Travel Style Diary: Lucerne, Switzerland

The last leg of our trip in Switzerland, this really started to get chilly! Time to bring out the cozy Christmas sweater and boots! Oh and my nana's vintage wool beret of course. I was feeling a real 'apres ski' vibe.

We spent a full day in Lucerne, exploring the town, doing some sightseeing, shopping - and of course - eating. It was a short train ride away from our hotel in Einsiedeln, and had a great view of the local towns we passed through. Once in Lucerne, our first stop was the famous wooden chapel bridge, Kapellbrucke.It stretches across the Reuss river, and even at this time of year, it had beautiful multi-coloured flowers lining the entire bridge. Our other must-see spot in Lucerne was the dying Lion, a beautiful monument carved out of a wall of sandstone above a pond. It memorializes the Swiss soldiers who lost their lives during the French Revolution. We had a moment of peace and quiet in between tour groups at that spot, and it was a nice moment appreciating the memorial in silence before the next tour group arrived... In between sightseeing, we shopped around the city (I may have bought gold edible peppercorns..random yet amazing...) until it was time to catch the train back!

We spent the rest of our time in Einsiedeln with my family, basically eating and drinking until we floated away! We spent one evening dining on a traditional Swiss meal, Raclette, hosted by my family's home. I think I can speak for our whole group when I say it was one of the best experiences during our trip. Everyone was around a long dining table, with raclette griddles in the centre, for everyone to choose Raclette cheeses and meats to cook in right in front of them. And it was all accompanied by potatoes, small sides and good wine. It was great night with even greater people!

Halloween was also during our stay in Switzerland, and while Europe is not big on celebrating this holiday, we thought it would be fun to bring a little bit of Halloween to Einsiedeln. We bought a whole bunch of mini pumpkins, a Halloween cake, made homemade caramel apples and spent the night carving pumpkins together. It was a blast!

Stay tuned for next week...we're going to Paris!! 

Blazer - Brooks Brothers (thrifted via Value Village) | Sweater - Tommy Hilfiger | Earrings - Birks | Beret - vintage | Jeans - Urban Planet | Jeans - Just Fab

Happy Styling! xo

~ Britta

Travel Style Diary: Einsiedeln, Switzerland

The next stop on our Eurotrip was Switzerland – specifically Einsiedeln, a tiny town about an hour outside of Zurich. I have family there, and it was a nice relief after Florence to have a more home-y feel. It was definitely a shock to the body though – we went from 25 degrees Celsius in Florence to now just 4 degrees in Einsiedeln. We were definitely up in the mountains now! Good thing I packed some cozy blanket scarves, my favourite bejewelled toque, and some warm coats.

The first day, we explored the Kloster, a world-famous monastery, and walked up the rolling green hills behind the Kloster to get a better view of the town. I bundled up in my winter accessories, but because it was super sunny, I figured I could get away with a midi bodycon dress underneath and not be too cold. The inside of the Kloster really is a sight to be seen: picture the grandest church you can imagine, and it’s even more grand than that. Around the back, you can walk by their resident horses in their stables, and then wander up the grassy hill that snakes up and around to give a view of all of Einsiedeln. Along the way, we said hello to the local cows, all wearing their signature Swiss cowbells, ringing away!

Our stay included a solid dose of Swiss food, from beer, pretzels and weisswurst, to a cheese-tasting night – all courtesy of my welcoming family! Their Einsiedler beer is a must-try (it’s nice and light), as well as my other favourite Swiss drinks: Kafe Schnapps and Schumli Pflumli. If you’re ever in Switzerland, you really must order a Schumli Pflumli (pronounced like Shoomly Floomly), just to say the name. It’s utterly hilarious sounding, and if you’re familiar with the Swedish Chef from The Muppets, just picture yourself saying it in his voice. Oh and it’s delicious! It's a combination of sugar, coffee and plum schnapps (or plum brandy, as that's all I could find when I got back to Canada - don't fret though, it tastes exactly the same!). Perfect as an après ski drink to warm you up.

We also took a trip up a local mountain to do some hiking, walk their massive suspension bridge, and channel our inner adrenaline junkie on their summer taboggan. The taboggan shoots down a metal track, with a metal lever on the taboggan to control the speed. Unlike most rides in North America, the brake is clearly not a suggestion but a necessity, as we learned pretty quick. That thing sure flies!

It’s on to Zurich, Switzerland in my next post, stay tuned for it next Monday.

Jacket - Zara (similar) | Scarf - c/o Nobis & Grey | Hat - Aldo (similar) | Necklace - c/o Nobis & Grey | Dress - Forever 21 (similar) | Purse - Florence Leather Market | Shoes - Adidas Stan Smith

Happy Styling! xo

~ Britta

Look of the Week: Faux Fur Cape

If you're looking for statement pieces (and I'm not just referring to jewelry here), the thrift store is your new best friend. I love finding items like this faux fur cape; you can take them and build a whole outfit around them.

I find that if you have something very voluminous on top, like this cape, it's best to counter that with something formfitting on the bottom, that accentuates your waist/hips. It's great to look cozy, but without some strategy, that can quickly turn into frumpy, so make sure you balance out your outfit! It's also why I've started tucking my sweater in what might seem like a weird way. I think it looks a bit more interesting than having the sweater cut straight across your hips.

To finish off the look, I'm wearing what I consider to be my favourite statement necklace of all time, the Stellar Necklace from Nobis & Grey. I seriously can't find anything it doesn't go with!

Outfit: Cape - Sears | Skirt - Topshop (similar) | Sweater - Banana Republic (similar) | Necklace - Nobis & Grey (see discount code below!!!) | Heels -  Aldo (thrifted, see red-sole DIY here)

Beauty: Lashes - SLMissGlam Beauty | Lipstick - L'Oreal Colour Riche in British Red (350) | Lise Watier Feline Eyeliner

Happy Styling! xo

~Britta

Olympic Spirit: Fashion for the Winter & Snow

The Winter Olympics in Sochi have just come to a close, but I'm still in the spirit, since our spring weather just turned into winter weather over night, and we're now living in a snowy winter wonderland! Naturally, I had to represent our good ol' Canada with some iconic 2010 mittens, but I gave a nod to the Russians with a furry cossack hat too. I love faux fur, and this hat is such an awesome winter accessory...now I just wish I could wear it more without getting wierd stares...

I literally raced out the door for a photoshoot the second the snow started falling because I was so excited for an excuse to try out my brand new boots! I bought them during the holidays, after searching for years for an acceptable pair (keep my feet warm, yet are cute and not overly clunky). I love, love, love these boots, so if you're looking for a pair that will do the job and still look good, they come highly recommended! As if they couldn't get any better, they even roll down to show off a stylish fur lining and an adorable plaid tongue!

Sweater - Banana Republic (thrifted), Hat - Hat Attack New York (thrifted), Scarf - Winners, Mittens - The Bay, Jeans - Urban Planet, Boots - BearPaw Kayla (via Amazon, similar)

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Happy Styling! xo

~Britta

A Year of Fashion in Review

It's funny looking back through the past year's worth of outfit photos thinking 'was that really this year? It seems so long ago!'. In review, I can say that summer used to be my favourite season, but this year, fall and winter have grown on me quite a bit! I love that feeling when you piece an outfit together and it just feels right. 

Which looks inspired you the most this year?

As always,

Happy Styling! xo

~Britta

Look of the Week: The Cape

Brrrr it was chilly photoshoot this week...

I've been waiting to jump on this trend's bandwagon for awhile now. I went looking for left-over Boxing Day deals later that week and came across this waist-cinching cape at Costa Blanca for only $30! These coats are super comfortable, and the tied waist also creates feminine peplum effect. It's also a huge plus if you're sick of having all the buttons fall off your coat- no buttons here!

Today is supposedly the saddest day of the year (Blue Monday, so why not add a little sparkle to your outfit to lighten the mood? I always dress the way I want to feel, and sequins (like this Zara skirt) make me feel bright and fancy. Try it and see how you feel!



















Cape-Costa Blanca, Necklace&Ring-H&M, Shirt-Jacob, Skirt-Zara (thrifted), Tights- Betsey Johnson (via Winners), Bag-Aldo (thrifted), Shoes-Aldo

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Happy Styling! xo

~Britta