Hey there, lovelies! I just finished eating a fresh apple strudel with vanilla ice cream and catching up on the Today Show here in Germany, ha! Really living the dream over here, not going to lie! Loving it!

Last night, Whitney and I stayed at the Hyatt Regency Cologne, which overlooks the Rhine with a perfect view of the ancient cathedral. It was beautiful! The amenities were clean. The staff was helpful and accommodating. They had Wifi, although limited up to 1.5 MB [hence no blog post yesterday after doing a bunch of photo uploading and transferring! Whoops!]. Their breakfast buffet was a carb lovers dream. I’d go back! Seriously, I’d highly recommend it. It was lovely. Today, we got a rental car and essentially just drove around. We stopped at a castle, that was unfortunately closed but really pretty. Then, we went to a few wineries and took photos. Honestly, Germany is SO pretty. I wish this little trip of ours was longer. There are so many places that I want to go here, including Berlin, Munich, Dusseldorf and, of course, Neuschwanstein Castle, which is what Cinderella’s Castle is based off of. Tonight, we were flying by the seat of our pants a little bit. We didn’t have a place locked in to stay but ended up getting a really good deal on a 5-star hotel in a little German town called Wiesbaden, just outside of Frankfurt & Mainz.

Tomorrow, we are heading back up to Cologne but will be making a few more stops to see a little bit more of this area of Germany. It’s known as the wine region and, if you know anything about wine, you know that Germany is best known for its resiling, which was the first type of wine that I ever really liked. Now, I’m more of a Pinot Grigio girl but, seriously, the German’s do an amazing job growing the best grapes to make resiling. Whitney and I have already purchased a few bottles to bring back with us.

Because I know most people love to enjoy a nice Fall season, I really hope it has started to cool down in the States a bit. I would think it has being that Germany is FRIGID right now and London has been getting colder and colder. My sweet assistant, Justine, was so nice to send me a few of my favorite coats from last year, like the one I’m wearing in these photos. Unfortunately, it wasn’t brought back this year but I did link to similar ones down in the product details below.

London has inspired me, in some ways, to turn things up and dress the part of a business owner recently. There are so many ‘smart’ dressing and looking men and women in this city. That’s what they call business clothes. They all look extremely successful in their work wear, and I get a little intimidated. I mean, I am 30. I was a nurse for five years. That’s a super respectable profession. Now, I’m a style blogger and business owner and, one of my favorite things about being a style blogger is the fact that I don’t have to wear ‘smart’ clothes if I don’t want to. I just get to be myself. I get to get dressed in the morning based on how I feel and how I want to inspire you all. And it’s amazing!

But, I almost let my mind forget sometimes that I really should turn it up when it really matters! I can’t wear jeans EVERY DAY. First impressions only happen once and I’m a business owner so those are super important, especially being in a new city with so many new potential connections to make! Don’t get me wrong. I don’t think I ever look sloppy but, hey, getting a little bit more dressed up and being mindful of how I appear to others is the first step. For me, it could be wearing sleek work pants [even if they’re denim like the ones I’m sporting in today’s post], heels and a well-fitted coat may translate a little better in my more professional settings like meetings with brands or even just a networking dinner with fellow bloggers. Banana Republic never fails me when I feel like I just need a little bit more put together, classic, professionalism in my wardrobe! In my opinion, buying a nice outfit from there, then offering a solid handshake and a smile during that meeting is a solid ground to stand on for a good first impression.

Current favorites at Banana Republic:

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More tips on how to make a good first impression:

• Be on time. Always give yourself more than enough time, factoring in things that could pop up along the way. It really doesn’t look good to be late on a first meeting or date.

• Start the conversation. I think it helps put everyone at ease when you are confident enough to make small talk and open up the conversation. Ask people questions and getting people talking can certainly help you stand out in a positive light!

• Maintaining good eye contact shows interest, respect, and an appreciation for the person you are meeting with. They will feel valued because of this.

• Being respectful and honest when communicating. Don’t be shy! Answer whatever questions come up during your first meeting but keep it positive and try your best to keep your responses succinct and tactful.

• Relax and be yourself. No one likes first meetings. It’s nerve wrecking so do your best to just relax and enjoy it.

Thanks for stopping by today!! Appreciate you! xo.