map it out

i have some sort of odd fascination with maps... though on second thought it might just be an extension of my constant wanderlust.

around every corner in amsterdam, for instance, i would walk into an adorable dutch shop and find (and subsequently fall in love with,) several dozen beautiful map prints. while those prints mostly depicted the romantic, dutch golden age of yore, there's definitely something to be said about more modern, "design-y" maps like these colorful silkscreens from These Are Things.



while i love the bold color of the "statement map" above, i think something more understated, with only a flash of optical excitement, like the central compass rose below, would be a perfect, mature choice for an office or den.


i also couldn't ignore the San Francisco neighborhood map, (don't worry, These Are Things also has prints of LA, DC, NYC, Chicago, and even Columbus!) partly because of my love for my city by the bay, and partly because it makes the visual thinker in me very happy. don't you think this could make a wonderful gift?? a print of the city a friend was born in for her birthday, or a print of the city a couple met in for their wedding??

parisian dreams

in precisely one month i will be departing for europe. i can hardly contain myself! while paris will be neither my first nor only destination, i can't help but be most excited for that stop on (at least the first half of) the trip. i'm hoping it will be filled with art, romance, and meals that resemble this one:

(sparkling here, obviously. my go-to when i need my paris fix.)

travel lust

today i have some very exciting news to share (with all four of my followers! ha!) soon i will be headed to europe!! i'll be traveling to amsterdam, brussels and paris with my boyfriend, and rome, florence, venice and london with my mom. this trip is a dream come true, and i could not be more grateful or elated to have this opportunity. below are some images i've been lusting after over on pinterest. i can't wait to see these places in real life!!!

amsterdam.
(pretty excited to eat raw herring ride bikes everywhere.)

paris.
(i've been before, but i was young. plus i'm obsessed with the place.)

venice.
(my italian fantasies have been completely insatiable.)

london.
(i've been before, but don't remember a single thing except for h&m.
shameful, i know.)

antrim, ireland.
(not going there, but it looks so beautiful, i had to include it. maybe next time?)

business as usual.

hello! i'm back from my trip home to the bay area. it was such a great weekend, but ultimately bittersweet in that having such a fantastic time makes leaving again that much harder. fortunately, i am not too far away from home and will only be up in washington for another month before making the (at least semi-) permanent move back.

because my camera was sort of out of commission, i was only able to take pictures on my super high-quality blackberry camera, so while i won't be able to post any photos from the trip, i'll just let you know that i:

• sat through the worst baseball game ever. (3 runs walked-in, giants? really??) but still had a really great time.
• had some seriously quality bonding time with my mom. she's the best.
• got to see my wonderful boyfriend and have a relaxing night out with him.
• met my family's new (and first) dog, rowley, the cutest, sweetest papillon-long haired chihuahua mix ever. i am obsessed.

so yeah, pretty awesome. much like this shot:

(sparkling here via here)

be back tomorrow for Wedding Wednesday!!

i want to get back...

... to my city by the bay!

thanks to inspiration from journey, some help from my mom and a time-sensitive flight voucher, i am headed home to the bay area today! i am SO SO excited to be back in that beautiful place for the weekend and have been sending my mom, boyfriend and friends endless emails about all of our my plans, which will include some combination of the following:

• a giants game
• a trip to the beach
• this movie
• a trip to see this exhibit at the MoMA
• and some of my favorite east bay food haunts (authentic burritos, deep-dish pizza, and fro-yo among them)

(fantastic etsy print sparkling here (such an awesome shop!!) via here)

see you next weekend! have a great one!