SHORT TRIP ESSENTIALS

Hey guys, heading to London as you read this!

Thought it could be fun to share here a list of my essentials when packing for a short trip. I'm a pretty light packer (I think), even though I sort of wish I could take all of my shawls with me!

- a good book
- an iPhone with a good playlist and lots of podcast episodes (plus it's a great camera)
- lipstick + hand lotion
- an umbrella (ok not an essential but I'm going to London so sort of!)
- a small knitting project
- paper tissues
- lots of socks and underwear
- bandaids (for the inevitable moment where your feet will hurt…)
- international plug
- lots of warm layers; pictured here: a shawl, a sweater, and socks
- sunglasses (for when you don't need the warm layers)
- snacks and water. blueberries anyone?
- Birkenstocks <3


So, what's on your list for short trips?
xx

DOCUMENTING A TRIP WITH PROJECT LIFE

Last Summer, i left for London for a quick holiday. When i came back,with my camera full of photos and my head full of stories, i wasn't to sure how to document it all. Had it been a 2/3 weeks trip, i might have made a mini album. For a very big trip (like the 4 months i spent in Canada), it would have been a full 12x12 album. In this case, i decided to include those 4 awesome days spent in London directly to my Project Life album, treating it almost like a regular spread. A spread with just a bit more photos let's say. 

Curious about my process? It's super simple. Here's how to document a trip, PL style, in just 5 steps and a few hours:

1// Print all your favorite photos in a bunch of different sizes: 4x6, 4x3, 6x12... Put them in your page protectors. I myself arranged them by day, then hour, then just because one looks pretty next to that other one ;)

2// Grab your box probably full of hundreds of different Project Life cards, and start putting one in every empty pocket. Most of mine were from past Studio Calico PL kits, plus some from the Midnight edition and finally some from die cuts sheets. I like to mix and match, but of course you could stick to a collection or a color combo if that's more your style. Just remember to alternate between pretty cards just here to decorate and journaling cards so you can move on to...

3// Grab your favorite pen and write everything about your trip. Why did you take it? How did you get there? What did you do? Visited? Loved? Loved not so much? Everything you want to remember, you write! I use various techniques to help me tell the stories, like fill in the blank cards, top 5, quotes... 

4// Embellish! Letter stickers, enamel dots, stamps... Whatever you like best. Also, it's very much ok to put stuff ON your photos. White space was meant for that if you ask me. As you can see, i didn't embellish much. Mostly because i thought the photos were enough, but that's up to you.

5// Memories recorded! Well done. Go and make new ones now. 

I'm thinking Copenhagen right now. What about you?

LIVING ON A BOAT

Once upon a time there was a girl who dreamed of another life. By the water. And the flowers. With no cars and grey buildings. Then she went for a long summer walk on the Regent's Canal. And she fell in love. With all of this:

All photos edited with Radlab

WILD & FREE

I knew i wouldn't really "leave" Paris this Summer, at least not for long. Most of my friends did, dreams of sunshine and water and sand in their head. Me, i decided to go to London for a few days. Even though i could see their puzzled looks: "London? that's not very Summer-like... is it?" Well, the thing is, to me, London is so much more than this cool big city with musicals and Big Ben and stuff like that. It's always wild, green, mysterious and beautiful. First there are the big parks in the city, St James' and its wild flowers, Hyde Park with its music festival. A little farther, Hampstead Heath and its ponds, its forest, its hills. And there's also my very favorite, Regent's Canal. But that's another story. For now, a few pictures of the London i see, and love.

all photos edited with Radlab

And remember, "all good things are wild & free".

LONDON CALLING

All photos were taken with my Canon EOS 60D or my iphone 4S. Edited with Radlab

Back from London, sadly. I had the most magical time over there, as i do everytime. Lots of walking around without purpose, lots of shopping, lots of food and lots of fun. A few of my favorite adventures:

Swinsuit time at the pond of Hampstead Heath

Walking in St James' Park

Shopping breaks in Urban Outfitters

Billy Elliot

The Camden Market

The Regent's Canal

The Breakfast Club

The people

The sunshine

Boy i want to go back. Like right now! 

LONDON CALLING

Some big, scary, exciting changes are coming my way so i thought i deserved some fun first. It's a funny story actually. I was just watching Sherlock the other day on my TV, and twitted something like "hey, when are we going back to London". And then a friend of mine said "hey i'm going there next week, come with me". And that's how, 24 hours later, i had a hotel room and eurostar tickets booked for a week in London. You only live once right? 

I am leaving first thing Saturday morning, and because i do love my to-do lists a bit too much, i'm planning like crazy right now. I've been to London a couple times already so i'm probably not going to do too much tourist stuff this time. If there's any Londoner/English over here, please feel free to share your favorite spots in the city, i might go check them out!

2012: CANADA TOP 10

Hello there! Sorry for the silence over here, i was busy moving back to another country! Home again, in Paris, for at least 6 months! But before thinking about the new year to come, let's continue with my 2012 best of, with a Canada special edition.

The last four months have been incredible and filled with little and big adventures. Here are my 10 favorite moments:

1// Making new friends. Lots of. From everywhere. My school keeps on saying that an exchange is made for studying, but i keep on thinking it is made for meeting people, incredible people.

2// Seeing whales! No matter how cold it got on the Zodiac, getting to see whales for the first time was incredible. I've always been very impressed (and a little scared) by the sea and all that's within and getting so close to some not so little whales was pure magic!

3// Indian Summer. I heard a lot about it, and i really didn't see how the beginning of Fall could be so different than in Europe. Well, i got it now. I saw leaves turning red, orange, purple, gold and a zillion over variations. One of the most beautiful phenomenon offered by lady Nature

4// Going to Washington (i'm in love with this city!) and seeing my sweet friend Josh for the first time in 2 years. Starting to make plans to go back there...

5// The Niagara Falls! It was a-ma-zing! Even though the site is very very touristic, the falls are incredible. And i once again felt very tiny

6// Canadian snow. We don't get that much snow in Paris, or at least it never last very long. Waking up to a white Ottawa is one of my fondest memory.

7// THE best night out with the girls in Toronto. Lots of fun, laughter, bad karaoke, crazy sweet people and dancing. 

8// The first road trip. Girls only! I LOVE road trips (even though i still don't have a license), and this exchange was full of them. A lot went wrong (hello Toronto traffic!) but that's what made it priceless!

9// Safari in the omega park. I fed deers! Saw baby bears, and arctic foxes. Then our windows got stuck wide open and we had to drive an hour by −5°. Lots of fun! 

10// Alice! When in Central Park, the Alice in Wonderland statue were a compulsory stop! One of my favorite book growing up and one of the reason i really really wanted to go to Central Park. It's beautiful ♥

My exchange is now over, but the fun is only beginning. I can not wait to start scrapping all these memories!

2012: FAVORITE PLACES

In 2012 I had some amazing opportunities to travel and discover new cities, countries and even continent! I truly love to travel and 'confront' my culture and beliefs to those of other people. There is just SO much to see in this world and I have spent 2012 trying to soak in as much as i could.

I spent a week in London for a seminar in June, and even though it is only a 2 hours train ride from Paris, the two cities could not be more different. When most parisians seem to always be on a hurry and sometimes so very judgmental, i love Londoner famous 'phlegm' and openness to difference and personality. Would definitely love to live there for a few years!

During the Summer, my sister bachelorette party took me to Barcelona, Spain where we enjoyed lots of cocktails and sun-time at the beach. And let's not forget about the tapas! This precious girls' time was probably the best way to kick off this Summer 2012! Weekends away with my sister always make the Top 10! 

2 months later, it was time to fly south again, all the way to Portugal for my nephew's baptism. The beach, the palm trees, and lots of sunshine in family. That was actually the first time in 5 years that i spent the summer holidays with my folks as i had been working most summers since i turned 18, and i am so grateful i got those holidays to enjoy before i start working god knows where.

Finally, with September came the biggest adventure of my life so far. I moved in to Ottawa, Canada! Almost 4 months later, i got to meet incredible people, see whales in a little city up north of Quebec, feed carrots to baby deers, sleep on the beach of Toronto's island, started exercising and loved it and froze to death when it started to get so very very cold.

Of course, once I was in Canada, going to the US became so very easy and before you knew it, i was in Washington DC! One of my dear friends lives there and i got to see him after almost 3 years living on 2 different continents! One of my favorite memories of the last 4 months! The city is absolutely gorgeous and so much more peaceful than New York, it's busy busy neighbour. Just add Broadway to DC, and I'm moving right away!

Next stop you'll ask? Paris of course! Because when it comes to Christmas, there really is no place like home!

It's your turn now: Where did 2012 take you? What was your favorite place to be this year? I'd love to read your story!