Have I told you that I am about to become an aunt? Yay! In just a couple of months I will have a baby nephew, and I can’t wait!

Being an only child, this is my first nephew.
I am beyond excited, which is one of the reasons why I offered to throw my sister in law a baby shower. And the web is full of fabulous inspiration!

My brother in law and his wife have a penchant for straight, modern, minimal decor, so the shower will probably not be as elaborate as the ones above, but they are still lovely, don’t you think? Chances are my baby shower will pale in comparison to these awesome ones, but I will still do my best to make it lovely, comfortable and fun! Check out this pinboard to see what I am thinking of making for the buffet.

Have you ever organized a baby shower? Any tips?

Image credits: 1. Style Me Gorgeous, via Bump Smitten; 2. My Sweet and Saucy via The Hostess with The Mostess; 3. Frilly Milly Events; 4. Sweet Style, via Kara’s Party Ideas; 5. Jenny Cookies.

I first came across Jack Germain handbags just a couple of weeks ago, and instantly fell in love. Jack’s pieces are everything I feel a handbag should be: beautiful, versatile, well-made, with a touch of edgy. The perfect handbag isn’t just something you carry your stuff in, it’s a beautiful accessory that actually improves and add to your outfit; and Jack’s designs fit the bill wonderfully. Which is why the title of her blog, Wasted Talent, is so funny – ’cause Jack’s talents has been clearly put to very good use!
Here’s a bit more about this smart and wonderfully talented young woman, from Jack herself.

If you could pick a destination to travel to right now, what would it be and why?

Paris. I’ve only been there once and, in the cheesiest way possible, it was all I ever hoped it would be. I took the trip with my mom after I had just been laid off, was more than single and desperately needed to get away. The trip gave me a jump-start to what would become the two most incredible years of my life. I want to go back and experience it through a new set of eyes.

What 5 essentials from your wardrobe/home would you bring with you? 

I couldn’t decide on 5 so I cheated and chose 6!:

Zara black skinny jeans
BLOCH ballet flats
Several J.Crew striped tees
Christian Louboutin Corneille 100
S.W.O.R.D leather jacket
and my Scapula convertible crossbody bag

What item would you buy before the trip to take with you?

Nothing- I plan on spending every last dime there!

The last quotable thing you heard or read, and why did it leave an impression?

I love how incredibly real and relatable the new show Girls is. It’s impossible for me not to laugh out loud while watching it because they bring up issues that every girl can relate to and she even gets the guys down pretty well too.

I love that this show is bringing up funny and embarrassing moments about growing up and coming into your own. It shines a light on our insecurities and discusses things that all girls go through but are too embarrassed to talk about.

To answer your question, I could find about 25 quotable things in each episode, but they’re all pretty “HBO rated”- so I’ll hold back.

What inspires you right now:

The future. I feel like this is a beautiful time in my life, where everything is working and seamlessly flowing, but I understand that things can change in an instant. It’s so important to know that all of this is temporary and that as quickly as happiness and success arrive, it can fade away just as fast. I keep that in the front of my mind each day and it motivates me to do my best work and to never give up on building my dream and my future.

Words to live by:

Find out more about Jack on her blog, Wasted Talent; and make sure you check out her amazing handbag collection online at Jack Germain!

See you next month with more

Image credits: 1. Jack Germain; 3. HBO; 4. Lauren Rust of LaLa Land

You know what’s the best cure for the winter blahs? Color. Well, ok, the best cure is actually the  sun, but in its absence, a healthy dose of color can do miracles.

I emerged for this past super-freezing winter with a major craving for brights. The new J.Crew ballet boutique  was definitely a pick-me-up and super-tempting, but for a more budget-friendly color fix, I know I can never go wrong with Accessorize.

Here are a few pages from their Summer 2012 lookbook:

My favorite! The zip clutches. So fun for a date on a warm summer night!

What’s your fave?

Sometimes I want to explore, get lost somewhere new and unknown. It’s exciting, exhilarating for me to walk somewhere I’ve never walked before, breathe in the air of a new city.

And yet, this time around on my visit to Sardinia, I found myself looking for familiar sights. Perhaps because I was feeling a bit unsettled by some recent changes, or maybe just because I wanted to rediscover old favorites; but one weekend, spurred by a childhood memory, I asked my parents to take me and the girls to the two spots I used to be able to spot in the distance (and occasionally bike to) from a beach I went to with my cousins – the two towers, as I called them when I was little.

And so we found ourselves visiting two little seaside villages, still sleepy because of the early season, and still familiar despite how many years have passed since I was last there.

The first: Santa Lucia, a tiny coastal village that falls under the municipality of Siniscola. The tower was one of the many built all over the coast in Sardinia back in the 1500s, to defend the island from pirates.

Stella and my dad walked around the beach (La Spiaggia Delle Barche) looking for shells and tossing pebbles in the water, while Sarah just sat and stared at the sea, lost in thought and listening to her iPod, as it is fitting to a tween.

Next stop: La Caletta, a fishing village nearby, with its own little tower.

It was very windy on this exposed stretch of coast, so everyone wanted to cut the visit short; but I just loved how the wind made the overgrown grass sway in a way that mimicked the waves of the nearby sea, and Stella wanted to get out and look around a bit (mini-me, that one!) so off we went, on our own for a little while, to explore this little corner that, much like the rest of this gorgeous island, feels so much like home and so foreign at the same time.

For more posts (and photos!) about my birth place, the beautiful island of Sardinia, go here.

In Italy, any excuse is good to celebrate.

When the unseasonably chilly and rainy weather ended and finally Sardinia got back to her usual sunny self, the temptation to organize a little old-fashioned get-together was too strong to resist.

My uncle’s little piece of farmland on the hills right outside of town was the perfect place: lots of space for the kiddies to run around, and that shabby country decor that just screams comfortable, cozy and absolutely informal.

And so it was that in the space of a few days, we got together there twice: first to celebrate Stella’s birthday (still two weeks away, but I’ll have returned to Switzerland by then!) and then, well, just because it was a holiday and we were all off.

card game? yes. quiet? NO. This was a very loud, very chaotic, very fun round of Mercante in Fiera

Then on Tuesday afternoon I got a cooking lesson from my aunt, zia Carmela… who answered a question I had posed about an ingredient of a traditional dessert by purchasing all the necessary items so I could make it right there with her.

So here’s a speedy explanation of how to make Sebadas, the traditional fried pastries that here in Sardinia are served at all wedding receptions before the actual cake, and are included in the dessert menu of 98% of Sardinian restaurants.

First, make the dough: half wheat flour, half semolina flour, lard. Knead.

While the dough rests, make the filling: freshly made unsalted cheese made from a mix of sheep’s and cow’s milk

Cut it in cubes and melt it in a pot with a little water and sugar

Add semolina flour and grated lemon peel and stir until completely melted, then let cool slightly and shape into small flat disks

Roll out the dough with a pasta machine. Place a cheese disk over some dough and cover with more rolled dough. Gently pat down to get rid of air bubbles.

Press the edges to enclose the cheese in dough and cut around it with a pastry wheel

When ready to eat, fry in hot oil, drain on paper towels and consume topped with sugar or honey.

When you cut into a hot sebada, the sweet, lemony cheese filling is all melted… I’d show you a picture of how it looks once it’s cut, but we devoured them too quickly for me to immortalize them!

Ah, I just love coming home

Birthday Gifts

Edited by: Jess of Fresh Jess

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• Bugwear: Polka Dots and Glitter and Bling…Oh My!
• Corinne Monique: Valentina, Valentino
• Dress Code, High Fashion: Runway Trend S/S ‘12: Harnesses, Corset & Waist Belts
• Fashionista’s Diary: DIY Rope Necklace
• Fasshonaburu: How to Look Conference Chic
• Fumiko Kawa: Fashion Trends in Japan 2012
• Ms. Fabulous: 10 Ways to Green Your Closet
• My Style Ramblings: Style Icon: Stevie Nicks
• Real Girl Glam: How to Manicure…Gold-Flecked Nails
• Silk and Spice: Spring/Summer 2012 Trends: Runway vs. Real Way
• Synthetic Elegance: Trendspotting – The Return of Sporty Spice
• The Classic Woman: The Style of Michelle Obama
• The Refined Hippy: 5 Ways to Celebrate Earth Day
• The Sparkle in Her Eye: 15 Key Pieces: Building a Timeless, Yet Modern Accessory Wardrobe
• The Stranger: Mojoism and My Illegible Handwriting
• The Stunning Look: Meow!
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• Tobruck Ave: DailybuzzStyle: 9×9
• Yellow Cupcakes: Bicycle Accessories

The IFB roudups is sponsored by Shopbop. 

Also, check out this amazing cake, fit for any makeup-obsessed gal.

These are probably the cutest eco-friendly utensils ever.

The Girls With Glasses theme song never fails to bring a smile to my face:

I am off to Sardinia today, so posting might get a little sporadic for the next couple of weeks, but I’ll do my best to keep you in the loop with photos of pretty places and pretty things!

“I’m desperate. I have been invited to an event requiring a long evening dress, but my style is much more along the lines of jeans and leather jackets. In a long dress I’d feel like a fish out of water. HELP!” - Connie

Attending a special occasion can sometimes mean stepping out of our comfort zone. The destination, style and activities involved are picked by the hosts, and sometimes they are not exactly right up the guest’s alley.

When it comes to wardrobe choices however, we can usually add a few tweaks to make the dreaded dress code less painful and more fun.

In this case, I thought that perhaps looking to some real-life inspiration might make a better argument for tweaking the “long and dressy” look to make it more approachable.

The first example comes from one of my favorite fashion bloggers: Blair of Atlantic-Pacific. Look here, how she compiled a look that is elegant but with a very young, modern twist:

The central piece of the outfit is a dress that is colorful enough to be young and fun, but because it’s made of silk chiffon it can be interpreted in a more grown-up way, as well – as Blair did here, by adding the classic updo and black heels. But here comes the fun part: the layered jewelry plays up the boho feel of the dress, and the leather jacket adds a touch of edgy. Translation: perfectly lovely, and incredibly fun.

Emily from Cupcakes and Cashmere (another favorite of mine) also has a knack for mixing styles and textures to get that perfect blend of feminine and modern. Here she takes a floor length strapless dress  and dresses it down by adding the right accessories (check out the belt!)

Another example of how a belt can transform a dress, from the photoshoot Olivia Palermo did for Tibi: look at the effect this chunky vintage belt adds to this silk number. The sunny hue makes the dress more versatile but no less elegant.

I hope by now the thought of a floor-length dress isn’t quite as scary. The trick: rather than picking a gown which might make you feel like you are playing dress up, and will possibly be a piece you will never wear again, choose a simply cut ankle- or floor-length dress in a beautiful fabric (silk chiffon is a great choice) and add the right accessories.

Here are a few examples, inspired by the pictures above:

In this set: Monsoon dress, Alice by Temperley leather jacket, Lanvin heels, BCBG clutch, Reiss stackable rings, Jacob nail polish

In this set: Aubin & Wills dress, Rupert Sanderson sandals, Marc by Marc Jacobs clutch, Steve Madden belt, Topshop rings, JCPenney earrings.

In this set: Wallis dress (similar one here), ModCloth bracelet, H by Halston clutch, Stone belt, Nars nail polish in Night Club (similar ones: Sephora by OPI 212-Sephora and China Glaze Midtown Magic), Follow Me wedge sandals.

In other words, a dressing code indicating a long dress doesn’t mean you have to look all romantic and sweet like a fairy princess, if that isn’t your cup of tea. You can look perfectly lovely and occasion-appropriate, and still inject your outfit with your own personality.

I hope this helps, and that you have a great time at your party!

Need help with an outfit? Get in touch.

Image credits: 1. Atlantic-Pacific; 2. Cupcakes & Cashmere; 3. Olivia Palermo for Tibi.

My name is Elisa and I am a recovering overpacker. *Hi, Elisa*

I have this little problem about bringing way to much stuff along when I travel. Like, probably about twice as much as I would actually need. I pack for all possible scenarios, and then I toss in a few more items.

Inevitably, about half of the clothes I brought along go unused, which means that by the time I get home I have carried extra weight both ways for no reason whatsoever.

There, that alone is all the argument I need against overpacking. That, and the fact that not lugging useless stuff back and forth leaves more space for new stuff.

So there, this time I am making a list and sticking to it (unlike what I usually do, which is pack the stuff on the list and then toss in anything else I come across that I might possible want to wear.)

Clothes & shoes: jeans • top • dress • wedges • flats • trench • cardigan
Make-up: Tarte cheek stain • mascara • eye pencil • nail polish • nail polish • eye shadow quad • Benefit lip/cheek stain • lipstick
Accessories: belt • earrings • bracelet • handbag • necklace • scarf

The girls’ packing list looks a lot like mine (except of course for the heels and make-up.)

The thing is: yes, it’s a 2-week trip. But I can do laundry, and let’s be honest, I will probably do some shopping, so this is more than adequate.

What do you think? What does your packing list for spring break look like?

Wherever you go and whatever you pack, I hope you have a great time!

I almost forgot!

I actually got a couple of cute things for you guys during our trip to Lake Como.

I bought these in Lecco. Il Frutteto is a line from Nesti Dante. Their soap bars are made with pure vegetable oils, and created using the age-old method of a traditional Italian ‘Saponeria’. Nesti Dante doesn’t do animal testing, and their products are dermatologically tested.

And they are so pretty!

And here’s something else:

I bought these little notebooks in a little cartoleria I found while exploring Bellagio.

The same motif decorating the cover of each notebook is repeated through each individual page. They are small, so they are perfect to pop in your handbag to jot down notes while you are on the go. I don’t know about you, but pretty stationery and paper products just put me in a good mood!

One reader of Globetrotting in Heels will win all 4 items. This giveaway is open worldwide!
To enter, you may do any number of the following:

• follow Globetrotting in Heels on Facebook…
• …. or on BlogLovin‘
• subscribe to the RSS feed
• follow me on Twitter, and Tweet about the giveaway
• follow me on Pinterest, and repin one of my photos

Please post a separate comment for each, so I can give you all your entries.

The giveaway ends on May 4th – I will pick a winner when I get back from Sardinia.

Now I am off to pack!

This is not a sponsored post. Giveaway items were purchased at my own expense, and no free products nor remuneration were provided by either company, nor any third parties.