You guys know I love a return to Friday’s Five! After sharing our finished powder room on Instagram (saved in “GA Home” saved stories), I wanted to link some of the pieces that are available online here.
Christian has now been at work for two weeks. As much as I miss having him with me during the day, I know we are both happy to be back in somewhat of a rhythm.
We had two months together before he started his job. We traveled for over a month of that time and used the rest to move into this house and attempt to get settled. Of course everything takes longer than you anticipate, but we are both back to our desks and it feels so good. I’m so happy to be back to a more consistent work day! I’m the nerd/workaholic who honestly loves being back to their computer at work, so it does feel like I’ve gained a little bit of “outer order, inner calm” back into my life.
We have five rounds guests coming between now and the end of October (!!). Therefore getting our guest rooms and bathrooms in a functioning place is a top priority so that everyone will be comfortable. Other than that, I’m trying to focus on this little boy who is making his arrival in November whether we’re ready for him or not. Now that we are into the third trimester, I am prioritizing a few things I’ve put on the backburner. I’ll keep you guys posted as those things are put together!
This weekend I plan to watch Late Night on Amazon Prime (I am borderline in love with Mindy Kaling), and I’m hoping to get some painting done upstairs. I have one more bedroom that needs touch-up paint and then we need to paint both bathrooms. Wish us luck!
I also wanted to be sure to share that MacKenzie-Childs is currently offering 20% off Aurora-made ceramics right now. So be sure to take advantage of that! Some recent pieces of theirs I’ve added to our home are these welcome mats (obsessed) and these planters (on sale!) for our front door.
That’s all she wrote! I’d love to hear what you guys have going on this weekend, and if I had to guess, it’s watching some football with your s/o. Thanks so much for reading – XO –
I’ve shared blog posts from our August visit to Budapest, Vienna and Geneva, but Paris has taken me a little big longer and I apologize!
I have a much more comprehensive Paris Guide from a trip a few years ago, so while I’ll be sharing details of our trip, I also want to share some overall babymoon + Europe tips!
WHERE WE STAYED
Hotel Regina Louvre | Christian picked this hotel because it was his first visit to Paris and he wanted a view of the Eiffel Tower from our room. This was my third visit, but I’ve never been able to see the Eiffel from the room, so it was really special to have one of these little corner suites!
The location was fantastic, the room was beautiful (very Paris chic!), and the European buffet breakfast each morning was one of our favorites. However I will share that for the high price tag, the bathroom was pretty outdated, the wifi was terrible and the mattress was extremely firm. We were exhausted from walking 8+ miles everyday and Christian prefers a firm mattress anyway, so we passed out regardless. BUT if you are a delicate sleeper or soft bedding person – it might be a dealbreaker!
Because I was still working during our two weeks in Europe, the incredibly slow wifi was really challenging. I was still on email and had deadlines throughout the time we were there, so if you need the Internet and can’t completely disconnect… this is definitely something to note.
WHERE WE ATE
Girafe | This was a recommendation from you guys and did it deliver! Definitely the most memorable and special meal of our time in Paris. We took the Eiffel Tower photos below and then walked over for dinner (Tony Hawk was also there). We had dinner, watched the sun go down and then saw the lights on the tower light up and sparkle… it was magical. Plus – the food was fabulous!
They only take reservations by phone (not email or online), so I’d recommend having your concierge call on your behalf. Request a table outside!
Cafe Angelina | A Paris must. We had lunch here and even Christian was impressed (he’s pretty particular #surgeon). They take recommendations and I would suggest making one so you don’t have a long wait! They also have a mini pop-up version closet to Jardin du Luxembourg which will have a much shorter wait.
Les Antiquaires | This restaurant has such great reviews, so we walked across the river and had our last meal here. It was fabulous and really great service. We sat outside under little heat lamps – it was darling.
Palais Royal | We actually had so much fun hopping around the little columns and a lot of laughs. Such an easy pop-in I always visit!
Jardin du Luxembourg | This was one of Christian’s favorite stops! Such a gorgeous garden to stroll through, take a seat by the fountain and rest your legs. Absolutely beautiful.
The Louvre | Ok… I have a lot of feelings about this experience. I shared it on stories, but I’ve been to the Louvre twice before and had a lovely experience. This experience!? A 180. It was hot, they significantly oversell tickets to the museum, and the staff was alarmingly rude, herding sightseeing guests like we were farm animals. We even paid extra for a fast pass situation and it was still a hot mess. The line for the Mona Lisa? A scene. Then you get to see it with a group of about 30 before being physically escorted by staff. It was bizarre.
At least a quarter, if not more, of the exhibits were closed. There was hardly any staff around to ask questions. Other than the luggage drama detailed below, this was the second most mindblowing experience of the trip.
It was my third and last visit to the Louvre. I can say that my experiences at Musée de l’Orangerie and Musée d’Orsay were lovely. And normal.
Shops along the Seine River + Markets | I always love doing this in Paris, you can find some of the sweetest little gems! I purchased a map of Paris and some original Babar prints for our little boy at these shops. I can’t wait to have them framed for his nursery.
Visiting the Eiffel Tower at Night | Once the sun has gone down, be sure to stay up to watch it twinkle for the five minutes on the hour until 1AM!
BABYMOON + TRAVEL TIPS
Flight Drama | We had a dramatic flight journey to Europe that spanned 26 hours from Atlanta and included losing our checked luggage for four days. We had carryon bags, but you can only fit so much in a carryon when you’re traveling for 14+ days. So that curveball did eat some of our exploring time. The only reason that we even got it back is because we relentlessly worked on getting it back via the steps below.
During this process, I learned a few things:
Delta International is rough. They have it together for domestic flights, but really, really fall behind when it comes to being helpful in the International arena. They have tons of partners and just use the “it’s not in our control” as soon as things go offtrack. Our luggage was only lost for as long as it was because it sat with the Delta luggage office in Boston for three days and no one over there would answer the phone. Then they sent both our bags to us… via different flights and countries. This is my third major snafu flying internationally with them. Even being Delta Amex cardholders and having status within the airline, it didn’t help. Let’s just say I’ve officially learned my lesson on flying internationally with Delta.
Call, call, tweet, call, tweet. Ultimately it’s not going to move along if you don’t stay on top of it. We spent so much of our time in Budapest on the phone, but knew if we didn’t no one would. I’ve heard of people losing their luggage for weeks upon weeks.
Save receipts. They’ll reimburse the items you had to purchase because of your lost luggage up to $50-$100 per person per day. It’s annoying that you have to spend your vacation time looking for underwear and toothpaste… but it is what it is.
Use AirHelp. I have yet to use this but I plan to! You can claim compensation for a flight delay or cancellation and see what amount of money you might be able to get back.
Take a photo of your suitcases before you check your bags. I’ve had enough lost luggage to know to do this, and it’s extremely helpful when showing people what exactly your bag looked like when it was checked in!
I nearly cried when I saw our bags – not even joking! Being both pregnant and traveling for work, the thought of spending our babymoon time in Europe trying to replace everything we needed was daunting. I don’t even know what size I was at that time, six months pregnant. I wanted to be comfortable and I had prepared all of these pieces that I knew were available and in stock to share with you guys… but alas, we got our bags. We made the train to our next country by six minutes thanks to an incredible driver who literally guided us all the way to our train. And we set off for some babymoon bliss. A completely different tone for the trip once I had my own undergarments, shoes, toiletries… you ladies know how it is!
Think about your feet. | I tried not to wear the exact same pair of shoes two days in a row, and it definitely made a difference.
Ask for a non-connecting room. | I almost always remember to ask for a non-connecting room at check-in, but ask for this! You can always hear your neighbors when the room is connecting, and it’s so much quieter when it’s not. Honestly, those rooms should be reserved for families or larger groups anyway!
Take advantage of the concierge. | When there is a language barrier, the concierge can help you. Especially with dinner reservations! It also helps if you’re splurging a little bit to stay at hotel that is going to have these kinds of connections.
GoogleMaps works without Wifi. | We actually got away without using an international data plan everyday because Christian figured out within the app you can download areas of the map. Take advantage of this!
Europeans take summer seriously. | I’ve been to Europe in summer, fall and winter, and I forgot that Europeans don’t play when it comes to summering. Shops are closed, some areas feel super quiet and desolate – they are outta there! We just wandered and explored so it was fine. However, if you are going to want to do some big shopping or have your heart set on all the little boutiques, just keep this in mind.
Check your credit cards for exchange fees. | We put pretty much everything on the same credit card because it didn’t have exchange rate fees. Those little added charges for every transaction add up and fast.
Take advantage of the European breakfasts. | Our breakfasts were included at each hotel we stayed at. And they were such great breakfasts, often our favorite meal of the whole day! In my experience, a complimentary breaskfast is pretty standard at most Paris hotels. We always had a big breakfast around 9/10AM, and would grab a snack in the afternoon before sitting down again for a meal in the evening. We love great food, but when I’m traveling, I prefer to spend my time exploring vs. sitting at a restaurant for hours. We all know Europeans do take their time. It can be so hard to chase down a server for the check because tipping isn’t standard there!
Of course, if you prefer to linger over meals – you do you. Just a tip for those who get ants in their pants to get going… like we do.
I hope some of these tips helped with those of you planning trips to Paris or even a babymoon in Europe! Again, I have more things listed in this Guide to Paris I shared a few years ago. If you have any Paris favorites, I’d love to hear in the comments so everyone can enjoy them! You can see all of our Europe travel posts and recommendations in the “travel” category of this blog.
It may be almost mid-September… but if you’re anything like me, it’s still warm where you live. Never fear! There are ways to incorporate fall pieces into your wardrobe without endless sweat!
I cannot believe how expensive these boots and these boots look! They look so high-end, I’m shocked they aren’t Fendi or Gucci.
How to you start to transition your wardrobe for fall? Thanks so much for reading! If there are any wish list themes you might be interested in for future Wednesday posts, I’d love to hear! XO –
I snagged this dress from my Rent the Runway subscription and I won’t lie… I contemplated keeping it. It is so cute bump or no bump, and I love the bright red color and it’s wrinkle-free which made it amazing for travel!
I’m linking some of my favorite pleated dress picks below, but I thought it was too fun not to highlight on its own after the Charleston City Guide I posted last week. Pleated dresses are so forgiving, and they can be belted, layered, worn with sneakers, heels or sandals. And I mean… everyone looks great in red in my book. Literally everyone.
One of the dresses I linked below is this one because I think it would be so gorgeous for a wedding!
One of the most common questions I’ve been getting lately on social media is, “what paint color is that?” I have a few favorite shades, so I wanted to put together a blog post that would be a resource for those of you looking for warm white shades!
In the past, I painted our entire Orange County townhouse in Benjamin Moore Cloud White. It was a great shade, and we loved it. Our new home in Georgia already had Benjamin Moore White Dove in the den and on the kitchen cabinetry, so we extended that into the kitchen walls, breakfast room, powder room, hallway and living room.
Our current home (sneak peek photos here) is painted in flat paint, which means it really shows every. Single. Scuff. We are sticking with flat to touch up, however I would not recommend painting with flat paint. Eggshell is going to be so much more forgiving of marks! We need to repaint every bathroom because they are covered in water marks… and if it was eggshell you probably wouldn’t even see anything. But we will be repainting with eggshell paint that will hopefully be more forgiving!
Upstairs, the nursery, guest bedroom and my office were already Benjamin Moore Ballet White, so I just touched it up. I’m including a few more white shades I really like, including some by Behr. We’ll be painting our exterior brick white as well, so I’m on the hunt for exterior shades!
If you want to see rooms in these shades, simply google search the name of the paint and tons of Google images will pop up giving you an idea. My favorite way to test shades? Buy sample and test them on your own walls. You can see how they look with the natural lighting of your space, which is super helpful.
I hope this helped answer some of your questions about white paint and if you have a favorite shade that isn’t listed here, please let me know in the comments! Thanks so much for reading –
Over the holiday weekend, I visited Charleston for the first time to not only explore the city everyone can’t stop talking about, but to also catch up with some of our nearest and dearest college friends.
I was so thankful for Rent the Runway because I wasn’t as prepared for the trip as I would have liked to have been. So thankfully I was able to rent four dresses before we left and it was the majority of what I wore on the trip!
Below I’m breaking down where we stayed, some of our favorite meals and the activities we took part in over the long weekend. If you have Charleston favorites, I would love to hear in the comments for future reference!
WHERE WE STAYED
Zero George | I had seen photos on social media of this luxury boutique hotel, but when we checked in, I knew we were going to get the full Charleston experience.
They offer a complimentary European breakfast every morning (ham & cheese biscuits, baby quiche, croissants, cappuccinos…), complimentary wine & cheese every night and bikes at no charge to cruise the town. We took advantage of all of these, in addition to the charming converted carriage houses that are decorated so immaculately… major Southern inspiration!
Charleston Grille | We had a beautiful dinner here with a group of seven and the service and food were fantastic. They had a band playing, and it had a great ambiance!
Basic Kitchen | Had a gals lunch here and it appears to be a popular healthy but seriously delicious spot. I had the Rainbow Bowl and it was amazing. I practically licked the bowl clean.
Wild Common | We had a prix fixe dinner here for four and it was tomato-themed for the end of summer and so fun! Great service, delicious food and the head chef Orlando Pagan comes from San Francisco. He has led the kitchen at State Bird Provisions, which was just down the street from us and incredible.
Cru Cafe | Had the best salad here and got a side of mac & cheese that made my whole day.
Camellia’s | Located inside The Bennett Hotel, this is an all-pink champagne bar that could not be more adorable. Bonus points that they have a killer mocktail list and the Jam Session was my favorite mocktail all weekend, hands down! They also serve afternoon tea which I have no doubt is fab.
Other big recommendations were the coconut cake at The Peninsula, FIG, Husk, 167 Raw and The Obstinate Daughter.
ACTIVITES
Hampden Clothing + The Finicky Filly | My two favorite boutiques we popped into! So much to see and so, so fabulous. I found the staff at both to be really friendly, which I loved.
Croghan’s Jewel Box | Also found the staff here to be so incredibly nice and offered to clean everyone’s rings… I mean, so kind. They had a Henri Daussi spread that was a seriously enviable and some gorgeous pieces of jewelry on major sale. A really fun pop-in on King Street!
Bicycle Ride | We used the complimentary bikes at Zero George to bike around on our last full day in some of the residential areas, including Rainbow Row. It was such a great way to get off of our feet and see a lot of area in a shorter amount of time. You might remember me talking about hopping on bikes in Geneva as well. I love any reason to get off my feet a little!
Boat Ride | Our group of seven took a sunset cruise and had a the best time! The captain shared a lot of history on the city from the waterfront as well as Civil War history. He showed us some of the forts built on islands in the harbor, and it was really fascinating.
Isaac Jenkins Mickell House | You know I had to go see Patricia Altschul’s house from Southern Charm. It basically took up the whole block. Wowza!
I hope that gives a little insight into our weekend for any of you planning a visit anytime soon! We actually left town the same day of the mandatory Hurricane Dorian evacuation, so we ended up bringing our friend’s little sister with us so she could escape the bad weather for a couple of days. My thoughts are with everyone affected and prayers it will calm down soon!
If you have any favorite spots in town, I would love to hear in the comments so we can all enjoy them. Thank you so much for reading and sharing, and my final Europe post (Paris!) will be hitting the blog next week! XO –
I am so excited to share our first real “home reveal” since we’ve moved to Georgia. And it’s totally fitting I would take you guys into my closet renovation… a project that has been planned for months but has all come together in the past two weeks!
When I first looked at this house, I knew this master closet had so much potential. However, the space as formerly designed wasn’t really being utilized in the most functional way. With help from The Container Store, we have now maximized this space to its fullest potential while still making it such a beautiful room that I truly look forward to walking into every day.
This exact design is a part of their Avera collection, and it comes in four finishes. I was so torn between the Cloud and Stone finishes, but ultimately chose the Cloud finish. It really elongates the walls and works so well with the leopard carpet!
Outside of Avera, The Container Store offers different Custom Closet options for a variety of different budgets and styles so you can find something that suits exactly what you’re looking for. We also revamped baby Barnes closet as well in a different style. I’ll be revealing that in the upcoming months and you’ll really be able to see some of the key differences in the two closet styles.
My absolute favorite features of this closet are:
The warm-white LED lighting on each shelf.
The soft close drawers and exclusive jewelry trays + drawer organizers.
The customizable shoe shelving.
We were able to design the shoe shelves at different heights so I could have more shelves, as well as have different heights for heels vs. flats.
And most importantly, The Container Store Custom Closets are on salethrough 10/13! So it’s a great time to invest and maximize your own closet space to create the closet of your dreams. Trust me, if they could make this before & after happen as quickly as they could, anything is possible!
I still plan to update the light fixture and have ordered a fabulous little bench that will have a home in the closet. I just wanted to share the reveal with you guys while the sale was still active through 10/13!
I’ll also be sharing a full video tour of this closet very soon, so stay tuned for that!
This week’s wish list is a little mix of fashion and home, which is where my mind is these days. I’ll always love mixing great denim with blazers. Headbands are still a go-to statement maker. I love python on anything, and I saw this bag in person in Charleston and it’s some kinda gorgeous.
I have my eye on these chairs for my office, and I’ve always loved these bust/statue planters – so fun!
If I can finalize what we’re going to name this baby boy, I would love one of these gorgeous necklaces. And I flipped through this coffee table book over the weekend and now it’s on my wish list.
Did you guys score anything fab with all of the holiday sales going on? I bought a mirror from Anthropologie, but the first one came broken. Fingers crossed for the second one being delivered this week!
I have shared my love of designer pieces here, here and here, as well as buying gently used. But there’s also another way to avoid paying full-price on some of your favorite designer brands.
Jewel is a platform that provides cash back for numerous brands including Laura Mercier, Parker New York, Nordstrom, DVF, Everlane, Ray Ban, Saks, Sephora, Shopbop, Rebecca Taylor… the list goes on and on. Even the SodaStream I was talking about Friday is available for cash back! When you sign up you can search for the brand you’re looking for, click through to the retailer and shop. Then you’re able to track your earnings and cash out up to six times per year just by shopping the brands you love as usual.
This skirt is Parker New York and the sandals are Stuart Weitzman, both available for cash back within Jewel.
Do you use any cash back sites or check for deals before shopping online? If not, you need to get on it, girl. Why pay full price when you don’t have to?
– getting to know my new SodaStream, which is a pregnant lady’s dream –
Slowly but surely, things are finding their place in our new home! My mom was able to come in for almost a week which was incredibly helpful. She is such a worker bee, and with her help we were able to make such a dent in all the little things – patching up holes, touchup paint, painting furniture, hanging mirrors and art… the list is endless. I’m an “outer order/inner calm” kind of person, so having my surroundings looking at least neat is crucial to my sanity. Thank God for Karen!
So I originally I wanted to buy Christian an Eames chair as his graduation gift. We went to an Orange County furniture store that carried them and picked the leather and wood so when time came to make the splurge, we knew exactly what to get. But after he found a fancy watch he really loved in Paris, we decided to opt for a dupe chair and ottoman that I found with amazing reviews. It lives up to the hype! If you are into modern furniture or Herman Miller, we would give it two thumbs up so far. Time will tell how it holds up, but so far we are surprised at its quality. A+!
We are heading to an end-of-summer getaway with close college friends (more will be shared on Instagram!), but I wanted to share some of my favorite Labor Day sales so far. I’ll be keeping this post updated throughout the weekend so check back for new additions!
We plan to take advantage of sales in the home decor department as well as mens clothing to update Christian’s wardrobe as he’s starting work in facial plastics next week. I’m going to have to get used to him not being around, but I know it will be great for both of us to get back in the swing of things. My office is by no means ready (I still can’t seem to find a desk that fits what I’m looking for), but I miss my traditional workflow days!! Right now I’m running around like a spastic person everyday and it’s time to get back to my routine. I’m a type-A kind of person who thrives on a schedule.
KIDDING. But honestly, am I? I saw it listed at Nordstrom online and knew it looked so comfortable and twirly (a winning combination). Add a stretchy bodice, pockets and multiple colors? Done. I bought it twice!
I love wearing this dress during the week with flats and a low bun, and then elevating it for the weekend with some heels or heeled mules. Two totally different vibes from the same dress.
A very cool thing Nordstrom is doing right now is highlighting sustainable styles in different pieces and brands that manufacture in factories that meet higher standards, use sustainably sourced ingredients and support the environment. And that’s always cool.
Reformation is a brand that always falls into this category, and their pieces are darling. Loving this and this LBD!
I’ve shared our visit to Budapest and Vienna with you guys, and next up is… Geneva, Switzerland!
I have visited Geneva a few years ago and shared blog posts about the trip here and here, so I’ll share a few different things we did, as well as where we stayed and some of our favorite meals. I have so much love for Switzerland – the views, the people, the lifestyle… it is such a beautiful country.
WHERE WE STAYED
The Ritz-Carlton, Geneva | This hotel is on the lake and has the most amazing view of the city and landmark water jet, the Jet d’Eau. We absolutely loved Vienna and our hotel there, so the bar certainly felt high arriving in Switzerland. And boy was it met!
This hotel is so stunning and much more intimate, giving a more boutique experience (which Christian is always a big fan of). The lobby is drop dead gorgeous, showing balconies of each floor (photographed below), art and fresh flowers. The furniture alone in the lobby and restaurants is so interesting – it was a completely different vibe than our previous hotel but so stylish and unique!
The robes here must be mentioned. There were different robe fabrics at each hotel location and this hotel had maybe the softest robe I’ve ever worn in my life. I would put it on any chance I could – it felt like a giant baby blanket hug. So much so that I was emailing with the concierge after the fact trying to find the manufacturer… like, that’s how good.
When we walked into the room, there were flowers and babymoon signs, I was floored. You can see this on Instagram under the “Geneva” saved stories! It was the sweetest welcome to stunning Switzerland.
Living Room Bar & Kitchen | We definitely took more time to relax in Geneva than other cities along our stop because our sore feet had caught up with us… and the hotel was so cozy and comfortable! We went to Living Room for an early, long dinner and it was fabulous. Our best meal in Switzerland without question.
Fiskebar | My favorite mocktail from the entire trip to Europe and by far, the coolest bar we popped into (photographed above). Loved the art, the bar setup, comfortable velvet chairs – a great stop along the lake!
Les Armures Restaurant | So many of you recommended Cafe du Soleil and Les Armures for fondue, and this little spot is in Geneva’s Old Town, so it was so easy to pop into after a day of walking around! It was so good. So good that when it first came out I thought, “there’s no way we’ll eat all of this.” And of course… we did.
ACTIVITIES
Renting Electric Bikes | I rented an electric bike to bike through the countryside on my last visit to Geneva, so I knew it would be such a great opportunity to get off of our feet on this trip. The Ritz-Carlton concierge was super helpful in assisting us with finding some bikes, and we set off for the day in the neighborhood of Carouge. I would highly recommend this if you have the opportunity!
Watch Shopping | You can’t visit Geneva without doing a little watch shopping. I wanted to buy Christian a watch to celebrate the finale of his training, and I thought it would be special to pass down to our son one day knowing we purchased it on our babymoon when I was pregnant with him! We didn’t end up finding “the one” in this city… but stay tuned for more on that!
CERN | On our bike riding day, we rode out to CERN so Christian could geek out. C majored in physics, so this was essentially his mecca, but I loved watching him in his element, just as I was in my fluffy robe at the hotel drinking coffee on the balcony. Ha!
And that’s all she wrote for Geneva! I have one more post coming on our last stop in Paris, so stay tuned for that! Thanks so much for reading and you can see more travel guides and posts in the “travel” category of this site. Big hugs, XO –
