Friday Favorites

Magic.

It's insane that we've only got 12 more days left of Summer...it sure has been a good one and a very busy one (hence the stillness around this space). Even though Summer is my favorite season (most would disagree), I'm excited for what the Fall will bring.

With Summer coming to an end, I'm curious how much I accomplished off this list! How about you? Any of these included in your plans for the last stretch?

Lip Synch video with Fallon + Degeneres + Timberlake = ROFL! Must wait for the mic drop.

This list of soft things is helping me survive today. Precious things.

Wishing I had really considered all of these things before choosing a major in college.

Some upcoming must-do events in ATL:

Cirque De Catur 

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Movie night in the garden (I've got a date night planned to see Psycho with my best friend)!

A magpie penguin as a pet? True story!

Not that I need an excuse to go back to Berlin, but this list of budget-friendly things-to-do looks awesome! I've been to a few of these places and the Clärchens Ballhouse is by far my favorite! Wish I could be there dancing right now!

Love the concept of this journal. Perfect for people who love making lists. #wishlist

Happy Friday folks!

This weekend will filled with family birthday celebrations...lots of lovely Virgo's in my life! 

♥

All of the construction should be finished on our screen porch tomorrow (stay tuned for more details)! Now we just have to pressure wash the deck, have it painted/ stained within the next month and then have the screen put in and we'll be done...and I can't forget the most fun part: decorating and then relaxing!

What are your weekend plans?

xo

European Adventure Recap: Part 4 in Cologne, Germany

After 5 days in Paris, I headed to Cologne, Germany for Gamescom. I took a direct train between Paris and Cologne (it took just over 3 hours). I had never taken a long train ride alone before, so I was initially nervous, but it was so wonderful. They served lunch right after we left Paris and then I enjoyed the lovely countryside views. 

When I got to Cologne, my hotel was a short walk from the train station. I stayed at the Hotel Savoy and they upgraded me to a junior suite. Apparently each floor has a theme and I got the Paris floor (fitting, eh?). The room was insane! A fringe curtain between the bathroom and bedroom and a black velvet couch!

Once I settled in to the room, I had a 2 minute walk to the Cologne Cathedral (Kölner Dom). It was magnificent! Apparently it's Germany's most visited landmark!

The view from my room was amazing (the first photo was taken from one window in my room) and the other window had the best views for the sunset.

For the rest of the week in Cologne, I had meetings during the day with gaming partners and got to walk around the show halls a bit as well. Riot Games had a League of Legends eSports competition going on during the show and had an area set up. While I was taking the panoramic below, the lights changed colors and created this awesome effect!

For dinner one night we ate at Gaffel am Dom and although I couldn't eat the Schnitzel, I had an amazing salad with honey-thyme marinated goat cheese. For the record, I only ate half of one of those huge goat cheese wheels. It was so delicious. We also had Kolsch. They serve the thin glasses in a round carrier.

On the last night, there was a Wargaming party with DJ Justice. We had a blast, especially since most of our group had some yellow sunglasses that we had gotten earlier in the day. Everyone at the party kept asking to have our glasses (or tried to take them)! 

I had a great time in Cologne and had great meetings, but I wish I had more time to explore (and check out Old Town). Maybe next year! ;)

The travel home was easy, but sadly I got some sort of virus (I could feel the symptoms on the flight from Amsterdam to Atlanta) and I was stuck in the bed all weekend. At least it gave me a chance to recover from jet lag!

Europe overall was incredibly beautiful, fun, and the food was amazing. I definitely want to go back as soon as possible and would love to live overseas at some point. Now I just have to figure out how to make that happen. I feel so lucky to have had this experience and I feel like it was all a dream!

xo

Au Revoir!

Today I officially leave for Europe! 

I will arrive in Paris, France tomorrow morning and I get to spend 5 full days with Lily and Jeremy wondering the streets of Paris! They are house sitting near the Bois de Vincennes, which is the biggest park in Paris. I'm excited to just relax and explore!

After Paris, I'm taking a train (first solo European train ride!) to Cologne, Germany for Gamescom. I have some meetings scheduled, but I'm hoping to get to explore Cologne a good bit! Looking forward to drinking some Kolsch and maybe a picnic along the Rhine River.

♥

It's crazy to have been counting down for weeks and now the trip is finally here!

Stay tuned for a full recap when I get back! 

À bientôt and auf wiedersehen!

xo

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