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.