cyber week has officially begun! lots of black friday sales are still in effect, you can check them out here. below are some new additions or minor sale updates to some of my favorites. it’s the last day in november and christmas is in 24 days [it’ll be here in no time!!] so start crossing off your lists! there’s also a gift guide posted above breaking gifts down into price brackets and gifts for her and him. hope it helps 🙂
hope you all had the most wonderful thanksgiving and all of your bellies are full to your content! below are some black friday deals and steals! a lot is on sale and you don’t have to fight through long lines to buy it!!! i’ll make a post update for cyber monday specials. you can click on any of the store titles, [ they’re links that will take you directly there], or click on some of my favorite items from the sales below and shop them instantly. sizes go quickly so snag your favorites while you can.
extra 25% off clearance desinger handbags, 50% off select juniors clothing, 60% off select women’s coats, 505 off women’s sweaters, 70% off memory foam pillow & toppers
rome wasn’t built in a day, [i’m sure you’ve never heard that before] but i do feel as if i conquered it in one.
my day started bright and early at the roman colosseum. it’s breathtaking and fascinating all at once. i once again turned to trusty rick steves and took his advice to get there in the morning before the lines backed up. rick is quite the genius. we walked right in. well, waited in line for maybe 3 minutes, then walked right in. the first thing that caught our eye [aside from the massive structure itself] was the prominent cross easily seen from the entryway. from afar it’s all you can see. everything else is shadowed by the long hallway. it’s a pretty incredible sight.
we continued to give ourselves our very own walking tour as we were taken aback by our surroundings. it’s incredible to think our modern day arenas [of course we use the arena to play football and other sports, no one is fighting to their death in a literal sense these days] are so similar to this structure that started in 70 ad. pretty amazing. we walked through the stadium seating and everywhere we could until we unanimously decided we wanted to take the underground tour. unfortunately you have to pay extra for access to the underground area and you have to take the guided tour. even more unfortunate, by the time we finished our self-guided tour and headed to the counter to purchase tickets, the english version was sold out. we were so determined to take the tour and explore the underground area, we paid for it in spanish. side note* neither of us speak spanish.
so i am by no means fluent in spanish, but can comprehend basic conversational spanish. “dónde está el baño? cuánto cuesta este?” see, nailed it. however, when it comes to comprehending an entire history lesson in spanish? i’m a deer in headlights. so we faked it.
we just had fun with it. we laughed a little when others laughed, smiled when others smiled and threw the occasional nod in to show our understanding. it worked and we got away with it. we missed out on all the history being explained by the guide [we read about it prior] but got to see everything which was well worth it and made our colosseum experience that much better.
after the colosseum and our spanish lesson, we headed over to the roman forum. this place is incredible. there was so much history in these ancient governmental ruins. here we took the rick steve’s walking tour which was just perfect. given the opportunity, we probably would have spent the entire day in the forum. there’s so much to see and learn. do make sure you wear your walking shoes, it’s a very large area.
our next roman adventure was visiting the vatican and sistene chapel. women do need to have their shoulders covered and pants or skirts extending to the knee to enter. i carried a light sweater with me and bought a scarf to wrap about my waist as a skirt. [it was too hot to run around in pants all day!]
the vatican has some stunning visuals. in fact, you have to keep your head on a constant 360 swivel to see everything. every inch of everything is glimmering in gold or painted with an incredible masterpiece. it’s a lot to take in.
as many heavily tourist locations are, the vatican was crowded. there were many people trying to see the same things and push their way to the front to get the best view. this is something you just have to get used to as a tourist.
we toured the vatican for about 1-2 hours before making it into the sistene chapel where i spent the entire time with my head tilted back just staring in pure admiration at michelangelo’s creation. it’s incredible. the word incredible doesn’t even do it justice. what a true talent he had. the images which are not images but biblical stories give the illusion of a 3d image. it’s just incredible. i could have stared up at that amazing ceiling for hours just watching the stories unfold.
as we left the vatican and all it’s beauty behind we [very tiredly] made our way to a delicious italian dinner and ate every bite put in front of us. after all the walking around rome, we worked up quite the appetite. once our fuel was restored, we strolled around the beautiful streets of rome and stumbled upon the pantheon and toured inside. from there we made our way to trevi fountain. the fountain was being worked on and unfortunately was not running. you could still see the amazing structure and awe at its’ beauty, but it was a bummer.
i dug around for a coin in my purse because water or no water, i was going to have my mary-kate and ashley moment and make a wish in that fountain [kids of the 90s– you get me, right!?]. i couldn’t find anything so i sadly let me dream go and just took in the sights instead. not moments later, my sweet and charming boyfriend shows up with chocolate and coins. my mary-kate and ashley moment happened after all 🙂
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tips for rome
wear comfortable walking shoes, you will do a lot of walking
dress appropriately or plan ahead for the vatican. they will deny you entrance to the sistene chapel if your shoulders are not covered and your jeans/shorts/dress do not cover your knees.
carry a water bottle around. rome has free water spouts all around the city. with all the walking you do it’s important to stay hydrated.
by this time these pups had about had it! they were ready to play, hah! so of course moments after i gave in and played fetch. i have such a soft spot for dogs. seriously, they’re the best.
this plaid shirt is from j. crew and is on sale but they sold out of this color. luckily nordstrom has an almost identical one here. both are great fall and winter options. these jeans and boots are two of my most favorite items. i loved the boots so much that i even bought them in another color, green. i still can’t decide which color i like best but i find myself finding excuses to wear them all the time. they’re great for the rain and jumping in puddles guilt free [ 🙂 ]. and as a bonus* they have a little bit of a wedge on them for some added height and when you’re 5’3 [and a 1/2] like me, an extra inch or two is always welcomed!
there’s only 38 days to christmas, but who’s counting?! [okay, me.. obviously.] i love the holidays and will shamelessly admit to the fact that i am already listening and dancing around to christmas music. 38 days will fly by before you know it. it’s time to start thinking about your loved ones on your shopping list and of course, you! here are some great ideas for gifts and the best part is you can buy all of it online which means skipping the mall lines and missing out on circling the parking lots to find a space. we can all agree that’s a win!
the holidays present many opportunities to give back. check out your local churches and school for some great ideas. below are a couple of links as well. happy shopping 🙂
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