Monoch-ROME

1 Jun 2015









I don't think there is any other color combination that can evoke such nostalgia like black & white. I mean, nothing says classic better than the two, and nothing is more forgiving either. With a simple filter and/or fiddling around, you can save your ordinary, unremarkable, over-exposed, or 'just-not-quite-right' photos, all while creating mood and stirring up some emotion.

All that in just the flash of an eye!

It's actually the reason I'm starting my Rome series with a few random B/W shots. The only feeling I can possibly get is nostalgia because these photographs were taken nearly a YEAR AGO! #oops #notsurehowthathappened

Naughty, naughty blogger.

It's no secret I have trouble keeping up with this blog (I have a very short attention span), so it won't come to a shock to you that I have a stockpile of photos from all of our weekend getaways just dying to make their online debut. 

I'm just so relieved I finally got up all the photos from our South of France tour, and once I get Rome up, I will be in MUCH better shape...

I don't know why I have such a problem posting our current travels on the blog. It probably has to do with the fact that I am extremely anal particular, and I guess life also just gets in the way... PLUS, I refuse to be any more of a slave to this computer than I already am, so yeahhh. ANYWAYS, I am showing them now, so I hope you will stick around a take a stroll down memory lane with me and relive our Roman holiday for the next few weeks.

(I'm hoping to kinda just plow right through them. AKA: photodump style. You know, not a lot of chatter to slow the process down...)

On a different note: MAN! I am in desperate need of a Life Lately post! On one hand I feel like so much has been going on, but on the other, I feel like it's just been business-as-usual. We've been in Aberdeen for over six months now—jury is still out on that one—but I will go into ALLLLL that at another time.

FUN NEWS!
J and I are coming up on our two-year wedding anniversary June 8th, and we will be celebrating it down in Majorca for four nights, and then London for four nights. YAY! We are VERY excited for some warm weather and sun. I think it will do us both a great deal of good to get some proper Vitamin D.

Seeeeee ya ABZ! Won't miss your bipolar weather mood swings while we are away! 

A lunch date in Aix-en-Provence (+ Provence vineyard tours)

27 May 2015


It didn't take long to figure out what all the fuss was about.





Aix-en-Provence is one of those perfectly imperfect French communes that oozes European charm from every angle.







Exploring the Gorges du Verdon in France via Paddleboat

23 May 2015


I know what you're thinking.

"That picture is fa-AKE! Altered, photoshopped, enhanced! There's no way that's the real color of that water."

And I'm here to tell you...



YOU are correct, sir!

Alongside my typical tweaks (aka my deconstructed filter), almost all of these photos were unsaturated by about -15. So yes, these photos were altered, but they were altered to bring DOWN the vibrancy of the water because heaven forbid I mix bright and colorful photographs with my attempted minimalistic and neutral blog palette. . . *eye roll*

Moving on!



Do you remember me talking about 'roadtripping around the Grand Canyon of France'?

I know. It was a really long time ago. . .

Well, J and I obviously had intentions of checking out the "French Grand Canyon" from wayyy up top, but what we didn't know was that we would have the opportunity to experience the Gorges du Verdon from a way more intimate setting.




On our way down the mountain, both our eyes caught a glimmer of the bright teal waters of the Lac de Sainte-Croix, and we knew we had to stop.

"Just a quick stop—just to see the water up close," we said, "and then back on the road to our next adventure in Provence."

And thennn...



SURPRISE! Paddleboat rentals!

Done and done! All other plans (and destinations) would be put on hold for one hour and thirty minutes, which is exactly the amount of time that we had to have the boat back by.

Wine, Cheese, Gossip & Paris— The Perfect Blogger Meetup

20 May 2015


A couple months ago, I set out to do something that I never thought I would do in a THOUSAND years. . .

Meet up with four complete strangers for a weekend flat-share in Paris.

Well, complete strangers is a bit of an exaggeration—for months I've been interacting with these ladies through our travel/expat blogs—but face-to-face strangers nonetheless. I think most people (and especially bloggers) would agree that people's online personas and offline personas are two very different creatures, and in real life, the face-to-face interview ALWAYS seals the deal.







My journey started in London where I met up with Jen, from Lady Relocated, at the St. Pancras International train station. Being my first international trip sans J, I was relieved to book seats on her same trains to and from Paris... I mean, we don't want a 'Taken' situation people...

Meeting Jen put a lot of my anxieties about the weekend to rest. She was totally normal, and very sweet, and I thought our connection was genuine.

For London's sake!

17 May 2015



















A little bit of London to spice up anyone's Sunday. xx
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