Polka Dot Life

WOW has it really been that long? I swear school, work, and my business have taken over ,and I've been sooooo busy these past few months. And guess what readers, I have news for you! 1. We will be leaving Italy in a couple of months and moving back to the states. I'm sad and excited all at the same time, but leaning more toward sad of course (who in their right mind wants to leave Europe??). 2. Baby #2 is coming this summer!!! WOO WOO we are extremely excited and can't wait for HER arrival. Yesterday marked my 6 month milestone so this pregnancy is flying by. 3. I plan on giving my blog somewhat of a makeover over the next few months. Since we are moving in 2 months I'm taking a break from classes and work will be out in 1 month. That means more time for me to devote to my blog until we hove. Post will still include fashion, beauty products, books and travel but I will also be incorporating more recipes, DIY/tutorials, and just stuff about my life. Not to mention ...

My Truths About New Years : 1. Towards the end of every De cem ber I sa y the same thing, "where has the year gone" or "I can't believe a new year has come so fast. "  2 . It will take me 2-3 months to write 2013 instead of 2012 . 3 . I will make some reference to something along the lines of "wow it's 2013" about 30 times in January. If you did the math, yes that's every day of the month except for one.  4. I never make new year resolutions.  5. I never make p lans for New Year's Eve until about 1 week prior.   6. Like every woman I look forward to all of the sales.     Originally our pl ans included driving to Switzerland for a few days. After researching we decided against it because they will probably have snow and we 'd have to drive through many mountain roads. So since it is our last new year s in Italy we decided to stay local. We are going to one of my favorite restaurants for a special 7 course dinner complete ...

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow... Frosty the snowman... I'm dreaming of a white Christmas... He's mister white Christmas, he's mister snow... Obviously snow has been on my mind for the past few weeks.I love it. I want it. I need it. I will not be completely and fully 100% happy until I get it. Yes, there is snow up the mountain, which is only a 30 minute drive for me. But I'm talking open the front door and seeing only white covering my yard. Honestly, I go through this feeling every year and the results are always the same...a light dusting of snow that lasts no more than 16 hours. Since I'm most likely not getting snow any time soon, anything white will do. Winter White by polkadotlife

In the spring and summer , mixing prints was al l the rage. As you can probably tell from magazines and fashion shows, that trend is here to stay a while longer. Jus t the other day I tried some mixing with an outfit similar to this... I thought it turned out pretty cut e, I'll hav e to snap a picture and replace this picture for the real thing. That was a subtle take on print blending and now I have more ideas that I'd like to try this fall /winter season.  Fall Print Blending by polkadotlife featuring platform high heels Leopard & Stripe s- Florals paired with str i pes were a big tr end and still are. But I wanted to take stripes to a different level and mix it up with something f resh that we don't see a lot of. This one can be a bit tricky though if you start adding in too much color or too large/too small spots and stripes. In my opinion, this mi x is best if it is kept at a minimal .  Plaid & Floral- Again, let'...

Rome is such an amazing city and I'm pleased to have had the opportunity to experience it with my husband. There are literally a million words I could use to describe it, but in all honesty it leaves my quite speechless. So I'm going to let the pictures do the talking... *Trajan's Column is 138 feet high and made from white marble. The intricate detailing on the column tells the story of the war between the Romans and the Dacians. At the top of the column is a statue of Trajan himself. Trajan's Column   *The Trevi Fountain is the most popular in Europe and some say the most beautiful, which I agree with 100%. The middle statue is Neptune, god of the sea, and the statues on the bottom left and right are the Tritons guiding the sea horses. The opposite tempers of the horses represent the moods of the sea...fun fact huh? Trevi Fountain *Legend has it that if you throw a coin into the fountain you will one day return to Rome. Most people don't know but tec...

I'm ashamed to say this, really it pains me, but I've lived in Italy 3 years and have just recently made it to Rome. I also haven't been to Milan yet but that trip is on the calendar. All of this anticipation had been building up inside me for an eternity which I believe made the trip even better because I was a spectrum beyond excitement. We had a wonderful trip and everything about it was perfect. Show and tell time, hope you can experience the excitement on your personal guide through Rome. :-) PS- Be ready to look at pictures, lots of pictures. Rome, along with the rest of Italy, is filled with the most beautiful churches that you will ever lay eyes on. One of my favorites is the Santa Maria degli Angeli. The church was designed by Michelangelo and is dedicated to the Virgin Mary, the angels, and the Christians that died while building the baths. You can brush up on the history HERE Walked in, looked up, this is what I saw. How gorgeous is the coloring? Main...

WOW it has been such a crazy and fabulous summer...I hope everyone is enjoying theirs as much as I am. Really I guess we don't have too many scorching hot days left with September creeping up on us. Looks like season transition is upon us, my favorite times of the year.  OASAP sent me a great pair of high waisted vintage lace shorts which are actually a wonderful transition piece into the fall. I can't wait to see how many different ways I can style these. And priced at only $30 that's really a steal, especially when you think about the price per wear. Here you can really see the detailing in the shorts...very pretty You can see the detail of the shorts in the above picture the best. The vintage style lace is layered and reminds me of a crocheted lace more than a delicate lace, which I like for this particular item.  PROS: -The waist is elastic but stylish which allows for a prettier shirt tuck in -Extremely comfortable and breath easy -They come in black and...