Bon Voyage: Amsterdam

Bonjour, hallo, ciao! It's a beautiful and clear morning in Zermatt, Switzerland. I'm sitting at the desk in our lovely hotel room as Tony captures photos of the Matterhorn view from our balcony. We keep looking at each other and saying how lucky we are. To be together. To be experiencing all of these beautiful places. A LOT has happened since our stop in Amsterdam a week ago, but I'm going to continue to recap our travels in order (for the most part). Tomorrow I will be back to tell you about a very special something from our last day in Paris because I'm anxious to share and I think many of you are anxious to hear more. ;-)

We arrived at Amsterdam Centraal station on Tuesday, June 27. Walking the streets of the city to our hotel, our immediate impression was that it was much noisier and not quite as clean as Copenhagen. Then, we got to Prisengracht and the scene changed. The canal was lined with trees, charming homes and shops. It was quiet and calm. We knew in an instant Amsterdam was going to be up there on our list just as Copenhagen had been. 

After a long day of travel, our hotel room at Andaz was a welcome retreat. We settled in and cleaned up before hitting the streets for a little evening exploration.

With Amsterdam, I didn't really know what to expect. It's not a city I know much about and the only research I had done was with my 500 Hidden Secrets of Amsterdam book (find link below) in the Copenhagen airport. This stop was going to include a lot of wandering which excited me! 

(I picked up that pen holder at HAY in Copenhagen.)

First on the list: traditional Amsterdam apple pie at Winkel 43. What's not to love about a city that's famous for apple pie?! We also tasted another traditional snack, bitterballen. They were the perfect warm bite on a brisk evening. On our walk home, we passed the Anne Frank House. With such a short stay, we opted to do more discovery versus wait in long lines, but this will definitely be on my list for a future trip. Just standing in front of the house was a moving experience for me. 

City Vibes:

Amsterdam was a city with an overall leisurely pace. Different neighborhoods had very different vibes as I described at the beginning of the post, and we definitely preferred it by the canals near our hotel. There, the streets were relatively quiet and it was fun to watch bikers out and about. The women here were impressive. One mom had a baby and a preteen on her bike, pedaling up a cobblestone hill! It was quite the site. The canals were lined with nice shops and boutiques, and it was a perfect mix of new and traditional. 

Favorite Finds:

While breakfast at Pancakes Amsterdam may have been pretty touristy, it was nothing short of delicious! Tony ordered ham & cheese Dutch pancake, and I had one with yogurt and some of the most delectable strawberries I have ever tasted. Hut Spot was one of our very favorites. We got an Amsterdam print to add to the travel wall in our apartment (I will post a photo of the wall when we return). Wandering the streets we discovered Pluk café and boutique which was probably my favorite. There, I got a croissant phone case and an Amsterdam tote that has been perfect for carrying the souvenirs we are picking up along the way. 

(Pluk Amsterdam)

I also enjoyed Skin Cosmetics. I was in need of a serious skin detox after all of the trains and planes, and the saleswoman here was incredibly helpful. I picked up a mask by REN, a skincare company that "uses only 100% plant and mineral derived actives and is free from skin-unfriendly synthetic ingredients." I've used it twice so far and really love it! Stay tuned for an entire post about the beauty products I used and picked up on my travels. 

A final favorite: dinner at Papeneiland. We enjoyed toasties, bitterballen, and of course we couldn't resist another slice of apple pie. This one was the most delicious of all. 

Style Watch:

Style in Amsterdam was not nearly as defined as that in Copenhagen. Looks were overall casual and typically included sneakers. I did see women on bikes in stilettos! This city definitely inspired me to want to get my bike out more back in St. Louis. A few of my favorite looks on the streets: stripe tee + blazer + dark jeans and cream waffle knit sweater + dark jeans. 

Overall Impressions:

As I previously mentioned, I had few ideas or expectations when we arrived in Amsterdam. The city charmed me completely, and I would love to go back and explore more in the future! 

Coming soon to the blog - our Paris adventures! I cannot wait to share our four days in Paris with you. :) Just a reminder that you can follow me on Instagram @fleurdestlouis. It's much easier for me to post there on the go if you'd like more frequent updates. Tony is also posting wonderful photos @tonyclawsonstl. Until my next post (which will be an incredibly exciting one), I'll be taking in the beautiful scenery in Zermatt! 

Warm wishes and bon voyage from me to you,

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Bon Voyage: Copenhagen

Hallo from Amsterdam! We arrived yesterday evening, and before I let the city sweep me off my feet (just from our little bit of wandering I have a good feeling), I wanted to recap my first visit to Copenhagen!

Tony and I arrived in Copenhagen on Sunday and checked into our boat. That's right, we stayed on a boat! Everyone at CPH Living was incredibly nice, and our accommodations were just right. It was lovely to open the windows and feel a breeze on the water, and everything we wanted to explore was within walking distance. Not to mention, they provided a nice breakfast of fruit, yogurt, bread, cheeses, pastries, juice, coffee, and tea that was the perfect pick me up before we headed out for a day of exploring. 

City Vibes:
Welcoming, relaxed, laid back and cozy, cozy, cozy! I was expecting to feel the hygge here and Copenhagen did not disappoint. From candles on the tables at Copenhagen Street Food to blankets on almost every restaurant chair (I got cozy over dinner at mother), comfort and warmth surrounded us. The city was also incredibly clean with hardly any litter on the sidewalks and streets. Everywhere we went I felt very safe. 

(Cozy in Copenhagen at 55°F in late June)

Favorite Finds:
Tony found RIST Kaffebar where we started our full day of exploration. There, we grabbed a yogurt with muesli and two lattes. And how can I forget sweet treats at Lauras! The hindbærsnitte was a sophisticated Pop Tart that paired with my coffee wonderfully (second cup that morning...)! 

I also used the cityx60 Copenhagen book (link below) to learn a little bit about the city's treasures before we arrived. From that list, we shopped Scandinavian housewares at Hay House and had a beautiful experience at Cinnober Independent Bookshop where we picked up a notebook, a small rubber stamp for my bullet journal, and a guide to Amsterdam (more to come on this guide in my next post). Torvehallerne market was a fun stop for foods from around the world. We had tacos and gelato for lunch. 

I think my absolute favorite find of the day was one that wasn't on our list. This goes to show that wandering can be the best way to travel. We stumbled upon DORA after our morning coffees and couldn't get enough. Quite literally. We picked up two kitchen towels but already have a few more items that wouldn't fit in our backpacks in our online cart. We can't wait to add these new finds to our home for our own touch of hygge. I also have my eye on this necklace. You will instantly understand why! 

Style Watch:
Checking out the style in each city we visit is one of my favorite parts. On trend in Copenhagen: black tights and sneakers (usually black as well). Colors are generally muted (black, navy, gray, olive, tan) and jackets are a staple. Be it a classic trench, a black leather jacket, or a navy wool coat, even June can be brisk in Copenhagen and these layers shield from the wind with style. Scarves are ALWAYS a good idea. Women generally wear their hair pulled back in a pony tail or bun which has them bike or boat ready at a moment's notice. And the best accessory - a bike with a basket and bell. It was so fun to see how these were always an extension of the rider's overall style. 

(The Dune London shoes I picked up at Illum. I wanted something suitable for walking, yet also stylish. I'm always a sucker for bows. PS: This photo was taken at the botanical garden. Absolutely stunning! And free!)

Overall Impression: 
Love love loved it! We missed some of the more touristy things, but we decided before heading out on this journey that our goal was to get to know the city and its neighborhoods more than it was to check off the big attractions. Plus, I know we'll be back (we actually get a bonus afternoon the day before we fly home out of CPH). 

I hope you enjoyed a small window into our travels and maybe found some inspiration for your future travels! For more frequent updates, follow me on Instagram @fleurdestlouis. It's much easier for me to post there on the go. Tony is also posting wonderful photos @tonyclawsonstl. Until my next post, I'm off to explore Amsterdam! 

Warm wishes and bon voyage from me to you,

Lauren 

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June Giveaway: Sois Créatif

Sois créatif. Be creative. It's one of my missions here at Fleur de St. Louis, and this month I'm sharing a little creativity with you! One lovely reader will receive an adorable gold dot zip pouch filled with five of my favorite bullet journaling extras. :) 

This is my way of saying merci for reading, for continuing to stop by, for e-mailing and commenting and sharing so much love... and to spread the mission of Fleur de St. Louis which is to pursue your passions and live a life you love. 

To enter, follow me on Instagram @fleurdestlouis. Look for the post featuring this giveaway, and comment with your name and what brought you to the Fleur de St. Louis community. If you don't use Instagram, you can also comment below! I cannot wait to continue to connect with you!

Merci encore and warm wishes from me to you,

Bonjour BuJo (n°9): The Collections

Readers, you have spoken. It seems you enjoy bullet journaling just as much as I do. I know it has been several weeks since I've talked bullet journals on the blog, but today I'm back with one of my absolute favorite reasons to bullet journal - the collections. And you will see soon that several of my collections have a little French flair. :) 

You've set up the key. Your index is in place, and your future log is ready to keep you on track for any important dates coming your way. A monthly spread is ready for the start of a new month, and you're playing with some daily layouts or your simply letting it flow. These are the bullet journal essentials. You could stop here and have a fully functioning journal. But if you're anything like me, you're in to spicing things up a bit!

This is where the collections come in. I went back to the source for all things bullet journal to see how they defined collections:

Sometimes you’ll have notes and tasks that are related by a common theme or purpose. Rather than having all these related entries scattered across your Bullet Journal, simply create a Collection Module. Collection Modules, or Collections, are great for organizing specific lists (shopping list, reading lists etc), classes, and projects.

I've already talked collections on the blog, though I don't know that I called them by this name. You might remember my post about using your bullet journal to log your reading, or my post about using my journal to plan for Paris. Both of these are examples of collections in my journal. How do you start a collection? Go to the next blank page, make a heading, and index it. It can be smack dab in the middle of any month. By indexing it, you will be able to easily return even months down the road. With collections, they sky is truly the limit. This is where you take your bullet journal and customize it for your goals, interests and passions. 

Here are some other ways I have used collections in my journal:

(Places to Visit in Paris & Francophile Finds - a few of my very first collections.)

(a list of ways to live Simply Luxuriously every day)

(Food for Thought inspired by Fiona Ferris)

(le Français: des habitudes de travail - French study habits)

(inspiration for finding peace)

(Capsule Wardrobe - notes and inspiration from The Curated Closet)

And a few collections in my new journal:

(one month until Paris to-do list & my packing list)

Collections are as useful as they are fun. I hope my ideas here give you a place to start, but I know you could think of collections that would inspire me, too! If you do, please post them on Intagram with #FdSTLbujosetupseries. I would love to see them! Have a beautiful weekend!

Warm wishes from me to you, and happy journaling!

Bonjour Bujo (n°8): Setting Up the Dailies

(My lettering here was inspired by the beautiful work at Get To Work Book. I just put my own spin on it!)

Bonjour, journalers! Today's post is n°8 in the BuJo Set Up Series. After today, you will have all of the essentials you need to have a fully functioning bullet journal. Of course there are extras, but there is plenty of time for those once you journal for a while and get a feel for what works for you best.

The dailies will take up most of your journal. This is where you get the specifics down - plans, to-do's, notes, inspiration, and reflections for each day. There are several ways to go about setting up the dailies. When I started my journal, I was more of a "let it flow" girl. I would create a daily header (ex. Saturday 10.29.16) and then truly let it flow from there. Some days I would use the whole page. Some days I would only use a few lines. Wherever I left off at that day's end, I would create the header for the next day and continue the flow. This method definitely has its benefits. The freedom to journal in more detail was my favorite part. I could really reflect on my day, write down inspirational quotes from my reading, etc. Reading back on these is always a lot of fun. Here are some examples where I let it flow with my dailies: 

I found that once school was in full swing, I wanted to be able to see and plan my whole week. When you let it flow, this isn't possible. Of course you can always refer to your monthly spread, but for me that wasn't the same as seeing my week at a glance. This is when I transitioned into daily spreads. I could lay out the entire week on a Sunday night and be all set. This is also beneficial when your weeks get too busy to make heading designs daily. Of course the drawback to the spread is the pro of letting it flow: you lose out on space to really go deep on the journaling. It becomes more of a quick list. I do find, however, that weekly spreads look incredibly beautiful. Here are some of my weekly spreads: 

As is the case with all things bullet journal, there is no right way to do this. As I transition into summer, I can see myself getting back into the "flow" because I will have more time to slow down and reflect. As I have said time and time again, it's really about what your needs are and what works best for you... AND you can always change it up whenever you feel. :)

I hope you are enjoying your journaling process! In case you didn't catch the other posts in the BuJo Set Up Series, I will link them below. Thanks so much for stopping by. I would love to see images of your journal! Tag them on Instagram using #fdstlbujosetupseries. 

Warm wishes from me to you,

Fleur de St. Louis BuJo Set Up Series:
*Bonjour BuJo n°2: Journaling Essentials (and extras)
*Bonjour BuJo n°4: Setting Up the Key
*Bonjour BuJo n°5: Setting Up the Index
*Bonjour BuJo n°6: Setting Up the Future (& Birthday) Log
*Bonjour BuJo n°7: Setting Up the Monthly Spread

Bonjour BuJo (n°7): Setting up the Monthly Spread

Bonjour, fellow bullet journalers! It's been about a week since the last Bonjour BuJo set up post, and I am excited to announce that in just one more post after today, your journal will be fully up and running! Of course I will come back every now and then with tips that will help you personalize even more to fit your specific needs. :) 

Today, I'm showing you my monthly spreads. Immediately following my future log is my first monthly spread of the journal. This spread introduces a new section. It also acts as a more detailed future log for that specific month. I never set up my entire month at once, so sometimes I need to note down plans with friends, events, and appointments here. The future log does this on a much grander scale. The monthly spread allows you to begin to zoom in on that particular month in more detail. 

People lay out their monthly spreads in tons of different ways. A simple Pinterest search of "bullet journal monthly" reveals a wide variety of layouts, colors, elements, etc. I was really drawn to this particular image, and it inspired my February 2017 monthly. (Note that I often write days, months, etc. in French in my journal. I'm always looking for ways to add that bit of French flair!) Not only did this layout function beautifully, it inspired me to start using a monthly color scheme. The pens and highlighters chosen for this spread were carried throughout my February dailies as well (more to come on this). I loved this layout and color scheme idea so much, I've been using it ever since. It works for me. This is not to say I won't ever venture out and try something new, but for the time being I am consistently happy with this approach.

Below are photos of my February, March, April and May monthlies. One night this week, I got so excited for June (this is when my boyfriend and I leave for our European adventure) that I went ahead and laid that monthly out as well. I can't wait to share it with you. It is one of my favorites so far, and you will instantly see why. :) 

I return to this spread each week as I am planning. I love the little gold binder clips from the dollar section at Michael's. I always clip it around the monthly and the current week for easy access. My best advice when it comes to monthly spreads is to seek out inspiration and find something that functions well for you. And remember, you are always free to make a change in the new month. 

If you are following along and setting up with me, I would love to see your monthly spreads. Tag your images on Instagram at #fdstlbujosetupseries, or click this tag on my journal posts to see all of my images together. 

Warm wishes from me to you.
You're almost all set up!

Lauren