Last year, as I was preparing to leave for Europe, what to bring and getting it all packed bordered on obsession.  I had been longing to visit Europe as an adult for years and I wanted to get it all right.  I debated over what shoes to wear and tried on many different brands and styles.  I knew I wanted to wear dresses and leggings, but I didn’t want to be too hot or too cold or not ready for rain or underdressed for a specific occasion.  I also compulsively reviewed my supplies.  Did I have everything I needed for work, for art, for photography?  I’m pretty sure my suitcase was sitting open on the floor of our bedroom for at least two weeks leading up to the trip. This year, I have experience on my side.  I know what worked and what didn’t.  I’m excited about the trip and

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Who Gives a Crap?  I know…hang in there with me.  I promise that this is an awesome sponsored post and you’ll be glad you stuck around for it. When the e-mail arrived in my inbox inquiring about a collaboration with a toilet paper company called Who Gives a Crap, I’ll be honest, my first response was something like, “I cannot see myself writing an entire post about toilet paper.”  But, I’ve learned to follow my curiosity and resist assumptions, so I clicked over to the to check it out for myself.  After reading about their mission, I was sold and I felt like my readers would be, too. In their words, this is why they do what they do… “We’re determined to prove that toilet paper is about more than just wiping bums. We make all of our products with environmentally friendly materials, and we donate 50% of

In just under a month, I will be heading back to Europe!  I am so excited!  It was such a rejuvenating, inspiring trip and I loved seeing Europe as an adult.  (I grew up in Germany, so I got to see a lot of Europe as a child, but it’s completely different as an adult.) I will be traveling with my mom again and we’ll be meeting up with Wendy and her husband, John, in Paris before heading to Italy.  We initially thought we would visit another part of Europe, but we all wanted to go back to Paris again and see more of it.  We’ll also be taking a day trip, so we can see some of the French countryside and will travel to Italy by train to see more of Europe en route.  We’re still planning out what we’ll do in Paris, but I’ve started my wishlist. We