Stirling Castle

Driving back to Gleneagles after the Open, we decided to continue 30 minutes further south to the town of Stirling.  In the distance we saw this huge mountain with an ancient castle on top. Stirling castle sits on a volcanic crag and holds a huge amount of Scottish history within its walls. It was built in the 12th century and has hosted many Kings and Queens. The William Wallace monument is across the valley and is majestic in its own right. Stirling is a quaint little town where I would like to spend some time if we ever go back some day. Loved it!

The Open Championship 2010

I had a very happy husband on this day.

St. Andrews

St. Andrews, Scotland is a lovely town on the Eastern coast of Scotland. It is the oldest university in Scotland and the third oldest university in English speaking parts of the world. Most recently, the most notable graduate was William, Prince of Wales, Diana's son.  Other famous alumni include Rudyard Kipling, Thomas Chalmers, John Cleese and Andrew Carnegie.

I had to snap a photo of this building and its door...the School of Classics...which would be a heavenly course of study!

                                          Quaint St. Andrews

                    Beautiful Victorian homes overlooking the water.

Next...the way I got DH across the big pond again...the 2010 Open Championship.

A Drive Up to Perth and Carnoustie

Perth, Scotland

Carnoustie Hotel/Clubhouse-Getting ready for a Seniors tournament

Tomorrow... St. Andrews

Scotland

I have so many pictures I would love to share. DH, Sav and I took just a little over 1000 photos. Every view was picture worthy and these still don't do Scotland justice.

Arriving in London

Train travel is the way to go! We wish the States had more train travel. We arrived at the quaint Gleneagles train station just outside Perth, Scotland.

We are in AWE of the beautiful Gleneagles estate.  Yes, this is our view out out of our fourth floor window (above).

Tomorrow, visiting Perth and Carnoustie. Be sure and check out Savannah's post below!

Witty Dialogue of a Fashion Conscious College Student #5: Special Travel Issue-Trend Spotting in Paris and Trend Focus on Europe!

Hello, everyone! :) It's Savannah. A couple days ago, I returned home from the trip of a lifetime. Scotland, England, and Paris were all amazing! I had so much fun spending time with my family as well as meeting new friends in my tour group. What a great highlight of my summer before college.

Last week, I did a special post on trend spotting in London and Scotland, a result of people watching and keeping tabs on street style in the UK. In this week's post, I'll continue my trend report by giving you all the lowdown on what's going down in Paris. Then, I'm going to break down outfits showcasing trends I saw.

But first...
Today is my best friend Katie's 19th birthday!! :D
Katie has been my bestie since freshman year of high school. We literally have everything in common, from our girly tastes to our love of good food and great scented candles and other wonderful things. She's practically a sister to me.
Love you, dear! <3
Well, she knows about my fashion obsession (and pretty much everything else), and she asked (well, "challenged," to be exact) me to make her a birthday set. I said yes, only on the condition that she wait until her birthday to see it. Well, here it is!

Dedicated to my bestest friend ever <3 (Happy Birthdayyy!) by bunnylemonade featuring Coach bags

Katie LOVES pink. Our dorm room is pink and blue (plus a myriad of colors and girly goodness), and she claimed pink as her signature color in our dorm. So, I incorporated tons of pink in her outfit. She's a Southern gal at heart, so I appealed to that part of her personality with a plaid shirt and laid-back flared jeans. I added her birthstone in the outfit (the rings--she LOVES rings), along with all kinds of beauty products. So, yeah! That's my bestie's special outfit.

On to Parisian trends. Everyone in Paris wears lots of different things, so it was hard to pick out specific trends, but I found lots of neat things that they liked and some things that surprised me.
Here's what I saw:

• "Parisian" style is often described monochrome--all black. However, I saw lots of color during my three days in the city. In particular, I did see black and pink, as well as black and red, along with lots of white.
• Everyone keeps it simple. I saw minimal jewelry--one piece was usually the most that people would wear.
• As in London, I saw lots of flats. However, I saw fewer sneakers and more ballet-flat style shoes.
• Perfume, as you may have guessed, is a big thing in Paris. Musky, floral, and rich scents are in fashion at the moment--I noticed very few fruity notes.

Now, here are three special outfits I made on Polyvore showcasing the trends I found.

i remember st. andrews like it was yesterday... by bunnylemonade featuring Converse shoes

I modeled my Scotland Trends outfit after what I wore to the British Open in St. Andrews. I mimicked (or at least tried to mimic) their style when I went to the golf tournament.
Comfort and warmth are important when traveling to Scotland in the summertime. Since it's up North, they experience lots of rain and mist, especially in the highland region, along with gale force breezes at times (When we were at the tournament, they had to suspend play due to strong winds).
As I mentioned before, darker colors are big right now in Scotland. I played up that trend by pairing a dark sweater with purple Converse and dark skinny jeans. I added a brimmed hat for protection against cold winds. To tie the look together, I brought a black leather backpack and shiny, dangling earrings with black crystals.

Stars Over London by bunnylemonade featuring Steve Madden shoes

One thing that I forgot to mention in my London trend-spotting segment was that I really enjoyed the Dolman-sleeved tops that fashionable ladies wore. They look so comfortable and effortless when paired with jeans or a simple skirt. I coupled a teal Dolman tunic with a black bandage skirt.
In keeping with the ditsy florals trend, I found and used a pair of black tights with floral lace. I'm pretty sure I saw those exact tights on the street. Flats, popular in London right now, complete the clothing portion of the outfit.
Jewelry and accessory-wise, Londoners love the things that tie their outfits together in just the right way. I incorporated some fun tassel earrings, a beaded bracelet, and a clutch with glittery studded rhinestone writing, all in black.
Winnie the Pooh and Eeyore are present :) I had to include them in my London segment. Who doesn't love classic Disney? (you probably guessed that I do already, ha)

Lovely Paris by bunnylemonade featuring Chanel bags

As I mentioned earlier in this post, Parisians keep things simple when it comes to clothing. I paired a basic tee with a flouncy floral skirt, and added some taupe boots to evoke a sweet, feminine, city feel. To keep the outfit uncluttered, I just used a headband, a necklace (it even says "oui"), and a vintage Chanel bag that I absolutely fell in love with.

Well, that concludes my special European segments! I really hope you enjoyed this special post and the one before (I'm glad that my internet connection is letting me use Polyvore again!).
If you liked these outfits, check out any of my earlier posts on Travels of a Book Loving Mom, or go to Polyvore.com and look up the username bunnylemonade. I have lots of travel-related outfits, along with some more fun and fashionable sets.

Au revoir until next Tuesday! <3

xoxo
Savannah

Witty Dialogue of a Fashion Conscious College Student #4: Trend Spotting in Scotland and London

Hello, everyone! It's Savannah, back after a wonderful day sightseeing in London! :D My apologies for being so late and missing a week; I spent the day flying overseas.

Due to the fact that my fashion-server-thingymajig Polyvore hasn't been behaving itself since we've been in  London, I won't be able to present any outfits this week relevant to travel or a new Disney character. However, since I am in Europe, I've been trend spotting in the cities I've visited. :) So, specially for the next two weeks, I will be mainly focused on the trends that I've found in London and Scotland.

Scottish Trends

• Dark colors run rampant on streets, but they're done very tastefully, along with a mostly neutral palette.
• People generally wore warmer clothes in Scotland, mainly due to the weather conditions there.
• Of course, Plaid is the most popular print (especially in clan tartans), but I did see some floral designs in darker colors.
• Leggings were popular in dark colors

English Trends

• Londoners wear whatever they want in any style, shape, and color. I've seen everything from basic jeans and tees to dresses and leggings to anything that looks put together.
• The general uniform in London is jeans or leggings; a dress, tunic, or t-shirt; flats.
• Speaking of flats, not many in London wear heels. (I wouldn't want to wear heels walking on cobblestones) Instead, they wear ballet flats, tennis shoes (or trainers in the UK), and Converse Chucks in every single color imaginable. If they do wear heels, they are usually thick stacked or wedge heels with an ankle strap.
• I've seen LOTS of ditsy florals and floral lace, mainly in tights. Lace and florals are big right now in Spring/Summer, and I have a feeling that those will be carried over to Fall/Winter somehow.
• Leggings are definitely in. They are worn usually with dresses and skirts.
• Skinny jeans are also in, worn, again, with dresses and skirts (like leggings/jeggings).

Alright, I think I've covered everything! :D If I missed anything, I'll do a big entry next week recapping anything extra from London. Next Tuesday, I'll be covering trends in Paris, different outfits covering all of these trends, some Disney magic, and maybe some surprises. ;)

If you want to follow me on Polyvore, my username is bunnylemonade. Polyvore is where I have the outfits that I usually post.

See you next Tuesday!

xoxo

Savannah

Jane Austen and Her Writing Desk

Yesterday we made it finally to the British Library. We had tried to go five years ago, but it was closed because of the London bombings.

I have been wanting to see Jane Austen's writing desk.  Along with the desk were her penned copies of Persuasion and Catherine. I can not begin to tell you how happy I was to see them!


The desk is a small sloping box that she would place on a table and was easily carried along for travel. Opened, it held paper, ink and writing instruments.

Jane Austen wrote to her sister, Cassandra, on Wednesday, 24 October 1798, from the Bull and George at Dartford:

I should have begun my letter soon after our arrival but for a
   little adventure which prevented me. After we had been here a
   quarter of an hour it was discovered that my writing and dressing
   boxes had been by accident put into a chaise which was just packing
   off as we came in, and were driven away towards Gravesend in their
   way to the West Indies. No part of nay property could have been
   such a prize before, for in my writing-box was all my worldly
   wealth, 7l.... Mr Nottley immediately despatched a man and horse
   after the chaise, and in half an hour's time I had the pleasure of
   being as rich as ever; they were got about two or three miles off.

"I have always imagined that Paradise will be a kind of library.”
Jorge Luis Borges

Home for the Next Two Weeks

First Stop-Gleneagles Hotel Perthshire, Scotland 2 nights

Balmoral Hotel Edinburgh, Scotland 2 nights

The Langham  London, England 5 nights

The Westin Paris, France 4 nights

Time to See the World

Washing, Folding, Rolling and Packing!
Company is coming to babysit the "granddogs" and soon we will be on our way!

Witty Dialogue of a Fashion Conscious College Student #3: More Travel, Peter Pan, and More Musings

Hey everyone! This is Savannah :) In case you missed last Tuesday, I'm Julie of Travels of a Book Loving Mom's daughter, an art student, and lover of travel. I guest blog every Tuesday with posts relevant to one of my favorite hobbies/passions: fashion.

This week's travel posts are dedicated to Frankfurt, Germany, and Sydney, Australia.

Loving Frankfurt by bunnylemonade featuring Versace shoes

The Frankfurt post all started with an amazing pair of Versace shoes. I really wanted to make a set out of those fabulous purple boots, and knew I needed to make two travel sets for you guys to enjoy. Thus, the Frankfurt set was born.
When I think of Germany, I think of a hip, urban country that's not quite London but not quite Paris either. Germany seems like it would have its own brand of style. With that in mind, I paired the purple booties with black skinny jeans, a black and white dress/tunic, and purple jewelry. The Betsey Johnson earrings allude also to one of Germany's nearby neighbors, Switzerland (I love Swiss Miss!). To top the look off, I added a fragrance: Vera Wang Glam Princess. I enjoyed creating this outfit; it's edgier than the other outfits I've done inspired by countries.

Starry Nights in Sydney by bunnylemonade featuring ASOS dresses

The Sydney inspired outfit has an unusual twist: it features a long, formal gown as opposed to a shorter dress or tunic. The main inspiration for the set came from the gown, which reminded me of pictures I'd seen of the Great Barrier Reef. So, I picture this outfit being used/worn for a fabulous red carpet event or evening party in Sydney.
The orange and pink heels bring out the warmer tones in the dress, as does the gold heart-shaped clutch. Once again, I've added Betsey Johnson earrings (I love her designs so much!) in the shape of crabs to keep with the undersea theme. Keroppi (the cute frog) is in there for good measure. :)

This week's Disney set in my ongoing Disney series was kind of a challenge. I wanted to do something different since I did Alice. I thought it'd be good to step outside of the Disney Princess box this week and try something new. At first, I thought of Tinkerbell, but then, since I'm going to London next week, I thought it'd be fitting to pay tribute to another leading lady of Peter Pan: Wendy Darling.

All it takes is faith, trust, and pixie dust. by bunnylemonade featuring Disney Couture jewelry

Wendy Darling, at the start of J.M. Barrie's Peter Pan, is the eldest of three children who doesn't want to grow up and depart from her childhood forever.
Wendy is one of the more mature characters in the Disney film, enough so to be called "mother" by the Lost Boys. 
The shirt dress is a modern take on the blue Wendy wears, as are the navy flats. The bows on the flats and the earrings are inspired by the bow in Wendy's hair. I also chose pink lipstick from MAC and pink nail polish by OPI to capture Wendy's innocence. The Disney Couture ring says "think a happy thought" (reminiscent of Peter), and the bracelet contains charms that pertain to the Disney film (and also the live-action version--there is a thimble charm). And, of course, the gold sparkles are reminiscent of Tinkerbell and her pixie dust. :)

For this week's random fun post, I decided to continue with my "Confessions of an Art Student <3" set and make a second part.

Confessions of an art student <3 (Part II) by bunnylemonade featuring Converse shoes

Just like the first "Confessions of an art student <3", Part II is a representation of my personality and stuff I like. I absolutely love feminine touches on anything along with bright colors, so I feel like this set represents me well. The camera is there because I actually love photography (my first semester freshman comp. class is studying photography! :D I'm so excited!). I love converse, Mac computers, anything romantic and cute, and fun, bright hues.

Alrighty, so that wraps up this week's Witty Dialogue of a Fashion Conscious College Student. :) Catch me next Tuesday where I'll discuss fashion in Europe, from Europe, and bring another Disney outfit along with a weekly random post.
If you want to follow my fashion posts on a regular basis, check me out on Polyvore.com, and search the username bunnylemonade. :)

xoxo
Savannah

P.S. Please keep the sweet Nugent family in your prayers. They are so dear to me and my family (I taught one of their sons how to draw), and I know they'll appreciate your prayers. Thank you, and God bless!