I am so excited to make not one, but two BIG announcements on the blog tomorrow!!!

But first--can we talk about The Bachelor?!

I know, I know--it is my major guilty pleasure. And if you think I didn't hesitate to admit to you all that I watch the show (and love every second of it), well pffft! But I don't want to talk about the bachelor (especially after how he handled that "little sitch" with Clare last night), I want to talk about the scenery! 

It's no secret that I am a little obsessed with Southeast Asia and all of its tropical inspired spaces and cultural infused structures, so I was equally as excited as the show's champagne-laden ladies to learn that Vietnam was the next stop on their--wait for it--journey to find love.

But then it got even better when the limo rolled up to the Intercontinental Danang Sun Peninsula Resort, a gorgeous new resort that I posted about in October!:

The Morfords

Almost a year ago now(!), my husband and I took our own romantic trip to the region when we spent our honeymoon in Thailand, so when our friends announced last fall that they would be spending theirs in Vietnam, I just had to share their most sacred trip with the world, duh!

When I posted about their trip last fall, I figured their photos were as close as I would get to Vietnam, but then there was The Bachelor... If you didn't get the grand tour given by Juan Pablo last night, I recommend you watch the episode on abc.com just to see the sights.

In the meantime, here are a few more photos for you:

Check out these decorative doors in Vietnam's Marble Mountains through which Juan Pablo and "Nikki the Nurse" (good Lord) strolled after repelling into "Hell":

Barefoot Beach Blonde

Ummm...HELL-o! (Sorry--couldn't resist).

And how cool are these bamboo basket boats?!

Oliver Ross

Aaand as demonstrated by Juan Pablo and Clare on last night's episode, it doesn't take much to get this boat a rockin'... Tip your waitresses, folks.

Moving right along, here are some other pics taken by our friends during their Vietnam honeymoon as they explored the local sights surrounding the Intercontinental Danang Sun Peninsula Resort. Much like Juan Pablo and his sauced suitors, our friends participated in a local lantern festival, as well as enjoyed Vietnam's fresh and fragrant local foods:

The Morfords

The Morfords

I hope Juan Pablo redeems himself next week, but if not, at least we'll have New Zealand! ;)

Enjoy, and hope to see you back here tomorrow for the BIG announcements!

Emilie

It was almost 80 degrees again in South Carolina today and I am really struggling to get in the holiday spirit. Days like this I miss New England, and especially Maine--a state which holds particular sentimental value for me. Luckily You May Be Wandering provided me with the perfect opportunity to reminisce at their "no passports required" link party. Come stop by the party and see what I had to say about a special trip to The Tides Beach Club...

Enjoy!

Emilie

Well, the 2013 wedding season is definitely winding down. We just returned from a week in Boston where we went to our last wedding until the start of spring season...in February. Because we have been in Boston, I admit I haven't made much progress on my bedroom makeover since last Monday's post. So for today's Monday post, I am bidding goodbye to the 2013 wedding season by featuring a friend's fabulous honeymoon:

Before we left for Boston, my friend Sarah was married near her hometown of Sarasota, Florida. Sarah is the older sister of my best friend from college, so naturally I have idolized her since the day I met her...and it didn't hurt that our first meeting took place in Paris, where Sarah was studying abroad in college. Sarah is sophisticated and stylish--so much so that she and her handsome new husband, Zac, were featured in the New York Times weddings section!--and she was a stunning bride.

I love weddings. And I love Sarah. And yes--I did indeed almost break the refresh button on Facebook the day of Zac and Sarah's wedding, but I admit have been equally as anxious to see the photos of her honeymoon as I had been to see the ones of her wedding!

But first lets back up a bit: as you may recall, Brian and I chose to travel to Thailand for our honeymoon last spring. We were mostly drawn to its lush, tropical beaches and exotic geography (dramatic karst islands rise out of a glowing, blue Andaman Sea), but also to the warm and welcoming culture, and the fresh and fragrant cuisine of Southeast Asia. I found myself so inspired by our trip that I began this blog upon our return home! So when I learned that Zac and Sarah had chosen to spend their honeymoon in Southeast Asia, as well, I couldn't wait to pour over pictures and compare notes.

Sarah explains that it was important to the well-traveled pair to discover their honeymoon destination together: "We were both fortunate to travel all over the world, but we wanted a place neither of us had been." With Zac taking the lead, the couple researched Tahiti, Fiji, and Thailand, but ultimately chose Vietnam. "A lot of people scratched their heads when we told them where we were going," says Sarah, "but we couldn't be happier with the choice. We love to read and relax, but we knew we would go crazy just beaching it for a week. Our idea was sort of mixing a luxury hotel with a culturally fascinating country and blending both."

Makes perfect sense to me!

"Once we discovered the Intercontinental Sun Peninsula in Danang, there was really no looking back," explains the bride. And it is easy to see why; the new resort is impeccably decorated and features world-class service and cuisine, so the discerning duo knew it would provide the perfect place to rest and relax in between excursions to explore nearby Hoi An and Hue.

May the rest of their journey be as beautiful as its beginning!:

Sun Peninsula perched upon Monkey Mountain

Beautiful black and white bedroom

The chef's table inside La Maison 1888--

check out those harlequin floors!

Stylish stripes provide shade from the sun

Sarah enjoying Saigon iced coffee and croissants
as she sits in a booth suspended above the sea

Some vodka soda refreshments? Don't mind if I do!

L_o_n_g Bar at Sun Peninsula

A red reading nook at the resort!
"Because it rains a lot, there were lots of hidden beds and areas for reading or waiting out a rain storm..." 

In addition to indulging at the Sun Peninsula, Zac and Sarah wanted to take advantage of their trip and explore the exotic surroundings: "We alternated days on the beach and by the pools with wonderful day trips to Hue and Hoi An."

Lantern Festival

Traditional music performance inside Hue

An ancient walled city in Hue

Burning incense in the temples

Sarah bought bananas and lychee fruit from the local market

Working off the croissants?

Sarah is quite the chef and was as excited to explore the local cuisine as she was to explore the local culture: "We love Vietnamese food and I love French food, so we were sure the country would offer lots of both!" Not to mention the Michelin star chef restaurant offered right at the resort...

coconut & prawn soup

chorizo, black mussel & chickpea

Pho!

Sarah explains that the vertical resort was laid out in four different levels: Sea, Earth, Sky and Heaven, and breakfast was in Heaven; "My favorite part of the day was when we boarded the funicular and Zac told the driver, 'To heaven!'" Thank you for letting us tag along on the trip...

Enjoy!

Emilie

As I mentioned in my last post, I was in Québec City last week, but I might as well have been in France! Québec City is absolutely intoxicating--if you haven't been, by all means GO! Accordion musette dances through the city's historic brick streets, street performers liven up parks and plazas, statues and fountains dazzle at every turn, and window boxes filled with flowers hang from every window. And, of course, French is spoken everywhere...c'est très romantique!

Per usual, one of the highlights of our trip was eating, and in Québec City in the summer, eating often occurs outdoors! I can only imagine that locals can't stand to spend another day indoors after the long Canadian winters...it is bad enough in Boston! Plus the streets are beautiful, so who wouldn't want to sit in them? 

Here I am enjoying a clearly much-needed glass of sangria at Le Lapin Sauté after the long drive from Boston to Québec City:

In keeping with the city's French feel, outdoor dining decor often features Parisian bistro tables and chairs. And although you cannot tell from this photo (and by the looks of it, neither could I at the time), I am sitting in one of those beautiful bistro chairs! I absolutely love these chairs and certainly believe they shouldn't be confined to the pretty, tiled interiors of bistros, but should be considered for use in kitchens, and even in dining rooms! Not only do they bring texture and color into a room, but they really add a surprising element of sophisticated style worthy of any chic Parisian... ;) 

Voilà:

Ashley Whittaker Design

Katie Rosenfeld Design

Estee Stanley

Schranghamer Design Group

Estee Stanley 

Traditional Home, Spring 2011

Elle Decor, September 2007

House Beautiful

Victoria Hagan

Coastal Living

Better Homes and Gardens, September 2011

House Beautiful

 COCOCOZY

Bistro chairs are available in a range of colors, although I am drawn to the blue and white ones. Here are a few that I found!:

Decor N More

$245 from Serena and Lily

$225 from Serena and Lily

$295 from Serena and Lily

$295 from Serena and Lily

$295 from Williams-Sonoma Home

$395 from Williams-Sonoma Home

$103 from Decor N More

$159 from Pottery Barn

$289 from Pottery Barn

$299 from American Country

So no matter what room you are sitting in--or what you are sipping on--consider bringing home a bit of bistro!

Enjoy!

Emilie