10 Things NOT To Do In Italy

Being that I am in Italy at the moment leading the Glam Italia II private tour, I thought this blogpost from Fodor's was particularly pertinent!

You can find more fabulous travel tips and ideas on Fodors.com

The more time you spend in Italy, the more you'll notice that Italians love telling you what to do...whether you ask them for advice or not. Try this wine. Try it again. Pass that semi truck—you can do it! Wear different shoes. Change your hair; you're not eighty. Loosen up. Mangia, mangia! For a change of pace, here's a list of things NOT to do in Italy—a country as beloved for its passionate people as its natural beauty and delicious cuisine.

DON'T....

HEAD TO VATICAN CITY IN A TUBE TOP

We know the desire to charm the Italians with your spaghetti strap sundress might be overwhelming, but visitors in skimpy clothing are forbidden to enter holy sights. If you can't bring yourself to wear a top that covers your shoulders, tuck a scarf or cardigan into your bag, and use it to make yourself presentable when you're on holy ground.

PARK INSIDE THE YELLOW LINES

Or the pink ones, if you're eating for one. Or the blue ones, if you want to save a few euro. Few things are as gutting as heading back to the parking lot and finding a parking ticket on your rental car, or worse, a stark gap where your car used to be. In an Italian parking lot, the white-lined parking spaces are free, the blue-lined are paid, the yellow-lined spots are for disabled motorists, and the pink spots are for expectant mothers. As for potential parking spots that have no lines at all, be sure to look for Zona di Rimozione (Tow Zone) or Divieto di Sosta (No Parking) signs. Or just do as the Italians: cross your fingers and park on the sidewalk. Sideways.

EXPECT THINGS TO HAPPEN ACCORDING TO SCHEDULE

One of the first things any visitor to Italy will learn is that there's time...and then there's Italian time. Italian time is elastic (don't be surprised when your 4 p.m. Colosseum tour starts at 4:30) and so are business hours. Many businesses—even, bafflingly, restaurants—shut down for lunch and will also be closed two days a week, days which vary from business to business. Double-checking business hours is crucial unless you enjoy making empty treks. Public transportation is also often "out of order" or delayed, so give yourself ample padding between travel connections.

GET FLEECED BY A GONDOLIER

Taking a gondola cruise in Venice might seem like the most romantic thing on earth until you get the bill. Surprise: a gondola ride can cost upwards of $65 per person (!), and even more if you have a shady gondolier. If a $65-$130 boat ride isn't in your budget, but you still have your heart set on floating along Venice's canals, consider hopping aboard a traghetto—one of the water taxis used by Venetian locals when they want to cross the Grand Canal. The ride will be much shorter, but the traghetto boats are exactly the same as the tourist gondolas and tickets will cost around $5.

TAKE THAT GOOGLE MAPS SHORTCUT

Should you be renting a car to explore the country, you'll probably be using a GPS or Google Maps. You might be tempted to save on autostrade tolls by taking one of the outlined shortcuts. But the farther south in Italy you go, the worse-kept the roads tend to be. Razor-narrow passages, huge potholes and an absence of streetlights can make navigation difficult for a traveler unfamiliar with Italian motorways; the SS7 (Via Appia)—a mostly-unlit winding coastside path running from Rome to Brindisi—is particularly perilous. You might have to pay a bit extra to take the autostrade, but at least they're well-kept.

GET YOURSELF PSYCHED FOR AUTHENTIC SPAGHETTI ALLA BOLOGNESE IN NAPLES

In Italian restaurants outside of Italy, all of the boot's many regional cuisines are slapped with the giant umbrella title—ITALIAN FOOD—so you'd be forgiven for not knowing that pesto was invented in Genoa and Limoncello is from Sorrento. But you wouldn't head to Los Angeles hoping for the best barbecue of your life, would you? Do yourself a favor and stick to local foods on your Italian trip. A (very) quick cheat sheet: Genoa for pesto; Naples for pizza; Bologna for bolognese sauce and filled pastas like ravioli, tortellini and lasagne; Milan for risotto alla milanese and ossobucco alla milanese; Rome for spaghetti alla carbonara, spaghetti all'amatriciana and lamb. Gnocchi, bresaola, polenta dishes, and the ultra-popular Italian dessert tiramisù are found all over the country, but are native to the northern Italian regions like Lombardy and Veneto. Prosciutto—or Parma ham—is most commonly associated with central and northern Italy.

TIP EVERYTHING THAT MOVES...NO MATTER WHAT THEY TELL YOU

Tipping is not obligatory or common in Italy. However, tourist-savvy service people may have heard that Americans are genetically programmed to tip everything from waiters to performing rabbits, so the cheekier ones might try to work you for some spare change. Unless they gave you the best service in the history of the planet, resist. They're getting a living wage.

ASK YOUR WAITER FOR PARMESAN CHEESE TO PUT ON YOUR SEAFOOD PASTA

Unless you want to see a grown adult cry, that is. One of the holiest commandments of traditional Italian culinary etiquette is that cheese and seafood never, ever mix. Only very recently have certain cheese/seafood pairings cropped up—i.e., ricotta with sea bass, gorgonzola with clams—but this is considered very avant garde (the elder generation won't touch such dishes). Regardless of your age or level of sophistication, mixing parmesan cheese with seafood remains a cardinal sin, so don't even ask. And for the love of Saint Peter, don't let an Italian see you cutting your spaghetti with a fork and knife.

KILL YOURSELF TRYING TO FIT ROME INTO A CROWDED ITINERARY

Twenty regions, so much to see! Most visitors enter Italy throughRome, but if you plan to enter via Sicily or Milan and can't bear the thought of missing out on Roman ruins during your trip, take heart: the Romans were a busy bunch. Spectacular Roman ruins can be found throughout the peninsula, namely Volterra in Tuscany, Villa Jovis on the Isle of Capri, Pompeii and Oplontis in Campania, Piazza Armerina in Sicily, Verona in Veneto, and Mediolanum in Milan. Use the money you'll have saved on extra flights to fill up on wine.

PLAN ON CONDUCTING YOUR ENTIRE TRIP TO ITALY IN ENGLISH

Yes, the movies would have you believe that any time you travel, your host country will be chock-full of citizens who speak your language perfectly, albeit with a charming accent. But Italy consistently earns moderate to low proficiency rankings on English proficiency indexes—among the lowest-rated in Europe. You'll do all right at hotels, historical sites, and restaurants in heavily-touristed cities like Rome and Naples, but set foot outside of those perimeters and, well, in bocca al lupo.

P.S. That means "good luck" in Italian.

Photo Credits: Get Fleeced by a Gondolier: Thats where I live by Saurabh Thakur Attribution-NoDerivs License; Park Inside the Yellow lines: blue like the line by Emiliano Attribution License; Get Yourself Psyched for Authentic Spaghetti alla Bolognese in Naples: Trattoria Anna Maria by Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License; Ask Your Waiter for Parmesan Cheese to Put On Your Seafood Pasta: Getty Images/Hemera; Take That Google Maps Shortcut: Appia Antica by ChrisSteph LewisBoegeman Attribution-NoDerivs License; Head to Vatican City in a Tube Top: Lisja | Dreamstime.com; Kill Yourself Trying to Fit Rome into a Crowded Itinerary: Shootalot | Dreamstime.com

How To Buy Vintage Handbags

I love vintage handbags.
A great vintage bag, in a style you can no longer find, can be the most chic alternative to any season's "It" bag.
I often find them in village markets in Italy, taken from old estates that have changed hands. They don't have second hand stores in Italy, nor do they have Goodwill, so local markets are an amazing resource for finding incredible old furniture, collectibles and on a good day, vintage handbags.

One time at an arts market in my Italian home town of 
San Gimignano I found a lady selling a cache of  Louis Vuitton bags from the 70's. The bags were well worn but still in enviable condition. I pored over them, looking for every conceivable sign of a fake, but they were indeed the real deal.

If you are a lover of vintage handbags, or if you are seeking out a second hand Louis Vuitton, Chanel or any other major designer handbag, it is important to know how to spot a fake and how to identify an authentic bag.

Here in the USA everywhere you look there are girls sporting fake Louis'. I don't think people realize how disgusting the trade in fake designer bags really is. It funds terrorism, involves child labor and human trafficking - it is deplorable. Before you even think about buying a knock off Louis or Hermes (or any other designer) make sure you read this article from Harpers Bazaar magazine about 
The Fight Against Fakes. 
One of the paragraphs that has haunted me for years, and that comes to mind every single time I see a girl cruising along with her counterfeit Louis is this:

Then I read the following passage from my book, Deluxe: How Luxury Lost Its Luster. "'I remember walking into an assembly plant in Thailand a couple of years ago and seeing six or seven little children, all under 10 years old, sitting on the floor assembling counterfeit leather handbags,' an investigator told me... 'The owners had broken the children's legs and tied the lower leg to the thigh so the bones wouldn't mend. [They] did it because the children said they wanted to go outside and play.'"

It's barbaric.

So now that we are clear on why we should never, ever buy counterfeit handbags, lets look at an article I found on The Zoe Report on how to buy an authentic vintage designer handbag.

How To Buy Vintage Handbags

Red Flags To Look For

"Luxury brands will always use quality leather, so expect an even and consistent skin. Red flags include crooked stitching or lettering and gold flaking off the hardware. Dust bags, boxes, and authenticity cards aren't always included, but this doesn't mean the bag is a fake. A few examples of other authenticity markers are Chanel always has a hologram sticker listing the serial number, and for Hermès Birkin bags there is a special stamp embossed into the leather strap."

• c1990's Chevron Stripe Crossbody Bag, Chanel $1900

Coveted Styles Will Get Top Dollar

"The rarest and most coveted bags are the Hermès Kelly and Birkin. For Birkin bags, styles made of exotic skins are the most sought after, while Kelly bags from the 1970s are also constantly in demand."

• 1978 Box Calf Kelly Handbag, Hermes $5900

Only Consider Bags In Good, Excellent or Mint Condition

"Most reputable vintage dealers are highly selective. For example, at Resurrection we only carry bags that are in excellent-to-mint condition. When shopping, we recommend following our standard checklist: Make sure the bag has no stains, tears or rips; that the lining is unstained and intact; and that the hardware has no scratches or tarnishing. The corners can sometimes have slight wear, but that can always be easily fixed."

• c1970's Speedy Bag, $395

Beware Of Deals That Are TOO Good

"Always buy from a reputable source and do your research to make sure the seller has an authenticity guarantee. A common mistake is someone buying a bag online for a price that is too good to be true. Usually, it turns out the deal was too good to be true. Most vintage bags will go for around the same price across the board. If you see a Chanel bag for $200, and it is in perfect condition, be wary."

• c1970's Tote Bag, $530

All Images courtesy of The Zoe Report

Before purchasing a vintage designer handbag you can also google how to spot a fake for that brand.

If you are in Europe and are thinking about buying a knock off handbag from a street vendor (or anyone else) make sure you are aware of the penalties for doing so. They do look out for counterfeits at the airports.

A few years ago an acquaintence told me she was stopped at JFK

because traces of cocaine were found on her counterfeit Gucci handbag. She had a hard time explaining that she knowingly bought a counterfeit handbag from a street vendor in Florence, and found herself in a world of trouble.

How To Tell If Short Hair Will Look Good On You

Have you been wanting to chop off your locks and go for a short, sassy haircut, but are not sure if it would look good on you?
You want to make a change, you're ready to take the plunge and make the cut, but what if it's a colossal mistake?

Julian d'Ys cutting off Linda Evangelista's long hair in Peter Lindbergh's studio, 1988

When one of my favorite models of all time, Linda Evangelista, cut off her long hair back in 1988, there was an audible gasp in the fashion world, and she went from being a popular model to an absolute superstar, literally overnight. 
Could the cut be the making of you??

Check out John Frieda's secret formula from this fantastic article I found in Redbook. All you need is a ruler and a pencil...

It's a question hairstylists and reliable friends are often asked, "do you think short hair will suit me?" and thanks to the legion of celebs recently liberating their locks with crops, bobs and lobs, we've never meant it more.

Well the question of flattery has a short answer: The 2.25" (5.5cm) rule.

The magic measurement was discovered by hairstyle trendsetter and product innovator, John Frieda and "it's all about the angles" says Senior Stylist at John Frieda Salons UK and International Training Director of Color Wow, Giles Robinson.

"John studied faces and saw that the angle of the jaw bone determined whether or not someone would look best with short hair or long hair". They say the result is a trusted, easy but exact, measurement that indicates whether a face (any face) is suited to short or long hair.

To try it, position a pencil or pen under your chin horizontally and then place a ruler under your ear, vertically. Take your measurement from the intersection of the pencil and ruler. Less than 2.25" and you'd look amazing with short hair, and if it's anything more long locks will be the most flattering choice for you.

It works well with Michelle Williams and Kim Kardashian (pictured), and when you think of other obvious examples such as Audrey Hepburn next to Sarah Jessica Parker it becomes crystal clear. Those faux bob hair-tuck selfies are a think of the past…

Find more articles like this at Redbook.com

5 Ways To Avoid Hat Hair ~ Beauty Tip Of The Week #27

Buongiorno from Italy!We are in our second week on the Corinna B's World Glam Italia II Tour, glamorously tooling around Italy's beautiful Amalfi Coast.Are you following us on Instagram? I will be posting stories from the Glam II Tour when I get back, so in the meantime check in on us on Instagram and also on facebook, you can find both in the side panel to your right --->

I get the worst hat hair. 
Ever.
But I absolutely love wearing hats, any time of the year. The Glam Italia II Tour is definitely all about wearing hats, and when you are somewhere this glamorous the last thing you want is to take off your hat at lunch and have hat hair. I found this story at Aelida.com before I left, and I'm factoring these tips in to my game plan while I'm here.

5 Ways To Avoid Hat Hair

Hats are the perfect accessory if you want something that’s both stylish and functional. It completes your look and at the same time also protects your hair from the sun which is why it’s ideal to wear it whenever you’re out in the sun. Hats are very popular for spring and summer because the weather is warmer and your hair can definitely get toasted from being exposed to the sun all day long. However, wearing a hat for long periods of time also has its downsides and one of the biggest downsides to sporting a hat is getting hat hair after you take it off.  Here are some easy ways to avoid hat hair. If you’re a fan of hats and you’re the kind of who sports them all the time, check it out.

• Rub your comb / brush with a dryer sheet – you may not expect it but dryer sheets sure come in handy when you’re trying to avoid hat hair. One of the biggest telltale signs of having hat hair is static hair and you can easily get rid of that by rubbing your comb / hair brush with a dryer sheet before you use it on your hair to get rid of all the static. Get unscented sheets if you don’t like smelling like fresh laundry but if that’s your kind of smell then, hey, get the scented ones!

• Condition your hair – hat hair becomes very obvious when your hair is dry so conditioning your hair before you put on a hat can help immensely if you’re trying to prevent it. If you wear hats all the time with your outfits to prevent hair damage, deep conditioning would work well in preventing hat hair. No time to wash your hair and use regular conditioner? You can use leave-in conditioners instead and they’ll work just the same.

• Wear it in a ponytail, bun or braid – another way to prevent your hair from looking ridiculous after taking your hat off is to have it in a ponytail, a bun or in braids before you put your hat on. When you have your hair in these simple hairstyles before and while you’re wearing your hat, there are less chances of you getting hat hair after you take your hat off.

• Check out what your hat is made of – knowing what fabric / material your hat is made of can make a huge difference in your hair. Most hats that are made to keep your head warm are made of wool and other synthetic materials are the biggest culprits for hat hair. If you want to lessen the chances of having hat hair, go for hats that are made of cotton or cashmere instead as these prove to be the most hair friendly.

• Avoid tight fitting hats – hats that fit tightly can also be blamed for having unsightly hat hair. They leave dents and suffocate your hair, leaving you with messy hair once you take your hat off. Try to steer clear of tight fitting hats and go for ones that fit a little looser instead.

For more stories like this go to Aelida.com

All images in this story are via Aelida.com

10 Ways To Lift Yourself Up

Do you love Free People?

I do.

I love their blog too.

I found this on the Free People blog under Inspiration.

And it is indeed inspiring.

Enjoy!

When It all Falls Down: 10 Ways To Lift Yourself Up



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This post comes from our Australia contributor, Bianca Boulden!

I’ve been in some unpleasant situations in my life, to say the least. Who hasn’t though, right? That’s life, you win some and you loose some. Live and learn, it’s the best medicine. Some of the situations were of my own creation and others came straight out of left field and were nearly impossible to prepare for. So I wanted to share with you a list of things I discovered that helped me find some relief during my personal rock bottom episodes.

Be nice to people.

Yes it may be corny but kindness is underrated. When was the last time you asked a friend, a family member or even a perfect stranger if they are OK? You could be standing next to somebody in line for your coffee that is completely broken and you wouldn’t even know it. Just starting a conversation and being kind is all they may need to lift them up for the day. If you can be kind through your dark time and not bite the unsuspected heads off of the innocent bystanders, you’ll find that your personal happiness is uplifted as well. I’m not saying it will pay your bills but it will give you personal satisfaction and gratification. As they say, what goes around comes around – spread good karma.

Accomplish something.

When I have experienced something devastating or feel as though whatever I do is pointless or goes unnoticed, or when I am struggling between groceries and the rent for the week, even small accomplishments are worthy to note. Go for a walk, clean out your wardrobe, clean your house, finish that book that’s been sitting next to your bed for 6 months, even write a book — put the pen to paper and see what happens! I volunteered at an animal shelter because animals make me happy. So do the same, what ever you will feel good about and will make you smile.

Control.

Let it go. The only things you can actually control are what you do, say, and think, you can seriously reduce the crushing stress that comes with challenging life events by allowing yourself to let go of that which you can’t control..

Treat yourself.

I’m not saying go spend a BOMB on designer clothes or those $400 boots you have had your ear on all over Instagram but just a little something, it has always helped me. For me it was a crystal or a new record. The music took me to another world and the crystal empowered me.

Be with Nature.

It’s easy to get stuck in your comfort zone, the couch or your room or bed, but getting stuck in routine often means  you actually don’t get to enjoy the little things in life that should make you happy. For me I get high just from looking at a sunset or the perfect line of palm trees. I can’t even describe to you what the ocean does. It gives me goose bumps, like it’s my soul mate and it understands me. Go for a hike up a mountain, lay on the grass and watch the clouds or walk along the sand and let your feet hit the water. Breathe it all in and you will feel a lot better then sitting in your PJ’s for days.

Cry it out.

I’m not the best at crying; it takes me a bit to do it. I will go through stages where I would cry even at movies and then I will be so strong that it scares me. Sometimes you just need to let it out. So when you do… let it out.

Do something new and exciting.

Maybe you’ve been thinking about learning to surf, or perhaps you wanted to start taking dance classes, why not try? You will learn something new and meet new people. Don’t allow yourself to settle into misery. I made myself do things I had never done before and it brought me so much perspective and gratitude, not to mention fun!

Reach out to someone.

And I don’t mean reach out to someone and unload all your misery on them, everyone has their issues, they don’t need yours too. I mean reach out to someone in friendship, rekindle a relationship with someone that might have grown stagnate, force yourself to be around other people and feign happiness. Fake the happiness until you feel it. Fake it until you make it, lovers.

Do something for someone else.

Go out of your way to do good for others, realize that you are not the only person on the planet who is struggling, that there tons of people in your town and city who are having a tougher time than you are.

Laugh.

Do whatever it takes to make yourself laugh. Get on YouTube, call that friend that always has a funny awkward story, put on a movie that gets you every time… Step Brothers is good one.

Happiness is fleeting. It’s rarely, if ever, a constant state of being for anyone, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t pursue it even when there seems to be nothing worthy of that happiness. You can either let life and its struggles swallow you whole or fight your way to a silver lining. Remember, your happiness is your responsibility. I say FIGHT!

“The only real failure in life is not to be true to the best one knows.”

Words Bianca Boulden

Photos Jenna Agius

Model Dani Bonnor

Source: When It All Falls Down: 10 Ways To Lift Yourself Up http://blog.freepeople.com/2015/06/falls/#ixzz3eKrQGTEM

6 Unique And Beautiful Ways To Light Up Your Yard

I love summer.
I never want it to be over.
Which is somewhat handy being that I live in the perennial summer that is Phoenix.
Here you can spend your evenings outdoors basically all year round, so it's fun to have unique and interesting lighting accents in your back yard for last minute cocktail parties, casual evenings with friends, family nights or just a glass of wine and a good book on a rare night spent home alone.

I found this article about backyard lighting on PopSugarWritten by Lisette Mejia

Unique Ways To Light Up Your Yard

As great as they are, sometimes string lights can feel a little, "been there, done that." That's why we've gathered a bunch of completely creative outdoor lighting ideas that you'll want to try ASAP. And if you think you can't have an al fresco shindig because Summer is over, think again — right now is the perfect time because the weather isn't too extreme. Now, who's ready?

Photo by Fondly Forever Photography via Style Me Pretty

How creative is this? Attach small lights from a hanging planter and add corkscrews — we're just warning you now that it'll look funny when all your guests walk around with their heads up.

Photo by Amelia Johnson Photography via Style Me Pretty

Just beautiful. These grapevine balls were hung individually after adding string lights. Don't they look like little fireworks?

Photo by Jennifer Lindberg via Style Me Pretty

Ever seen wicker pendant lighting? Combine it with colorful string lights for a setup that works no matter what time of year.

Photo by John and Joseph Photography via Style Me Pretty

Image Source: Sarah Tew Photography

Nothing's more memorable than Moroccan lanterns lined on the stairs. If you don't want to deal with the hassle of blowing out the candlelight, replace the real deal with battery-operated votives.

Or, you could move the lanterns from the floor to a higher spot by hanging them from tree branches; this makes for an intimate feel.

Source: Brittany Ambridge via Domino