trans•atlantic petals:The Hague

If Amsterdam is a quarter-life musician in chuck taylors & a breton stripe sweater, The Hague is it's rule-following lawyer cousin -- with a quirky sense of humor.

Our buttoned-up 2nd stop was quite a diverse one; with the cool, architectural artwork @ the MC Escher Haus & the surreal Lewis Carroll whimsy of Madurodam {a 1:25 scale model of a Dutch town; complete with all the famous landmarks}.

Here are a few shots from the royal courtyard.

jeans: tulle, blouse:Bit by Bit, cardigan & boots: Amsterdam, bag: Duluth Pack, rain jacket: Amazon {FREE with credit}, earrings: Forever 21 {gift from my mom}.

Another wise decision I made in packing for this holiday was to represent our home by carrying my Duluth Pack cross-shoulder bag. I recommend Duluth Packs for anyone, anywhere. They are beautifully crafted, rustic•chic backpacks, purses, totes, & more. The fine folks who make these satchels value their Midwest|Nordic integrity by guaranteeing all purchases for life with free repairs.

Learn about it.

photos by Peanut.

trans•atlantic petals:amsterdam fine style

The cool daytime temps in beautiful Amsterdam continue to dip with the sun.

This means that my tricky afternoon turned into an emergency evening.

It was time to bundle a bit. I stopped into the H&M: Dam Square and purchased a pair of sturdy brown boots, a couple of cardigans + some knee-highs.

This combination of staples actually sustained me through most of our trip ~ it certainly made a lot more of my items feasible via layering.

This new striped cardigan of I picked up flaunted it's camel colored elbow patches and it was a no brainer.

These boots literally saved our trip. There's no better way to say it.

I made a pretty blatant rookie mistake that I was well aware of & I know better than, and I ended up taking a risk and getting a wonderful pair of boots by the magic of fate.

So I'm not sorry that I made this decision.

dress: Forever21, cardigan, boots & knee highs: H&M, leggings: Target.

photos by Peanut.

trans•atlantic petals: i amsterdam packing mistakes

•Wise decisions I made on this trip;

1. Deciding to try to see things even if they might be closed.

2. Carrying this rain jacket with me at all times.

•Poor decisions I made on this trip:

1. Not checking to see if things might be closed...

2. ...while walking long distances to them in flip-flops.

Probably the two most important things to have with you on a trip to Europe are a positive attitude & a sturdy pair of walking shoes. I overlooked the latter. I checked the weather in Amsterdam & London every day/3 months leading up to our trip. It turns out that the 2 cities have very similar climates as each other as well as to Duluth.

So I packed a bunch of stuff that I would wear in my location during the current season. What I did not anticipate was that the weather {in all 3 cities} would shift and become very cool & rainy for days on end.

I did pack my new wonderful rain jacket that I got for FREE with Amazon credit - suckahs.

But I did not pack (or dress) warm enough on my first afternoon. Amsterdam has many broken, cobblestone sidewalks with sharp curbs, tram tracks & puddles.

My feet were cracked, swollen, muddy & freezing by 4:00pm {and I nearly snapped my ankle about a dozen times}.

It was time to {cautiously} march myself into a solution.

{A little over exposure and some red toenail polish really gives the illusion that my toes weren't actually bright purple & quaking.}

dress, earrings & headband: Forever21, cardigan, scarf & leggings: Target, flip flops: Old Navy

photos by Peanut.

I Smile {it's Wednesday!}

It's I Smile Wednesday.

What? You don't know?!

Learn about it.

My smile moment this week should come as no surprise. Rob and I became Godparents to our gorgeous little nephew. It was the best and most beautiful smile moment of far more than just the past week.

what up, cuz?

...that face!

Of course, these didn't hurt. And the shiny thing behind them.

Hallelujah.

photos by Peanut.

Highs in the 70's

Things are glorious up in here. My new job is smooshing up my brain quite a bit {in a good way}, and I really really like it + everyone I work with is really coolsmartfunnynice.

Summer is creeping in slowly {which I actually prefer... hotter than hot temps spend plenty of time around the big lake, and with no a/c, I'm more than fine with lows in the high 40's to highs in the low 70's}. Speaking of 70's, I just got these jeans last weekend and I'm super into them. It's not often I buy jeans with plans to tailor them, but these comfy pups were more than worth the few pennies it cost to have it done!

These earrings were a gift from a dear, dear friend of mine. Aren't they special? And they move so well...

blouse: fun+flirt, cardigan: Mossimo, jeans: Epic Blue, clogs: Sanita, earrings: The Electric Fetus {gift}, nail polish: Sally Hanson Salon Series ~ Yellow Kitty.

photos by Peanut.

Bright Sunshine-y Day

Actually it was super-duper foggygloomyrainyhaily on Sunday. But the mood of the day, + the days preceding it, made it seem sunshine-y anyway.

We spent Friday night enjoying an Italian feast dinner party with friends, which ended with late-into-the evening talks + laughs. Saturday we took advantage of the delicious lunchtime buffet at India Palace & then ran some errands separately before re-joining over take-out & DVR catch-up. Sunday was church, around-the-house projects, more wine & these gorgeous flowers that I couldn't pass up buying for myself!

blouse & hat: Target, vest: Derek Heart, jeans: Charlotte Russe, earrings: Express, tennies: Converse All Star, ring: gift. :)

photos by Peanut.

May Your Days Be {Cozy} & Bright

This outfit is cozy and bright, warm and eye-catching. I stole...ahem...took inspiration for this combo from Kendi. She wore a similar dress (same style & brand, different print) with a gray sweater. I thought it was brilliant.

Mazel Tov (the four legged one pictured), is always complaining of not being featured in the blog enough. After all, she wears a beautiful coat, which is always well-fitting and clean, she deserves some props for it.

dress: Tucker for Target, cardigan: thrifted ($3!), leggings & boots: Target, belt: Charlotte Russe, headband: T.J. Maxx, nail polish: Fifth Avenue, China Glaze, earrings: handmade by Adeline :)

photos by Peanut.

Holiday Prep

It's the thought that counts. I thought about doing some kitchen work for the holidays.

That counts.

sweater: relativity, thermal tee: Mossimo, corduroys & earrings: Charlotte Russe, socks: Target, pot holder: knitted by my mom :)

photos by Peanut.

Manic Monday

My Monday really wasn't that manic. It's pretty peaceful around work since everyone has the short week on the brain. My outfit, though, is a little manic I think, with all the pattern/texture.

The color and print of this dress have made it a struggle for me to find a way to style it up. I have done the obvious all-black with it before, but when I want to do something a little more special, I get stuck.

So I just decided to incorporate totally different colors than I would normally be swayed toward. The pale blue tights bode well against the pale pink in the dress I think, + the floral prints seem to play well with one another too. The navy cardigan came simply because I tired of black with this dress, but couldn't bring myself to do brown, even though the boots are brown-ish. This cowl was knitted for me by my mom, it's so warm + lovely + soft. She's the best! Thanks mom!

dress: H&M, cardigan & boots: Target, tights: Charlotte Russe, cowl: knitted by my mom :)

photos by Peanut.