One of our favorite things to do while traveling through Europe, was to simply explore. When arriving in a new place, we would unpack our bags and immediately take the town. We weren’t necessarily sure where we were going half the time, but we always managed to get to the darnedest places…which also translates to a vintage art, clothing, and handbag market. Isn’t that convenient!?
Part of our trip was to the South of France. It was hands down one of my absolute favorite places I have ever been. Our first stop was to Nice, and turns out you can hop on a train to Monaco and Cannes and be there within 20 minutes which we took full advantage of for two days.
When arriving in Cannes, we started making our way to the city center where we quickly discovered the JACKPOT.
Strangely enough, the four of us ended up in the center of it all at a table full of vintage Louis Vuittons, Hermes scarves, and Chanel jewels (I remained totally calm during this entire endeavor). NOT. We made friends with two older French women who were selling these goodies and had THE TIME of our lives.
What did I find?
While looking through the glass case of Hermes vintage scarves, I was so overwhelmed by their beauty. What does she look like you ask?
I don’t know about you, but when I purchase or receive something this special I put it on display in my room just to stare at. I love anything vintage and this piece will definitely be in my life for a veryyyyy long time.
Thanks for reading:) What is your favorite vintage item you own?
Remember that time I said my new belt would be making an appearance more than once? I kept my word!
During my last week in London, I did some vintage shopping with the QUEEN of vintage. Christiana if you are reading this, I love you forever.
We stumbled upon this incredible vintage store that only left me teary eyed knowing I had found it JUST DAYS before I was leaving to come home. I mean, why did that happen!?
For being a vintage store placed in the middle of Central London the prices were amazing and the options were endless. I left with this cropped Rolling Stones t-shirt, that was a whopping £14. It is safe to say I grabbed it and ran.
Naturally I wanted to center an entire look around this find. So, I paired it with high waisted black jeans and my Gucci belt for some added detail. Not to mention, these backgrounds couldn’t be more perfect. (Nicole, you are a gem).
I would also like to mention that these photos were taken after consuming an entire bottle of prosecco with said Nicole.
I know it has been quite some time, but life has been a little weird lately.. and when I say weird I really mean I spend most days daydreaming about going back to London. Oh well, *one day*.
While back in good ole Philadelphia, I have had one of my favorite shoots to date with who other, than Nicole.
I quickly gathered all of my new goodies from my time abroad and threw together some makeshift looks, all centered around my new Gucci baby.
During my last and final week in London I took the plunge and am now a proud owner of a gorgeous Gucci belt. She is simple, slender and sleek.
You can probably tell from my smile in those photos that I was basically lusting over life.
Bershka Girlfriend Jeans (Purchased in London, don’t know if they are still available)
Bershka White Platform Sandals (Also purchased in London, but they are everywhere now!)
Gucci Leather Black Belt (with the smallest buckle size)
So that is my debut of my new belt that I can promise you will be seeing very often.
Now that I am home and in the midst of summer, I am starting to write again. One of my next posts is going to be a more personal one on my time in London (UPDATE: NEW POST IS UP). It took me a while to sit down and write it, but I did and i’m looking forward to sharing it. Stay tuned folks!
Ive been home from studying abroad for 2 months now. How? Beats me. How do you say goodbye to a place that impacted you in countless ways? There are simply not enough hours in a day to explain the love that I have for London. In 5 months I traveled around Europe and did more things than I knew I was capable of. I conquered more anxiety driven fears and more bucket list dreams than I knew was possible in such a short amount of time.
I’ve been wanting to sit down and write about my experience in London ever since I got home, but I’ve struggled. Truthfully, it’s because I’ve been wishing I was still there. Thinking about it too much stings a little bit more than I thought it would. Not being able to wake up on a Saturday morning and hop on the tube to Portobello Market or Carnaby Street makes my heart hurt. I wouldn’t and couldn’t explain my adventure over the last 5 months even if I wanted to. When asked “how was London?” I literally draw a blank. The first word that comes to my mind is “amazing” but that is simply not enough. How do you explain a culture, the people and the life you’ve been a part of and adapted to? You can’t.
I didn’t know a once completely foreign place had the power to change me so much. I knew this experience was going to be “life changing” as they say, but I definitely didn’t grasp the magnitude of that phrase. It was most definitely, life changing. Aside from my education and internship, simply being so free felt, well so free. I was introduced to a place I had never been to, with free reign taking me anywhere. London was my playground and I truly did feel like a kid. I think we often psych ourselves out into thinking we can’t do the unimaginable. But sometimes it’s the littlest strides that take you the furthest places.
My mind would often wander as I was waiting for the tube, or walking a crowded street about how I got so lucky. How did I get here? I experienced so many moments of pure bliss. In these moments, I would turn to my friends and say “soon were going to be home and wishing so badly we were back here, in this moment. So lets enjoy every single second of it.” And its true. I wish I was back there. In those moments (I was the sappy friend, ask anyone).
Very few times I wished to be back home in Bucks County, PA. Homesick I wasn’t. Actually, I would say that was one of the last emotions I felt during the course of my trip. I knew that everything I may have been longing for was going to be waiting for me when I got home. My room, my car, friends/family, Target (lol), it would all be there. Waiting for me.
In the past I would constantly have to remind myself to live in the now. Which is pretty shitty when you think about it. Sometimes it would be my anxious mind taking me somewhere else, and other times it was the block of metal I was holding in my hand distracting me from life’s blessings that were right in front of me. I’ve been so cautious of that recently, and wow is life sweet. I’ve been thankful enough to have experienced so many moments over the last few months that I knew were only going to happen that once, in that particular way. It was a strange, sweet and amazing mix of emotions that was pretty difficult to take in all at once. But I knew, I was never going to be in that exact moment again.
London was the sweetest adventure I’ve been on in my life. I felt like I was exactly where I was meant to be. I needed to be there at that time in my life. I needed to experience everything I did and meet the people I met along the way. I wish these people knew how much they impacted me.
What blows me away the most is how picture perfect this world is. Physically that is, don’t be mistaken. The planet we live on is so breathtakingly beautiful it’s hard to recognize that its real. It wasn’t until I had moments like one in Greece where we were driving to the red clay beach on the edge of a cliff with the ocean to our left that I realized just how small we are. We are minuscule and the world around us is massive and beautiful. We are so lucky.
I saw so many places I have dreamt of my entire life, and other places I didn’t know I needed to go to, but I left a piece of my heart there, knowing I would one day be back.
Within the first month of us being in London, we started planning out our big adventure. Now when I say big adventure, I mean that very, very literally. A month-long trip around Europe, country and city hopping with a suitcase (ok maybe make that 2), with hostiles and Airbnb’s booked, we were ready to take on those 9 or so flights just knowing we wouldn’t be back in our beloved London until a month later. You can bet your bottom dollar we conquered that month like it was our job. Our itinerary included—Amsterdam, Nice, Monaco, Cannes, Barcelona, Milan, Florence/Tuscany, Cinque Terre, Rome, Athens, Mykonos, and Santorini. The amount of research that we had to do in order to make this trip successful took WEEKS. In our next life, we would most definitely be coming back as travel agents. We were just 4 girls figuring out one metro system after another. In a plethora of languages, that is.
I’ve been waking up day after day with a weird feeling. I guess indifferent towards where I am.. location wise. Sad wouldn’t be the right word, because I am not necessarily sad to be here, just longing for more. For a month straight I woke up every day not knowing what adventure I was going to go on next, or what I was going to see that day. I loved that feeling. Sometimes the day ended with seeing an 800 year old monument that left you in awe, or it ended with us at the local snack food store buying anything and everything that resembled American food. I loved waking up everyday not knowing what was going to take my breath away, but having the feeling that something most definitely was going to.
So I guess what I am trying to say is… to travel is to live. Yes it is cliché, and yes it is a quote via Google, however it is beyond true. I have truly never felt more alive than within these past 5 months.
I have never felt more determined to see the world than I am right now. I stepped out of my comfort zone a long time ago, and I never plan on going back.
If I am being honest, I have read this over what feels like a thousand times. I am really not sure if I got all of my thoughts down on paper, but I sure did try. But, it makes sense considering this experience left me speechless, this trip left me speechless, and London left me speechless.
I will be back for you Europe, that I can promise.
I never thought I would find myself traveling to Denmark. Not because I didn’t have an interest to, but just like a lot of things happening while abroad, I never thought it could ACTUALLY happen.
Copenhagen was AMAZING. One of those places that you want to go back to before you’ve even left. The vibes and the atmosphere were incredible and everyone could not have been nicer.
My friends and I stayed in a hostile for the first time which was super neat that I would recommend to everyone who finds their way to Copenhagen!
Between a 3 hour walking tour, canal tour along the Nyhavn, and discovering Paper Island (the best food market there ever was, basically the Reading Terminal on speed/crack/every drug ever)… it was such an amazing weekend.
My WOMEN
Even looking back at this post to edit it gives me all the feels. I miss this place so very much!
A day spent surrounded by pastel colored houses is always a good day♥
Naturally the day started off with an unexpected brunch/linner at Farm Girl Cafe. If you are making your way to London I highly recommend stopping by this trendy little cafe for some acai goodness and berry pancakes with amber maple syrup (not to mention they are gluten free).
Probably taking a photo of the glorious food in front of me. Actually I was, 100%
Notting Hill couldn’t be cuter. I would imagine when it warms up a bit the Portobello Market is crowded and their is more to do, but if you want to see some cute colorful homes that are worth more than your entire family including extended then I recommend.
Saw an available curb, figured I should take a photo per usual. I have discovered it’s my go to, but if it works then it works, ya know?
*Update*
Went back to Portobello Market on a warm and sunny day and it was AMAZING. 10/10 Recommend.
The past few weeks after returning from Paris have been a bit of a blur. I am fifty shades of sleep deprived, but also incredibly happy. After five tube trips lugging our lives across London, we have finally moved out of our previous living accommodations and we are now living in central London which is amazing.
We have done so many fun things, some of them big and some of them small. But either way, they are all contributing to making this trip what it is.
How many people can say they saw Drake at the O2 on Valentines Day in London??? I will FOREVER remember this night and I can’t begin to describe how much I love him. I just can’t. Amanda and I also may or may not have had a photoshoot on a main road during rush hour popping champagne in celebration of seeing our husband. See photos below.
This past weekend was the first one that we didn’t have any plans. Which I wasn’t mad about considering I have class and my internship every other day and haven’t slept more than five hours in what feels like weeks.
We decided to do some local exploring and stop by a few cafes that have been on our list to try. You may have seen these on social media because thats definitely how I discovered them. Of course we had to take advantage of the photo opps, I mean c’mon now.
First stop: Peggy Porschen Cakes
WOW. This place is so beautiful and an Instagrammers dream. I felt a little bad about the photoshoot that were having until I noticed all the other girls around me doing the same thing.
This precious little bakery serves so many sweets that not only taste delic, but are just as beautiful to look at. I felt the need to get everything but refrained at a single cupcake
I know, I know…
This place is perfect, and I took way too many pictures. On to the next one.
Second Stop (not in the same day): Cereal Killer Cafe
Yes. I spent £8 on a bowl of cereal, but it was well worth it. I stopped considering it acceptable to eat fruit loops and fruity pebbles on a weekly basis quite a few years ago, so this really brought me back to my childhood. Also- please take a moment to read over this menu! Unreal.
This same day we ventured around the area of Shoreditch, which if I had to describe I would say is a mix between Williamsburg and Philly. It’s pretty amazing.
I don’t care what anyone says, every time I look at this picture I cant stop laughing because this guy on the right is identical to my brother.
Not proud to admit this but moments after finishing the cereal I stumbled across a sign that read “frozen yogurt” and then this happened. Ugh. I’ve been going through withdrawal, so its fine.
Anyways, it was a wonderful weekend. I guess that is obvious by the glorious food consumed. Thanks for reading!
More posts to come, about my latest venture to Copenhagen:)
You know that place you always dreamed of going, and you were just waiting for life to take you there? That place you used to see in your textbooks in middle school that seemed so distant and unimaginable?
That place for me was Paris.
“Traveling. It leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller”
– Ibn Battuta
2/3/17 •• 2/5/17
Adjusting is a weird thing. For the most part we spend our young lives in once place. We go to school, come home, we have a routine. We get comfortable.
I didn’t know that this would happen to me while here in London. I didn’t know I would be so lucky to ever consider this place my home. I got comfortable. So on Febuary 3rd I left my little home in London, and went on my merry way to Paris.
When stepping off the train into Paris, I couldn’t keep my smile down if I tried. My eyes were popping out of my head and I could not wait to step out onto the cobblestone streets. Little did I know this would be before reading a caution sign that read “WARNING: 192 steps ahead” and having to lug my obnoxiously heavy duffle bag through the busy and crowded metro station.
I could paint a pretty picture of my weekend in Paris and pretend it was all peaches and dandelions, but how boring would that be to look back on years from now? I want to remember the time we were walking in the freezing cold rain and hail for 2 hours to get to the Eiffel Tower to catch it sparkling at 11:00 pm on the dot, or that really fun time when I decided to break in new Stan Smiths and later discovered blood stains on my new white shoes from being in so much pain. Ya know what I mean?!
However Paris, you were right. You are just as magical and perfect as you make yourself out to be, and I can’t wait to see you again.
Its hard for me to pinpoint what my favorite part of the weekend was, but you know I will happily try and tell you several anyway.
Remember in the beginning of this post when I mentioned seeing those pictures in your textbook that seem so surreal? That was the Eiffel Tower. The most magical sight I have ever seen. Not only at night when its sparkling from top to bottom, but in the daylight when you have tears streaming down your face from the cold while simutaenously eating a banana nutella crepe (yeah. this was as perfect as it sounds). I don’t know how big or small I expected the Eiffel Tower to be, but it was beyond my wildest dreams. I stood there for a few minutes just simply staring, taking it all in. I found myself doing that a lot this trip.
On Saturday we made our way to the Arc de Triomphe and the Champs Elysees. This was also larger than life and so beautiful (the Arc de Triomphe and the Louis Vuitton store I blacked out and ended up in). Did I mention the part where Amanda and I made a Louis purchase and then were served champagne? Yes, that also happened.
I believe our sales woman’s words were, “Would you ladies like some champagne to calm yourselves down and relax?”. We then sipped (chugged) our champagne and lived above the clouds for the rest of the day♥
After doing some thinking, only a few words would accurately describe my weekend in Paris.
Magical. Croissants. My four years of French have failed me.
I left Paris feeling inspired, in awe, and happy to be going home to London. Paris was just the beginning of my travels and that feeling in itself is hard to explain.
Now its time for the photos. However, let me preface this by saying, don’t try this at home folks. Meaning, don’t stand in the middle of a major highway to get a photo under the Arc de Triomphe, don’t jump on an extremely high ledge to get a photo in front of the Eiffel Tower, and you probably shouldn’t hold macaroons over a fourth floor terrace.
Unless you really want to. Heck, who am I to judge.
The UNREAL chocolate chip bagel that I consumed 2 out of the 3 days in Paris. Whoops.I ordered an omelette and this was served with it. I think thats reason enough to move here.
I wasn’t lying about the champagne. Thank you Louis Vuitton, thank you.
s e e i t w i t h s a m i 