Sometimes I channel Rachel Zoe and then ...

Modern Eyelet Necklace c/o In Honor of Design

... I wake up and am the real Sarah.

The cheeeese/ham of the nation.

the one who makes my husband belly laugh  because I am very seriously holding a bottle of wine and eating my sandwich as I walk the streets of Basel.  

...

I am really excited today.

Yesterday when I opened my mailbox, I found more than cobwebs and german flyers ...

 I found a package!

From the prettiest designer/mom/blogger out there.

Anna from In Honor of Design

Who is celebrating reaching some big mile markers for her business and blog!

She's reached the BIG leagues.

The ones that matter ... the Etsy & blogging big leagues.

I adore her jewels, baubles, gems.  they add the perfect amount of color and sparkle to complete the outfit.

I've bought earrings for myself ... at $7, how can I resist?!  

And a few presents for family and friends as well... it's only fair.

The prices are just right, its quality jewelry, and the packaging is adorable.

When gifting yourself or someone else ... the safe choice is 

In Honor of Design

Congratulations Anna !!!

rhine riviera

I'm {proudly} from the gulf coast of Florida.  Which means I like my water at bath temperature.  Jumping in the Rhine was a big step for my west coast FL loving heart.  The hardest part was jumping in.  Once in, I was happy as a clam ... it was refreshing.  The current moves you down so quickly too - it was a little like a lazy river.  

We took my olympus underwater camera which was JB's first ever Christmas present to me way back when.

{scared.  anticipating the cold.}

{happy. can't wait for the cold!}

{even though i'm scared of the chilly temps... what do i do?  glace. i can't resist}

love you rhine riviera.  

see you soon.

weekend outfit and a guest post

{above photo taken before the heat wave of 2011 hit}

...it is hotter than blue blazes here...

as in 95 degrees today!

... just last week I was wearing a coat.

You're a tricky one, swiss weather.

Tomorrow, we're attempting swimming the Rhine to cool off!

...

Not much to report on other than I'm blogging over on Sienna's amazing fashion/travel blog,

petite voyageur

If you don't know Sienna ... well girlfriends - get to.  

She travels all over and wears gorgeous clothes.  what a charmed life!

Enjoy a few Stalker-like collages I made of her past months travels.

Lately Sienna's been in Morocco, Greece, Italy, Spain, & is currently lounging in the south of France!

&

I'm over on Suzzie V's blog talking about health.  (:

Read HERE!

Hope you are all having a great start to your week!!

xox

Packing for a Seaside Holiday

A couple people have asked for a little packing guide.

If you were looking for a specific list.  i like these: here and here 

For our next big trip we'll be heading to Croatia in a couple of weeks.  yes i did this real early. just for y'all (:

a little seaside holiday for 9 days.

So naturally, I plan on staying near the seashore, poolside, or on the bow of a boat for as most of that time.

which requires swim suits!

and ok, ok ... we'll be doing some touristy things too.

wandering around the towns ... I'll need clothes for those jaunts. (:

Since I'm only taking my backpack, I'll need to condense as much as possible.  

Thankfully we will have a washing machine as soon as we get to Dubrovnik for the last four days of our trip.

So here's my little visual list.

do you wanna know what's awesome?

i got all of those pieces for under $10 a piece. 

the target and old navy ones were $1.99!!

& of course a strapless bra.  the best one i've ever met.

.... and lots of underwear.   

odds & ends. for Paraben free travel (:  

(aside from my make up and toothbrush)

alpha beta glow pads - the best self tanner on the go. 

tom's sensitive toothpaste.

hair ties - don't forget!  i have before, and it wasn't pretty.

vitamins; tumeric, probiotic, magnesium, peppermint(for nausea)  ... 

& advil and benedryl for any allergies that may arise.  

emergen-C ... I take these before I step foot in an airport and at the first sign of a little cold.

my mom's organic skincare products in little sizes. 

tom's travel size deodorant 

pureology travel size shampoo & conditioner ... I actually bought this in bulk online ... 20 bottles. i'm craaazy.

camera, charger & carry on case.  this time i am only bringing two lenses.  the 50mm & 18-55.

normally i don't travel with the case, but i'm going to be extra cautious.

the kindle - for reading and also uploading my travel itineraries on PDF's.

Passport

sleep mask.  I don't travel without one.  they've really come in handy for me when i need extra zzzzz's.

dalmatian coast travel guide.

i-touch.  download the text-now ap and I can keep in touch with fam & friends wherever wireless is present.

extra memory card.  since i won't have my computer with me to upload, this will be necessary.  

converter plug.

...

As for what I wear to the airport?

jeans. a cardigan. one of those shoes from above ... the high heels if my bag is having trouble closing. (:

...

If y'all like this ...  I'll post on a chillier trip ... when we go to Russia and Berlin in August!   

Bite Size Health Tip #1

I am usually a little sheepish about sharing health advice.
But my heart has been tugging on me a bit to do it here. . . 

First, a little background for anyone who may be new here.  

 Once upon a time I was a teacher.

I've taught personal and community health to high school students and Ole Miss college kids.

I've got an M.S.

in Health Promotion.

Basically, public health with an emphasis on prevention. 

Most recently, I was working in an edible schoolyard.

Gardening with kids, picking the fruits(&veggies) of our labor and then cooking, tasting, and 

enjoying them.

My main squeeze is veggies and fruits.

In grad school I was solely devoted toward ways to get kids to eat more of them, 

thus preventing quality of life stealers like cardiovascular disease, obesity, hypertension, diabetes etc.

...

So I thought, every once in a while, I should post on, what else?  

HEALTH

because above all, i'd really love my readers to be healthy.

healthy = happy

& I'm breaking them down into easily absorbed bite sized health tips.

...

So today's health tip/challenge ...

DRINK MORE WATER

Why?

• First of all, the human body is made up of 60-65% water.  
• Eight glasses of water a day helps maintain our health.  But sometimes quantity might vary depending on life-style, nutrition, where you live (i.e. in FL, you'll need more).
• Our bodies need so much water because almost every single cell in our bods need water to function properly.
• Our lungs expel about 3 cups of water through normal breathing - a day!
• When we perspire, (not including exercise) we eliminate two cups of water a day.
• soft drinks slow down the absorption of fluids into the body.  
• drinking water helps you prevent overeating

...

Ways to drink more water:

#1.  I drink a BIG glass of water first thing in the morning.

I've gone 8 or so hours without a drop of water, my body is dehydrated!

via

#2.  If you have a hard time drinking just water, 

{please do not drink crystal light or anything with saccharin}

you can always drop some refreshing fruit in a pitcher or your glass.

The above photo is for a shower- so my mom and i went a little overboard!

But for some good fruit infused water use: cucumbers, kiwis, strawberries, lemon, lime...

#3, chart it!

I haven't done this, but it might help you.   free printables - found here.

via

#4.  Always carry a water bottle with you (BPA free, of course)

Make sure its cute.  

I don't know why, but when my bottle is cute, I drink more water.

vain = me & my bottle

(no picture or this one)

#5.  Look at your urine. 

if it's clear, you're drinking enough.

If it's dark and smells funny, you may not be drinking enough.

(of course, ask your doctor if you drink more water, and it's still dark)

#6.

drink herbal tea!

...

Hope this post encourages you to drink more water (:  

Let me know if there's a specific health topic you'd like me to cover in the comments.

& 

with everything, don't overdo it!

It is possible to have water intoxication, hyponatremia - basically depleting your body the sodium it needs.

So with everything, moderation.  

Frenchie Friday

I'm a weird bird in that i love to grocery shop.

whole foods tends to send me over the edge in sheer bliss.

so i headed into france for a little trip to the Gaent.

basically, frances walmart.

I could write an entire thesis on the bane of walmart.

for one, the lighting.  that darn fluorescent lighting.  

it drives me craaayzeee.

and makes me look like a zombie.

...

BUT every now and then I crave a little americana in my life.

i had to see what the frenchies version of walmart was all about.

verdict - loved it.  despite poor lighting too.

for their cheese selections alone i will go again.

ohhhh everything really is better in france.

going to make a proper cheese plate tonight!  

oh my YUM.

xoxo

...

over HERE guest posting too!  

Where we hang our hats on European Holidays ...

From time to time I get asked for travel advice.

Thus, the birth of this little series begins.

Starting with, "where the heck do you stay while in Europe?"

And for us,

It depends on the place we're headed (:

While we have spent two nights in a hostel in the past; for couples, they just aren't ideal or cost efficient.   

In fact, the most expensive place we've rested our heads was actually a hostel.  

...

The scenario: We had just arrived in Switzerland last year, left to Germany for a baseball tournament a day after our arrival, then they ran out of rooms at the hostel, and asked for us to stay with the team.  

sorry but i don't sleep in a room with 8 boys I just met that same day.  or to be honest, ever.

jb was not keen on the idea either.

So we shelled out 150 Euros on a hostel down the street.

in short, we learned our lesson!

...

 We don't spend anymore than $100 on hotels.

If we stay in a hotel, it is generally in big cities and we do priceline or hotwire for 4 stars.

We have been pleased as punch every time.  

Every single time they've been in central locations, with comfy beds, and sometimes have provided breakfast.  

We've pricelined/hotwired for:

 Amsterdam,Milan, Prague ($50, amazing breakfast, free internet, free business lounge with all the coffee/espresso/treats you want during the day), Paris, Vienna ...

Of course I'm always checking Jetsetter or Snique Away for a good deal too.  

...

We also love bed and breakfasts!

For this, we check tripadvisor or booking for ratings and prices.

Then go from there.

Ones we've stayed at and can recommend:

Casa De Billy  - in Barcelona

Villa Sofia - Positano

Villa Vicini - Venice

Roman Holidays - Rome

We've also stayed in someone's flat while they are off vacationing - you can find one at VRBO

...

But our favorite, and newest discovery - Agriturismo!

These are farm houses in Italy - you can find lots of these farm houses for hire all throughout Europe too!

For our last vacation we stayed at Santo Stefano 

I fell in love with the view out our window, the olive trees, the wine cellar, the vineyard in the distance,  the homemade fig and apricot jam every morning, and our gracious hostess Elena.

 Here are a few pictures of sweet santo stefano.

What other travel related questions do you have?

Be sure to let me know  (:

xoxoxST

our little {married} hometown

Basel, Switzerland.

Our little {married} hometown.

I love it.

truth be told, i don't want to leave here come fall.
thank goodness it is the FIRST DAY OF SUMMER!
yay!

For now I am soaking up every drop of the suisse life.

{leyendeker shirt, gap trouser jeans, asos wedges, michael kors watch, f21 belt}

always a good day when you catch the "i love you" tram in basel.

they were shorter back then.  in 1438!
 in Basel next to or above the doors it always tells how old the building is.  

hydrangeas make me happy!

XoXo, ST

:::congrats to Diana @ New York State of Mind, you won your print of choice from Christine's collection of beautiful photos!   :::