July Favorites

Hello beauties!

Woo, July has been a hot month for me. I've travelled internationally for the first time! I'm slowly, but surly buying stuff for my college dorm. I start college on August 29th! I'm getting excited as each day pass by. 

If you want to read my June favorites, click here. During July, I found so many favorites, many of them are European bound, but some are local too. So let's get started!

• Music

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X Ambassadors

I discovered X Ambassadors via the "Discover Weekly" playlist on my Spotify account. The song listed was "Gorgeous". This is song was different for me. I love the pulsing beat that comes with it and the voice that carries along with it. It wasn't until that I started listening to "Renegades" that I like a few songs from the band. This is a good party band, and I recommend them.

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"Don't Let Me Down" by the Chainsmokers feat. Daya

I heard this song in a store in France and loved it ever since. The Chainsmokers have recently started to become popular and I'm joining their ever growing fan base. I love the beat that comes with this song and the drop that follows. If you're looking for a song to chill to, this is it!

• Travel

Europe

I recently travelled across the ocean for the first time and had the time of my life! I visited the United Kingdom, France and Italy. Visiting these three countries has made me a more humble person. Seeing the beauties of the world in person has truly affected me. Hopefully I can visit these countries and many more in the future!

(Tower Bridge view from London Bridge)

(The Eiffel Tower)

(Piazza Navona, Rome, Italy)

• Life

Ann Arbor Street Art Fair

The Ann Arbor Street Art Festival or the "A2 Art Fest" is a festival that sprawls downtown Ann Arbor. I've been coming here for the past three years and each year, it seems to be getting smaller. But this year, it grew and took over seven streets! I like coming here because it's a place where people come and showcase their works. This year my attention was caught by two people.

Alec LaCasse

The first person was Alec LaCasse. LaCasse is a Michigan-based sculptor of wood and stone. What caught my attention was the intricate detail of every piece of his work. In his booth he had a flower-themed piece of wood, and I absolutely fell in love with it! (I didn't get a picture). I was so impressed by his work, that I told him he deserved to be in my blog. I promise to buy something! Check him out if you love really good wood work!

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Michael

Second person was Michael. I noticed him through friends who was just standing around him, admiring his work. He specializes in handmade wire jewelry. I bought a copper ring and a black and violet charm from him, and I'm in love with them. Unfortunately he doesn't have a website, but the day that he creates one, you guys will be the first to know!

• Food

 

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Milka

OMG! This chocolate was a beautiful curse that was placed on me. I bought this in France and let's just say, I had to make this bar last three days. It's really creamy and you could really taste the chocolate, and there are literally no other words to describe it, unless you try it. I will make another trip to France in order to have this wonderful chocolate goodness in my life again.

Traditional Italian Salad Dressing

Coming from the Midwest, I'm a ranch dressing girl. I put ranch on everything. But in Italy, my Midwest, ranch loving spirit was replaced with a more simple food palette. The salad dressing we had (almost every day) was made with salt, vinegar, and olive oil. Who knew that these three ingredients would change the way I view salads.

European Food (in general)
The food over there in general is so much tastier. It's not overly salty, processed, and over done. Even the Starbucks in France was better! My favorite places food-wise was Grandcamp-Maisy in France, Florence, and Rome. I'm a big fan of pasta, and Italy delivered! The only thing I wished was to have more time to savor every last bit of it.

Chicken pie with mashed potatoes and peas (UK)

Pork steak with roasted potatoes and tomato (France)

Chocolate strawberry gelato (Italy)

So that's it for July! August is here and I'm looking for new and exciting things! Let me know in the comments of something I should check out!

Until next time,

Raven

My Trip to Europe (Part 2)

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Hello beauties!

This is the second leg of the trip, if you want to read about the first leg, click here. This part of the trip was by far the funniest, challenging, and eye opening. The night that we left, the attack in Nice happened. My heart and prayers go out to the victims and the families affected. Even though we weren't in the general area, the thought that it could happen anywhere hit me. But let's move on and talk about my favorite part of the trip, Italy!

ITALY

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We arrived to Italy, via night train. We stopped in Milan to transfer for a train to Florence. When we reached Florence, not even 20 minutes of being in the city, me and my friend were flirted. After that, I knew I was going to love it here. Italy has an atmosphere where, you feel included even if you're a tourist. I could see myself, maybe 5 years after college, living in Florence or Rome (definitely Rome).

• Day 9: Train from Milan to Florence, visited the Accademia Gallery (Michelangelo's David), tour of Il Duomo (Florence Cathedral), tour of Florence, visited Leonardo Leather and Gold.
• Day 10: Left Florence, three-hour bus drive to Rome, visited the Pantheon, tour of the Colosseum, visited the Trevi Fountain.

Il Duomo

Trevi Fountain

• Day 11: Explored the Domitilla Catacombs, St. Paul's Basilica, drive to Vatican City, tour of the Sistine Chapel, walk around St. Peter's Basilica, stopped at Della Palma (gelato), pizza party!
• Day 12: Left Rome, two-hour bus drive to Pompeii, tour of Pompeii, hour bus drive to Sorrento, shopping time in Sorrento, swimming in the Mediterranean Sea.

The Trevi Fountain was so gorgeous. Fun fact, when you visit the Trevi Fountain, there are two rituals, one must partake. If you're married you throw one coin over the opposite shoulder, one for "returning to Rome, and one for luck with your marriage". For single people, you do the same thing, but with three meanings. One for "returning to Rome, finding love, and luck with your marriage. The catacombs were really cool. To think that all of the holes in the wall were filled by men, women, and children blew me away.

• Day 13: (Last full day in Italy) Boat ride from Sorrento to Capri, boat tour of Capri, walking tour inside Capri, walked through the Gardens of Augustus, swimming in the Mediterranean Sea (again), boat ride from Capri to Naples, three-hour bus drive back to Rome.
• Day 14: Travel Day (Back home)

Flowers in the Gardens of Augustus

Mediterranean Sea near Capri

This trip has been the absolute dream of a lifetime! I'm so blessed and honored that I got to share this trip with some of the most amazing people ever! They have made my summer so much better. I'm also thankful for the amazing tour guide who was ever so patient with us and was an overall cool person.

This trip could not have been possible for me without the never-ending support from my parents and my family. I thank you all and God bless!

If you want to know more about my trip, please leave a question in the comments, or if you want to know more information, please visit eftours.com.

Until next time,

Raven