Jeans and belt - Jacob; T-shirt - purchased during Paris Fashion's Night Out; Flats - PimKie; Jacket - BCBG; Purse - Marc by Marc Jacobs; Sunnies - RayBan; Necklace & Earrings - Gifted; Ring - Silpada
As much as I love dressing up, its always nice to go "caj" (how do you spell the short version of the word casual anyway?!?) and throwing on jeans and a loose t-shirt is the perfect way! Some animal print flats add a nice touch as well.
If you spend seven months in Europe, you may become sick of museums. This is certainly the case for me and DJB, so we save museums for rainy / cold days. We only hit up a few museums in Amsterdam, although there are a lot more worth seeing!
As most people know, Heineken originated in Amsterdam. Naturally, you can go to the Heineken brewery, which is called the "Heineken Experience". Ii is pricey (16$ euros each), but it's a lot of fun. You also get 3 beers with your entrance, so that almost makes it worth while.
Amsterdam also has a popular wax museum, but at 20 euros, it's REALLY overpriced for what it is. Oh well, it makes for some good pictures!
I felt like I was in this commercial :)
The Dutch are serious about their cheese! Maybe even more than the French. Everyone has heard of Gouda, but Gouda isn't exactly a type of cheese, it's more of a way of producing cheese. The Dutch didn't protect the name, so essentially anyone can call cheese Gouda if they want. Why do I know all of this? Because we went to Cheese School!
And I passed!
Another "must see" in Amsterdam is the Anne Frank House. For obvious reasons you can't take pictures inside. If it wasn't for the constant massive line-up of people outside, we may have missed it ourselves as it looks like a regular building. Don't be fooled by appearances though. The museum is simple but very moving. I recommend this to everyone if they are in the city. I also recommend reading the book before you go.
Dutch food is kind of like Polish food. Not the fanciest of cuisines, but it's very good! Nothing highlights this more than the little windows that sell deep fried items.
You put your money in, the window pops open and you grab your tasty little snack. We are guilty of making use of this wonderful invention a couple of times during our trip!
Pants - Zara; Tee - Club Monaco; Blazer - Jacob; Pumps - Nine West; Necklace - Tiffany & Co.; Bracelets - Pandora and Rox On; Earrings - Gifted
One thing (among many) that I love about fashion and styling is that there are many combinations that may sound like they would look ridiculous, but when put together in outfit form look polished and complimenting. An example of this is casual and formal items. Would you ever think that a semi sheer casual t- shirt would work well underneath a structured blazer? What about drawstring pants and pumps? Those may sound like conflicting combinations but in reality go really well together. Well, in my reality anyway! These pics were snapped one beautifully sunny day in Amsterdam right after indulging in some of the best apple pie I have ever tasted!
Skirt - Zara: Tops - H&M, Club Monaco; Tights - Calzedonia; Brogues - CosmosParis: Watch - Michael Kors; Bracelet - Stella & Dot; Ring - Market in Paris; Earrings - Gift
Of course it was only natural for me to wear a tulip shaped skirt while touring around Amsterdam as it is the national flower of the Netherlands, although unofficially so. What is official though is how much I enjoyed my time in Amsterdam! I opted for a comfortable cotton tulip skirt and patent brogues while walking around this truly one of a kind city. Although it was warm outside, it was extremely windy so these textured tights were also a must. Keep checking back all week for a look at some more of our Dutch experiences and adventures!
We're back from Amsterdam. What a lovely city! We were fortunate with the weather, it only rained one day, so we spent most of our time outside. We also took the bus from Paris to Amsterdam (because it was so cheap). People were shocked that we spent 8 hours on a bus but when you come from a country as big as Canada that long of a bus ride isn't a big deal. Three countries in 8 hours is fast for me!
I think Amsterdam can be summed up in two words: canals and bicycles.
Finding the best apple pie is apparently a big thing to do in this city. We found it at Winkel's. But another place (I can't remember the name) was a close second.
Paris is certainly not the best place to find great beer. So we were happy to stumble upon a brewery located in a windmill. How dutch!
We also did several free walking tours. This is an excellent way to see the city and you can get a ton of good tips from the local guides. If you are wondering about the following pictures, you'll have to go to Amsterdam and take one of the free tours to find out!
We also took a walking tour of "coffee shops" but don't expect to find coffee at these places. The Grey Area is the only American owned coffee shop in Amsterdam and apparently Snoop Dog goes there every time he's in town. Another interesting tidbit is that part of the movie Oceans Twelve was filmed at De Dampkring coffee shop. Our last walking tour was of the Red Light district but, for obvious reasons, you can't take pictures there.
The warm weather and flowers made me realize that I don't have to be afraid of winter anymore!
And I passed!
Dutch food is kind of like Polish food. Not the fanciest of cuisines, but it's very good! Nothing highlights this more than the little windows that sell deep fried items.
The warm weather and flowers made me realize that I don't have to be afraid of winter anymore!