There’s only one time in my life I’ll be able to say I spent my birthday in Venice, and this past weekend was it. Venice has been on our bucket list for a long time and this was the best opportunity to squeeze in a trip before we leave Italy. We didn’t make any plans beforehand and spent most of our time happily wandering the streets (and eating, lots of eating!) My husband did end up surprising me with dinner reservations at a fabulous restaurant on Saturday night, though, complete with a slice of birthday cake at the end. It was a quiet evening—just the two of us—and absolutely perfect. Thank you all for leaving the sweet birthday messages on Friday’s post! 
As I mentioned on Friday’s post, ruched styles are super flattering when it comes to bodycon dresses. I own this sweater dress from Express in three colors because it’s a great canvas for layering with capes, ponchos, cardigans, and fur vests. This thick and cozy oversized cardigan served as my coat when we went out for dinner (see how I wore it with a floral dress here).
If you ever plan a vacation to Italy, I strongly recommend adding Venice to your list—the narrow waterways graced with charming bridges make it truly unique from all other cities. Some would argue that no trip to Venice is complete without a gondola ride: we didn’t go for a ride on the first day and were planning to later on that weekend, but unfortunately it rained the rest of the time we were there. 
It’s no secret I’m a devoted fan of Stuart Weitzman and for the past three years, I’ve added one new color each fall to my collection of Highland boots. It was a tough choice, but I knew I would get a lot of use from this rich brown pair. These babies have the power to make any outfit amazing, but I particularly love them with mini dresses. I’m calling these a birthday gift to myself (it’s totally acceptable to gift ourselves, right?!) If you want a pair for yourself, Neiman Marcus is currently having another promotion where you can grab these for $100 off—the discount code is in my outfit details!
Ah, yes—what gondola ride isn’t complete without a few selfies? 🙂 Maybe next time we’ll go for one ourselves. I hope all of you have a great start to the new week and thank you for visiting!
- Cardigan (H&M–old; similar)
- Dress (Express)
- Sunglasses (Chanel)
- Boots (Stuart Weitzman–$100 off with code NOVSAVE through 11/8; another less-expensive option)
- Bag (c/o Brahmin)
- Fur Puff (Michael Kors)
- Lip (Stila ‘Baci’)
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Linking with More Pieces of Me, Sincerely Jenna Marie, Pink Sole & Still Being Molly
