This slideshow requires JavaScript.

In May we spent 8 days taking a dream vacation to Italy, visiting the Tuscany region and Venice.  While in Tuscany, we stayed in a villa outside of Florence where some of the other expats here have stayed before and it was a great experience having our own little apartment with a kitchen versus staying in a hotel.  The first night that we arrived we had a home cooked Italian meal made for us by the family that owns the villa, with some wine that was made with grapes that they grow in their vineyard (they also grow olives and make their own olive oil).

The day after we arrived, we went to Florence.  We started at the basilica Santa Maria Novella, and then went to the Officina Profumo Farmaceutica which is one of the oldest pharmacies in the world, founded by Dominican Friards who created herbal remedies for the monastery.  It was so beautiful!  We also walked through the leather market and explored around the Duomo and Ponte Vecchio.  While in that area, we saw a movie being filmed with Tom Hanks called Headache.  We ended the day with getting Makenna her first gelato.

The next day we went to see the Leaning Tower of Pisa and then headed to the city of Lucca.  We climbed the Guinigi Tower which was interesting because it had a tree growing from the top, and of course it had amazing views of the city.  Lucca is an old medieval village that still has part of the fortress walls standing, and we were able to walk along the top of part of the wall.  While up there we saw a man riding a bicycle with a gelato fridge on the front.

We spent the following day in San Gimignano which was our favorite city that was saw in Tuscany.  On the drive there we saw breathtaking views of the Tuscan countryside.  We climbed the Torre Grossa which overlooked the city and is one of 13 towers that are still standing from the original 72.  These towers were erected as a symbol of power.  We had the BEST lunch at Cum Quibas where our first course was pasta with a pistachio cream sauce, roasted goose breast and fresh truffle.  I don’t think I’ll ever forget that meal!  That evening we took a wine tour of the building where the villa owner sells his grapes along with many other local farmers to make wine.

Our next city was Siena.  The day that we were there, there was a race called the Mille Miglia going through the city; the race was 375 sports cars that drove throughout Italy for 4 days and these were some amazing cars!  We visited Piazza del Campo and then climbed Torre del Mangia which was 400 steps up!  For lunch we ate at Zest where we had pasta with wild boar ragu and a dessert of ricotta cheesecake.  We also went to the Siena Duomo which is one of the most beautiful cathedrals we have seen.  That night we went to a pizza place in the small town that we were staying in and I was admiring the ceramic pitchers they had on the tables that were locally made.  The owner said she would sell me one and she even gift wrapped it for me.

For our last day in Tuscany we went back to Florence and went to the Accademia Gallery to see the statue of David.  After seeing the statue and looking around a little, Makenna decided she had enough and started screaming at the top of her lungs so we bolted out of there as we got dirty looks from the security guard haha.  We also visited Piazzale Michelangelo and the church of San Minialto Al Monte which had amazing views overlooking the city.  We wanted to see the Duomo but the line was too long, so we decided to have a street artist draw a caricature of Makenna.  That night we went to dinner at I’licchio in Montespertoli where we were staying and the food was all locally sourced and made.

Our last couple days were spent in Venice and we just loved seeing all of the canals and small alleys/streets.  We ate some great food, including a lot of gelato, and spent a lot of time just walking around taking in the views.  Of course, we had to take a gondola ride while we were there and we loved it!  We also visited Doge’s Palace and walked over the Bridge of Sighs.

There’s just too much to write about our vacation but we loved Italy and were sad to go!

I think it goes without saying that the French have style.  I mean really, they can make anything look chic.  I’m always trying to check out what women are wearing without looking creepy, and then I go to the store and feel like there’s no way I can piece together an outfit like a French girl.

Not only do I adore their fashion sense, I love that I even see “women of a certain age” (what the French call older women) wearing heels, panty hose, a dress and a nice handbag…and this is their normal dress, not because they are going out to dinner.  When I tell my mom about this she tells me that’s how it was when she was young.  I think it’s really nice to see people taking pride in how they present themselves and enjoying dressing nicely (although I refuse to change my American way of walking to and from the gym in sneakers and gym clothes…and believe me I have definitely gotten some looks because of that!)

French fashion isn’t always about “dressing up”, they can dress comfortable while still looking put together.  Here are some of the key points to adopting French style:

1. Layer, Layer, Layer!  You can always make an outfit look more interesting and chic by adding layers.
   

   
2. Stick to neutral colors  The French wear a LOT of black…but their wardrobe also consists mainly of neutral colors.  You don’t see a lot of bright colors, and when you do it is often subtle.
3. Don’t over accessorize  Jewelry and accessories are usually simple and classic.
4. Keep your makeup natural  The French keep their makeup minimal and show off their natural beauty.
5. Embrace the blazer  A blazer can make a simple outfit instantly chic.
6. Scarves are a must for every season  I seriously cannot have enough scarves, which conveniently fits in with French style.  Scarves add dimension and interest to an outfit, they can be a way to add a pop of color and it doesn’t hurt that they can really keep you warm on the many cold days in France.
7. You can still look “dressy” while wearing casual shoes  I used to always feel like I needed to wear heels or dressy flats to feel like I was dressed up…but after gazing at the feet of every French woman I pass, I’ve come to realize you can still look “dressy” while wearing casual flats or even sneakers.
   

   

Now I think I have some shopping to do….