Which Furla Bag Should I Bring Home?

When I return to Bologna I plan to purchase a Furla handbag…I just can’t decide which one I want. Furla is an Italian company that makes beautiful bags. I’ve drooled over them several times, but never actually bought one. This time I’m bringing one home with me!

The plan is to buy a black bag that can be used on a daily basis. My life is pretty casual, so here are pictures of the bags that would work well for me. I like bags that I can sling over my shoulder, but it isn’t a requirement.

 

What do you think? Which one should I choose?

The Fleas

Marc and I enjoy roaming the flea markets when we travel, sometimes finding a treasure or two to bring home. Les Puces de Saint-Ouen is the largest flea market we’ve ever been to, and the most famous one in Paris.

We spent several hours at the market and saw everything from cheap plastic toys to expensive antique furniture. We didn’t see any bargains, but it was a very interesting adventure. When we got hungry we ate a warm Nutella crepe…mmm…it was yummy!

This piece called out to us from one of the antique shops. It now has a home in the niche in the entryway of our house.

Do you browse the flea markets?

I Love Fragonard

I have a weakness for European soap. I love the way is smells and the way it feels on my skin. It’s so creamy and perfumes the whole bathroom. I purchased these soaps from the Fragonard store in Montmartre. They smell WONDERFUL and I can’t wait to use them!

Do you have a weakness for soap?

 

 

 

 

Perusing Place du Tertre

Near Sacrė-Couer is an area called Place du Tertre. It’s a bustling area where many artists set up their easels and paint. Some artists do portraits for the tourists while others paint Parisian landscapes. Marc enjoys purchasing pieces from local artists wherever we travel.

He purchased this piece…

…from this artist.

Getting Organized With Stylebook

     Do you ever feel like you have a closet full of clothes and nothing to wear? Have you ever purchased a black tank top, only to get home and realize you already have three of them? Do you ever find really cute shoes in the store, but just can't remember what you already have that you can wear with them? This happens to me over and over...for more than three decades!
     I've recently found a tool that is helping me stop the madness. Stylebook is an app for the iPhone that allows me to take pictures of my clothes and accessories, then organize them into meaningful categories. This is helping me not only clean out my closet, but now I know exactly what's in my closet. When I go to Ann Taylor and see a cute pair of white jeans, I can look on my phone to see what I have in my closet to wear with them.
     I can shop for items on my phone and save the picture/information to a list, which will help me get what I need and not spend so much on spur of the moment purchases. Wow...thats a win-win situation for me!
     I can also keep track of what I wear, so I can figure out what really works for me and what is just taking up valuable space in my closet.
     It takes a bit of time to take all the pictures...I'm still working on it, but it's worth the time. There are plenty of helpful videos on the website, and the cost of the app is just a few dollars.
     Below is a picture of a  'Look' I saved with the app.

     I took the pictures of the jacket, tank and bracelet myself. I had a hard time getting a good picture of the jeans, so I took the picture from the Ann Taylor site with the app. I also took the picture of my cute Sperry's from the internet.
     I'm well on my way to having an organized closet and spending my clothing dollars a bit more wisely. I'm not sure it means I won't spend as much money, but maybe I'll have a better wardrobe.
     I'm up to the challenge. How about you? Is your closet organized? If so, what is your strategy?

Favorite Vacation Tech Gadget

     I’m always looking for the best tech gadget to take on vacation. I need something that gives me access to the internet, allows me to journal my trip each day and has enough storage to hold all the pictures I download daily. My latest solution is the iPad.
     I use a white 16 GB iPad with Wi-Fi, but no cellular. I added an app that allows me to journal my vacation. The iPad has enough space to hold two weeks worth of vacation pictures and a nice size screen for viewing. I also added an Apple soft case, which protects the iPad nicely. I only use the iPad when I’m in my hotel room, so I don’t need to have the added expense of an iPad that requires a data plan. This machine is slim and lightweight, so it’s very easy to pack.
     When I’m not using it on vacation it gets plenty of use at home.

What's your favorite vacation tech gadget?

I Love My New Steamer!

     I really enjoy picking up my dry cleaning, because I don't have to iron my clothes. I wish I could afford to send everything to the dry cleaner, but that's not very practical.
     Recently I purchased a Rowenta IS6200 Steamer, and it seems to be helping my mood when it comes time to iron my clothes. The steamer heats quickly and the wrinkles just fade away. There's an attachment to make creases, so I can still put a nice crease in my jeans without using an iron. I think the steamer is easier on fabric than an iron, because the steamer never actually touches the fabric.

     It took me a little time to get the hang of using the steamer, but short of having someone else do my ironing, the steamer is my new friend.

Source: Image

New Shoes

     Last spring I discovered Sperry Top-Sider shoes. I bought a pair to wear with jeans and capris, but did not realize I would want to wear them every single day. They are made well and have good arch support. They're so comfortable I can wear them all day, even if I am doing a lot of walking.
     I had a hard time choosing a new pair for this spring, because there are so many styles and colors. I finally chose the Angelfish Slip-on Boat Shoe in navy.

     Aren't they cute?

Source: Image

The Big Green Egg

     Have you ever heard of a Big Green Egg? It’s a ceramic cooker that can grill, smoke and bake. High temperature grilling is quick and easy, and slow smoking can be achieved even at a low 200 degrees. The Big Green Egg bakes bread, casseroles, cobbler and pies…even pizza! The air-tight ceramic cooking chamber retains heat and keeps food moist. What a great idea!

     Marc has been drooling over the Big Green Egg for over a year, so I bought him one for his 50^th birthday.  His birthday isn’t until August, but I gave it to him early so he can have the whole grilling season to use it. I’m excited to taste his creations.

     Happy grilling, Marc!

Italian Days Food Experience – Part 3

     Our third stop on the Italian Days Food Experience was at Villa San Donnino in Modena, where we learned the secrets of the famous Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena DOP. This is not the kind of “balsamic” you buy in the grocery store. This is a single family producing small amounts, using the ancient technique of aging local wine in oak barrels, as their family has done for generations.

 

     This product is protected by The Consortium of Producers of the Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena, and can only be bottled after passing a series of tests by a board of expert tasters, in 100 cc bottles, the only legally approved bottle to be used by all producers. Each individual bottle is numbered and sealed. The Consortium also keeps a sample from each batch of bottles as a guaranty of the quality of the corresponding bottle lot. To be certified Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena DOP, it has to be a minimum of twelve years old.
     We had the opportunity to taste 5-year balsamico and compared it with 15 and 45-year balsamico. It was so good we ate it on homemade gelato…YUM! We also brought home several bottles for our pantry.

     To cap off the day, Alessandro took us to a countryside trattoria, where we were served a “light lunch”, which consisted of more fabulous food and wine than I could eat in three days! When we were finished eating, we were delivered back to our hotel in a food coma, to take a long nap. It was a wonderful day!

Bottega Vignoli

     On a recent trip to Italy, Marc and I made a special stop in the town of Faenza to meet the Vignoli sisters, Saura and Ivana. They are ceramic artists who create pieces in the traditional “Faience” style, with a twist. “Faience” refers to pottery that incorporates a tin oxide glaze on white earthenware pottery, but they are using copper oxides instead of tin. The results are AMAZING!

     When we arrived in Faenza, we walked in the rain from the train station to their studio, not fully aware just how far it was from the station. Saura and Ivana greeted us with such a warm welcome that we forgot we were cold and wet.

     Ivana demonstrated her painting skills as we watched her create her beautiful fish on a small bowl. We knew right then we would be going home with some of those fish.

     Saura gave us a tour of the studio and workshop, explaining all the processes and techniques. Then we went upstairs to the showroom. It was like the Holy Grail of pottery…one beautiful amazing fabulous piece after another! We were drooling and wanted to take everything home with us. The only thing that brought us back to reality was when Saura told us they didn’t accept credit cards. We figured out how much cash we had in our pockets and decided on one large piece. This is Saura holding our new fish vase. What do you think?

 

     Saura carefully packed and shipped the vase for us, then gave us a ride back to the train station. Two weeks later, our package arrived at our home without a scratch.  

     You can see more of this unique pottery at Bottega Vignoli.