Footsteps through Berlin

Photos by Jenna @ The Beautiful Shelter

Visiting London

I have been keen to visit London since I first had a taste of Europe, and the media attention following the Royal Wedding only made me more interested in seeing this historic city for myself. So, first stop: London!

I should mention that the riots were happening just days before we left, and I was, um, nervous. Fortunately, everything was calm when we arrived and the areas we visited had no signs of damage. Just beautiful architecture and lots (and lots) of people!

We stayed at the Andaz Liverpool Hotel in East London, and it was absolutely perfect for our vacation. The hotel had the most incredible scent (which sounds ridiculous, I know, but if I could've bottled it and brought it home...I would've...not for sale.) and was beautifully designed. Formerly a railway hotel, it had all of the modern amenities with an ode to traditional elegance. Perfection. (Any indoor shots here are from the hotel.)

And a delicious cheese platter from the hotel restaurant was the perfect way to finish it off (and spend a little more time surrounded by the beauty)!

I loved London's energy and culture, and can't wait to return.

Photo credit: Jenna @ The Beautiful Shelter

An Open Mind

Source: Pinterest

We're back from our European adventure! It was nothing short of amazing, and I have far too many photos to look back on when I need a change of scenery. My mind feels refreshed and ready to embark on new challenges!

It's tough to get back to work after so much excitement and inspiration, so I'm up to no (blogging) good. In fact, I confessed to Matt just before we left that I was missing my daily blogging rounds.

It goes without saying that I took inspiration/blog-worthy/design photos like it was my job, and in a way it is. That's the best part of being a designer; you become a professional hunter and gatherer of all things fabulous. Personally, I thrive on architectural details, colourful landscapes and intricate patterns. Don't let my Birkenstocks fool you (speaking of shoes, I bought a cute pair of Ted Baker rain boots in London that I'm quite smitten with).

After photo-shopping these images into fine form, I'm going to share what I've been able to capture on film, city by city. London, Berlin, Interlaken, Lucerne and Zurich. Hope you'll come back for a look!

Poemo Design

Is there any home luxury more fabulous than beautiful bedding? Not for this girl. Italian soft furnishings company Poemo Design offers the equivalent of runway couture for the bedroom, with a muted colour palette that I can't help but drool over.

Something tells me my old t-shirt pajamas wouldn't be quite formal enough to do this bedding justice...