santorini snapshots.

h was quite the photographer on our trip to greece - he took over 500 photos on our paparazzi camera (canon EOS rebel T3i digital SLR)  while i focused on the really important photo-opps with my iphone -- the food, unique doors, couple-shots and photos of the photographer! santorini was a beautiful island and i found myself staring at the ocean smiling quite a few times :) santorini lived up to all of my sisterhood of the traveling pants dreams (yes i went there) and i would absolutely visit again. thankfully h took lots of pretty photos so i can re-visit anytime i want::

this was my favorite spot on the island - a church with a pretty bell tower.  

athens is up next week! 

xo, 

jillian

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she's a pill.

do you remember the movie you've got mail? i really love the part when tom hanks calls meg ryan a pill... "she's a pill!" ha! tom hanks can do no wrong. anyways i digress.. i have a bad memory and i keep forgetting to take my vitamins (especially when i'm on vacation!). sooo i am in search of a cute retro-inspired pill box that i can throw in my purse (it's hip to take vitamins, trust me!) i found quite a few cute pill boxes on etsy:: 

xo, 

jillian

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santorini sneak peek.

happy monday! i am back from greece - we had a fantastic time and i am so grateful to my friends (alexa, marissa, betsy and alison) for guest posting while i was out of the country. here's a little peek of our first day in santorini (aka heaven). the views were absolutely breath-taking:: 

when we arrived in santorini we were lucky enough to be upgraded to the executive suite at our hotel for a small charge - we got a LOT more space and a balcony... not a bad way to start the trip. we quickly became acquainted with the island and wandered through the winding walled paths of the caldera. 

around every corner there was a new surprise and LOTS of bright white and blues...

beautiful flowers and doorways to more ocean views...

and just when you thought it couldn't get any prettier...

i miss it already. stop by this week - i promise to share more greece tidbits and photos - opa!

xo, 

jillian

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friday's fancies guest post: long distance loving.

Hello hello! I'm {av} and I'm so happy to be filling in for {jm}. While I'm beyond jealous of her Grecian adventure, I know she will take great notes on our behalf! I'm thrilled to fill in for her with a vacation chic round of #FridaysFancies. {jm} has been a supporter of Friday's Fancies since the very beginning. In fact, she was the one who encouraged me to start this link-up altogether :) While she's enjoying Greece, I envisioned her in the outfit below. Who can argue with versatile vacay pieces under $50? 

Topshop Strappy Cami Maxi Dress {$36} + Sabine Gold Flower Statement Necklace {$32}

Accessorize Panama Hat {$29} + Gap Two-Tone Canvas Clutch {$30}

LAUREN Ralph Lauren Alexa Sandals in Platino/Eggshell {$48}

What are your vacation "neutral" colors? I always end up with navies and whites, but I know others who swear by blacks and tans. Many thanks again to {jm} for having me today and for being the reason I stuck with blogging! I hope you all have an incredible weekend! xoxo {av} | {long distance loving}

P.S. If you blog about fashion, join the Friday's Fancies mailing list here and link up your post! Everyone is welcome :)

guest post: betsy transatlantically.

Hello, Cornflake Dreamers!  I'm Betsy, and I'm delighted to be visiting from Betsy Transatlantically while Jillian's on her Greek adventure with her handsome husband.  I've been to Italy and Spain before, but never Greece - I can't wait to hear the stories and see the photos once they've returned!  Jon, my fiancé, and I have actually been thinking quite a bit about the Mediterranean recently as we've started trying to figure out our honeymoon plans.  We're getting married in England in August, but I'll be coming right back to Washington, DC after the wedding while he'll stay in London, waiting for his visa to move to the US to be confirmed.  So the honeymoon will have to be put on hold until next year, which gives us lots of time to research options! One of Jon's ideas was a trip to Gibraltar. Before he mentioned it, I knew very little about the tiny peninsula on the southern edge of Spain other than that it used to be a key piece of the British Empire, controlling the gateway between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, and that John Lennon married Yono Oko there in 1969.  It turns out, though, that Gibraltar is still part of the United Kingdom!

In fact, visiting Gibraltar is apparently like stepping onto English soil except with much better weather.  Even though it's attached to Spain, the people of Gibraltar overwhelming identify as British - when they were asked whether they wanted to be handed over to Spain in 1967, 99.64% of the population voted to remain British, and in 2002 they resoundingly rejected a referendum of shared sovereignty between the UK and Spain.  The official language is English, the currency is pounds sterling, all professions are required to have British qualifications, and there are red post boxes dotted around the territory.  Of course, there's also a Marks and Spencer and a Topshop - basically, it's Britain on the Med! It's also got tons of history and amazing places to visit, from the famous limestone Rock of Gibraltar to an 11th century tower and tunnels instrumental in World War II plus, in the museum, an exploration of Gibraltar's Roman and Moorish past.  The whole territory is only 2.6 square miles so you could probably see everything in a long weekend - how much fun would that be for a quick trip?

xo, 

 Betsy from Betsy Transatlantically

guest post: the boot.

Summer has officially arrived, early, here in Barletta! You can tell because at any point during the day, except lunch time of course, you’ll find people out and about in the piazzas eating gelato. In Italy, gelato = summer. I always ask people what flavor is their favorite and the consensus seems to be that in the evening chocolate flavors are a must while during the day, the fruitier options win. 

I’m a fruity ice cream fan myself, but it’s bathing suit season and I have a wedding dress to fit into soon, so today I have a super easy and healthy recipe for you to make your own fruity frozen yogurt at home! It’s a snap to throw together and you can use practically any fruit you like! Plus, if it’s not summer where you are, eating a batch of this will make it feel like it is! :)

Fruity Frozen Yogurt

1 or 1/2 cup very ripe  (peach, banana, pear, berries, watermelon, etc.)

1 cup greek yogurt 

1 tbs sugar (or agave nectar if you want to be even more healthy!)

Peel and chop the fruit and puree it in a food processor. Transfer to a plastic or durable container. Add the yogurt and sugar and stir well. Place in the freezer and every 45 minutes give the mixture a vigorous stir - this will break up the ice that may form and keep it creamy! Continue to stir for another 2-3 hours. Serve immediately! 

If you like, here are more of my healthy recipes. Buon appetito and thanks to the lovely Jill for having me here today!

xo, 

marissa

guest post: alexa from the short and sweet of it

Hello Cornflake Dreams readers! I am so honored that Jillian asked me to stand in for her while she's away in Greece! Major jealous pangs here. ;)

I've put together a little dream packing list for my own whimsical getaway (that for now is just in my head). And I'm pretty sure all of these things could be worn along the shores of a Greek Island! And of course you won't want to forget pretty stationary to write to your insanely envious friends and family back at home.

What's your dream vacation right now?

xoxo

Alexa (from The Short and the Sweet of It)...come visit!

Madewell City Skimmers / Boden Florentine Coat / Soft Joie Cade Maxi Dress / Indian Chief Scarf / Loren Hope Clara Bracelet / Besotted Brand Notes / J. Crew Swimsuit / Global Greeting Cards - Anthropologie /suitcase photo