Sogni D’oro

Ciao tutti! Our trip to Italia seems like ages ago, so much has happened since then. As you may or may not know, Timmy and I had a month-long excursion through Italy right before we moved back to California, and it now seems like a fleeting dream when I look back on the photos. We took a plane from New York to Milan, took the train from Venice to Rome stopping in incredible cities in between, then we rented a car and drove back up through Tuscany, visiting the hill towns and sampling the wine, gorging on gelato and becoming olive oil snobs. I’d like to share some photos of my favorite memories as well as some excerpts from our travel journal.

“A train from Ozzanno to Bologna, a train from Bologna to Firenze Rifredi, and finally a train from Firenze Rifredi to Santa Maria Novella stazione in Firenze proper. I had been dreaming about this, being back in this beautiful Italian city…but this time with mio amore.”

“Past the girls’ house (Ciao belle!) onto Via dello Sprone, where the green shutters at #13 were flung wide open.”

“For a 10 euro lunch special we got two courses, our first taste of Chianti, and a confession of love for Julia Roberts.”

“From atop the hill at the Santa Margherita church in Cortona, the clouds were splayed below us like a giant blanket over the valley.”

“We spent the day hiking up and down the hilly cobblestone streets, moseying down a wide path along the edge of town, and trying to ignore our hunger since the shops were closed for la pausa.”

“We walked from the train station to the hotel, going up and over bridges, meandering through narrow cobblestone streets, pausing every so often to take a picture of a sight that took our breath away.”

“In preparation for the long lines we were expecting at the Vatican, we packed the croissants left over from our breakfast at the B&B and bought a full bottle of water. When we arrived at the Vatican museums we walked RIGHT IN. Ten minutes later we were in the Sistine Chapel.”

“We have been so lucky with the weather so far, but it has been the nicest here in Roma. The sun has been warm, the skies have been clear, and we couldn’t be happier.”

“The tour groups were out in full force today but we weren’t worried. Mario had an exclusive connection to the Accademia who let us skip the line and get in for free! She led us in through the exit and opened the doors straight to Michaelangelo’s Davide.”

“Breakfast was brought to us in our room at 9 am…coffee, tea, yogurt, croissants, rolls, butter, jam, honey, soft cheeses, and orange juice. Facing the Galleria Dell’Accademia, our room looks out at the Ponte Dell’Accademia stretching out over the grand canal.”

“My new favorite color is the soft silvery green of the olive tree leaves, my new favorite food is bread with olive oil and salt, and my new favorite beverage is sweet red wine.”

“We wandered the Dorsoduro neighborhood and picked up Murano glass souveniers, then got our luggage and took a vaporetto to the train station. Ciao Venezia.”

“When we got to Montepulciano it was cold, foggy and rainy, so we ducked in Trattoria Di Cagnano for a hearty lunch. My ribollita was so incredibly good, thick and oily and flavored with rosemary. We must make ribollita whenever it’s cold…always with lots of rosemary.”

“Along a road lined with oak trees and littered with fallen leaves, we felt like we had stumbled upon a secret town. Besides the man in the field of bell peppers and a sweet nonna sweeping her porch, we were the only two people in this paradise.”

“I love everything about Lucca. The vibe here is so calm and relaxing, people are out on their bikes, there are dogs everywhere. Let’s stay.”

“We headed over to the Mercato Centrale to admire the fresh produce and local vendors selling their meats and cheeses, pasta and olive oil, dried fruit and nuts.”

“We went the back way through a narrow dirt pathway and along olive groves wehre the pickers were too busy raking the fruit off the branches and onto the nets to notice us.”

“At 5:00 the bells started going off at all of the churches, echoing up to us in a symphony of chimes.”

“Our favorite was called Luenzo, a mix of 80% San Giovese grapes and 20% Merlot. Their Vernaccia white wine (found only in San Gimignano) was also really delicious. I also liked a sweet cherry-tasting red called Serise, but Tim wasn’t such a fan.”

“We got in our trusty little car and drove the windy roads up to the beautiful hill town of San Gimignano. It was the first day that it really felt cold, but being chased by the wind through the streets with the towers looming over us just added to the ambience of this seemingly-forgotten medieval town.”

“I love love love Roma! I don’t know what’s so different this time…the lack of crowds? The company? The wine? It’s very much like New York in so many ways that I can’t help but feel at home.”

“Dessert was, of course, gelato. Maybe one day we’ll have tiramisu.”

“We spent our 11 year anniversary driving through the Tuscan countryside. The grape vines that had been yellow just last week are now turning into luscious oranges and deep reds, creating beautiful ombre palettes on the surrounding hills. Snacking on bread and pecorino seemed perfectly fitting for our Italian road trip as we rolled by herds of sheep grazing on the farms.”

“Perfect weather…perfect time of year…perfect travel companion.”

McQueen

A few months ago we went to the Met to see an exhibit that affected me in a really unexpected way. I have always loved fashion, but I never considered myself a fashionista. I didn’t know labels, I didn’t know designers, I didn’t even know such a thing as Fashion Week existed. But leave it to good ol’ New York to make a changed woman of me. The Met was putting on a much anticipated exhibition honoring the late Alexander McQueen and the fabulousness that he was. All I knew was that he was a designer and that he had a reputation for being bold, unexpected, and very eccentric. Sold. What I didn’t expect was to have my mind completely blown. From the silhouettes to the draping, the fabric choices (or lack thereof) to the overall design, I was smitten. The exhibit spanned countless rooms (seriously I couldn’t keep track of how many because I was gasping for air from the visual blows to my mind) and each room brought new ideas, new shapes, new boundaries being pushed. The collection celebrated his 19 year contribution to fashion, and included many personal quotes and explanations for his artistic vision. Inspiration came from everywhere: political conflicts, the wildness of nature, Tim Burton, African tribes, Jack the Ripper…yet everything was brilliantly cohesive and absolutely romantic. Unfortunately this extensive exhibit is now over, but you can buy the catalog to see each piece and get inside the mind of this genius of a man.

(Widows of Culloden, Sarabande, Jellyfish, The Horn of Plenty, Oyster)
Seriously…click those links. Then browse around until your heart explodes. You will thank me later.

Needless to say, I am eternally a fan. I bought the catalog book and it will have a permanent home on my coffee table. And even with the passing of this exceptional designer, I will still look forward to everything that the House of McQueen puts out. I just saw a glimpse at a few photos of the SS 2012 line and once again I am just in awe of the vision, the construction, the details.

I love the way it is still quintessentially McQueen, even since Sarah Burton took over as creative director in 2010. The delicate feminism and structural masculinity still shine through, and I’m excited to see everything she does with the legacy left to her.

(SS12 images via Style.com)

Let the stormy clouds chase everyone from the place!

Oh my gosh ya’ll, I’m still alive! I know my lack of posts in concurrence with this hurricane had you all scared that I was a gonner, but lo and behold HERE I AM! Wow. First of all, to go back to our mother nature and her sidekick Irene, luckily here in New York City we just had some whistling winds blow down a few branches. I know that other cities were hit pretty hard so I feel super lucky that we were left unscathed. The crazy hype sure made it interesting though…I have never seen New York so deserted and quiet! I was tricked by the thought of post-hurricane weather and decided to wear skinny jeans today, only to get out of the subway and immediately regret my decision. Why couldn’t I have just worn a dress like a normal New Yorker!? It really made me feel a little sad because it felt like summer was coming to a close, then here we are two days later and I’m back to my glistening sweaty self. Thank god! Don’t leave me, summer! I love youuuuuuuuu.

I guess I haven’t really divulged what I’ve been doing all summer, and I’d really love to let you guys know finally! You know that bridal shop Lovely that Tim and I always talk about/photograph/hang out at? Well a few months back the darling owner mentioned that she was thinking about opening a location in Los Angeles, and since the husby and I are moving back in November (oh, did I tell you that yet!?!? yaaaay!!!) then I would be in Los Angeles too! I asked her if there was any way that I could be involved, to which she replied “Do you want to be the manager?”…uhhhhh whaaaat? Moi? My resume includes parade performer, dance teacher, party starter (you know those dancers that come with DJs to Bar Mitzvahs in the glittery vests? ya, me)…but never ever retail. Oh wait, unless you count working at Forever 21 for like, a week, but I surely don’t. So naturally I took on the challenge and for the past 4 months I’ve been working at Lovely here in New York preparing for my future job as the manager of Lovely LA!  The plan, as of now, is to move home in November and get a space and hire my peeps and then launch by February. So hey all you future brides out there…not only do you have access to an amazing husband and wife photography team, but that very same wife will also be running a bridal shop selling the most wonderful gowns! You can kill two birds with one stone!

Needless to say this job has really affected my fashion choices since I’ve been forced  to dress up every day for my super fancy shmancy new position. I’m posting a few of my favorite outfits so you guys can see how professional I am (woop woop!) Also my dearies, notice the new hair? Ohhhhh yeaaaaaaaaaaaah. I dig. I dig very much.

Boticca guest post: Accessories make the outfit!

Hello darlings! I’ve been having such a blast this summer working on new projects and getting the ball rolling with the move back to LA. While I’ve been on hiatus with my blog, I thought it might be fun to have someone guest blog on here to keep the content flowing! My friends over at Boticca have written up a great post that has definitely inspired me to step up my game, so get inspired and get shopping!

“There’s nothing I love more than people watching which makes my daily tube ride to work my veritable hobby. However looking around the packed carriage this morning something worrying suddenly struck me; nearly everyone looked the same. The men in their suits and the girls in their semi boho meets girl gone bad looks was all a bit too Truman show for me. While I may be a fan of fashion I’m certainly not a slave to it but everyone needs a bit of a style shake up now and again and with this in mind I set about making my mark on the tube platform runway.

How did I do this you ask? Why with the always-amazing accessories. Seeing as going out and buying an entirely new wardrobe would be slightly excessive I decided to make the best of what I already had with the help of a trusty plus one. The necklace proved to be my most valuable weapon as I soon discovered that nothing seals a look quite like a bold statement necklace and nothing adds that extra little edge like layering with a few thin gold chains.

Next on my bid to break out of the style pod was some scarf magic. Not only a practical tool in the somewhat unpredictable Europe summer but a good designer scarf adds a certain je ne sais quoi to any ensemble and my beautiful pink ‘Blaire’ scarf from Lucy Jay has been worth its weight in fashion gold on this latest fashion adventure.

My final top tip is to take it on the head and embrace the wonders that are hair accessories.  Simple hair ties and scrunchies be gone in favor of hair slides and head bands and nothing says unique as quickly as a vintage inspired hat like the fantastic Estella hat by SuperDuper Hats or a feather adorned beauty.

So there you have it, with the help of just a few accessories you can break out of that style rut, so go forth and dare to be different.”

mama’s got some brand new shoes…and needs to get her hurr did

I got some brand new lovely shoes that have me giddy giddy gumdrops! They’re sweet, and blue, and comfortable, and I’m in love. Muy precioso! (from asos) <3

Today someone told me that due to my overgrown roots I look like a skunk. And with that, my determination to create the ombre look naturally has been defeated. I am now scheduling a hair appointment.

summer is here ya’ll!

Here we are in July and I’ve been happily joyfully gleefully wearing the sun out of my skirts and dresses! With my new job (oh have I mentioned this yet?…I will do a special post about it soon I promise!) I have to look super duper cute every day, so it’s forcing me to reevaluate my closet and come up with some different combinations of the items that I already own. I’m having a blast dressing up all of the time, it’s quite a different uniform than my jeans and t-shirts nanny ensemble…hey when you’re chasing three kids around the last thing you want to be wearing is a skirt! I’m going to work on having the husby take more pictures of me before work because seriously guys, it takes a lot of ingenuity to come up with fresh outfits every day. I have some new serious respect for all of those fashion bloggers out there! Here are a few images of some of my favorite ensembles from the past month…and can you tell I have a new favorite hat? :)

bienvenido a miami!

Last week Tim and I traveled down to Miami Beach to celebrate our two year wedding anniversary, South Beach style! We spent our days floating in that clear turquoise water, drinking delicious frozen beverages, and soaking up that glorious sun. We stayed in the Art Deco neighborhood where the incredible architecture of the old hotels really showcased the glamour of the 1920s. We stayed in a really cool hotel called The Catalina where they had a rooftop pool, a psychedelic lobby, and a sent-from-heaven tempurpedic mattress.

One of my favorite things about this city was that EVERYBODY from Miami speaks Spanish! It was like music to my ears! It gave me a really great opportunity to practice…especially when I was really feeling those frozen concoctions. I took five years of that beautiful language in high school and I don’t use it very much, but for some reason when I have a couple drinks (honestly it just takes one), then the Spanish comes flowing out of me as if I was a Puerto Rican goddess. I was chatting up our waitress at dinner and our chef at lunch…I even started to dream in spanish! Que romantico!

I loved the tropical, retro vibe of the town and I wish we could have stayed just a bit longer. It was such a great escape from the city and it really made me homesick for california! That adventure will come soon enough :) For now we will keep exploring this east coast of ours until October and then end this New York chapter with a bang.  Stay tuned for more updates and fun photos <3

Hello June!

Dreaming of dips in the cool ocean and hearing the wind in the palm trees. I can’t wait for Miami!

image via fashion gone rogue

is it gonna be a daisy or a rose?

Hello darlings. These past few weeks have been craaazaaay (what’s new, right?) and I thought I’d just share with you a few things that have been going on. First of all, the adventure that had brought us to New York in the first place is now over…Tim is now a Master of Fine Arts! After two years going through the grueling process of a graduate program, on thursday my honey walked across the stage and accepted his diploma. As you may guess, that also means that our time in New York is now coming to a close. We’ll be moving back to the west coast either in August or October, depending on a few opportunities that may come our way, but new wonderful adventures are awaiting us back in Los Angeles and we can’t wait to get them started! I hear you guys have been enjoying 90* weather (jerks)…while over here we’re still NOT enjoying 60* weather. I mean, HONESTLY when are things going to heat up for good!? I know I always complain about the weather, but I am promising you that once it is hot I will never say a negative thing about it!!! I pinky promise! Although I maaaaay complain about the effects of the humidity, mainly my frizzalicious mane, but the sun on my face will never have me utter one mean word! But until then, damn will I be glad to get back to the steadiness of LA weather. And by steadiness of course I mean the fact that although one day it will be hot and sunny and the next cold and rainy, it will never ever give me five months of straight bone chill. And I love it for that.

Anywhooooo, my mind wanders. Let me share with you a few things I’ve been wearing the past few days to kickstart my spring fever. Bright stripes, turquoise, lacy shoes, oh my!

for the love of breakfast

If I could have breakfast for every meal for the rest of my life, I would die a happy, old, waffle-filled woman. Tim often makes fun of me because I absolutely MUST have breakfast as my first meal…even if we sleep in and don’t get out of bed until lunchtime. I’m just an eggs-and-home fries/oatmeal-and-berries/bagel-and-cream cheese kind of girl! So you can imagine my delight when I came across the blog Simply Breakfast and nearly had a pancake-induced heart attack. The pictures are simple and lovely, and evoke feelings of waking up at your mom’s house and coming to the kitchen to find that she has set out a scrumptious breakfast for you (which my mom ALWAYS does). Set with a steaming cup of coffee, beautiful napkins, and fresh flowers, these perfectly lit pictures make my breakfast dreams come true.