Hat boxes are effortless and you can pack silk scarves, hosiery, and other soft items in them too.

I think you have talent, a true gift there NiceGirl! LOVE the copper cuff bracelets...

er.. um... so? Do you sell your work?

SuzieC, if you're interested you can email me at trena_b at hotmail dot com, though I leave Saturday (yay) and will be setting my mail to automatically delete unknown incoming messages. So you can email me in the next day or so or after I get back (Oct 11). Thank you so much for the compliment! It is a nice foil to my day job (lawyer).

What is a pink derby hat?

Go for it girl, and wear your hat with pride. Italians may sometimes look down on sloppy dressers, but never anyone makes an effort to be stylish. You'll fit right in!

love the necklace! you go girl!

I've put you on my "task list" ...
and I'm a paralegal!

Have the BEST time...what is it in Italian? Bouno Viaggi? Or Viagra...

one or the other

nicegirl512: Pretty much anything goes, whatever you are going to feel comfortable in while traveling. I am a big believer in great walking shoes and wear those all the time with my pants. The fashion rage here in the States as well as over there is those hanging-off-the-rear pants. The Italian gals wear those with pointy-toed high heels and manage quite well getting around. In Rome, you will see a lot of business suits and styled outfits more so than in the smaller towns (obviously). I would not bring sandals, the weather has changed there. While it may be warm during the day, it is not "hot hot" anymore as Fall has distinctly set in (I just got back from Italy 2 days ago). I am not sure about that pink hat of yours, that is sure to stand out! The bottom line is to bring comfortable, travel-ready, packable clothes that can stand wrinkles and won't need too much care and fuss. I usually find a standard pair of black pants goes with everything and can be dressed up or down, dependent on the locale, event, etc. A light sweater/cardigan works best at night or likewise a lightweight suit jacket (instantly dresses up an outfit for dinner).