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Istanbul Travel Guide

For years and years, I dreamed of going to Istanbul, and two years ago, Sasha and I decided to travel there after his MBA international trip took him to Accra, Ghana. He met me in Turkey, and we spent five days adventuring before heading to Athens (also highly recommended – travel guide to come soon!). There are so many iconic sites to see and oodles of delicious Turkish food and wine to be eaten. We both agree that our days in Turkey were some of our favorite together – this also includes the latter half of our trip, during which we went to Cappadocia. See photos of Cappadocia here.

I kept a very good travel diary while I was there, which was very helpful in writing this post. I also blogged while we were traveling – you can read the Istanbul posts here, here and here – lots of pictures! I have the travel bug and am dying to take Isla on an adventure, which Sasha laughs at. We are going to Mexico City in just a few weeks to celebrate one of my best friend’s weddings – I cannot wait to explore this historic city with some of my closest friends.

Have you ever been to Istanbul? If so, what would you add to my travel guide below? Click here to see a complete list of my travel guides, which includes BaliParisDurangoAustinHoustonWashington, DC,  and San Francisco.


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Food + Drink

Amedros Cafe – True story – Sasha and I still talk about the halloumi cheese appetizer we got at Amedros Cafe. It was that good (and there’s a photo here).

Pasazade Restaurant – We were starving, walking around Istanbul trying to find Pasazade Restaurant after tackling some of the big sites earlier in the day. When we finally found Pasazade (check out TripAdvisor, I’m not the only one to recommend it!), we were overwhelmed by the happy servers. The entire staff was so happy and accommodating. We ate the Vegetable Bükme as an appetizer, then I had the Herb Sauté with Mushrooms and Sasha ate the Seferceliye. We of course dabbled in the Turkish wine. We were most excited about the slanted white plates that the food is served in! It’s the little things in life, I suppose!

Aloran Cafe – We walked by Aloran Cafe and it was empty (December is not tourist season in Istanbul), so we kept walking, even though it was ranked highly on TripAdvisor. The owner came outside and convinced us to come in, and ohmygosh am I glad we did. Sasha ate the kebab and I had a mixed vegetable dish – we were so full by the time we left, it wasn’t even funny. We had the Turkish wine recommended by our waiter and moved from glasses to a bottle rather quickly.

Red River – If you want to enter back into the Western world for a minute or two, go to Red River for a drink. We got complimentary drinks because we are from Texas, duh!

Al Bushra Restaurant and Bar  (at Hilton Istanbul) – The views from this delicious restaurant are unbelievable. We felt funny eating at the hotel where we were staying, as we typically avoid that, but it was highly recommended by past visitors, so we gave it a try. This Lebanese restaurant was intimate with low lighting and round tables with comfy cushions. I ordered the falafel and highly recommend it!

Juno – We went to this eclectic little restaurant near the Hilton for a drink before dinner, and ended up staying to eat as we loved the atmosphere. We asked the waiter what he recommended (one meat, one vegetarian) and ordered that! I don’t think you can go wrong at Juno.

Pierre Loti Cafe – Apple tea. That’s all I need to say. I will dream of that drink forever! This little cafe boats amazing views of the Golden Horn. We also had Turkish coffee, which tasted like heaven as well.


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Sites

Basilica Cistern – These underground caverns are the largest of several hundred ancient cisterns that lie beneath the city of Istanbul. The cistern was built in the 6th century during the reign of Byzantine Emperor Justinian I. The lighting is kind of eerie, but it’s worth visiting.

Topkapi Palace – This large palace was the primary residence of the Ottoman sultans for approximately 400 years.  As well as a royal residence, the palace was a setting for state occasions and royal entertainments. Not only is the palace a majestic sight to see, the outer gardens are equally exquisite.

Hippodrome of Constantipole – The area is officially called Sultan Ahmet Square and used to be an area for the circus and other entertainment. The course of the old racetrack has been indicated with paving, although the actual track is 6+ feet  below the present surface. The surviving monuments are two obelisks and the Serpentine Column, and these now sit in holes in a landscaped garden. The walled obelisk is massive and definitely worthy of photographing. The hippodrome is in the same area as Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque and Basilica Cistern.

Istanbul Archaeology Museum – We ducked into this museum as it started raining, and were really glad we had. The architecture of the old buildings and the gorgeous exhibits are fascinating – all signs have English translations, so you can follow along. If you are a museum person, I recommend you visit the Archaeology Museum.

Blue Mosque – One of the most famous sites in the world, the Blue Mosque (technically called Sultan Ahmed Mosque) will not fail to impress you. The mosque has one main dome, six minarets, and eight secondary domes. The design is the culmination of two centuries of Ottoman mosque development. It incorporates some Byzantine Christian elements of the neighboring Hagia Sophia with traditional Islamic architecture and is considered to be the last great mosque of the classical period. Be sure to wear conservative clothing during your trip to Istanbul – you will have to also wear a hijab (head scarf) before entering, but don’t worry, you’ll get one before you go in.

Hagia Sophia – Hagia Sophia s a former Greek Orthodox patriarchal church, that later became a mosque when Constantinople was conquered by Ottoman Turks. It is now a museum. You can see where the Muslims plastered over images of Jesus and Mary – it is a fascinating place to walk through. The view from the main entry (look upward) will take your breath away.

Gulhane Park – This park is luscious and green (and we visited in December!), and we spent about an hour just wandering through (and getting some delicious warm coffee). It’s a pleasant break from the busy hustle and bustle of the city.

Egyptian Spice Bazaar – The spice bazaar is a shock to your senses in the very best way. We spent about two hours just walking through and buying coffee, nuts, dried fruit and spices to take home. We bought the most amazing coffee (see note below), which all of the gift recipients loved.

Grand Bazaar – The grand bazaar is also rather overwhelming, as it is literally a maze of stores. As long as you’re not claustrophobic, you will love it. The stores aren’t selling high-end goods, but the trinkets, scarfs, candles, etc. are definitely worth looking through.

Rüstem Pasha Mosque – The Rüstem Pasha Mosque is famous for its large quantities of exquisite İznik tiles, set in a very wide variety of beautiful floral and geometric designs. The mosque is built on a high terrace over a complex of vaulted shops, whose rents were intended to financially support the mosque complex. The narrow, twisting interior flights of steps in the corners give access to a spacious courtyard. We went into this quiet mosque for a private tour – it was very calm and beautiful.

Pierre Loti Funicular – We rode the funicular ride up to the top of Pierre Loti Cafe, where the views of the Golden Horn are breathtaking. The hot apple tea at the cafe (mentioned above) was a perfect treat to sip on while taking in the views.


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Activities

  • Stand in line at the Egyptian Spice Bazaar to buy coffee from Mehmet Efendi – it is well worth the wait (and bring some home for family and friends!)
  • Sign up for a tour with True Blue Tours (request Yilmaz – he was wonderful)
  • Take a boat ride on the Bosphorus
  • Done a hijab and enter a mosque with a local who can explain what happens where and why
  • Drink lots and lots of Turkish wine
  • Order a clay pot dish, which they will break at your table
  • Get lost in the Grand Bazaar (make sure to haggle!)
  • Walk around Gulhane Park
  • Take pictures inside Hagia Sophia – it is gorgeous
  • Wander through the Basilica Cistern (get the audio guided tour – it’s worth it!)

Magenta Florals

I just completed the first week of my Floral Arranging 101 class, and I am addicted. Our homework assignment was to create a hand tied bouquet, using primary, secondary, and filler flowers, with additional greenery to give it texture. We had suggestions for which flowers to use, but the local Durango grocery store’s floral department is not the best, so I went out on a limb with my selections. My mom told me about April’s Garden after I had already made my bouquet, so I’ll head there next week.

I’m very amateur in the world of flowers, so I bought The Flower Recipe Book to help me. I’m so excited about this purchase – not only does it help with the arranging, it’s also the prettiest coffee table book. I highly recommend you buy it if you’re interested in flowers.

Lastly, the Milk Nursingwear giveaway ends tonight at midnight. Make sure to enter today!

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My absolute favorites – as mentioned here


I love a pop of magenta in a bouquet and have shared some of my favorite wedding arrangements below (all sourced from Style Me Pretty). What is your favorite pop of color in a floral bouquet?

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medhus_braly_wedding_278_600$!600x

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Heidi!$!Zayne-1$!600x

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Week 5 in Durango

Week five has come and gone, and ohmygosh, I am not ready to go back to the ‘real world’ (i.e. Texas). However, I do miss everyone like crazy, and cannot wait to hug all of my family and friends. This past week flew by in anticipation of one of my best friends, Kirby, arriving on Thursday. I managed to run every day this past week, clock between 13,000-20,000 steps every day, enjoy short hikes to the top of a nearby mountain in the mornings, continue my Illustrator 101 and Floral Arranging 101 classes, work on the blog (some fun giveaways coming up soon!), and spend lots of time with Sasha, Belle (our dog) and sweet Isla. We also hiked the 6 mi. trail of the Animas Mountain together for the first time – Sasha and I did it last Labor Day when we were visiting (see photos here).

As you can tell from the thousands of photos below, I love taking pictures of Isla’s cute face, because I know I won’t have as much time to once we are back in Houston (and because she cannot yet tell me to stop).

In case you want to keep track of our Colorado sabbatical, you can also read about Week 1, Weeks 2 and 3, and Week 4.

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Isla being sassy in her Carter’s Romper (similar here) – that last face kills me – her personality is shining through

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Pretty in pink (and white!)

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Cheesin’ it up

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Hot pink is my absolute favorite (similar bodysuit here)

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Someone was none-too-pleased with us taking photos before she got to eat ‘lunch’

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Bows on bows on bows (buy dress here) – and Sophie the Giraffe making an appearance (and Isla loves her hands if you can’t tell!)

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I swear this isn’t a hunger cue, Isla just adores her hands (praying this is ‘self soothing’!)

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Kisses from her ‘Tata’ and (the much dreaded) tummy time (similar outfit here)

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Saturday mornings are for PJs and superman time with dad

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Her hair is seriously out of control, but I love it

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Isla’s little Gap peplum top and leggings

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This was taken after five minutes in her new heaven – i.e. the Skip Hop Treetop Friends Activity Gym… she’s enamored (this is a GREAT baby shower gift)

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Loving the views from the top of the Animas Mountain – Isla loves the view from over my shoulder (her favorite holding position)

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Vegan ice cream at Cream Bean Berry – my one true weakness!

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Isla LOVES (eating) this lovie!

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A sneak preview of my first homework assignment from Floral Arranging 101 (more to come tomorrow!)


Three weeks left! Have a great day. xo

 

Isla Loves: Milk Nursingwear (Giveaway)

When one of my best friends, Kirby, told me about Milk Nursingwear‘s amazing nursing tops, I was very intrigued. Most of the maternity tops I had ordered were very ‘momsy’ and far from stylish. I trust Kirby’s sense of fashion, so I went to their website and was pleasantly surprised by their selection of nursing wear. Milk Nursingwear was nice enough to send me this gray scoop neck shirt to try, and I love it! The top section pulls up to allow for discreet breastfeeding – others genuinely cannot see a thing. Given that newborns are so unpredictable with their feeding, it’s nice to know that I can feed outside of the house if needed without giving up my privacy.


I’m excited to be teaming up with Milk Nursingwear to give away a $35 gift certificate to one lucky individual! In order to enter the giveaway, you must do the following:

  1. Reply to this post, including your name, email and which Milk Nursingwear item(s) you would buy with your gift card
  2. Follow Milk Nursingwear’s freshmilk blog
  3. You will get an extra entry by being or becoming a follower of Snapshots and My Thoughts (see ‘Follow’ button at the bottom righthand corner on desktop version of the blog)

One winner will be drawn at random. The more entries you have, the higher the chance you’ll win! The giveaway ends at midnight on Wednesday, August 20. I will announce the winner by Friday. I look forward to your responses. Good luck!

Follow Milk Nursingwear on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube, and their blog.


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Milk Nursingwear Sleek Gray Striped Scoop Neck Shirt // Isla’s Carters Romper // Kendra Scott Rayne Necklace // Kendra Scott Ailee Bracelet (my favorite, obviously – more here!) // J. Crew Chino Shorts // Dolce Vita Jentry Booties // Tory Burch Robinson Double Zip Handbag

I was given this nursing top by Milk Nursingwear for my review. I was allowed to keep the product, but the opinion I am sharing remains my own.

Isla Loves: The Honest Co. Diapers

I will admit it – I was one of those new moms who brought diapers to the hospital because I wanted her in the cute patterned ones right away. I never, ever thought I would be a diaper snob, but The Honest Co. has proved me wrong. I am indeed very picky about the diapers Isla wears – and these are the best. Not only do I love picking out Isla’s outfits every morning, I also love deciding which pattern of diaper she’ll wear. We subscribe to the monthly delivery, and you get to pick six prints from the wide assortment offered (see a selection below). My absolute favorite pattern is the strawberry one, while Sasha loves the giraffes. I happily let her do tummy time in just her diaper because they are so cute. I highly recommend that you get premium diapers and wipes for less than $20 a week from Honest.com – you and your little loved ones won’t regret it. Just this week, we got our monthly shipment, and I mistakenly ordered another package of size 1 diapers. While they still fit her now, I doubt they will in another four weeks. We gave The Honest Co. a call on the day they arrived, and they immediately sent a return label and waived the shipping and restocking fees. I love them!

We also use and love the Honest Shampoo & Body Wash. It contains only natural and organic ingredients and doesn’t hurt when it gets in baby’s eyes (trust me, Isla would let me know if it did!). I cannot wait to try some of their other bath products!

I’m excited to announce that I am a new Honest Company Ambassador! I am really passionate about this wholesome company and proud to help promote their products. I’ll be sharing other reviews of their many items – I hope you give them a try as well.

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P.S. Dearest Isla, sorry for sharing so many pictures of that tiny little butt and cute chunky thighs with the world! 🙂


I was given Honest Co. diapers for my review. I was allowed to keep the product, but the opinion I am sharing remains my own.