Spotlight :: Amsterdam

[trip style = urban + sightseeing]

This post is written by Trip Styler fashion and lifestyle writer Heather.

Forty-eight hours in Amsterdam is not enough. It's not enough time to eat street waffles, stroll past romantic canals, visit brightly colored tulip fields, drink Heineken in Vondelpark, gaze at stylish cyclists, take in the city's museums, or put your finger on exactly what makes Amsterdam so cool. This spring I took advantage of KLM's free stopover option while traveling from Vancouver to Barcelona. Best decision ever.

Eat
Amsterdam is full of chic restaurants, street eats and gorgeous cafés. Foodie must-eats include Vlaamse frites {Belgian fries covered in mayonnaise}, stroopwafels {two thin, warm waffles filled with caramel syrup} and Dutch pancakes {huge, thin pannenkoeken or small, icing sugar-covered poffertjes}.

A Dutch take on Italian and Spanish: pizza at Mazzo and tapas at Mercat, two popular restaurants from Amsterdam's IQ Creative group.

The most stylish café in the city. Linger over espresso and design books at Roomservice inside Hôtel Droog, an Amsterdam design shop, gallery, café, one-room hotel and collection of boutiques. Trip Styler approved!

Trip Styler Tip: Looking for coffee and a place to rest and recharge? Be careful what you ask for. Coffee shops and cafés are not the same thing in Amsterdam {coffee shop = marijuana / café = coffee}.

Stay
Hotels in Amsterdam are among the most expensive in Europe, but it's possible to find a stylish stay that won't break the bank. Look for a hotel inside the canal ring if location is your top priority. I stayed in the trendy Jordaan neighborhood, which was the perfect spot for a solo stopover. For a uniquely Amsterdam stay, look for a houseboat.

Hotel The Exchange and The Lloyd Hotel and Cultural Embassy {pictured above} are unique properties that offer rooms from 1 to 5 stars {Amsterdam's answer to the Ace Hotel chain}. The former is a small hotel steps from the train station with rooms designed by fashion students; the latter is a 100-year-old building---once an emigrant hotel, a prison and artist studios---in the up-and-coming Eastern Docklands neighborhood.

Do
I could have easily spent a week touring this extremely liveable city. I'll say it again: 48 hours is not enough. I'm already plotting my return.

I barely had enough time to explore Amsterdam's delightful 17th-century city center on two feet. Two wheels is a different story, and happens to be Amsterdam's favorite mode of travel. Bicycles are easy to rent and fun to ride. Bonus: the city is flat and covered in 400+ kilometers of bike lanes! Visit Amsterdam Noord and the Eastern Docklands if you're on two wheels.

You can really get your culture on in Amsterdam. Don't miss out on the big four: the Stedelijk Museum {pictured above}, the Anne Frank House and the recently reopened Van Gogh Museum and Rijksmuseum {pictured at very top}.

Trip Styler Tip: If you plan on visiting more than two museums, choose one of the three multi-museum passes offered in the city.

A good way to restrain your shopping habits is to visit Amsterdam with only a carry-on to your name. Whatever you buy, you carry around Europe for three weeks! That didn't stop me from exploring The Nine Streets, a boutique-filled shopping area in the canal ring, De Bijenkorf department store for Holland's version of Nordstrom, The Frozen Fountain for crazy-cool furniture and home accessories and the Target-like HEMA for everyday essentials.

Related
Fashion Friday :: Cycle Chic
Fashion Friday :: White Chucks
Travel Trend :: Pod Sleepovers

[all photos taken by @heatherlovesit]

Fashion Friday :: Shop Seattle

[trip style = urban]

This post is written by Trip Styler fashion and lifestyle blogger Heather.

I must confess that I've been cheating on Seattle with Portland for the past few years, but the Emerald City has been calling me back. While Portland has tax-free shopping and killer restaurants, its larger neighbor to the north has more to offer than Nordstrom and corporate coffee outposts. Here are a few neighborhood picks -- shops and eats -- away from the established shopping zones of Downtown, Bellevue and the U District, where you'll find unique clothing and lifestyle goods for the discerning, fashion-forward shopper.

Capitol Hill - 10th Ave
Totokaelo makes an impact even before you've set foot inside its doors. It's the kind of shop you can't just walk past; it calls you in. The store has three separate spaces for women, home goods and, most recently, men. Beyond the incredible selection of items from designers like Dries Van Noten, Acne, Rachel Comey, Apiece Apart and Henrik Vibskov, Totokaelo {pronounced toh-toh-kye-oh} sets itself apart with impeccable customer service. Cruise your favorite items online before coming in and save them in your online account to try on in store. Buy a few items and get a beautifully designed card in the mail to follow. It's details that these that keep me coming back -- especially during sale season!

{More great shops on Capitol Hill's 10th Avenue: Elliott Bay Book Company and Nube Green}

Trip Styler Tip: Rest and refuel at Oddfellows Cafe & Bar next door and Molly Moon's Homemade Ice Cream Shop around the corner.

Ballard - Ballard Ave
Prism is a retail and art space I came across this summer on one of my favorite streets in the city, Ballard Avenue. This restrained yet gorgeously curated lifestyle shop carries home goods, jewelry from local designers like Iacoli & McAllister, apothecary items from Blackbird and both new and vintage mens and womenswear. Only a little over a year old, Prism is the sister space to Capitol Hill's Cairo. On my first visit, I couldn't help but leave with two necklaces, the bangles shown above and a list of must-buy items for my next stop in town.

{More great shops on Ballard Avenue: Ketch and The Palm Room}

Trip Styler Tip: Take a load off and get your eat on at The Walrus & The Carpenter, La Carta de Oaxaca and Hot Cakes.

A Few Other Seattle Gems
- E. Smith Mercantile {Pioneer Square}
- Les Amis {Fremont}
- Hammer & Awl {Madrona}

More Fashion Friday
Falling for Portland
High/Low Fall Trends
Make a Statement

[photos via visit seattle, totokaelo & prism, collages by @heatherlovesit]

The Savvy Traveler :: Leighann

[trip style = urban]

This post is written by Trip Styler fashion and lifestyle blogger Heather.

When I buy clothes I lean towards shopping at boutiques, because how often do you become friends with the salesperson at a large retailer? Leighann Boquist is the owner of Vancouver women's clothing shop Oliver & Lilly's, where she counts her customers as her friends. At her shop, you'll find gorgeous clothing, accessories and lifestyle goods sourced from Tofino to Montreal and Los Angeles to London. Leighann and her husband travel to NY and LA twice a year to buy for the store, but as a lover of trip style = urban, she always makes sure to tack on a few extra days to explore and enjoy the cities she's come to know so well after running her shop for five years. I asked Leighann to let us in on her favorite spots and share how she travels, embodying the effortlessly chic ethos of Oliver & Lilly's.

1/ Bi-coastal accommodations
LA
We always try to stay for a little over a week during our LA trips and prefer booking a vacation rental over a hotel to experience the city like a local. We either stay in Santa Monica, Venice or Silver Lake. Finding your own little gem through Airbnb or VRBO isn’t too tough and these neighborhoods are a great starting point. We always try to ensure we're walking distance to good shopping, coffee and a grocer.

NY
In New York we stay at a boutique hotel in Murray Hill called Park South. It's central enough to everything -- buying appointments, subway stations, restaurants, etc. There’s just something so perfectly Manhattan about a historic boutique hotel with a top-hatted doorman and a lobby lounge filled with jazz music.

2/ Go-to spots for food & fun
LA
Cora’s in Santa Monica is our brunch spot. Great pancakes and a short walk to Venice Beach. Our favorite way to lunch is at local food trucks like Kogi BBQ. There are usually a few trucks parked along Abbot Kinney in Venice. During our last trip, a good friend introduced us to a cool restaurant in the Arts District called Church & State as well as this awesome little coffee joint a few doors down called The Daily Dose. For dinner, Little Dom’s (Los Feliz) or Cliff’s Edge (Silver Lake) -- they have the best fries and the space is breathtaking. We try to hit up some concerts when we’re in town. Before we leave, we check to see if our favorite bands are playing or we scout out the marquees at venues in Silver Lake. Our cottage in Santa Monica is close to the Aero Theatre, so we always take in a film or two while there. You can often catch special screenings with director’s Q&A. And wherever we go, we search for bookstores; our latest find is The Last Bookstore in Downtown LA.

NY
In the mornings, we get a coffee and oatmeal or a bagel on the street from a local deli. For lunch, Le Moulin à Café on the Upper East Side is lovely and for dinner we totally crave Café Habana in Nolita -- the Cuban corn on the cob is drop dead delicious. My favorite thing to do in NY is visit the art galleries -- large and small. Grab a coffee and browse around the neighborhoods, shop at local haunts, stroll through Barneys and walk up Fifth Avenue to check out the department store windows. Two must-stops are ABC Carpet & Home and The Strand Bookstore.

Trip Styler Tip: Leighann's husband lines up with the locals at a little neighborhood grocery store called 21 Crosby Deli (corner of Crosby & Grand). They serve a mean -- and budget-friendly -- Reuben and he usually gets a "bonus" BLT to go. When in SoHo...

3/ Perfect travel wear
Well, I pretty much have a uniform and am function over form -- not much changes when I travel. On the plane I’m usually in skinny jeans, a cashmere sweater and flats or sneakers. In my suitcase you’ll find the same pieces with a few additions: coat, scarf, blazer, leather pants, boots and yoga gear. I use my Clare Vivier La Tropezienne bag as a carry on with a Heidi Merrick clutch inside that stores all my grab-and-go items: wallet, chapstick, iPod, hand towelettes and notepad.

Trip Styler Tip: Leighann always travels with Herban Essentials Towelettes. These individually wrapped, made in California, essential oil towelettes come in great scents like lemon, lavender and peppermint. Find them in her store or check here for a retailer near you. {$20 for 22 towelettes}

5/ Destination on your radar
We’re pipe-dreaming Paris right now for Fall '14, so stay tuned.

More Savvy Travelers
Carolyn, Pro Wanderer
Jesse, I'm With The Band
Jackie, Paris Is Always A Good Idea
Lori, A License To Move

{If you know anyone who should be featured in our Savvy Traveler series, drop us a line!}

[photos by @heatherlovesit]

Spotlight :: Miami

[trip style = sun + beach + foodie + urban]

I had high hopes for Miami. Mr. Trip Styler and I spent a handful of sun-sational days in South Beach about five years ago, and everything worked out postcard-perfectly. Plus, we're MASSIVE fans of deco-era design and hotels---areas Miami has the market cornered---so my early-October trip was poised to turn out beachy-keen. Until it got off to a slow start.

Trip Styler Tip :: I tagged all my South Beach photos with #TSMiami on Instagram if you'd like an inside look.

Without getting into the nitty-gritty---the TS glass is always half-full---we encountered polar opposite service standards, both lacking and lovely. Once we realized this was a theme, we quickly toughened up, switched our sentiments, and in doing so, rediscovered the very reason we fell in love with Florida's most famous, 15-mile stretch of sand.

Note: while it pains me, there are a few hotels and restaurants---cool design, sketchy service---I've left out of the below list of recommendations. Trip Styled spots must measure up!

MIA's Gems Stay: The James Royal Palm, renovated to the tune of 42 million in 2012, The James turned the 1939-built Royal Palm into one of the most design-forward, deco-meets-mod hotels on SoBe.

Happy Hour: Khong River House has a happening happy hour {4-7pm mon-fri} where spicy cocktails aren't just cheapie renditions of better drinks, but stay-for-a-while bevvies. Order The Killer B; it has kick!

Eat: Ice Box Cafe is one of Miami's authorities on desserts, but I visited for an organic breakfast because the all-day fare measures up, too. Plus, dessert can be ordered after any meal, including breakfast.

Eat: La Sandwicherie; a fast-paced and health-conscious outdoor sandwich and juice shop lined with bar stools---ahhhh, below misters---in a quasi-alley, off-the-beach locale.

Eat: Yardbird Southern Table and Bar. Voted one of the 50 best restaurants in America by Bon Appetit Magazine in 2012, this ode to down home cookin' is worth a meal {or two} for the cheddar waffles alone.

Sip: South Shore {rum bar} at The James Royal Palm. Rum doesn't rev my engine, but the bartender at South Shore made me a rum believer. I ordered the Hispanola {highly recommended}, which took over five minutes to craft with its three fresh-squeezed limes, egg white, tiki bitters and mint.

Java: Panther Coffee is bathed in concrete, shipping containers and really good coffee. To me, the space is one of the coolest in MIA. Also, while you're here, check out the boutiques along Purdy Avenue.

Java: Nespresso's Bar is a sleek gallery devoted to au courant coffees---think cortado with a dollop of vanilla bean gelato.

Snack: Lee & Marie's Cakery's is at the foot of South Pointe Beach in case you want to refuel your sun-parched lips with a homemade lemonade, scone or cake. Also, this cake shop has a cool little secret; it supports and employs adults with autism.

Do: Deco Bike's stations are spread all over SoBe. Rent a bike from $4 per half hour, and explore {while burning calories!} along the beach path. Alternatively, many of the roads have bike paths if you want to use the Deco bike-share system as your taxi.

Do: Beach it like you mean it on one of the USA's most famed ribbons of sand. I like the beach at the Southern end of SoBe: South Pointe.

[photos by @tripstyler, except for The James Royal Palms, via The James]

Vintage Miami

[trip style = sun + beach + urban]

Last week, Mr. Trip Styler and I spent a handful of hot 'n humid days in Miami. As avid architecture and design fans {of the modern and vintage variety}, we did not let go of our cameras the entire visit. Here are just a few retro gems we captured on a walkabout along Ocean Drive, a '20s- and '30s-built, 10-block stretch some call "America's Riviera." Stay tuned for a bigger slice of South Beach's TS-approved eats, stays and plays coming soon.

PS - Of all the hotels captured below, I dig the Diesel Jeans-owned, 25-room Pelican Hotel.

Hotel Breakwater

Colony Hotel

The Carlyle

The Cavalier

Leslie Hotel {under renovation}

Congress Hotel South Beach

Casa Grande Suite Hotel

Pelican Miami Beach

A stretch of the 15-mile beach across the road.

[photos by @tripstyler]