13 Apr 2015

Haven In Paris
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Are you familiar with Haven In Paris? They are a luxury apartment rental company with numerous locations in Paris, London, Provence, Tuscany and more.

I first came across there website when a friend referred me and I couldn’t stop perusing their listings! I knew I had to reach out regarding a few of their apartment rentals in Paris.

As you know, planning a trip abroad can be a tiny bit overwhelming. Am I right?! Finding just the right hotel or apartment rental is half the battle in my mind. You want something comfortable, cozy, clean and will meet your needs while abroad. The other stressful part is picking the location. When you’ve never been to a certain city before (or for a super short period of time), it can be hard to nail down a location or neighborhood that’s just the right fit.

For this trip in particular, we had already established that we wanted a hotel for London and an apartment rental for Paris, per friends recommendations! Luckily the hotel was easy. We discovered the Langham London so that part of the trip was planned in no time! Paris on the other hand was a little more difficult. Because so many friends recommended renting an apartment in Paris, I can’t tell you how many listings I looked at on Airbandb none of which came close to the type of listings we came across on Haven In Paris! Seriously, you guys. Haven In Paris rentals are everything you would imagine / would want when you are traveling to locations like Tuscany, Provence and Paris.

As soon as we discovered Haven In Paris, we were on our way to the cutest Parisian apartment in no time.

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This was the view we had from our living room balcony. A girl could get used to this – that’s for sure. Side note: there was a little antique furniture store right across the street called Lawren’s where I picked up a blue and white ginger jar that I will instagram soon. I mean is this FATE or what?!

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Here’s the view of our mantel. Note to self: need a gold parisian mirror in future home. Done.

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Here’s me and my BFF Carly from Dayton enjoying a glass of rose on the balcony. Did you know that rose is so cheap in Europe? 4 Euro a glass. Again, a girl could seriously get used to this.

Below are a few shots of our living room. <3

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Haven In Paris

The apartment was located in the Saint-Germain-des-Pres neighborhood of Paris. Little did we know before picking this apartment that Saint Germain is one of the best neighborhoods in Paris. We seriously LOVED this neighborhood and I would definitely stay here again. There were flower shops on every corner, cafes filled with people drinking espresso outside (even in 50 degree weather and yes, there were heat lamps), and we were a 5 minute walk from Notre Dame Cathedral and the Le Seine which has beautiful views of Paris.

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Renting through Haven In Paris made traveling to this magical city so worthwhile and EASY. One thing that I loved about working with them is that they have a personal greeter for when you arrive and depart the city. The greeters were very helpful especially when we first arrived – making restaurant and tourist recommendations, letting us know certain nuances about the apartment, how things worked like the dishwasher, washer and dryer, and even how to lock the door! Little things I didn’t even think about when beginning the process of renting an apartment that made our stay so much easier. Who knew Paris doors could be such a pain-in-the-ass to lock?

Last but not least, they take down your travel information (flight or train number and arrival time) and you’re able to call them if you run into any trouble or have a hard time finding the apartment which can be scary when arriving in a  new city where you don’t speak the language.

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All in all, our experience with Haven In Paris was nothing short of amazing which is why I’m personally recommending them to you, my lovely readers, and my friends (who are also lovely!) for future Parisian adventures.

For more information and apartment listings in Paris, Provence, London or Tuscany, head on over to Haveninparis.com.

 

*A media rate was offered by Haven In Paris for our stay.

13 Apr 2015

Strolling Notting Hill
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If I ever have the chance to live in London, there’s no doubt I would move to the Notting Hill neighborhood with a pastel pink door. Strolling Notting Hill was easily one of my favorite parts about our trip to London. I swear the neighborhood is straight right out of a movie! Our entire stay in London was a bit cold and rainy so visiting Notting Hill put a bright spot on the map for us. I’ve seen so many photos online & on Pinterest of Notting Hill so it was so fun exploring it for ourselves. I’ve received a few questions of where “exactly” we went and to be honest, we just strolled on and off the main Portobello Road. I promise you will find the colorful houses if you stick to the main road as your guide! And in case you missed it, take a peek at my previous London posts from last week right this way…

My Favorite Places To Eat & Shop In London

London Travel Style

The Top 10 Things To Do & See in London

 

12 Apr 2015

Serena and Lily Spring Favorites
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Happy Sunday! How was everyone’s weekend?

I spent most of my weekend in Connecticut hanging with Mike. It was nice to catch up on some major R&R after getting back from Paris last week – I have a few more travel posts to share with you this week so be on the lookout!

In the meantime, I was perusing Serena and Lily tonight and came across so many new items that are on point. They have me dreaming of summer – stat! These pinstriped pillows are a must. I’m also loving their acanthus pattern – the perfect pattern to compliment white patio furniture. Last but not least, if only I had space for the Hampton’s All Weather Rug. Yes, please! Happy Shopping! Xo. Lauren

Pinstriped Fouta Pillow Cover // Serena and Lily Camp Stool // Hampton’s All Weather Rug // Serena and Lily Rope Bin Collection (on sale!) // Riviera Side Chair // Fouta Color Block Towels // Darby Table Lamp // Scout Table // Hanging Rattan Chair // Acanthus Outdoor Pillow

7 Apr 2015

My Favorite Places To Eat & Shop In London
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Since we’ve already covered off on where to stay and what to do in London, it’s time we talk about two of my favorite things – eating and shopping!

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So I have to admit, London reminded me a lot of New York. Oxford Street is pretty similar to Broadway in SoHo NY which means AVOID AT ALL COSTS. The amount of people walking Oxford street was insane but luckily there are several must-visit department stores that were not on Oxford. Ironically, there is also a “SoHo” neighborhood in London which on the other hand is full of popular restaurants and bars (a must visit).

So here we go, my favorite places to eat and shop in London!

Where To Eat

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Brunch/Lunch

Dean Street Townhouse

Kensington Square Kitchen

Granger & Co. 

The Breakfast Club

The Dorchester

Tea

Sketch

The Cannaught

The Langham Hotel

Orangery

SoHo Hotel

Coffee

White Mulberries

TAP Coffee

The Hummingbird Bakery

Laduree

Milk Bar

Daylesford

Dinner

The Wolseley 

Burger and Lobster

Ottolenghi

Honest Burgers

Bodean’s BBQ

Geales

Where To Shop

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Selfridges 

Harrods

Liberty London

St. Christopher’s Place

The Kooples

The Whistles

Primark

Carnaby Street

A few highlights:

  • Dean Street Townhouse for lunch is a MUST.
  • Afternoon tea at sketch was an experience. The gallery where you have tea is all PINK – I’m talking pink walls, pink velvet chairs, and pink leather booths.
  • We had dinner at the Wolsely one night which is located in Mayfair, London – a great area of London to visit.
  • I mentioned White Mulberries here, but this is a great coffee spot prior to visiting the London Tower and Tower Bridge (walking distance).
  • Real talk. Does anyone watch Mr. Selfridge the TV series? I’m slightly obsessed so of course I had to visit the real Selfridges in London! You can’t miss it.
  • Last but not least, as requested you guys can view the London map I created in Google Maps RIGHT HERE!! I love creating a Google Map anytime I visit a new city as it helps me learn the neighborhoods before ever leaving my apartment. A few things to note about my color coding…the yellow pins are restaurants, the purple pins are shopping, the grey stars are tourist attractions. Some have descriptions, some don’t but all pretty straight forward.