a blink of an eye...

I honestly cannot believe the semester has come to an end. Where has time gone? I have come to the realization that as you age time seem to pass much quicker. I can recall in grade school I though the end of the school year would never come, now I'm wondering where all the time has gone.

This has been one of the most successful semesters of my college years. The classes that I have taken are interesting, and each professor actually cares about what they are teaching.

I guess the old adage is right "time flies when you are having fun" (okay I wouldn't go right to fun). I my case "time passes quickly when you are actually interested".

I hope everyone has a wonderful summer break.
Cheers!

diet pills, drinks, and detox...

Since I've been home from my vacation, and my I have flushed the evil out of my intestines something has been brought to my attention. I now am the owner of a buffet butt. I'm not the complete human specimen of health, but I do lead a healthy lifestyle. I have fallen off the exercise wagon. Weeks leading up to my vacation I developed allergy induce asthma, so my usual running routine was out of the question. I started to form bad eating habits, and I was mostly in a horizontal position instead of working out in the guy. Reality has set in, and the bulge under my bra is about to suffocate me. I am due for a cleanse, a detox, or a wake up call... My shopping has come to a halt until this buffet but heads to the salad bar.
wish me luck.

a godsend...

As you may know from my flooded blog posts I have recently taken a trip to Mexico. The weather was amazing, the traveling was fair, and the hotel staff was supreme (Alán, our personal butler was no more than a text message away to stock our mini fridge with coronas, and to adjust the thermostat). It was in paradise, I was having the best of times enjoying the exquisite cuisine, until the unthinkable happened.

Food poisoning.  Really? Again? Not at this resort, WTF!

I had a similar experience this time last year at another resort, one that was sub par in comparison to this gem. Let's just say a significant portion of my trip no longer consisted of laying by the beach, but laying next to a porcelain throne. I had extreme symptoms, fevers that made me  hallucinate ( and yes I'm sure it wasn't the worm in the tequila bottle). 

Needless to say my vacation was rough until I fond TREDA. Thank you sweet baby Jesús for this Mexican medicine. Three short days later I was back in action. The trip came to an end and my stomach took a turn for the worst. One word has come to mind "relapse". 

Oh the joys of traveling, let's just say I'm bringing back one souvenir I wish customs would have seized. 

a well-packed suitcase...

As stated in my last post, I was the least bit excited about packing my suitcase for my trip to Cancun. I was so worried that I would forget something, not to mention be over the 50 lb. limit. Two attempts and a dose of my anxiety medicine, I found packing success.

On a recent trip to Italy my strategy was fit any, and all things in the suitcase. Toss it in, expand the zipper, and sit on it for leverage, and zip with all my might. I soon realized that when unpacking my suitcase the inside was disheveled, my clothes were a wrinkled mess, and sadly my Moroccan Oil (aka liquid gold for my hair) had shattered into a million tiny oily pieces.

In preparation for this trip I read an article that displayed and excellent visual of what "a well-packed suitcase" should in fact look like. The verdict?...you just have to roll with it. Roll everything, dresses, sweater, socks, you name it roll EVERYTHING!!! I thought I had discovered the Holy Grail. Everything fit, my clothes were neat and tidy, I was ecstatic! Now all that's left to do is to cross my fingers, and hope my duds don't exceed the unreasonable weight limit.
Wish me luck!

a package worth waiting for...

As stated in my previous post, I have literally been foaming at the mouth for a particular "dime-piece"(the Louis Vuitton Keepall 55 Duffle with shoulder strap, to be exact) to join my LV collection. After two failed attempts to deliver the package from the FedEx driver, whom I believe has A.D.H.D. I did indeed enlist the help from my 86 year old Nonna, to literally be the FedEx "watchdog". My Nonna would refer to the FedEx driver as a "sempliciotto", which I soon translated on my iphone. Now I know exactly where I get my sharp tongue.

Finally after the third, and final attempt this beauty came into my possession.
The cardboard package didn't stand a chance between me and my box knife. I opened the box, I was swooning uncontrollably.
The first whiff of Venchetta Leather... I knew it was love.

"Fabulous things come to those who wait".

an anxiety-packed suitcase...

The art of packing is exactly that...an art. On paper you would think I would be a fantastic packer. I am well-organized, I know what to wear for any occasion, and I'm quite creative when it comes to sticking and shoving things in random places and compartments. So it sounds like I'm a good packer, guess again. I attempted laying out all of the things that I am considering to take to my destination in the sun. I soon realized that there are weight restrictions and two of my dress alone weigh at least 15 lbs. That's when the anxiety kicked in. I now am freaking out, second guessing all of my packing decisions. Do I have enough? Am I forgetting something? What will this weigh? Do I really need two pairs of nude wedges? Spanx! Where are my Spanx, for the love of God? Needless to say I had to up my dosage on the anti-anxiety meds. My nerves soon calmed, but I was still left with unanswered questions. That's when I turned to my mom for advice. She then proceeded to tell me that I am too high-strung and aggressive (as if I didn't already know), she said the only cure would be the practice of yoga. My mother informed me to pack the necessities and leave the rest (in my head I was thinking that everything is a necessity). I guess I could leave a few pairs of rubber flip flops behind. She also told me that if I couldn't part with anything else and I'm still over the required weight limit to just pay the damn fifty dollars and be done with it.What a relief. I am going to do a little research on packing the most perfect suitcase, and I'll be sure to share all of the insider's secrets. Photos will be sure to follow.
Wish me luck!

a slight hot mess...

This past Sunday as you all may know from my previous post was my 23rd birthday. Sunday was actually Easter Sunday, amongst other things. I hate to sound snotty, but sharing your birthday with the Lord's resurrection, really hard to compete with. By the way I have been referring to that lovely Sunday as "My birthday celerection". Not that my weekend wasn't special, it was just sort of rough clubbing on Good Friday, and being completely hungover on Holy Saturday. Thank God this Easter/Birthday mystery only happens every 10 years, ( by the grace of holy Jesuś, there was a leap thrown in there to keep this instance from happening on my 21st, as so planned). I was however pleased to see my entire family, even if that meant that my birthday gift was wrapped in Easter paper.
Here is picture of my lovely birthday cake.

a shuffle with the UPS driver...

So...I'm leaving for my belated birthday trip to Cancun (aye, aye, aye!!!), I leave in exactly 8 days, 39 minutes, and 40 seconds, but honestly I'm not counting or anything. I have done so many crunches I want to vomit, as many lunges and calf raises I've done, I'm sure I could squat the house. As previously mentioned in my post about online shopping, I've done just that. I have seriously shopped online for three solid months. I'm almost positive that I am the hardest person to fit. Simply going into any store and leaving with something is a long shot. Not to mention the overall shopping in Oklahoma is weak sauce, thus my only option is the world wide web. I have built relationships with these online client specialists. They know my sizes, my previous purchases, and low and behold all of my credit card information (how convenient?). My all-time favorite sales associate has to Chris at the Louis Vuitton Store located inside of Saks Fifth Avenue in Beverly Hills, California. I will try to contain my ever-growing addiction to the luxurious label. After about 30 boxes that have arrived to my home, I kept the front-runners and sent back the rejects, feeling somewhat relieved and accomplished. Although my dad seems to have an opinion as to why I'm bringing 9 bikinis on a 7 day trip? Dad, a girl needs options! Duh. Now all that is left to do is to sort through these beauties and dust my suite case off.
Here is a glimpse of the ocean view from our hotel.

a Pope without Prada...

As many of you all may know, our newly elected Pope Francis is unlike any of his predecessors. Francis is a simple man who like the saint, has chosen to leave his life of wealth and excess. Francis kept his simple ways even as the leader of the Catholic Church. Francis left the luxurious vestments trimmed in fur behind as well has his sold gold fisherman's ring and the ever famous custom made red Prada shoes. I'm not going to lie, I shed a few tears when I heard the news. I wasn't so much sad that he  chose not to wear designer duds, but more or less breaking a tradition. Pope Francis is trying to make a statement by bringing the world back to their roots and leaving out excess and unnecessary luxuries. Change needed to happen, Francis has made a statement. I guess the only way for me to get over this time of mourning, is to simply buy a pair of red Prada shoes!

a glimpse of Prada...

I do have a strange fascination with the label Prada that I have yet to figure out where it stems from. It could be a number of things, my heritage, the lifestyle it represents, or it could just be the fabulous display of ads. Prada is a legacy, it is a trademark, and holds its own in the fashion world. here is an example of one great Prada ad that is representing their new fragrance Candy.
 Fantastico!

a few words from the self-proclaimed "Online Shopping Guru"...

For the past few months I have been frequenting any, and every online shopping website. From Neimans to Nordstrom to Bloomingdales's and Zappos, and everywhere in between. I will share with you the run-down of the best places to shop online. 

First off Nordstrom:

Nordstrom is your one stop shop for fabulous salon shoes, an abundance of fragrances, and great online personal shoppers that are there literally 24hrs. a day to answer any question. Nordstrom always offers free shipping and free returns (which is important, because some retailers offer free shipping, but deduct a return fee from you credit). Usually a package will take roughly 4 business to receive. Oh and the best part every item is Tax Free! 

Next Zappos:

Zappos has to be one of my all time favorite online retailers. They are division of Amazon. Zappos company motto is "powered by service". Seriously they will do anything to please their consumers.  Zappos offers a 365 day return policy (yes an entire year). They offer free shipping, and free returns, each purchase is tax free. If you spend more than $250.00 per one fiscal year your are automatically accepted into Zappos V.I. P program. The program is completely free, and offers FREE overnight shipping on all of your orders.

 

Bloomingdales:

This company has been on the radar forever. Bloomingdales is owned by the Macy's corporation, and offers exclusive items from designers that only Bloomingdales receives. Shipping is free when your purchase meets or exceeds $150.00 or more (trust me its super easy to meet that expectation). Bloomingdales website is clean, and easy to navigate. Overall, Bloomingdales is one of the top online shopping contenders. 

Last but not least Neiman Marcus:

If you are searching for luxe designer items Neimans is your place. With designers like Roberto Cavalli, Hervé Leger, Emilio Pucci, just to name a few, Neimans is home to fabulous designer finds. Neimans offers search filters to find, favorite, and locate hard to find items. Their search specialists are eger to help and are extremely efficient. 

As you can tell, one of my absolute favorite hobbies is online shopping. I feel as though I am a huntress, searching for my next find, I will not take "sorry this item is sold out" or "unfortunately this size/combination is no longer available". Actually, you could call online shopping my sport. 

Here is one item in particular I am literally foaming at the mouth for. Meet the Louis Vuitton Keepall 55 Duffle bag with a shoulder strap. It's simply love. Maybe this beauty will delight me for my birthday (hint, hint).  

where there is smoke, there is a Pope...

All of the recent hype about the former Pope Benedict XVI resigning, has creating a worldwide uproar, especially for "Cradle Catholics". I've heard things across the media like "No Pope, No Hope", or "No Pope No Rules". If you ask me this couldn't have come at a worst time, not to mention during Lent.  Throughout my life time I have have only witnesses one Pope in charge of the Catholic Church (Pope John Paul II). Attending Catholic schools my entire life, and preforming Catholic rituals may things have been deeply ingrained into my thoughts about the Catholic Church. All I have to say is, no one likes a quitter. I know this sounds completely ridiculous, but thats how I feel about the whole situation. I know that there were some underlying issues that prompted the current Pope to step down, but this is unheard of. Some Catholics were completely awestruck. This is the first time in 600 years for a Pope to resign. I feel as though this is the easy way out. I will however inform you what former Pope Benedict XVI will be doing, and where he will reside.  Pope Benedict XVI was first stripped of his solid gold fisherman's ring worn on his left ring finger. The Pope had to hand over his "ever coveted" red Prada shoes (which I may be somewhat partial to), all of the former Pope's vestments were removed and his stamps and seals were obliterated. Destroying all of Pope Benedict's stamps and seal will discourage others to follow Pope Benedict, thus creating a sect in the church for those who choose to still follow Pope Benedict XVI instead of the newly elected Pope. Benedict's personal butler will continue to serve him, as well as the new pope (that job sounds hectic). Benedict will be sent to a house in the mountain to live a life of solitude and prayer. There are 10 potential candidates to become the newest leader of the Catholic Church. I will share some of my own thoughts about the potential candidates in a later post. Now lets all hope for whit smoke!

Below is a picture of myself in front of the Vatican, while on vacation last summer.

a dash oregano...

As the temperatures drop some people crave homemade soups or a heaping bowl of chili with a side of cornbread. I crave my Nonna's Pomodoro sauce. Pomodoro sauce, or "red sauce" is the Italians form of gravy, we put it on everything. From pasta, to rice, even on toasted bread, its my favorite. My mother is not the best chef although she tries, her ADHD gets the best of her and she finds herself doing other things instead of watching the pasta pot. Now I know where I get my ADHD (I'll save that for another post). I have taken matters into my own hands to get my family's recipe for our favorite red sauce concoction. This recipe is my own comfort food, I love the smell, the way the red sauce bubbles, and smile it brings upon my face. Here is a dash of my heritage:

"Nonna's Pasta Sauce"
 what you'll need:

• 2 vine ripe tomatoes-chopped
• 1 can of tomato paste
• 1/2 lb. of ground turkey, beef, or chicken
• 1 white onion
• 1 garlic clove-minced
• olive oil
• a dash oregano
• a dash parsley
• 3-4 chopped basil leaves
• 1 sprig rosemary
• salt and pepper to taste

In a smaller heated pan add the meat of your choice and begin to brown it. Drain any fat from the pan and set aside. In a separate large heated pan begin to carmelize your onion and minced in your drizzled oil. Once the onion and garlic are perfectly caramelized, add your chopped tomatoes and the can of tomato paste. Fill the empty can of tomato past with water and add that to your pan. Stir in the browned meat. Add your sprig of rosemary, and the rest of your Italian spices. Let this simmer for 2 hours, the longer the better. Serve over any pasta dish accompanied with a heaping mound of fresh grated Parmesan.
Enjoy.

What's in a name...

Some people have questions why I have chosen to use the designer Emilio Prada for my blog title. No, I'm not completely obsessed with the designer (although he does an excellent job of creating works of art with his eye ware, amongst other things) the title has a deeper meaning. Some people may know that I have family who live in Italy, my grandparents were Italian immigrants and traveled to America in 1942. Having my fair completion and my dad's "white-man" traits, I show little to no resemblance to my mother...nor being Italian at all.

This past summer I traveled to visit my family, trust me I had a world-wind of an experience (the details I will share later). My family primarily lives in Venice, Rome, and Milan, all in which are unique and beautiful. However, I did not fall in love in Rome I fell in love with fashion in Milan. My cousin Jessica, I know what you're thinking Jessica is not your average Italian name, especially since no one could pronounce "Robyn". I was referred to as Roberta for the duration of my trip.

Milan was Mecca of fashion, and I wanted to die and be buried right in front of the Giorgio Armani Hotel. Every time I think about Milan a spark ignites inside me and, and thoughts about fashion, and luxury encompasses my entire being. Those of you may know that Emilio Prada originated in Milan, if not then here's a little lesson on Fashion history. To sum it all up, my title represents my love of fashion, my lust for traveling around the world, a tribute to my Italian heritage, and most importantly a few recipes shared from my Zia Rina, and my 85 year old Nonna.

 I hope you enjoy.

A few thoughts from Dave Rhea...

After listening to Dave Rhea, a few things stuck with me. Dave talked about how he relates to blogging and how blogging now is a part of his life. One thing in particular, Dave stated that you have to remain creative. Use your blog as a creative outlet, thus nurturing your creative side.
Next, Dave said that blogging is used today to stay current with the ever-changing world of mass media. Lastly, Dave suggested that blogging is simply taking print ad and transforming it into the digital world. All in all, blogging is just another way to tell a story. Overall, Dave gave me many helpful hints to improve my abilities to blog.

Other Blogs

http://crewcrazylady.blogspot.com
"Crazy for Crew"... I have really grown to love this blog over the past six months. the color pallet however, is not pleasing to the eye. The coral background almost over powers the outfits the blogger presents. The background should complement the images not compete with them. The title text that was used is not easy to read.The text used is some sort of script. The size and the color contrast is not easily distinguished for the audience. Using a larger font, and a script that is in a serif form, will help our fellow blogger immensely.



http://atlantic-pacific.blogspot.com
"Alantic-Pacific" is one of the most well-known fashion blogs. The color pallet that she used is simple to let the outfits take center stage. I love the simplicity of her title text, no fuss, no frills that are necessary. Love her and her Blog!

Blogs of interest...

Here are a few of my favorite blogs:

 

http://www.pencilshavingsstudio.com/

http://cupcakesandcashmere.com/ 

http://workingcloset.com/

http://crewcrazylady.blogspot.com/

http://mspininteresting.blogspot.com

http://www.tmz.com/

http://www.italiangirlcooks.com/

http://www.fabhousewife.com/