smitten kitten | anthropologie

I am completely obsessed with Anthropologie. I love everything about the store. They have the most amazing clothing and everything is styled with a touch of feminine whimsy - modern vintage, if you will. There's a location that's dangerously close to work and {I'm only slightly embarrassed to say} that the girls who work there know me by name.

Do you know what else fuels my obsession? Man Shops Globe. It's a series on the Sundance Channel that follows Keith Johnson, Anthropologie's buyer-at-large, as he travels the world in search of unique and inspiring peices to sell at and style Anthropologie stores. My favorites include Paris {of course} and Italy. Check it out for yourself on Wednesdays.

a little something extra : if you sign up for Anthropologie's free anthro card, they send you a little present for your birthday. My birthday is next month, so I'm looking forward to receiving a card with a special discount in the mail!

*images via here, here, here and here

the road less traveled

It's no surprise that I love to travel, as evidenced here, here and here. So when I discovered Backroads Travel, I got so excited. I'm not really a fan of organized travel or anything where I'm on someone elses' schedule (I prefer to make my own), but this company receives good reviews, even if they are a little pricey.

Backroads specializes in off-the-beaten-path tours of some amazing countries that offer the opportunity to be active and explore destinations in new ways.

Ever wanted to hike the Amalfi Coast?

~image courtesy of trip atlas~

How about bike your way through Bhutan?

~image courtesy of adventure collection~

You may, like me, have a Cambodian adventure on your list of things to do before you die. Check it out and check it off.

~image courtesy of siem reap driver~

Backroads also has exploration packages that take you out and about in the U.S. and Canada.

This company is definitely on my list of things to try out.

Where does your active adventure take you?

wanderlust

Every year or so, I get a major case of wanderlust. Don't get me wrong, I want to travel all the time, but when wanderlust hits, it's almost uncontrollable and must be satisfied right away. The only thing that cures it is an international trip. Not just one to Mexico or Canada, but a real, honest-to-goodness getaway, complete with a researched list of must-sees, must-dos and must-eats, a lengthy airplane ride, a camera and foreign funds.

My last trip took me on a solo tour of Copenhagen (or at least, that was the plan). I got really ill and only managed to drag myself out of the hotel and hospital for one day. But it was enough to make me want to come back and explore more.

~my hotel, the avenue~

~the courtyard view from my room~

~city hall square~

~tivoli gardens~

Some of my friends are currently in Europe, and can I tell you? I'm so jealous. With work and wedding planning taking priority, my next international excursion will have to wait. So, while I'm trapped inside the oven that is an Arizona summer, my friends are galavanting around, eating, drinking, discovering. On the plus side, I get to live vicariously through their photos. And there are plenty of great shots to share, so if you try really hard, you can imagine yourself there with them.

Thanks to my dear friend Ziggy for taking us to Switzerland, Italy and Greece!

~chateau de chillon at lake geneva in switzerland~

~picture perfect swiss street~

~true french macarons~

~the italian coast~

~pizza umbertos in italy~

~santorini. looks like a postcard, non?~

~authentic gyro. yum!~

~just like heaven~

What country is currently calling your name?