Marc Cain

look 1: Dress, Bracelet c/o Marc Cain | Belt: H&M| Bracelets c/o Poshlocket | Sunglasses: H&M (similar and in mint)
look 2: Dress, Jacket, Cowl Bracelet c/o Marc Cain| Boots: Banana Republic (old, but ill take these) : Bracelet c/o Poshlocket | Watch: Asos (similar)

I am sure you all noticed a few pieces in recent posts by Marc Cain.

I have worked with a lot of companies over the years

long before I started blogging...

One of the first ones when I was in my early teens..

Von Dutch anyone?

yikes.

Hearing that name alone will shoot you back in time to the land of styled baseball type caps.

shudder.

I love when I get the chance to work with a clothing company that produces well tailored clothes,
and has great customer service too.

Marc Cain recently sent me some of their pieces from their new Autumn line.

I am beyond impressed with the quality of their clothes.

They are not forever 21 type pieces or prices

(although I do love me some F21).

I made the HUGE mistake of cheaping out on clothes when I first moved to the UK.

Winter rolled around and my "winter coats"

from southern california,

were obviously not keeping me warm,
and my feet were getting soaked and freezing on a daily basis from my poor quality boots.

There were so many days I cried coming home, or walking to the University,

because I just did not know how to dress for this type of weather,

and all of my F21 and H&M clothes were not keeping me warm or dry at all.

I have since learned the magical gift of layering 

(and by layering i mean wearing every item of clothing in your closet )

and of spending more money on one or two quality items that you can wear over and over again.

This sweater (seen here)? One of those items worth spending your cash on for autumn and winter in colder climates.

And if you want to be cute and go on a date night and not look strange in your 50 layers,

these dresses (seen above and here) are thick, longer, and a much better option than your typical LBD.

I just think that this is a legit company and wanted to share my experience with their clothes,
 because I wish someone would of guided me in the right direction clothing wise before I moved to the UK.

Wedding- Little Details and Gifts

all via my NI wedding board 

When it comes to planning I am a master at hammering out the bigger details...

Venue-check

Band-check

Photography-check

String Quartet-check

etc. etc.

But when it comes to the little details that really make the day special,

I am at a loss.

Flowers,

centerpieces,

linens,

place settings,

I just don't know where to go or what to do.

If I was in the USA it would be a lot easier,

because I know who to contact, or my bridesmaids know who to contact,

but in a small place like Northern Ireland?

I have no idea.

It is also pretty safe to say that the style of weddings in the UK is often very different than the style of weddings in the USA, so it is harder to find vendors and stores that carry items in the look I am wanting.

So I am taking a breather and focusing my attention on something easier,

like bridesmaids gifts and groomsman gifts.
Gift giving is my love language.

I think getting something for the ladies is easy..

like the little engraved rings I've seen on pinterest,

nice perfume,

jewelry,
etc.

Groomsmen is a little harder,

Here are a bunch of groomsman gifts; I like the idea of the engraved cuff links here.

We only have one groomsman (the best man/Stephen's little brother),

plus my little brother who is walking me down the aisle.

We had the idea of just purchasing their suits so they actually can keep them other than renting one that doesn't fit that well.

(Every young man needs one nice suite)

so maybe the addition of a unique cuff link would tie the whole thing together?

What did you all do for bridal party gifts? Or what was the nicest one you have ever seen/received?
Give me the goods.

Amsterdam without the red lights

I am going to marry the crap out of that

belt c/o marc cain | jeans: JBrand | sweater: H&M (similar) 

So now that I got the "taboo"/most talked about part of Amsterdam out of the way,

I would like to talk about Amsterdam aside from the Red Light District,

because obviously that is a very small part of this awesome city.

S and I only had a few days here,

and definitely want to go back when Liz and her hubby are actually in town.

It isn't one of those places you go to chill out and relax,

it is super high energy with thousands of bikes everywhere you go,

with little room for both walkers and bikers on the same path...

(definitely almost got hit by a biker a few dozen times).

It is a lot bigger than I had expected,

and A LOT cleaner.

One of the first things I noticed was how incredibly clean it was,

and then I got a little envious because Glasgow is just not a very clean city.

Liz's place is STUNNING and on probably one of the best streets there,

tucked a little bit away from the crazy hussel and bussle,

situated right on a canal.

Speaking of Canals,

that was my favorite part.

I could sit along the canals all day and watch the boats go by,

drinking a glass of wine and nibbling on bread and cheese.

For the first time in awhile,

I also didn't feel like the minority.

This city is such a melting pot of people.

I heard so many american accents,

whereas in scotland, I maybe hear one (other than my own) once or twice a month.

It made me feel a bit more like living in LA with all of the diversity.

With only a few days there we didn't sight see as much,  or eat at all of the great recommendations as we would of liked,

But I highly recommend this stop on any travelers agenda,

and fully intend on going back.

Amsterdam and its Red Lights

not a prostitute

On Saturday night in Amsterdam I turned to Stephen and was all

"hey babe, want to go see some prostitutes?"

He hesitated, but then obliged...

such a good fiance.

Now before you get all,

I CANT BELIEVE YOU WENT TO SODOM AND GOMORRAH on me,

let me explain.

Prostitution is everywhere,

it may not be on as much display as in Amsterdam,

but it is worldwide.

One of the main contributors to the problem is those that keep the need for these "working" women alive,

and that is western men.

So whether we like it or not,

we encounter one or the other all of the time.
It is just easier to turn a blind eye to it in other parts of the world,
whereas in Amsterdam, it is right there in your face.

When I travel,

I love to immerse myself in the culture in a different way.

I am not really a museum go-er

(although the red light district could count as a museum...of sorts...)

and walking around historical monuments and castles sort of bores me.

I like to see what the locals see,

I like to know what is going on now,

and eat a lot of food in the process.

The Red Light district fascinates me..it is the psychologist in me. I can't help it.

It also makes me incredibly sad because you know most of those women are working as a result of being trafficked.

We all know about human trafficking,

I have good friends who work in the field to help save these girls who are being trafficked in the USA.

We can watch all of the documentaries on HBO we want and call ourselves aware,

but it is very different to see something like this in person.

I felt like I was walking through a Halloween exhibit or something,

not that the girls were scary looking,

in fact, they were actually quite stunning,

but tons of women behind individual glass windows/doors lit up with red back lighting,

trying to coax men to come to them,

was something straight out of a film.

Or just another Saturday night in any major city, minus the red rooms and money exchange..

Let's be honest,

girls dressed in little clothing trying to get guys to notice/sleep with them? 

Not exactly a foreign concept.

I also thought I would feel unsafe,

and I don't know if it is because my fiance is 6'5,

but I didn't feel the level of fear of getting hurt/stolen/robbed/or caught in the middle of a brawl as I thought I would in this area.

Most of the hundreds of people in the pretty jam-packed part of the city are young men

(a lot of American and British guys)

who are probably there on a stag night (bachelor party).

Surprisingly, there were a lot of women too (aside from the prostitutes, I mean)

and a lot of couples.

I am sure a lot of them were there because of the same curiosity that led S and I there.

But it is always wise to be careful, of course.

We got home and I researched the red light district.

How it started, how it has changed over the years.

Like I said,

I'm just fascinated by the whole thing.

And yes, the weed was plentiful.

We don't smoke,

but pretty sure it is possible to get a contact high.

Has anyone else been?

What was your reaction?

Would love you to share your experience in the comments for others, who havent been, to read.

*more on amsterdam tomorrow 

I'm not talking about the weather anymore...after this post...

Sweater c/o Marc Cain | Pants: H&M (old) | Watch: Asos (similar) | Bracelets c/o Poshlocket

I could LIVE in this sweater,

and it may be reason enough to not despise living in a cooler climate

(I will still dislike, just maybe not despise).

That is BIG people.

I am going to stop talking about the weather though,

because I am turning into one of "those people"

and by turning into, I mean I have already become one,
like for two years now.
oof.

The other day I said to S that I don't care anymore if the sun comes out or not

(this was obviously said after being in a stressed state about feeling the rush to get outside the moment the sun appears).

He turned to me with this HUGE smile on his face and was all

"Oh pet, I have been waiting for you to say that! That makes me so happy to hear."

His response was as though I complained a lot or something.....

We are still in Amsterdam
(where the weather might be more bipolar than in Scotland...k. now I'm done.)

I am being a good house sitter by wearing Liz's clothes, using her hair products/tools, and looking through her drawers for dirty secrets.

I joke.

Only the first two things are true.

September Special Offer

I am currently offering a one time only special for September sponsors.

With my 3 month package you will get an additional month free,

so four months for the price of three.

I have other packages available as well,

just click the contact tab above or e mail me at megkristine {at} gmail {dot} com for more information and pricing!

Yay!

Exclamation points! 

So we are going to Amsterdam today....

Yes, it's true.

Stephen and I leave this evening for Amsterdam!

We will be house/dog sitting for my good friend Liz and her Hubby.

It couldn't have come at a better time,

because Stephen and I really need a break.

It is just for a long weekend,

but we havent had a real getaway together for awhile.

(Northern Ireland definitely does not count)

I know because we live in the UK it seems like whenever we go somewhere it's like a vacation,

but when it's your every day life and home,

it is far from a vacation.

And we have yet to venture out into europe together!

So while we are gone,

here are some amazing ladies to keep you busy.

******

Megan has been a good friend and loyal follower of my blog for a long time now,

She has been with me since the beginning,

and I have loved watching her grow.

She is the sweetest thing and I know you will love her as much as I do.

Hi everyone, I'm Megan, a self-proclaimed foodie with dreams of a literary life. Born in Northern California but raised in Roanoke, I've always considered Virginia to be my  home. I have a BA in English from Longwood University and an MA in Children’s Literature from Hollins University. I hold a deep affinity for good food, caffeine, cute animals, Hampden-Sydney College, dirty martinis, bookstores, and those first few weeks of autumn. My hobbies include running, cooking, taking photos, crying over my favorite music, trying to keep my room clean, and blogging away at freckleditalian.com. I currently reside on Smith Mountain Lake in Virginia, where I drink wine and work in downtown Roanoke as a mobile app designer.

BLOG

******

Jessica is the gorgeous girl behind the blog "Jessica Who?"

Reading her blog about her life in hawaii makes me go,

why in the freaking heck did I choose to live in the UK??

But then I look at Stephens cute face and I remember.

Thankfully we will be in hawaii in december so I can soak up a bit of Jessicas life for a week, 

until then i'll be going to her blog, and you should too.

Jessica Who? is a blog about the life and style of a not-so-ordinary girl with a very ordinary name. The title of my blog refers to the constant "Jessica who??" question that all of us Jessica's face. I'm a Texas girl who lives in Hawaii with my sweet husband and our baby, Duke (a 1 year old puggle). I write about anything from recipes (I don't cook but I love to eat) and fashion (I like to pretend that I know what I'm talking about) but mostly about the adventure that is my life.

BLOG

******

Cara is basically me,
but still living in the USA..
She relocated from sunny california,
to rainy seattle,
and has a golden retriever puppy...
UGGGHHH.
I can't even talk about the golden retriever puppy because it makes me emotional
(those who have been here for awhile know I had to give up my golden retreiver to come to the UK)
I have an obsession with them.
She loves food, photos, blogging and the list goes on..
I mean, we were made for each other.

Hi there! I'm Cara and I blog over at In Search of Sunshine, a lifestyle blog about my life in Seattle. I relocated here from California about 2 years ago and am still learning about this interesting, sometimes rainy city. We just brought home the newest member of our little family, an 8 week old Golden Retriever puppy who is quite the little land shark with a face you just can't resist. I have a passion for photography, good food (hey, I'm Italian, we like to eat), wine and life. I love to travel and it seems like I'm always planning my next weekend get away. I started blogging to document my new adventures in Seattle but it has turned into something that I enjoy very much and love to meet other wonderful bloggers. Come on over and say hello!

BLOG

Where I Post a Bunch of Puppy Pictures...

instagram name: msgram 

Because sometimes you just need to look at some pictures of puppies.

On an unrelated note...

You probably have noticed some changes to this blog.

It was time for something different,

instead of chopping off my hair during big life changes like a normal girl,

I change my blog design. 

I haven't had a one column layout in like two years

#thingsthatonlybloggerssay

A huge thanks to Bobbi for working with me!

She is AMAZING.

She did exactly what I wanted,

and made all necessary changes without hesitation.

I never felt like I was bothering her,

and I never felt like she was rushing to move on to her next job.

I have been lucky to work with some wonderful designers over the years,

and I have known and seen quite a few through word of mouth who have not done their job well,

or treat their clients like a number in a queue. 

If you are like me who can't do html coding to save your life

(hi, I studied neuroscience and brain imaging and can't design my own blog...fail)

then I highly recommend Bobbi.

She offers ready made templates for those wanting something a bit more affordable in addition to custom blog design.

She is designing my wedding website as well,

so clearly I trust and love her.

the end. 

Autumn

Jacket, Scarf, shirt, bracelet c/o Marc Cain | Jeans: H&M | Watch: Asos (similar & on sale) | Bracelets c/o poshlocket (here)| Sunglasses: Topshop (similar)

For those in the USA,

you probably are not aware that this summer in the UK was one of THE worst summers ever.

I promise that is not just me saying that,

 Brits all over are complaining of the lack of summer weather we got this year.

Scotland had it the worst (OF COURSE)

and England had maybe a couple more weeks of sun than wales, scotland, and northern ireland.

To give you an idea,

while it may have been warmer and a tad humid,

here in glasgow we have experienced about two-three weeks total of sunshine weather during the entire course of the summer months.

It is usually never full days of sun either,

it will either start off with rain, or end in rain.

It has been awesome. <-----heavy sarcasm

So now I'm like,

bring it on autumn,

I am ready for you,

 because it's not like I was wearing my maxi dresses and shorts anyway.

So while there may still be a couple weeks left of "summer"

for all of you in the warmer parts of the world

(ie: southern california)

I am kick starting fall wear early.

See above photos. 

Because lets be honest,

you can only pretend it's summer for so long before you start to really feel like an idiot for continuosly wearing sandals in the pouring rain.
Not that I did that or anything.

Bridal Party Gift box

I am sure most of you who obsessively pin wedding stuff, like myself, have seen this bridesmaid gift box idea...

I pinned it a long time ago and knew it was something I wanted to do whenever I got engaged.

It ended up being a perfect way to connect with my three bridesmaids, who all live in California.

Plus, who doesn't love a little snail mail?

I found these cute little wooden boxes at a craft store and painted them. 

I ordered the "will you be my bridesmaid" cards from Rifle Paper Co. (they ship internationally! holler!)

and I printed out a few different little pieces of information for the girls such as

"About the Groom"

"About the Bride"

"Meet the bridal party"

and 

"Dress information."

Stephen and I went to a paint shop and picked up a bunch of free paint swatches in my color palette,

and then bought some candy that you can only get out here and a little bucket to put them in.

Each box had their name written on the inside courtesy of Stephens handwriting
(my handwriting is horrendous). 

Now we all know who is going to be addressing the invites...

I was pretty happy with the way they turned out.

I am FAR from an expert crafter..

In fact I would go as far as to say I am a horrible crafter and DIYer.

My little brother has laughed many a times at the things I have attempted to create

(he is very supportive).

My mind just does not work in a artistic way.

I only know what I like based on seeing it complete (thank you pinterest and those who make these things for me to see).

Creating something from start to finish is impossible for me.

My bridesmaids will attest to this as well,

since they get about a million e mails a day asking what they think of this and that.

(sorry ladies...)

Receiving the boxes hopefully made the wedding planning feel more real,
 since we are in a situation where we are separated by an ocean during the planning process.

Can't wait to hug these ladies in person in December!

Date Night

dress, bracelet, belt c/o Marc Cain | bracelets, earrings c/o poshlocket (here+here) | sunglasses: H&M shoes: Zara

Stephen and I are always pretty intentional about having date nights,

We turn off our phones...
Well Stephen turns off his, the most advanced thing my phone does is text...
and it takes me like 20 minutes to send a two sentence text, so I don't even bother...
it belongs in a 90's museum.

I do my hair and put on makeup,

and we go have a nice meal somewhere.

Saturday morning it rained

(per usual)

but then a miracle happened and the sun came out.

I put on a dress without a jacket

and Stephen and I went out.

It had been a rough week for us,

especially S,

so it was nice to get back to us and do something normal.

Thank you all SO much for your sweet comments on my post about Granny P.
Stephen and I read through them all and cried.
We felt your love and prayers.

Reason for Absence..

April of 2011 I was introduced to someone very special to Stephen..

His Granny Peggy.

I walked into the living room and there she sat,

in all of her glory,

flinging a stuffed animal dog on a leash around

(a gift from Stephen)

and pretending it was a real dog named Fido.

She laughed and carried on with the spunk and fire of a young person,

still very much "with it" in mind,

but frail and slow moving in her aging body.

We never stopped laughing around Granny Peggy.

She loved to make fun of "the Yanks" around me,

and would always ask Stephen how "wee Megan" was doing.

One day she sat me down and told me her story,

how she was one of 14,

met her husband (now deceased) while she was a nurse and he was a patient,

had 8 children,

and fought off death more times than anyone else I know.

She also told me I better never take her boy away to America,

because Stephen and his two brothers,

well, they were her boys.

The absolute apple of her eye,

and they all loved each other with the deepest kind of love I have ever seen between a grandparent and grandchild. 

A couple weeks ago Stephen and I were visiting his hometown in Northern Ireland,

and like we always do when we go home,

we went to visit Granny Peggy.

She had been more tired than usual,

and feeling unwell.

When we got to her home she was upstairs in bed.

We went upstairs and she perked right up at the sound of Stephens voice.

"Come on and lie in bed with me wee Megan," she said.

So I crawled in next to her, 

and Stephen sat beside her,

and we talked about life and death.

Stephen spoke of our wedding,

and like she usually did when anyone talked about something happening in the future she replied,

"Oh Stephen, I won't be there, i'll be kicken up the daisies."

Stephen dismissed her comment and told her she would be there,

and for the first time,

very seriously she looked at him and said,

"We can't all live forever son."

When we left her room that day,

I knew it would be the last time we saw her as her.

 I thanked God for giving us that final moment,

for giving Stephen that final moment.

Last wednesday night we got a phone call saying Granny Peggy had been blue lighted to the hospital.

She had fallen and they found that the aneurism in her stomach was leaking. 

operating was not an option,

and we were told it would be a matter of hours.

We booked the next ferry to Northern Ireland,

and at 2am packed our bags, and 4am left to get the boat.

We arrived, without sleep, to Ireland,

and headed straight to the hospital.

She had somehow made it through the night,

and a few hours turned into a few days...

My heart broke into a million pieces for Stephen and his family.

It was clear this woman was something special the day I met her,

but it became even more clear this past week, just how much of an impact she had on her family.

Most members did not leave her bedside for days on end.

Stephen and I spent a total of almost 24 hours at the hospital over a three day period,

and we all were there around her when she left this earth on Saturday night.

There was one specific reason Stephen and I wanted to get married in his hometown,

and that was so that Granny Peggy could be there.

Stephen turned to me at one point and asked, his eyes full of tears, if I would mind putting my wedding bouquet on her grave.

I told him I couldn't imagine doing anything else with it but give it to Granny Peggy,

 and how happy I am that we are getting married in his home church,

the same church where Granny Peggy sang in the choir and slipped Stephen sweets from under her seat,

and the same church where hundreds of people came to say their goodbyes.

I have Granny Peggy to thank for helping bring up such an amazing man...

her blue eyed boy.

I whispered in her ear in the hospital and promised her I would take care of him,

and I know on our day she will be there as I pledge that promise again before God and our friends and family.

Rest In Peace Wee Granny Peggy.

Sick

I am sick,

and on lady time.

Worst combination in life ever.

And for whatever reason I am having the worst time with tampons.

It's like im 13 all over again standing in my pink bedroom with a mirror between my legs, crying for my mom to help me.

shudder.

I would kill for some Nyquil

(spoken like a true american)

and am obviously not fit to blog right now

(read above statement about tampons)

So I will see you in a couple of days.

Pray for Stephen.

Wine for a wedding

Remember when I said I was going to stop talking about wedding stuff after last week?

clearly I lied.

But this is something for everyone.

During one of my busy days of wedding blog stalking and pinning,

I came across this AWESOME company called Wine for A Wedding

(this really happened, this is not a sponsored post)

They were featured on Style Me Pretty,

and I immediately went and liked them on facebook

(for future gift reference and because they are giving away a free wine box).

via

This is the perfect wedding gift.

It is a customized wine box that the couple opens on their 1st, 5th, and 10th year anniversary.

You can even have a little message inside the box for them when they open it each year.

I posted awhile back (pre-engagement),

that my facebook was exploding with engagements, weddings, and babies..

So i'm assuming yours are too and thought this would be a great gift idea to pass along to anyone going to a wedding soon and wanting to give something special and unique.

You're welcome. 

Wedding Planning Checklist

I am sort of a wedding planning machine..

Booked a venue,

finalized the menue (still need to do a tasting to really finalize)

booked a band,

Photography, 

chair hire,
string quartet,

 almost done with the final drafts of the save the dates, invites, and wedding website (thanks to my amazing friends).

It's like I've done this before or something....

Oh and I found a dress that I LOVE.

But it is over my budget..

Not surprised.

I am determined to find a way to make this dress mine.
 I'm not above stealing...

Our next big item is to find a florist who I trust to be able to do what I'm envisioning.

It is definitely becoming more real,

and I am getting even more excited.

But by far the best part of this is the man I get to marry,
and making this day about us.

I promise to share the date soon!



You can follow me along on pinterest if you are wanting to see the inspiration behind the day.