5 Design Stores You Must Visit in Copenhagen

During my trip to Copenhagen with my girlfriend Lin, I swear to you, every time we headed out the door, I had to prep myself for the overwhelming design-store coolness that would instantly appear on its cobblestone streets.

Here was a typical conversation I had with myself:

"Calm down, lady. You can do this. You do not have to buy everything you see. Just appreciate things and move on. Maybe take some photos, maybe not. Keep the credit card secure at all times. If you start to tear up because you are surrounded by such bonkers-awesome home design, just hold it back. No design crying in Denmark! You will look ridiculous! You will scare Lin! Keep it together, Feezor!"

In short, everything I've ever pinned on Pinterest ever, everything I've ever included in a roundup for Herman Miller or mom.me, basically came to life in Copenhagen. Here are the places that made me the most overly and inappropriately emotional.

1. Normann Copenhagen. Normann was the first store I just had to see when we got to the city--I feel like I've written and daydreamed about it more than any other place in Copenhagen. It's a bit out of the city center, so plan accordingly! Østerbrogade 70, 2100 Copenhagen

2. HAY. Oh heavens. Such clean and modern and beautiful design. HAY makes everything from pillows to notebooks to brooms yes brooms look better. (Their store, in the city center, is pictured above.) Østergade 61, 1100 Copenhagen

3. Illums Bolighus. Just the typing of this store name makes me catch my breath. (This is not a joke. I almost turned around and walked back out when I first witnessed it. IT IS TOO MUCH FOR ME. HERE IS WHERE I MAY CRY.) Everything you need is in this shop. Everything. If you only have 24 hours in Copenhagen, this is your design store. 10 Amagertorv, 1160 Copenhagen

4. Tiger. Tiger is apparently all over Europe, but I wanted to include it here because the Denmark store was cheery and well priced. It reminded me of a mini IKEA, sans furniture and with more food options. Rådhuspladsen 59, 3.tv, 1550 Copenhagen

5. Sogreni of Copenhagen. Sogreni isn't a design shop per se, but it is a design-y bicycle shop. The perfect Copenhagen souvenir is here: one of their pitch-perfect, super-chic bike bells. Get the brass version--the owner told me it has the clearest tone. Sankt Peders Streage 30A, 1453 Copenhagen

The Paris Plan - Achieved Today: Rule #10.

Cute Alert: The Homes of Copenhagen

Over the last week, I learned that nobody does "cute" better than Copenhagen. Nooooooooobody.

I spent three days in the city on a trip I planned back in February with my friend Lin. (My travel companion to China a few years ago. We pick 'em well, don't we?)

Most of our visit, we just walked around, talked, people-watched, ate too much, and spent money, whether we wanted to or not--because lawd have mercy, Copenhagen is expensive. EXPENSIVE. But we also found that it is these things, too: quaint, clean, very friendly, safe with the hint of an edge, uber bicycle-y, super food-y, and really well font-ed. (As in, holy adorable branding on every store. What graphic designer got her hands on this place, and when can I hire her?)

Unsurprisingly, the homes in the city only add to its charm. Take a look at some of the sweet places we spotted while we were out and about.

Okay, I fudged that last one--it's actually Kronborg Castle in Elsinore, just outside of Copenhagen. Trivia for my fellow literature dorks: it served as inspiration for the castle in Shakespeare's "Hamlet." (I know!)

The Paris Plan - Achieved Today: Rules #4 and 10.

Things that are bonnie

One good thing about being in Paris (other than the fact that you're in Paris) (okay, I know) is that you can easily leave it to visit the UK.

I spent the last weekend in Aberdeen, Scotland, visiting my dear friend Dawn. Part of me thought I'd blather on here about how I felt inspired by the dramatic landscape and the moody granite-stone architecture and the history of a castle we visited. But I'm just gonna be real, y'all. Here's what we really did:

Dawn has five kids. F-I-V-E.

At the same time, she's in medical school. M-E-D-I-C-A-L  S-C-H-O-O-L.

In the middle of her no-nonsense schedule, she made time for us to sit down and catch up. We drank coffee and tea. We ate a meal made by her husband. We washed dishes. We watched "Frozen" with her wee lass. We joked with her three big boys; we cooed over her infant one. We went to the store. She turned her head while I loaded the cart with too many Cadbury chocolates (a by-product of a time I lived in London). And on the way to the airport, we dropped by Crathes Castle for lunch.

She did it all with grace and humor and complete take-chargedness. And dang if she didn't look good the whole freakin' time.

I seriously didn't need people in kilts or rolling emerald hills to find inspiration in Scotland.

The Paris Plan - Achieved Today: Rules #6 and 10.

Schooled

I'm in mega-learning mode right now, and I am so thankful for my teachers along the way: Lindsey on where to eat in Paris; Kasia on where to shop; Nichole on how to survive it all. And then there are the classes on the REALLY good stuff--French wine and macarons--taught in, le sigh, English. Since I've been here, I've sipped Champagne and Bourdeaux during a wine-tasting class from Wine Tasting in Paris and have learned to make macarons (!) at La Cuisine Paris.

And ooooh lordy. How I rejoiced in being able to understand every.single.word.

For the record, the wine-tasting class was on a boat on the Seine, and the macaron instructor sent us all home with at least a dozen holy-cow-did-we-actually-MAKE-these? treats. I know.

I keep pinching myself. And also the extra inch that may be slowly appearing around my belly. Rules number 5 and 6 in The Paris Plan: IN EFFECT.