Takk and Bless to Iceland

All good things must come to an end.  Today is our final morning in 101 Reykjavik and we're terribly sad to bid adieu to the beautiful land of Iceland.  Before we do, just a few fun snaps and the breathtaking sights we captured... 

 Takk takk to Iceland for wrapping us in your cold and warmth, lunar stone and ocean blue, rainy days and glistening sun for these past few weeks.  We love every part of you.

We hope to see you again one day soon.  Until that day, sending kisses from afar.

A Second Halló from Iceland

Thank you for all the kind notes and wishes of safe travels despite the eruption of Grimsvotn volcano.  We luckily haven't experienced any effects, as the ash hasn't fallen on the city.  Many did rush inside the local pub after news of the eruption spread and others wished us "Happy Eruption Day" the following morning.  The police have all surrounding areas blocked off, so there's no chance of getting anywhere close to the volcano, and our trip to the Golden Circle is still in tack for tomorrow.  We've actually spent the past few days enjoying the magnificent sun that's fallen on they city, taking in the breathtaking performances of the arts festival, and soaking in the relaxing effects of the many thermal pools that surround the city, including the infamous Blue Lagoon.  Here's just a tiny peek at what we've been up to...

{ we've been incredibly fortunate to be blessed with several warm sunny days ~ 

they're always accompanied by a brisk, cool breeze that blows off the ocean, 

so warm layers are a must }

{ this incredible performance of art/modern dance took place in Austurvollur Square 

as part of the Reykjavik Art Festival }

{ the warm, sunny days this time of year lead to equally bright nights in Reykjavik ~ the sun never officially sets ~ rather, it becomes dusk around 11pm and remains that way until the sun rises again around 4:30am ~ it's a magnificent sight to see!! }

Halló from Iceland

We arrived safely in Iceland and have already fallen hard for the city of Reykjavik!!  As I type this post the sun is streaming in our apartment window and I can hear the angelic sounds of a free music concert taking place in the closet square.  We're off to explore, but wanted to share...

{ a view from above as we descended on Iceland }

{ an Icelandic lullaby and wish of sweet dreams this evening }

xo,

E & M

His & Hers on Holiday

The {His} and I are packed and ready to head off on holiday to Iceland!!  It's a country we've been dying to visit and are incredibly excited that the time has finally come for us to depart on this magnificent getaway.    

There are so many things we want to do and see while we're there, which is why we planned a rather lengthy trip.  We will return in June with lots of fun things to share.  We'll try to post from time to time, but I have to admit I'm looking forward to the opportunity to unplug, just be with my {His}, and take in the glorious splendor of the country.  


A few fun things we're looking forward to...

{ exploring Reykjavik, getting to know the people, and joining them 

on weekend runtur }

{ experiencing the Reykjavik Arts Festival }

{ relaxing and soaking in the goodness of the Blue Lagoon }

{ seeing the majestic Icelandic countryside }

Don't forget to check back from time to time.  You never know when we might pop on to say halló!!  Wishing you a wonderful next couple weeks.  Sjáumst seinna!!

{ Iceland images from Listahatid.is, BlueLagoon.com, IcelandNaturally.com }

His & Hers Inspiration - Amiina

One of our favorite Icelandic bands is Amiina.  This group of adorable and remarkably talented artists came to fame for their truly unique and ethereal sound, produced by playing a diverse array of instruments and objects ~ everything from cups of water to saws.  They toured with Sigur Ros several years back, which is how we came to discover Amiina and had the opportunity to see them live in Chicago.  

I was incredibly excited to learn last week that Amiina not only had a new music video, but that it was produced by two Cincinnati acquaintances of ours ~ Pete and Andrea of Lauren Edward ~ who currently reside in Reykjavik.  They're both brilliantly creative soles, so it was no surprise that the video they produced provides such a touching view into the artist's work.  Learn more about the creation of the video below...

The making of the SicSak video from amiina on Vimeo.

And, now the full video of sicsak...

Sicsak from amiina on Vimeo.

{Five} of Our Favorite Things

Happy Friday the 13th!!  Hope it's been a good one for you so far, despite the unlucky date.  It unfortunately wasn't a great start to this 13th for Blogger.  He decided to take a nearly 24 hour break knocking all of us Blogger bloggers out of commission.  I have to say, I'm happy he's back up and running and we have our dear friend back.  This 13th will end well after all.  But, before we head into the weekend, here are just a few little things that made this past week so special...    

{ spending last Saturday at the Cubs/Reds game in amazing seats with 
amazing friends ~ thank you, Adam!! }

{ the {His'} souvenir from aforementioned game }

{ this utterly adorable vintage cat brooch ~ an incredibly sweet and thoughtful 

gift from the lovely Stuart of Ladybug Vintage ~ many, many thanks!! }

{ my oversized clutch by Curly In The City ~ featured in {this} post }

{ the {His} race jersey for an August triathlon }

Hers - One Fine Day

I'm so enjoying the warm weather we're finally having in Chicago.  It's been wonderful to feel the summery temps on my skin and smell the delicious scents of flowers and grills floating in the air.  I recently wore a skirt sans tights for the first time this season, which felt so freeing {bright white legs and all}.  My look {which is pictured below} was actually created around one of my new obsessions ~ an American Apparel inspired oversized clutch created by Taylor of Curly In The City.  You'll be seeing much more of this incredibly versatile, carryall clutch this season ~ I'm in love!!

{ Hers }

Sunnies: Spitfire

Earrings: Banana Republic

Button Down: Gap

Skirt: ModCloth

Bracelets: J. Crew & Banana Republic

Watch: Michael Kors

Ring: F21 {also seen here}

Wedges: DV for Target

Clutch: Curly In The City via Etsy {shop here!!}

His & Hers Picks - DIY Cord Bracelets

When we saw {these} unisex Miansai cord bracelets at J. Crew, we thought ~ "very cool."  But when we saw Honestly...WTF's killer DIY version of these simple, chic, stackable bracelets for a fraction of the cost, we thought ~ "EVEN cooler!!"  We love the idea of not only getting the look for less, but also customizing by selecting the colors and materials we want ~ colorful cord or even leather!!  I'm hoping to tackle this fun DIY project soon... 

 { The Inspiration }

 { DIY Versions }

Be sure to pop over {here} for a detailed how-to.  Enjoy!!

{ all images via Honestly...WTF }

His - Interest with Basics

On a casual day, there's nothing better than slinking into your favorite t-shirt and jeans.  Such was the case with this day for the {His}.  It was a day that required no special ensemble, just something to be comfortable, and that's exactly what the {His} did.  Yet, while it's a look created solely of three basics {a t-shirt, jeans, and shoes}, the boldly striped tee, cuffed denim, and saddle shoes give the {His'} basics a punch of personality.  It's the perfect way to add interest to an otherwise basic look.

{ His }

Stripe Tee: Club Monaco {originally seen here}

Jeans: EDWIN

Saddle Shoes: Walk-Over

His & Hers Inspiration - The Royal Tenenbaums

I love Tommy Hilfiger's Spring 2011 "El Country de-la-Club-ius" campaign.  {If you haven't seen the full spot, watch it here.}  The video style and tongue-and-cheek preppy looks are reminiscent of a Wes Anderson film, particularly one of our all time favorites ~ The Royal Tenenbaums.  I can just picture our two favorite Tenenbaums, Margo and Richie, stepping right into the campaign images with ease, along with the rest of the rather stylish Tenenbaum family and entourage.  We love the lighthearted kookiness of their mode, which is why they're our inspiration of the week...

{ images from across the interwebs }

{Five} of Our Favorite Things

Happy Friday!!  We hope everyone had a wonderful week and Cinco de Mayo, and have a fabulously fun weekend ahead!!  We're excited to go to our first Cubs game of the season with very dear friends on Saturday afternoon, then round out the evening at Lincoln Hall for the Peter Bjorn & John concert.  We've been looking forward to this show for weeks and excited it's finally here.  Last Saturday was equally exciting, as we got to spend the day with our favorite new parents and their bundle of joy, Nolan.  He's just as cute as can be and we were thrilled to finally meet the little guy!!  Before we get this weekend started, here are just a few of our favorite things from this past week...

{ cuddling up with a good book, or two }

{ these DV wedges ~ worn in this post }

{ a bottle of Orangina ~ good and gone!! }

 

{ the fresh smell of green grass }

{ this utterly adorable little guy with a totally rockin' fauxhawk }