to good use.  These Madewell riding boots are also comfortable and practical and can be paired with jeans, leggings, or a dress.  I bought myself a J.Crew military jacket similar to this one over the summer and it will be perfect for the mild spring weather in Rome.  I also love how it can be worn over a dress, making the outfit more casual.

People's Choice Awards

I have never really been interested in award shows like the People's Choice Awards because I usually don't agree with who wins.  But besides that, I liked most of what I saw on the red carpet, with a few exceptions as always.  One of my favorite looks was Taylor Swift in the same peach J. Mendel dress that Natalie Portman wore on the January cover of US Vogue.

I can't decide who I like better in the dress, although both ladies look lovely - I love the way it looks with Natalie's complexion but we don't get to see a full view like we do on Taylor.  

My other two favorite looks came from Leighton Meester and Selena Gomez.  Leighton's style has been on fire recently and I love her grey Vionnet dress with a pop of yellow.  I also liked Selena's one shouldered Paule Ka dress although I don't think I would like it on everyone.  It looked nice and age appropriate on Selena though.  What's her deal with Justin Bieber?

Emma Roberts is another young star who has been having a phenomenal red carpet season and she continues to have home runs with her black Dior mini.  Her smooth updo nicely compliments the frills and layers in the dress.  However, I am not crazy about her shoes with the dress.  I love the bronze Brian Atwood pumps but I don't think they work well with the dress choice.  I wish she had stuck to either a black or nude pump, or had done a bright color.  Kristen Stewart also looked great in the gold sequined Reem Acra mini, as much as it pains me to say it.  I will say loud and clear that I am not a Twilight fan.  I have never read the books or seen the movies and I do not really understand the obsession.  However, my love for Harry Potter may give me a bias.  Despite this, I am won over by anything sequined in the form of a mini dress and Kristen obviously looks awesome.  Would it kill her to look happy though?

I felt let down by the Kardashians at the People's Choice Awards.  I am a huge fan and I religiously watch their shows but I didn't really think they had a standout appearance.  My first reaction was to wonder what Khloe did to her hair.  I am quite positive that this look would have worked if she had the dark hair back - the red is just too light and doesn't work well with her complexion or the color of the dress.  Also, I liked Kim and Kourtney's dresses but I felt as though it wasn't anything that I hadn't seen before on them.  I do like the nude pumps, however.  As for Ashley Tisdale I am not quite sure what to think.  She doesn't look bad - Her hair looks amazing and I do like her Farah Angsana dress.  However, it didn't really make her stand out on the red carpet and the color of the dress almost blends into her skin.  I would have liked to see her in a stronger color.

Covergirl's 50th Anniversary Celebration

Covergirl's 50th Anniversary Celebration was one of the two big red carpet events this week (I will post on the People's Choice Awards later).  For the most part, I was impressed by the looks that the celebrities wore, my two favorite being Taylor Swift's Badgley Mischka LBD, as well as the sequined Pamella Roland mini worn by Sophia Bush.  I also love both Lauren Conrad and Whitney Port's dresses for the event.  Unfortunately, I was disappointed by Drew Barrymore's Jil Sander dress.  I love the color but I thought that the cinch around the calves was a bit awkward and made the dress too shapeless.