Roadtripin' around the "Grand Canyon of France"

James and I spent our first full day in the South of France zipping around from one end of Provence to the other. Mid-morning we set out from Marseille and headed North East into the Alps-de-Haute-Provence, and subsequently, the Gorges du Verdon.

After two hours of rolling French countryside, we arrived at the base of the mountain. Even at the bottom the views are pretty incredible, but once we caught a glimpse of the bright teal waters of the Le Verdon and Lac de Sainte-Croix, we knew we wanted better view.

Don't make THIS mistake when visiting the Calanques in France

One of the main reasons James and I made the side trip to Cassis was to visit the famous Calanques. Since we didn't have enough time to explore the area on our own, we decided to take one of the highly recommended boat excursions.

There are three options for boat tours; you can visit the first three, five or all nine Calanques. The first three will take you approximately 45 minutes, the first five will take you 65 minutes and all nine will take you 90 minutes round trip.

USA Holiday 2014 Photodump

Details from Château de Starnes

For those of you who have asked, here is a sneak peak in to our new home in Scotland!

Moving into a fully-furnished house can be a daunting process—especially for those who have very specific taste in home decor—but in order to stay sane, you MUST focus on what you do like rather than what you don't like. 

Look at every property with open eyes and an open imagination. That's what I'm doing.

Even though I might not see eye-to-eye with the owner on décor, (why do the Scots love wallpaper so much?) this traditional granite house has great bones and some serious potential, and I'm excited to share the process of turning this rental property into our home. 

Here's to creating something truly Team Starnes-worthy! Happy Monday, everyone! xx

Team Update: Post Holiday/ Life Lately in Aberdeen

January 15th??! MID-JANUARY?! Can we please just pump the brakes?

It's been a solid 13 days since we've been back in Aberdeen, and let me just say, IT'S FREAKING COLD. And speaking of cold(s)— I left with a cold, held said cold at bay while in the States, returned with a cold (same cold or different, I do not know), and I am still battling cold symptoms all while living in the cold. Oh, and throw in a week of jet lag for good measure!

It's been quite the process.

It doesn't help that the days are short, dark and rainy, and there is a constant chill in our new BIG house. (Big by our standards!) More times than not I find myself soaking in a hot bath, or under the covers in our bed—ie: one flat sheet, two full comforters and one down duvet, I shit you not—just trying to warm my bones. Socks, gloves, sweatshirt, leggings, long-johns—there is no place for laying around in your underwear and a t-shirt in Aberdeen, Scotland.

This hurts my heart.

Attempting to take a family photo with a VERY BIG (AND SQUIRMY!!!) fur child // A Sequence

20 Random (and Vague) New Years Resolutions for 2015

After a two-week stay in North Carolina, J and I are back and settled in our new house in Aberdeen. I can't believe how fast the holidays flew by! Anyone else?? I always knew that I would take a step back from the blog over the holidays, and I am so glad that I did. We really got to enjoy our time with our nearest and dearest.

Now that we're back, I figured I would jump on the bandwagon and share a few of my New Years resolutions... Okay, A LOT of my New Years resolutions. Hey! Don't judge! I have a lot of improving to do! Regardless of whether or not any of them get accomplished this year, here is my list of 20 Random (and Vague!) New Years Resolutions for 2015.

#1: Capture the perfect photograph of a Scottish Highland Coo. Blow it up. Frame it. Hang it.

#2: Learn how to cook a pie... er, bake a pie.

#3: Consume five servings of vegetables a day. NEED. MORE. FIBER.

#4: Exercise. As in, break a sweat.

#5: Take vitamins. Eck.

#6: Improve my posture.

#7: Learn from my mistakes and let go of the past.

#8: Think positive. Gripe less.

#9: Go exploring once a week. Travel once a month?

#10: Fight fair. (When fighting must occur.)

#11: Listen to my gut. Trust my instincts.

#12: Take photography classes.

#13: Grow something.

#14: BefriendlyandmakepeoplelikemesoIcanhavefriendsinAberdeen.

#15: Continue on our cooking spree and make our meals as healthy as possible.

#16: Shave more... LOL! no chance!

#17: Eat less sugar.

#18: Blog more regularly. Procrastinate less. Ha! This just made me laugh!

#19: Figure out what I want to do with my life?

#20: Attempt to keep my 2015 resolutions.