Birthdays & Italy

Today is a very special day, because today is Kyle's birthday! I am so blessed to have such an incredible man in my life, and I cannot wait for what this next year of his life has in store for us. I thank God for him everyday, and I wish I could be there with him today. But alas I cannot, because unfortunately (well, yes and no) I get to spend his birthday making my way to Italy for my study abroad. When I found out that his birthday was going to have to be one of my travel days in order to start the program on time I was definitely bummed, but it's obviously not the end of the world. 

Now that this exciting adventure in my life is about to start, there's just a couple things I want to share with you all regarding the blog, and my goals while abroad. 

* Bear with me as posts will be a little less constant, and I will be sharing my experiences via my tablet, where composing posts is not as easy as it is on my laptop! 

* This is a crazy world we live in so I might be a little vague about my whereabouts, for my safety, but I will share as much as I can. 

* I definitely want to use this blog as a way to document a remember this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and to share with family and friends back home what I'm up to. I will still be posting outfits and my normal content though!

Ciao for now, and buon compleanno to my handsome fiance! 

--Caroline

Rudesheim & Boppard

I spent my birthday in these two villages in Germany! We started in Rudesheim with a museum tour followed by a wine tasting, and then we had some free time before we boarded the boat again to head to Boppard. During our sailing time, we went by castle after castle, and our cruise director gave us a little history behind each one, which was kind of fun. It was a fun day! However, both of these villages were a little "touristy" for my liking, especially Rudesheim, but they are both nice little day trip sorts of places. 

The stretch of Rudesheim right on the river, filled with restaurants and shops.

A beautiful church we sailed by on our way to Boppard.

One of the many castles we saw on this stretch of the Rhine River.

Such a unique building in Boppard!

A church set next to the river and against the hills of the vineyards.

--Caroline 

Feeling 22

Good advice, especially since today is my 22nd Birthday! I'm so thankful and blessed to have a great life filled with wonderful people & amazing experiences, especially as I enjoy my birthday in Europe today. 

Thank you to all my readers, and I hope you all have a wonderful day! I know I will be! :)

--Caroline

Five Friday Favorites

Most of this week was spent either laying in bed or sitting up in bed with a horrible case of sinus allergies, but with spurts of energy and allergy meds kicking in, it still managed to be a fun week!

1. While putting away clean dishes, a certain rambunctious kitty boy by the name of Berlioz discovered a "fun" new spot, much to his mom's dismay.

2. The debate about which book to start after finishing The American Heiress still continues, even after seeking out help on social media. (Help me choose! Her Fearful Symmetry or One Thousand White Women?)

3. I wore this cute outfit, accessorized by Premier Jewelry of course!

4. I dug up this candid shot from years ago in celebration of my dad's birthday... Classic Amy family antics here, circa late 1990's. Notice my headphones, choker necklace, and bandanna hairpiece. Oh so stylish!

5. I have cooked these eggplant pizzas twice this week. Recipe to come soon! They are so so yummy!

Have an awesome weekend, my stylish readers!

--Caroline

Happy One Year!

I didn't even realize it, but on the 7th of June This Styled Life turned 1! 

It's so crazy to think that a year ago I decided I wanted to join the blogosphere and be a part of fashion-blogger culture. 

While some things haven't quite gone how I've imagined they would, I am so thankful for all my readers! 

Without you I wouldn't have the drive to keep going.

In honor of my blog's birthday, I'd like to share with you some of my favorite posts in the past year...

This post outlines what is still one of my favorite outfits.

My first ever link-up post featured a black maxi dress. 

Love at first... romper! My obsession began here. 

I reflected on turning 21 in this post. 

Reese Witherspoon will always be one of my style icons!

I styled suede booties 3 ways in this post, with photography help from my bro.

I shared some of my picks for healthy beauty products. 

I shared a little love story in this Valentine's Day post. 

Tahitian dreams & casual island style were shared here. 

A minimalistic approach to cleaning out my closet led to this post. 

I wrote about reading & my furniture design project. 

This post was the first in a new series called Inspired Style.

--Caroline

Birthdays, Stripes & Camo

Before I say anything else... HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY MOMMY!! I wish I could be in Colorado with her today, but I will just have to send her love from Florida. Here she is with my Daddy, when we went on a family hiking trip over winter break. Brr! But how cute are they?!

As you may recall from this post, I am the new owner of camouflage pants! I love them, and have worn them several times already in the week or two I've owned them. The other day, I paired them with stripes, neon, and Sperry's for a casual but preppy look. I was a little unsure of the ensemble, but I wore it anyway and rocked it! Several compliments later, and I think it was a pretty successful outfit. Whoot Whoot!

I also played with pairing them with my pink baseball-sleeved sweater, and liked that look too! The pink makes them less edgy and more refined, I think.

Would you wear camo pants? Would you pair them with stripes or pink like I have? Got any ideas what else I could wear them with?

--Caroline