AMSTERDAM DAY THREE

Sunday was our last day in Amsterdam. Nooooo!  We checked out of our hotel at 11:00 AM and left our bags at the front desk since our flight wasn't until 7:30. One of the top attractions left on our to-do list was the Anne Frank Huis, so we headed over to the Jordaan district where it's located.

When we arrived, the line for the Anne Frank Huis was very long (as expected.) We got in line, but soon decided to cut our losses because the weather was windy and chilly, and we received info that it would probably be a 1-2 hour wait, so we settled for some pictures in front of the house.

The Jordaan District is a lovely area in Amsterdam. We enjoyed walking around for about an hour before we headed back to towards the Museum Quarter.

At this point we had only a couple of hours to kill, so we wandered around the Museum Quarter until we found a sweet restaurant to grab a bite to eat.

As we walked back towards our hotel after lunch, we took one last glance at the beautiful green in the center of the Museum Quarter. We knew what still needed to be done...

A trip to Amsterdam wouldn't be complete without a picture in front of the I AMSTERDAM letters!

Amsterdam is an amazing city. The culture was refreshing, and the people were kind-- I am so sad to be closing the book on this adventure! I feel really good about what we accomplished in Amsterdam; I feel like we saw a good portion of the city. My hope is to eventually return in a spring or summer month, when everything is in full bloom, to check out more museums, the Anne Frank Huis (obviously) and other districts outside of the city center. 

Tot dan, Amsterdam, tot ziens! <3

Check out:

AMSTERDAM DAY ONE

AMSTERDAM DAY TWO

COVET CLOSET: HATCH COLLECTION

For a few years now, I have been absolutely, (kind of secretly) obsessed with a particular clothing line due to its Parisian-chic, laid back feel. Though I do not own any pieces from this designer, I love how they have mastered the art of flow and draping, and their silhouettes are perfect for someone like me who is uncomfortable when clothing fits too snugly across her midsection. Well, the fact of the matter is, I'm obsessed with a maternity line. Yes, I said it. And I'm not even pregnant. 

Hi. My name is Alexandra and I'm a closet maternity line stalker. Alright, so before you go all judgey-judgey on me, the premise of the Hatch Collection is that you can wear these pieces before, during and after your pregnancy. And that's exactly how I am going to have to spin it to James because their prices are pretty steep!

With every season that passes by, I wait eagerly to receive my email that the new collection has gone live, and I manically shuffle through all the outfits and dream of one day owning a piece of my own. Am I a lunatic? Not sure yet. I mean these designers know what their doing. Their stuff is amazing! My only saving grace is that I do fall into one of their categories, (Before, obviously) so I guess I'm not that far off to be coveting this line. Maybe I should start collecting now, so I have a super stylish maternity wardrobe for when we do eventually decide to add to the team... What do you think, hunny??! ;-)

The recent weather here in London has everyone's mind on Spring, so here are a few my favorites from the new Spring/Summer 2014 Collection.

| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |

How effing cool do these "mamas" look?! Can't you see me frolicing around London or Paris in any one of these outfits? I hope I can look that cool when I'm a soon-to-be mama, or hell, even now since I want these outfits on my body immediately!

Alexandra, xoxo

WEEK TWENTY-FOUR

I spent the majority of last week outside, wandering around and basking in the mild, yet sunny weather. Spring is here. I feel comfortable saying that now, and London couldn't be more excited! Within the first five days of the week, I took Oliver on three walks and explored Camden Town, Primrose Hill, Regent's Park, Chelsea Embankment and Battersea Park. All of the vitamin D and walking around left me feeling awesome! Well, except my feet... my feet were very sore-- I probably walked 25+ miles!

Oliver and I went on a long walk on Tuesday and ended up at the Emirates Stadium. James and I walked around Arsenal's home ground the first weekend that we moved to London, but I hadn't been back since. It's kind of a shame since they have been doing so well this season, and it's only like a 30 minute walk from our flat.

Kristen and I met up for a drink before the Bachelor at the Vineyard on Upper Street. I would like to make a Public Service Announcement. ATTENTION: ALL LADIES OF LONDON! As though we need one more reason to drown ourselves in prosecco 24/7, the Vineyard on Upper Street in Islington has prosecco for £3.65 per glass. I repeat £3.65 per glass! They also have promotions for 2 for 1 cocktails, 2 for 1 pizzas, 2 for 1 desserts at different times and days of the week. Check them out for proper details! 

So, 27 has got to be good because I've been celebrating it for almost three weeks now! Look at this adorable caterpillar birthday cake Urvi brought to Bachelor Night! How funny is he?! Yummy too!

I headed north on Wednesday to traverse Camden Town, Primrose Hill and Regent's Park. I have been using this book as a reference to London Villages and I love it because it helps me keep an eye out for interesting shops, landmarks, etc. that I wouldn't otherwise notice. It also directs me to different parts of London that are off the beaten path, hidden gems or up-and-coming areas. Camden Town and Primrose Hill are well known areas.  Camden is very touristy and hip and Primrose Hill is pristine and home to many rich and famous-- it's easy to see why someone would like to live there!

I spent about 4 1/2 hours total wandering around. I explored Camden Town and the Camden Market, then I followed the Regent's Canal to Primrose Hill and explored there, as well. From Primrose Hill, I walked through Regent's Park and down Marylebone Street to the Baker Tube Station, which ultimately took me back to Islington. It was a lovely walk and I definitely recommend heading over to Primrose Hill for an awesome view of the city.

Thursday, I walked Oliver and then took a bus from Highbury/Islington to Chelsea to meet up with Kristen for a walk around Embankment and Battersea Park. I will admit, I wanted to call and cancel because my feet hurt so bad, but nope! Not me! I'm a sightseeing machine! 

After I had sufficiently irritated Kristen by relentlessly complaining about my feet, we met Ali and Natalie at the Castle in Islington and then we all went to dinner at Thai Square on Upper Street. I was really impressed by the food-- I am kind of weird about Thai food, but I am ready to go back to this place!

By the time the weekend rolled around, I was looking to take it easy and keep it a bit more local. James and I got into a little tiff about the division of responsibilities (eye roll), so we decided to spend our Friday night separate. Hey! What can I say, it happens to the best of us!  James saw 12 Years a Slave, while I treated myself to a solo dinner at Dolcetto, an Italian restaurant on Chapel Market.

Saturday, we had brunch at the Breakfast Club (our new spot) and then savoured a couple cocktails and sun outside at The Angelic. Saturday was the final round of the Six Nations Rugby tournament, so we met up with Kristen and a bunch of her Irish friends at Howl at the Moon in Hoxton to watch the Ireland vs. France game. I pulled for Ireland because duh! I'm a bonafide Irish Princess, and luckily we won! The bar was filled with mainly Irish, so it was an intense experience. I loved seeing everyone get so crazy and excited, you can tell these people have a lot of pride in their country. James and I met a few of Kristen's Irish friends and they got us really excited about visiting Ireland. I wonder if we will be able to work it into our schedule???

After a few celebratory pints of Guinness, Kristen, Adam, James and I headed over to Brick Lane in Shoreditch to experience hustling and haggling of the Bangladeshi Community. Brick Lane is a street, literally lined on both sides of the street with authentic curry restaurants. The allure is that there are men working the streets to advertise and bring business into their restaurant. The Indian restaurant we decided to try sold us on one free round of drinks and 20% off our total bill. Done and done!

We all enjoyed our food and we left feeling miserably stuffed. Doesn't everyone overeat Indian food?? Food coma's for everyone!

Even though Sunday was probably the nicest day of the week (weather-wise), I decided to stay in, work on the blog and straighten up the flat because if I neglected it one more day, James would probably have me deported. 

UPDATES!!

We are so excited to have the Cerceos in London August 8th-August 16th. Sweet Tabby will celebrate her 30th birthday abroad and it couldn't come at a better time! We are going to have to do something very special, because this mama-of-two-under-two definitely deserves it!

It's going to be a VERY active summer for Casa de Starnes and we couldn't be more anxious to see some of our favorite people. We have friends staying with us May 3-5, May 23- June 2, June 18-25 and August 8-16. 

We are in the process of figuring out our plans for Easter break. James has a couple days off work and we are looking to utilize them for traveling, but all the prices that weekend are jacked up. UGH! We are considering going somewhere the weekend before, but it's all still up in the air. We decided to scrap our French Alps ski trip because the cost of equipment and lift tickets put us over our budget, but I guess it's okay because I really wanted to ski Switzerland or Austria anyways... sigh. Now, we are looking at someplace warmer, Barcelona maybe?? James went 10 years ago and loved it and I've always been a fan since Vicky Cristina Barcelona-- CY, am I right, am I right??! No firm plans yet, so I am still looking for ideas and suggestions.

Where have you traveled recently? What country would be great to visit in April? What sites do you use for budget-friendly travel?


Oh! And Happy St. Patrick's Day! xx