Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red

14 Nov 2014

888,246 ceramic poppies. Each poppy represent a soldier's life lost during the First World War.

Of course, I waited until the very last minute to visit the poppies at the Tower of London—and I paid the price for it.

A few things: It was über crowded. It was raining. The Lord's Mayor Show was the same day. Public transportation was all jacked-up and diverted, ANDDD on top of everything else, it was the last Saturday of the installation, so EVERYONE and their mother (or just other procrastinators like me) were trying to catch a glimpse—or take a photoshoot—of the amazing Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red installation.

Inside the Streets of Cassis, France

12 Nov 2014

When James' co-worker (a lovely French woman, who holidays in the South of France) told him that we "had to visit Cassis," I basically took it as the word of God and penciled it right in! Of the four days we spent exploring the South of France, Cassis is probably the one place that I wish we had spent more time. All in all, we only had about four or five hours in the area, but apparently that was all we needed to fall in love with this charming little coastal village.

A Madewell Christmas— My Bratty 2014 X-MAS List

9 Nov 2014

You can find ALLLLLLL of these items on Madewell.com.

Anyone who knows me knows that I am utterly obsessed with J-crew's bad-ass sister store, Madewell. SERIOUSLYYY. EVERY. TIME. I think about the fact that I reside on an island that doesn't have a Madewell, I die a little bit inside, but luckily for me—not my husband—Team Starnes is making a trip home for the holidays and I will soon be reunited with my old friend/"spirit-store."

I love everything about Madewell. The denim, the patterns, the fabrics, specifically the outerwear—it's just so damn cool! I would love to cuddle and hoard every. single. last. piece of their 2014 Fall and Winter collection, but with our upcoming move to Scotland, I am tryinggg to be practical. This year, I am looking for warm, wearable and utilitarian pieces. Obviously, there are many options to choose from, but in order to make this post "blog-friendly", I just chose the first things that jumped out at me. 

Creating this post was easy, but I will certainly have a much harder time making selections in the dressing room... I'm so antsy to see all of my old friends again! And I hope they still remember my name!

#myhusbandisveryscared

The Essence of the South of France

7 Nov 2014











J had an opportunity to get away from the office for a few days, so we decided to book a last minute holiday—a 'London-moon', if you will. We considered a couple different places, but the perfect forecast and unusually high temperatures in the South of France solidified our choice.

10 Ways to Fall in LOVE with Santorini, Greece

5 Nov 2014






Hey guys! This post was originally written for and posted over at Guten Blog Y'all, so it might look familiar to those of you who follow along with Margo, but here is it again, just incase you missed it!

We all know that Santorini is a beautiful place, but for the more adventurous traveler, let's pump up the volume! Shall we?

Three More Weeks

3 Nov 2014

I can't believe it's come down to our last weeks in London.

Officially, our Islington lease is up December 1, but we plan to be up in Aberdeen the week prior. We haven't nailed down flights, BUT—James and I—will be enjoying a pint—in a local pub—in Aberdeen, Scotland—in approximately three weeks.

My bets are on November 25th.

It's so weird. I'm excited and anxious, yet only slightly stressed (surprisingly)—all the standard emotions involving moving—but I just don't think it's truly hit me.

James keeps telling me, "If there is something you want to do in London, you need to do it now."

I just kinda blankly stare back at him. What do I want to do? What do I still want to see?

I mean, you can live in London your whole life and still never see everything...

I had all intentions of dominating this city; exploring every last alleyway and shop, yet I have fallen so, so short. It's so easy to fall into a routine, make excuses, or say "I'll do it tomorrow."

So, these next three weeks, they gotta count. No excuses.

The time is now. Because if I don't do it now, then when?




***
An update to our Stateside friends and family: We will likely be Stateside mid-December through the first of the year. We will be splitting our time between Charlotte and several other NC cities. Please contact me so that we can make sure to see everyone while we are home! 

This photo was taken by Alex Hering.

Scenes from Halloween 2014

2 Nov 2014

"Love at First Strike"



















He's CRAZYYYY ELECTRIC!
Witch, Dead Man Pirate, Struck by Lighting, Bank Robber, Dawn of the Dead, Tinker Bell, Flapper, Gretel, Top Gun
Hey Ladiesssssss!
Mwahahahaaaaahhahahaha!
Gretel and Lighting Bolt in deep convo.
Mug shots.
Happy Halloween!
shiver.
very deep.
please don't eat me!
oh yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah. DANCE PARTYYY!
yeah, I'm dancing. WUT?
Mr. Lighting Bolt is VERY popular.
THINGS ARE GETTING WEIRD.
What can I do about it?
Whateva...
Super Awkward.
WHAT IS HAPPENING BACK THERE???
Pushed out completely. Introducing the new Mrs. Starnes.

I think the Bank-Robber had a little crush on Mr. Lighting Bolt... Not that I can really fault her.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN EVERYONE!
© TEAM STARNES. Design: Maira Gall.