We are well into the holiday season and with this comes holiday parties which means trying to find that perfect dress without breaking the break. Lucky for us there is a little someone call Black Friday and Cyber Monday that can help all of us find a great look for the holidays on a budget. Regardless or your size, shape or style everyone should be able to find something on budget this holiday season. Here are some picks that I came across and the best part is they are all under $50.

The last stop on my two week long Euro trip was Naples and the Amalfi Coast. We started off the day with wine and cheese and ended the day touring the ruins in Pompeii. Even though we were exhausted from our two week long trip around Europe we couldn't help but try to soak in every moment of our last day.  I spent my day sipping on wine, trying fresh made mozzarella, eating pizza and just taking in the beauty of the Amalfi Coast. I hope to return sometime soon. 

After Athens we made a quick stop in Turkey before we were back in Greece. Our next stop was Rhodes. We spent the first part of our day sightseeing in the Old Town. I have to say that by this of our trip we were so over sightseeing that we pretty much raced by all the sights on our way to the beach. It was our first beach in Greece so we were very excited. When we arrived at the beach we all managed to fall asleep while DH decided to jump off a platform in the middle of the ocean. It ended up being a great day for all of us. 

I have been spending a lot of time on the blog posting pictures of my Euro Trip but have not really taken the time to talk about my outfits. For most of my trip I wore a uniform of colorful maxi Dresses and Denim.  I have to say if you are traveling to a warm destination and you are tight on room in your luggage maxi dresses are the way to go. They are an instant outfit and can be dressed up or down. I had this brilliant idea on my trip that I was going to change about three times a day. That did not exactly happened. Most of time I freshened up my makeup and just kept it going into the evening with my maxi dress.  Gotta love the versatility.

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After spending most of our morning hiking up to the Acropolis we went off to explore the rest of Athens. Our next stop was the Panathenaic Stadium. This was the place of the first modern olympics and being that DH is a bit obsessed with the Olympics it was a must see for us. We spent a good amount of time exploring the Stadium and DH even went on to run the track which was an amazing feat given it was about a million degrees.  

After the stadium we made it to Syntagma Square just in time for the changing of the guard. 

After the changing of the guard we headed back towards Monastiraki square for gyros and Soulvaki's before making one last stop for sightseeing before heading back to spend the rest of the day drinking by the pool. Athens was just perfect for a day visit. By this point I was ready to hit the islands of Greece for some sun and sand. 

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I am taking a bit of a break from the Euro Trips posts. They will resume in a few days. One of my favorite summer past times is spending my weekends at the beach. Lucky for me I am only an hour drive away from my fave destination Fire Island. Because I spend so much time at the beach I try to keep my summer style as natural as possible with my makeup routine, hair and clothes. Here are some style secrets that I like to stick to when I go to the beach. 

(1) Face:  Sunscreen is always a must. I use sunscreen in anywhere from 70 to 100 SPF. On my most recent trip to the shore I mixed my sunscreen with Seventh Generation Skin Serum and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. Not only was my skin super soft (even with the salt water and sun) but the scent was amazing.  Will definitely be adding that to my routine. I finish up my look with a little bit of lip gloss and I am good to go. I am not a fan of wearing makeup to the beach. It is a bit of a waste of time in my opinion. 

(2) Hair: You all know I like to keep it simple with my hair most of the time. Check out my hair routine here.  The beach is no exception. I travel with conditioner in my bag and rinse out my hair with clean water and apply a bit of conditioner and I am good to go. Once again no need to pile on the products that will only eventually dry you hair out. Depending on your hair texture after swimming rinse your hair with cool clean water and apply your favorite conditioner. You can either let it air dry or put it in a nice braid or bun and you will be ready to go to your next destination.

(3) Trying to look presentable after the beach can always be a challenge. I always try to pack a fun summer dress that can go from the beach to dinner easily. Anything from a maxi dress to a cute flowery mini will work. 

What are your favorite go to tips for looking chic at the beach and after? 

I received a free sample of this product from Lucky and Seventh Generation for use in connection with this blog

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Everyone has asked me which of the places I visited was my favorite. I really cannot decide which qualifies as my favorite since there were several but every time I am asked that question the first thing that comes to mind is Sicily. We only spent a day in Sicily but it felt like we were there forever. There was so much to see and do and every moment was amazing.  Upon arriving in Sicily our first stop was a town called Taormina. We spent a few hours exploring the town but the highlight was the Greek Theatre which offered amazing views of Mt. Etna. 

After our visit in Taormina we drove up towards Mt. Etna and stopped at a lava flow.  It was amazing to think that what I was standing on could cause and did cause so much destruction. It was a bit of a surreal experience. 

Our final stop of the day and of course my favorite was at a winery.  The surrounding areas of Mt. Etna are covered in volcanic soil which is very rich therefore I wasn't surprised by how lush and beautiful the grounds were. In addition the wine was fantastic. I had a chance to try a sparkling rose among others varieties that is made using the same process as Champagne (but with different grapes of course).  

Top: Old Navy Available here
Shorts: Forever 21 Similar here
Sneakers: Adidas Similar here
Bag: Cole Haan Available Here 
Hat: Street Vendor Similar here
Sunnies: Kate Spade Available here

Today I am linking up with: 

We started off our second day in Rome at the Vatican. The first stop was the Vatican Museum.  Let me start by saying that if you have never been the the Vatican Museum I strongly suggest getting a tour guide. There is so much to see and it is impossible to see everything (unless you plan on spending a few days there) so it is best to get a guide that will show you and tell you about some of the more important pieces.  Before you walk into the museum you get a glimpse of the Vatican Gardens. They can only be accessed via a private tour so we did not get to go but we were able to get a nice glimpse from up above. 

The Vatican Museum tour ended in the Sistine Chapel. Although this was my second time in Rome this was my first time at the Sistine Chapel. Although it was not exactly what I expected it was beautiful. It is amazing to think the time and patience that went into creating such a wonderful masterpiece. Unfortunately pictures taking is no longer allowed in the Sistine Chapel therefore I did not include any pictures.  Our next stop was St. Peter's Basilica. 

St. Peter's Basilica is one of the most beautiful places  I have ever been too. This was my second time visting but it felt as if it was my first. It's hard to take it all in when you first walk in. We spent hours walking around and just admiring everything around us. 

After Vatican City we decided to take a break from site seeing and headed over to Travestere for lunch.  It is such a great place to roam around not to mention how yummy (and cheap) our lunch was. We ordered Pizza, beer and wine and spent the better part of our afternoon eating and drinking. Nothing gets better than that. 

Our last stop of the day was the Pantheon. We were exhausted by then so I don't have much to say about it other I was happy to finally find a place to sit. 

I'm back!!!! Now let me warn you that most of the next 15 or so blog posts are going to be about my Euro trip. I promise I will throw in some fashion here and there. There are over a thousand pictures to sort through. I honestly don't think that is too bad considering we were away for almost two weeks. Time to get right to it. 

We started off our Euro trip in Rome where we spent about 3 days. By the time we found our hotel (we got lost), freshened up and got something to eat (pizza of course) it was well into late afternoon. Our first stop was the Colosseum. This was not my first time in Rome but you would never know by how excited I was when I stepped off the metro and saw the Colosseum. It was just as amazing as I remember. The last time we were there it was raining so it was nice to see it on a nice sunny day. 

Next stop was the Roman Forum. These ruins represent the center of ancient Rome and they were quite amazing. Unfortunately it was getting late in the day so we kinda rushed through it. 

After the Roman Forum we were a bit over sightseeing so we decided to take a walk. 

We found our way to the Spanish Steps where we lounged for a bit. We were so tired from our flights and walking around that I felt like we could have spent the entire evening there.  It is a great place to people watch. Men's fashion in Italy was quite the treat. 

After the Spanish steps we took a walk over to Trevi Fountain. It was quite crowded but we managed to squeeze in for a few shots. We decided to move on and come back later in the evening. By this time we were starving so we stopped at a cafe off of one of the side streets near the Trevi Fountain for spagetti and wine. Unfortunately the food was not too memorable but the wine was. We ordered a carafe of wine for about 4 Euro which kept us entertained for most of the evening. Let's just say our walk back to the Trevi Fountain was quiet entertaining. 

We ended out night with gelato by the Trevi Fountain. We were quite exhausted by the point so afterwards we headed back to the hotel to get some rest and prepare for Day 2 in Rome and Vatican City. 

With regards to my outfit for Day 1 I wore what would become my uniform for the trip. The dress was super light and perfect for the weather. It was quite warm but the temperature dropped a bit in the evening so my denim jacket worked perfectly. 

Dress: True Rock Similar Here or Here
Shoes: Crocs Available Here
Jean Jacket: Old Navy Available here
Bag: Cole Haan Available Here 
Sunnies: Kate Spade Available here

Today I am linking up with: