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Today is the big 4-0 day! Yep, today’s my birthday and I’ve been up since 5 a.m. and ready for a nap. I seem to recall, with my failing memory, that it’s what my grandparents did.

Anyway, I treated myself to a lovely pop-back last week. Every time this showed up on the J Crew website, I could not add it to my cart. Then, last Saturday morning, it added. I clickety-clicked as fast as I could and voila! Happy Birthday to me!
LOVE IT!
And here are a few more to keep you entertain.
In my first year…I was a chub-monster.
First of many birthday parties
Oooh, 2nd swimsuit shot you’ve ever seen of me.
Does anyone remember when these glasses/props were popular?
1st Runner-Up Miss Zaragoza
Honor Grad
Now
Thank you to all my readers and followers for lurking, reading, commenting and just enjoying my blog. It’s a guilty pleasure and I’m happy you’re around.
Have a FABULOUS DAY! 
Audrey
/ TravelBella

Before I forget I wanted to post some of the outfits I wore on vacation. I took a carry-on only and had to fit everything I was taking in it and it had to weigh less than 20-22 kgs. Below is what I took, or something similar to it. The only thing I did not wear was the striped Cotton-Linen Perfect Shirt and a Loft tee I took. Everything else was used at least twice.

How’s that for Re-Mixing? Twelve articles of clothing, not including swim, and I re-mixed it to death!

Midsummer Maxi Dress in Raj Paisley – This is what I wore on the plane there. I have on my Birkenstock’s and had my navy cardigan and jean jacket with me for the plane.

Pink Jersey Top, Anthropologie Go Anywhere Skirt, Birks- Our only day in Madrid.

Splendid jersey top in Red, Old Navy Jersey Skirt in Black ($15!!!), JC Factory Scarf in Gallerista Print, Birks – Rome Day 1, This was pretty much my uniform for the whole trip. I just mixed and matched the tops with the two jersey skirts.

JC Cotton Tee in White, JC Jardin Maxi Skirt in Morning Aqua, Birks – I am so happy I bought this skirt. Another perfect item for the trip.

Jersey Tee in Navy, Jardin Maxi Skirt (barely visible), Factory Scarf, Soludos in Navy Stripe (not seen) – I wore this on the flight from Rome to Bari. Perfect and comfortable.

Midsummer Maxi Dress, Factory Scarf, Soludos in Navy Stripe – This was our first full day in Vico del Gargano. We were able to catch a great market in town that day and finished up with a delicious dinner.

Casbah Print Swimsuit – I also found the Casbah Tunic from the Factory Store and brought it along.

Red Jersey tee, Go Anywhere Skirt, Birks – This was worn to dinner after our beach day. Again, perfect and comfortable.

Though I don’t have a picture of it I did wear the Old Navy Maxi Dress twice with my Birks and the Soludos. I took the Chambray Soludos and originally had them on for our flight from Rome to Bari but they tore so I changed out of them when I got my bag. I did exchange them for another pair. They are perfect for the Raj Maxi Dress.
I was happy everything I had fit in my bag, my Missoni for Target wheelie carry-on, and if you don’t count a bikini, I didn’t forget anything, unlike Husband and The Boy. Husband took only two pairs of boxers and The Boy forgot sleeping clothes and swim trunks. He slept in my tees I took and we found trunks for him at the Nike in the Rome airport. We were able to wash clothes in Vico del Gargano twice and now I have several piles waiting for me to do here at home. That’s probably the only thing I hate about traveling – the unpacking and washing.As far as Fashion in Europe, I saw lots of printed skinny jeans on women, mainly floral prints. But the men, especially the Italian men, were so simple but chic. The uniform seemed to be dark jeans, a striped oxford and blue blazer with blue or black leather shoes. I also saw men in colored jeans (light purple, red, light blue!). But the Blue Blazer look was on every man, every age, especially on our flight to Bari, which is an Industrial area. I think the older men looked more handsome than the younger. And if they weren’t wearing blazers they were wearing Polo shirts with the collar popped. Everywhere!

I did have three J Crew sightings of as well. In Madrid I saw a woman wearing the Dolores Dress in Peacock Paisley, and in Rome, the Villa Dress in Stripe and the Ribbon Front Bow Top.

Have a Great day!

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I received my Anthropologie Birthday Discount before I left. Since my birthday is the LAST DAY of June I couldn’t wait for any birthday money or gift cards to use the discount.

Maia Column Dress, Sz M – I have been intrigued by all of Bailey 44’s column dresses but haven’t really liked any of the colors, styles or lengths. Then this dress came along. It’s colorful, sleeveless and shorter and perfect for me. I would have tried the Cap Sleeve Column Dress but my size was sold out in the Navy colorway. This definitely came home with me.

Revisited Impressionist Dress, Sz 8 – I knew I wouldn’t be buying this dress but I just had to try it on. That didn’t help as now I want it even more. It fits amazing and makes my waist look tiny. Also, just when you think it might be a little too tight in the stomach, the dress starts to flare out.   

Back Story Blouse, Sz 6 – This blouse is so cute and I really wanted it to work for me. It fit well in the chest but it didn’t flow like I expected it to and grabbed a little at the hips. Sizing to an 8 only made it look big everywhere. There’s a cute tunic dress in this print as well

Matana Tunic – This was on my wishlist to use my birthday discount with. But when I saw it IRL it was super sheer. Like sexy lingerie sheer. I was so disappointed that I didn’t even try it on.
So, after being disappointed I noticed a cute little cream-colored top with leather straps near the Matana Tunic. When I pulled it off the rack it was this super-cute cream-colored swingy crochet cami, the Adorned Whimsy Tank. I grabbed a Small to try on as it looked to run a little big. It was a perfect fit and goes well with my J Crew Linen Shorts in Safari Cat.
Pom Burst Pouch – This clutch also came home with me. It so cute and adorable and fun.
Lilliput Top, Size 6 – I bought this when I first saw it in the store a few months ago. It’s a gorgeous top and sold out quickly. I just noticed a restock online. It fits TTS and dips a little lower in the back. It’s so flattering and the green is very vibrant IRL. As you can see I wore it with white denim jeans and my Target Espadrille Wedges.
There was also a huge sale going on but nothing really caught my eye. Also, there was a Bike Lane Dress re-stock at my store, a size 6 and 8, several 2’s, and 4’s. I tried it on again and loved it but passed on it as it just seemed too whimsical for me.

Have a Great day!

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After not shopping for two weeks I was ready to shop for pretty things without doing a conversion rate. It didn’t take me two days to walk into J Crew. I was lucky enough to still find a few items during the 30% off sale in-stores after I returned from our trip.

Pom-Pom Shell, Sz 6 – This isn’t on sale but I had tried it on that day. This is a tight in the bust for me so I would size to an 8. It’s not for me but I have a feeling if I saw it in the Yellow or Blue I would re-consider. It would depend on how saturated they really are online compared to IRL.

Ella Dress in Garden Floral, Sz 8, $198, $99.99, $69.99 in-store – I really liked this print on both the dress and skirt. This dress hit sale pretty quick, before I left, but I passed. When I saw it during my visit it had dropped in price again AND this was the only larger size left, in my size. It was meant to be for me. It’s silk and lovely and the colors are gorgeous and vibrant. I think this will be my birthday dress to run errands and shop ’cause turning 40 deserves a beautiful dress.

Linen Cable-Knit Sweater, Sz S, $79.50, $34.99, $24.99 in-store, Flax – I have almost every color of this sweater. Multiples? Yes please! I can get away without a cami under this color. These have been great lightweight sweaters to throw on with anything.

White Denim Mini, Sz 31, $69.50, $39.99 in-store – As I was getting dressed Saturday morning I thought to myself that I needed a White Denim Mini Skirt. Then I walked into JC and found it, on sale. I could have worn a 29 or 30 but those sizes were sold out. This size is great because I can wear it a little lower on my hips and it doesn’t feel so short, because this is SHORT. But I love it! 

And some of my favorites

Garment Dyed Linen Cable-Knit Sweater, Sz S, $79.50, $39.99, Neon Azalea
Cafe’ Capri in Sovereign Paisley, Sz 6, $148, $79.99 –  I love my paisley pants and can’t wait to wear them again.
Mona Suede Pumps, Sz 6 1/2 (purchased a 7 a month ago), $198, $54 (!), Wild Berry – So this color is back to full price but there was a color that was $54. The leather and patent Mona’s are also on sale.

No. 2 Pencil Skirt in Garden Floral, Sz 6, $138, $89.99 – A gorgeous printed skirt that I would have snatched up had it been in my size on sale, in-store. Wearing it with the Naomi Top in Polka Dot.

Classic Mini in Double-Serge Cotton, Sz 8, $89.50, $79.50, Bright Spearmint & Brilliant Blue – I love this mini and this color. I am seriously contemplating the Blue.

 

Ella Dress in Porcelain Paisley, Sz 8, $298 $199.99 – This is such a beautiful dress but I have the pencil skirt and have been able to dress it down so it is a pass for me. 

Director Dress in Bi-Stretch Wool, Sz 6,Bright Dahlia, $188 $148 – This was a good fit all over but it looks like only the Black is left in limited sizes.

Midsummer Maxi Dress in Raj Paisley, Sz 8, $198, $119.99 – I bought this before my vacation and didn’t get a percent off but this dress served me well on my vacation. I wore it on the plane with a denim jacket and my Birkenstock’s. I wore it in this pic with my navy striped Soludos. If my Chambray Soludos hadn’t torn I would have worn it with those too. This one is cotton so I’m not sure how the Solid Linen will fit but this size is perfect for me.

 

And that wraps up my J Crew sale picks and purchases. What did you score?

Have a GREAT day!

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Matera was our last stop before heading home. It was on Husband’s original list of places to stay and he really wanted to see the Sassi di Matera, which means “stones of Matera”. The Sassi are houses dug into the rock and it used to be that the dwellers shared their homes with their livestock. Now, Matera is a modern city with the Sassi part having been mostly converted to liveable homes and hotels. It’s been the set of movies, including The Passion of the Christ. 

The ancient Sassi

The updated Sassi
We stayed at La Locanda di San Martino. It had a lovely Thermae, though not as large as the ones from Ancient Rome with several rooms that could accommodate over a thousand people. Ours had a hot tub, sauna, steam room and a warm tub, which felt nice in the beginning but after being in the hot tub was just a tad chilly. 
Image courtesy of La Locanda di San Martino website
Our room
The patio where Husband and I enjoyed a lovely bottle of local wine during sunset.
We took a little stroll after lunch through part of the town and came across the Cinema. 
The local wine we shared. Husband saw the image of the Sassi in the wine while taking pictures and then would not let me drink out of it. It was my wine…so I drank his. 
The Cathedral at night
I wish we could have stayed in Matera longer. 
Hope you enjoyed these posts. We had an amazing vacation and I wish we had more time but I am happy to be home. 
Ciao!