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Is Quince Fine Jewelry Worth It? My Honest Thoughts

A leather jewelry box with solid gold and gemstone jewelry from Quince

Sharing an unsponsored review of fine jewelry from Quince. On Instagram last month (or was it last year? What even is time?) I asked what Quince review you’d like to see next, and the results were overwhelmingly this: Fine jewelry. So, as requested, I’m opening up my jewelry box and sharing my thoughts on the …

Travel, Travel Products, Travel Tips

A Roundup of Compact Personal Items for Lufthansa and SWISS

Alyssa in the Charlotte airport with her backpack for a Lufthansa flight

Before flying Lufthansa and SWISS for the first time recently, I scoured travel message boards looking for an answer to a query that appeared over and over. Does anyone have any recommendations for a personal item for Lufthansa?  If there were any responses, they usually echoed the author’s question. Or the bag recommended by a …

Austria, Czech Republic, Destinations, Packing Lists, Style, Travel

Men’s Packing Guide: 10 Days in Prague and Vienna with Just a Carry-On

The author, Michael, wears a cashmere sweater, blue jeans, and boots in Prague

Michael is stepping out from behind the lens to share his packing list for ten days in Prague and Vienna.

Austria, Czech Republic, Destinations, Packing Lists, Style, Travel

Traveling Light: A 10-Day Winter Carry-On Packing List for Prague and Vienna

Alyssa wears a camel coat, skirt, and grey sweater on a bridge in Prague

Sharing my real-life packing list for an extended winter getaway to Central Europe.

Czech Republic, Destinations, Travel

10 Tips for Visiting the Christmas Markets in Prague

Alyssa and Michael at the Christmas market in Prague's Old Town Square

Would you completely rearrange your travel itinerary and take a grueling, multi-leg flight home just to experience a city’s Christmas markets? Apparently for Michael and me, that answer was yes. Initially, it seemed logical to book our late November/early December trip to Prague and Vienna by flying to Prague first then moving on to Vienna. …

Charlotte, Home, Journal, Reflections

Setting Intentions for a New Year: 2025 Edition

View of soups at Free Range Brewing's Free Soup Day

Happy New Year, friends! I’m going to be completely honest—I’m currently in a warm, soupy haze after this morning’s Free Soup Day at Free Range Brewing and this post may not be quite as eloquent as I hoped. I’m not exaggerating when I say it’s one of my favorite days of the year and one …

Home, Journal, Reflections

2024: Year in Review

As usual, I’m writing this post while half-ready to go out for some fun NYE celebrations. Yes, I could just post it tomorrow, but then it wouldn’t be 2024 any longer… I simply can’t let the last few hours of the year slip by without some reflection, so before I finish styling my hair and …

Austria, Destinations, Travel

A First-Timers Long Weekend Guide to Vienna, Austria

A crowd gathers in front of The Kiss painting

Sausage and Christmas Markets. That’s what ultimately drew Michael and me to Vienna at the end of November. With a list of cities in front of us, all with matching airfare and travel dates, we stared at each other, completely at a loss for which to choose. You see, the problem with wanting to travel …