Emerald Waterways River Cruises

Last month my husband and I attended the Boston travel expo. We have seen almost all of North America and quite a bit of Asia, so our next interest is Europe. I've been to many countries in Europe but I have yet to explore the western part of the continent.

With all the traveling I've done, I have reached a point where I'm kind of tired of planning all the details of my trip. I'd really like to just book my flight and have the rest of the trip planned out for me. This is where Emerald Waterways could enter my life.

I looked into their river cruises. You read that correctly. A cruise. Specifically, a river cruise. What a fabulous way to check out a few countries! Normally I'm not a cruise person. I don't like to stare at an endless ocean.


River cruises seem to be a totally different experience from the stereotypical cruise. With Emerald Waterways, I'll get to stare at land, witnessing local architecture and European scenery the entire time I'm on the ship.

Transportation, accomodation, meals and excursions are ALL included in the price. I barely have to lift a finger. After exploring the website and talking to my husband, we think the 8 day Danube Delights river cruise would be the most ideal.

An Emerald Waterways representative will meet us at the airport on day 1 and transfer us to the ship. Upon arrival, we'll have a chance to relax, unwind and explore the ship. There are a variety of cabins from which to choose on a brand new ship. State rooms and suites all have a river view. The rooms are large, and upgrading to a suite comes with extras like a complimentary mini bar and en-suite breakfast. The ship also offers a heated swimming pool with a retractable roof and a gelati station. Yum!

The cruise commences with a welcome dinner. For an extrovert like me, this is the perfect opportunity to meet cruisemates for the trip. A chance to meet new people at each meal time will hopefully lead to long lasting friendships. Complimentary wine and beer with lunch and dinner may also bring out some fun travel stories for all to share.

After a good night's rest, we will wake up to a shore excursion that is included every day on the river cruise. This is amazing, because many of the riverside towns are not necessarily hot tourists spots. I love the immersion aspect of traveling a bit off the beaten path. I feel we will get more of an authentic travel experience.

Finally, there is that saying "It's the little things that matter." With Emerald Waterways, they really do take care of many of those details that can aggravate travelers. There is no need to give tips because tipping is included in the price. That alone can save us over $500. The crew speaks English, incredibly important for my husband. There is free WiFi on board, also incredibly important for my husband. God forbid he can't check email... just kidding!

I truly hope I am honored with the chance to experience an Emerald Waterways river cruise. I think it would be an amazing experience that would create many fond memories for years to come.

* I did not receive compensation to write this post.
** All images are courtesy of http://www.emeraldwaterways.co.uk/

Gilt Warehouse Sale introduced me to Anna Beck

Yesterday I went to the Gilt.com warehouse sale hosted in Boston. I dressed appropriately in tight-fitting clothes that would allow me to try on clothes without having to waste time in the fitting room. I only had 2 hours to find amazing deals!

Recently I've been obsessed with jewelry. Ok fine, I guess I've always loved jewelry. However, I've finally mustered up courage to wear what I own and love, to let go of what I doubt I'll wear and to purchase fabulosity.

The jewelry table at the warehouse sale had a flat rate of $20 for everything on the table. I scoured through each box of jewels, many housing broken pieces. Then I saw it. This gorgeous ring.

The ring has an "ancient" appeal. The craftmenship is meticulous and stunning.  I instantly nabbed it for myself and went on my merry way shopping for other goodies at the sale.

When I got home, I did an internet search on Anna Beck. Visiting the website is when I realized I had scored big with my purchase. The least expensive ring I could find on AnnaBeck.com is $135... did I mention I got my ring for $20?

I love an amazing deal, but I also love the introduction to new artists. The company is a duo-team of sisters. Becky Hosmer designs and sister Rachels manages. You can learn more about them and browse the jewelry on AnnaBeck.com

I am officially a fan of Anna Beck! I look forward to showcasing this ring as much as possible!

Spring Cleaning Jewelry Giveaway!

After the polar vortex and all the winter snowstorms we've had this season, today's 41 degrees felt so warm! It was sunny and beautiful, which had us all looking forward to spring.

With spring comes cleaning for many people. I've been away from this blog for a long time. In an effort to renew my spirit of writing about shopping, fashion, sales, etc, I've decided to host a giveaway.

Pictured below are a whole bunch of earrings that have been hanging on my jewelry rack for years. Some I've never worn, some only once or twice. The silver needs polishing on a few, but I'm going to leave that up to you. Whether you wear these earrings, give them away, or take them apart to use the beads and hooks for your own creations, you have the chance to win them.

Enter using the raffecopter below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway



giveaway ends April 1st. Open to USA only. Winner will be chosen randomly and notified by email. No sponsorship for this giveaway.