{what i loved this week}

on instagram:  I have been on a serious hunt for some fun colorful art to add to our collection- this one would be great!  Another amazing illustration by the talented Inslee.  I still cannot believe that timing worked out and we will be seeing Drake + The Weeknd in Paris in a few weeks!  Living vicariously through all the bloggers currently at NY fashion week.

on pinterest:  Anthropologie's Volcano candle has always been a great standby besides my favorite scent for our house, but now Target has an affordable duplicate!  A good reminder. 

in real life: Stuck in bed earlier this week battling a cold, I discovered seasons 1 and 2 of Scandal and now I'm officially obsessed. 

on the blogs:  A fun DIY framing alternative using acrylic on one of my fave home blog- The Hunted Interior.  An adorable mini cake perfect for Valentine's day. 

on the internets:  Net-a-Porter just launched their first print and digital magazine- if it is anything like their lookbook campaigns or impeccable branding then its going to be real good stuff!

on my wishlist:  Maybe the most perfect headboard ever made- would be especially fun for a guest room.  A great statement necklace perfect for layering over a simple t-shirt.  As soon as I'm back in the US, I'll be ordering one of these Valentino prints from ZGallerie.   

{friday cocktail: rose etoile}

On a recent trip to Le Grand Epicerie in Paris, I picked up a little tasting trio of flavored liqueurs including rose, pear & violette, but have yet to use them in a cocktail.  With Valentine's approaching next week, I figured a recipe using the rose liqueur would be about as perfect as you can get.  Loosely based on this recipe, I created a champagne cocktail with a base of gin and lemon then added a splash of the rose liqueur.  Since real vanilla beans are disturbingly cheap here in France, I also made up a tiny batch of vanilla simple syrup to give the cocktail that extra sweetness.

Cheers!

{36 hours in Barcelona}

Last week, we hopped on a plane and spent 3 days in sunny Barcelona staying in an awesome Airbnb apartment and soaking up all the Catalonian flair the city has to offer especially the tapas and breathtaking architecture!  If you are ever on a trip through Europe then you absolutely must carve out time to experience Spain.  While we spent a nice long weekend in Barcelona, you could definitely get all the major sites into a 36 hour trip.  Here is a little itinerary I put together based on activities we did on this trip as well as the time we visited almost 10 years ago.

STAY AT:  We shopped around on Airbnb in Barcelona and ended up with a huge apartment with a lot of modern Spanish charm and the price was cheaper than a mediocre hotel.  If you are going with a group I would recommend this one or this one!

GRAB LUNCH AT:  After settling into your place and freshening up head out for some tacos, chips/salsa and refreshing tequila palomas at La Taqueria (in case you were wondering- a lot of restaurants in Europe don't have real websites and opt to use Facebook instead- I don't really get it.)

TAKE A TOUR AT:  Right around the corner from La Taqueria is the crown jewel of Barcelona, La Sagrada Familia.  The Gaudi-designed church is still in the process of being built, but the breathtaking inside is complete and you can freely wander around.  This place is one of the top 5 sights I have ever experienced and it is absolutely not to be missed.

GO SHOPPING AT:  Head over to Las Ramblas to wander around the little boutiques and stop in at the famous covered Boqueria St. Joseph where you can grab some street food.

GRAB COCKTAILS AT:  Freshen up for dinner and head out for cocktails around 9pm at Old Fashioned where you will find an extensive menu of hand-crafted cocktails including an entire page dedicated to specialized Gin & Tonics which are crazy popular all around Barcelona.

GRAB DINNER AT:  Make a reservation for 10pm at Bambarol (any earlier is the senior special in this town) and enjoy one of the most amazing meals we had while visiting.  The service in Bambarol is top notch and they will happily guide you through their delicious tapas menus (both chefs here previously worked aty El Bulli).  Our total bill for 4 people that ate like kings and ordered a bottle of Cava along with a bottle of wine was only 110Euro!

GO OUT DANCING AT:  The W Hotel in Barcelona is set out on it's own along the coast with unobstructed views in every direction with their Eclipse Bar (its really more of a club) situated up near the top floor.  Clubbing is like a second job for people in Barcelona so you should definitely work in a night out for your itinerary.

GET BRUNCH AT:  Recover from your night out with breakfast at Brunch & Cake which is an adorable little cafe near the upscale shopping district.  I had a french toast here that almost made me cry it was so good.

ON YOUR WAY OUT:  Spain is the mothership of Zara (basically my favorite store) so you simply have to stop into one of the huge flagships here before leaving!