My Sweden Adventure: Part 2 - Svensk Tenn

My apologies for the so-so photos taken with my phone, but check out these marvelous vignettes. I shot these at Svensk Tenn, the coolest, most difficult to pronounce design shop in Stockholm.

If you're a fan of Josef Frank, this is a must see. You'll find his designs on fabrics, lampshades, dinnerware and wallpaper. All equally fantastic. But a fair warning: bring your kroners. All of them. Nothing in Stockholm is cheap and this place was certainly no exception.

Because I hadn't checked any luggage, I was only able to bring a few small pieces home with me, and they will serve as gifts. Which is all the better, because holy cow is that exchange rate brutal!

Check out the website for all of the loveliness. And enjoy my attempt at pretending I wasn't actually an obnoxious tourist taking photos of everything in sight below:

Love this pillow arrangement!

My favorite. Love the sofa. Love the chandelier. And those green drapes? Yum.

Thank you, Svensk Tenn for convincing my husband that wallpaper might actually be awesome in our bedroom. But just on one wall. That's the deal.

My Sweden Adventure: Part 1 - H&M Paradise Discovered

This year for my birthday, my husband surprised me with a trip to Sweden. This trip was a trifecta of aweseomeness: The Detroit Red Wings were playing their season opener in Stockholm, which was the main reason for the trip. But I have always ALWAYS wanted to travel to Sweden because it's the land of my great-grandparents AND amazing design. So amazing surprise indeed, no?

We arrived in Stockholm at around 7:30am, jet lagged and delirious. The receptionist at the hotel was kind enough to let us check in early, so we took a delicious 4-hour nap, showered, dressed and hit the town for a little exploration.

In addition to checking out the beautiful architecture in the Old Town, my husband was also kind enough to indulge me in a little retail therapy. I knew we'd find some amazing shops in Stockholm, but I had no idea just how many there would be. The Swedes love to shop. (What can I say? It's in my genes. Now I have a perfectly valid excuse.) I was particularly excited to see an H&M on just about every corner. Which makes sense, because H&M was born in Sweden over 60 years ago. Most of the shops had multiple levels, and at one store in particular, I noticed a level devoted to home accessories. And that's when I knew I was in trouble.

Fun display with clock pillows.

Pillows and blankets and linens and textiles galore. At H&M prices. Here are a few of my faves:

Of course, none of this loveliness is available stateside. But you can join my drool fest right here. Perhaps if we ask nicely, we can convince them that we need these goodies, too? Anyone on board to sign my petition?

Highlight Books for Everyone!

I wanted to share some recent personal projects that incorporate my fabtabulous Highlight Books. I first introduced this concept last fall and I'm so excited with the response. If you have an idea for your very own Highlight Book, you can shop my Etsy site or send me an email at info@kellyashworthdesign.com to get the ball rolling.

Take a look at my two pet projects:

You met niece #1 right here. She's growing like a weed. I put together this Highlight Book for my sister-in-law to remind her that just two short months ago, her baby girl was teeny tiny.

I made this book for my husband to commemorate our recent trip to Italy. He keeps it at his desk at work and probably dreams about amazing scenery, great wine and incredible food. At least, that's what I do when I look at it.

You can have your very own Highlight Book for $15. Minimum order of 3 books. The process is simple: you send me your favorite high resolution photos and I do the rest.

In addition to the obvious uses (weddings, babies, travels, anniversaries, etc.) Highlight Books can also be used for fun invitations, favors and other event accessories. In the most recent issue of Bride & Bloom Magazine, my Highlight Books were featured as wedding invitations. The possibilities are endless!

Travel Guides that don't suck

One of the things that can make or break your vacation is a good guidebook. This is especially true if you're traveling overseas. My husband and I have purchased mountains of guidebooks (some to countries we haven't even visited yet) and I think we can safely say, these guides are our most favoritest:

Rick Steves specializes in Europe "through the back door". You can catch him on PBS touring all the great cities of Europe. He's also got a very comprehensive website, filled with great information for anyone planning a Euro tour. We brought his guidebook to Italy with us on our most recent trip, and it proved to be insanely helpful. In addition to the guidebook, we also downloaded a few of his podcasts onto our iPods. 

This was awesome for several reasons: 

1) they were free, 2) you look much cooler listening to an iPod whilst traipsing through centuries old ruins (rather than those blocky audio guides that cost more than a mortgage to rent), and 3) you learn a lot outside of "this place is old and something important happened here."

I'm also a fan of the Lonely Planet guidebooks, available for just about anywhere you care to travel - international or stateside. A fair warning - depending on where you're traveling, the books can take the form of a bible/concrete block/small village in size. The New Zealand book weighs roughly 8 pounds. But if you're looking for a pizza place in SmallTownWhereTheHeckAreWe, New Zealand, this book will tell you where to find it. These books tend to have a bit of a bias toward anything chain related (hotels, restaurants or otherwise), but are overall very useful. 

Consider investing in a decent guidebook before you go anywhere that involves major sightseeing. And if you don't, good luck finding decent pizza in New Zealand.

Where the Travel Deals Are

According to the Trip Advisor app I have installed on my Facebook page, I have visited 89 cities in 11 countries. Not bad. 

I'm no travel expect, but I do get my fair share of questions related to my travels. Namely, "how'd you find that deal?" In all honesty, the credit goes to my husband. He's kind of like the Gandalf of travel. He tracks airfare as a hobby. But believe you me, it all pays off in the end. 

Travel planning can be daunting, but nowadays it's easier than ever to plan a dream trip that fits within the confines of your budget. Here are a few of my favorite places to find great travel deals:

1. Southwest DING! Fares

For domestic travel, Southwest can't be beat. The seats are comfortable. The staff is friendly. And if you download this free application, you're likely to find some killer deals on airfare. My husband and I recently flew to Denver for $105 each. Other airlines were charging double. This is the beauty of DING! You have to check everyday, and you have to be relatively flexible with your travel dates, but it's all worth it. I'm still waiting for Southwest to come up with a DING! app for iPhone...are you listening, Southwest???? If Southwest doesn't currently service your market, keep checking back. They add new routes all the time. 

2. Budget Travel Magazine

Behold the holy grail of cheapskate travel rags: Budget Travel magazine. A subscription will only set you back $12.00 and the information is invaluable. Seriously. We have stacks of these saved for future reference. Don't miss the Real Deals section - loads of vacation packages at amazing prices. (Example: Paris and Barcelona, Air/6 Nights Hotel from $1,099)

I read this magazine cover to cover. Totally worth the twelve bucks, trust me.

3. G0-today.com

Fantastic website for package deals all over the world. We booked a trip to London several years ago with this site. Search deals by region, and customize your package to suit your specific needs. Many packages include airfare, hotel and in some cases, ground transportation. You'll also have the opportunity to see photos and reviews of the hotels you have to choose from.

I could go on forever, of course. But these three sites will get you started. And like everything else in life, patience is a virtue. What may seem unattainable now may be totally affordable in six months. Case in point -- Last year at this time, a trip to Italy seemed like a pipe dream. Airfare was sky high and the exchange rate was atrocious. Fast forward a year later and plane tickets were less than half the original price. 

What are your favorite travel resources? Leave a comment and share with the group!

Great gifts for Honeymooners

Having just returned from vacation myself, I have decided to devote this week to all things travel related. Today let's focus on the bride and groom, shall we? 

The honeymoon is often overlooked with all of the hullabaloo that goes into the wedding itself, but a carefully planned gift for the honeymooners will definitely win you brownie points. You can stick with a few basic items if you're footing the bill, or go all out if you have a group contributing. Here's what I'd do:

Start here: a stylish, sturdy beach tote. This one if from LL Bean and also comes in a crab motif. Starts at $30 right here. (*Note - I believe LL Bean has discontinued the Lobster and Crab totes -- you can find a great selection of other totes right here.)

Then move on to beach towels. These coordinate perfectly with the tote! Even if the bride and groom are not traveling to a beach locale, beach towels can be used to plump up wimpy hotel pillows when folded. And who doesn't need beach towels, I ask? These are on special at Pottery Barn for $29 each right here.

Adapters are easily the most important accessory for overseas travel, and often the most forgotten. You can buy them in your vacation destination, however they are often overpriced because the locals know how desperate you'll be to use your hair dryer or plug in your laptop. I found these at Amazon for $12.88 right here. 

Luggage tags need not be boring. Supply the bride and groom with these cheeky tags from Pamela Barsky, $14 right here. 

In addition to the staples above, you can finish the bag with a selection of magazines and DVD's. iTunes gift cards are also great so the couple can download their favorite music or movies before they leave. If the bride and groom are traveling internationally, an international calling card is also a super thoughtful gift. You can find these at Costco for around $30.

Resist the temptation to include sunscreen or any other liquids. But aspirin or antacid medicine are both inspired choices. To complete the gift, you might offer to drop off and pick up the couple from the airport. (Parking costs have skyrocketed at most airports.)

I collaborated with a few other couples a few years back to supply a similar honeymoon gift for my sister-in-law and her new husband, and they absolutely loved it. 

What items are you lost without on vacation? Consider these things when putting together your own "honeymooner kit."