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Pienza and Montepulciano

By: Unknown on 9:00 PM / comment : 0 featured, Italy, my travels, travel style, Tuscany

Phew! It has been a crazy week. Last Wednesday we left for Venice. The group and I spent Saturday hiking in the Cinque Terre, I headed out Sunday to tour the countryside in a vintage Fiat, and yesterday we all visited Pisa and San Gimignano. Not to mention I went out to the infamous Luisa Via Roma party in Florence last night. Needless to say, I am spent!

But, as I always say, it is totally worth it. I would not have wanted to miss out of any of these fabulous experiences. I am a bit behind sharing them on the blog, but I promise I will get through all of them eventually.

These pictures are from a week ago when the group spent the day in two fabulous Tuscan hill towns - Pienza and Montepulciano. Pienza is famous for its pecorino cheese and Montepulciano for its red wine, which makes for a great day of eating and drinking. We picnicked in Pienza and then explored the charming town before heading out to Montepulciano.

Pienza is the ideal Renaissance city. After his election, Pope Pius II decided to build his perfect city based on the principles of the Renaissance. It is considered one of the first forays into urban planning. The city was artfully laid out and meticulously designed. It became the summer residence of the Pope and his most important cardinals. Today the city is perfectly preserved thanks to its status as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Pienza also overlooks the stunning Val d'Orcia, which in my opinion is the most beautiful part of Tuscany.

Unlike Pienza, Montepulciano was never redesigned or built by a pope, so it retains it Medieval look and feel. I would say there is less to do in Montepulciano than in Pienza, but it is definitely worth a stop for some amazing wine (the Catina Contucci is worth a visit) and a fabulous meal.

For our fun day in the Tuscan countryside, I wore my favorite gingham shorts and bell-sleeve top from Club Monaco. It was our first truly warm day since arriving in Italy, which is so rare for June. I am not complaining, but it was nice to finally feel the sun!

You can read more posts on Tuscany here:
Wine Tasting in Tuscany
Roadtripping through Tuscany
Where to stay in Tuscany
Vespa Riding through Tuscany
Sunflower season in Tuscany

Floral Lace

By: Unknown on 9:00 PM / comment : 0 featured, florence, lace, outfit, style, summer

While the Boboli Gardens are by far the most famous gardens in Florence (in fact, they inspired Versailles), I actually prefer the Bardini Gardens. But the good news is when you purchase a ticket to the Bardini Gardens, it also gets you into the Boboli Gardens. So you can see both and decide which you prefer. And don't miss the newly reopened Belvedere Fort (where Kim and Kayne actually wed) in between the two.

The first Sunday of every month is free state museum day in Florence. So I took the opportunity to spend a sleepy Sunday morning exploring the grounds of the Bardini and marveling in its amazing view of Florence.

I wore this gorgeous black and lace dress for the occasion. I love this dress because while it looks super chic, it is also comfortable and easy to wear. I decided to dress is down for the garden with my favorite straw hat, black jelly sandals (it has been so rainy in Florence, I have been living in these), and my new Dolce and Gabbana sunnies.

These sunglasses are a bit out of my comfort zone, which is exactly why I like them. I tend to go for the same plastic/tortoiseshell silhouette when it comes to sunnies, so I was looking to mix my look up a bit. The round frames are just retro enough while still chic and modern. I especially love them with my faux bangs! Sadly, I don't think these frames have been (or will be) released in the states. I can't find any US based websites offering this style, but I did link an Italian site. I love buying unique designer sunglasses while in Italy. It is one of my favorite splurges while I am abroad.

Happy Monday!

La Dolce Vita in Positano

By: Unknown on 9:00 PM / comment : 0 featured, Italy, my travels, outfit, Positano, style

The little cliff-side town of Positano really is "la dolce vita," (a.k.a. the sweet life). Positano is definitely one of my favorite places in the world, and even though I have visited every summer for the past 6 years, it never ceases to impress with its beauty and charm.

Positano is my happy place. It has everything I love -- stunning views, delicious food, picturesque streets to explore, and tons of local Italian charm (also gorgeous custom sandal shopping).

I purchased this amazing Trina Turk coverup before I left for Italy. I love a great coverup that doubles as a dress for a day of seaside relaxing. It means that you can easily transition from beach to lunching to strolling (I have noticed over the years that Italians, unlike Floridians don't really walk around in swimwear when not on the beach). The dress/coverup is a lightweight swimsuit spandex so it's super comfortable and functional. In my opinion, Trina Turk makes the best coverups.

The hat, however, is probably my favorite part of this look. Olivia, from Hats by Olivia, created it especially for me. It was perfect for the Amalfi Coast and so many locals complimented me on it.

You can read more of my posts on Positano here:
10 Things to do in Positano 
Last Summer's Positano Beach Look
My Favorite Hotel in Positano

For the Love of Lemons

By: Unknown on 1:14 AM / comment : 0 Amalfi, featured, Italy, my travels, outfit, style, Suite, summer, travel style

This is quite possibly my all-time favorite Suite dress. Jen did such an incredible job and I am so in love with it. I have always dreamed of wearing a Dolce and Gabbana lemon print dress while strolling through Capri. It seems like every summer DG releases the cutest lemon-themed or Italy-themed line. This summer was no different. So I decided to take matters into my own hands. I created a lemon print of my very own, printed the fabric with Spoonflower before I left the states, and took it to Florence with me so Jen could do her magic.

Jen asked if I wanted a particular silhouette, but I trust her completely and told her she could do whatever she wanted. The end was result was this perfect, and super flattering, fluted ruffle skirt. Naturally, I wore my amazing new creation for our day in Capri (you can learn more about Capri here).

Do you love this lemon-print dress as much as I do?

I have linked more of my favorite Suite designs below!

Burnt Siena

By: Unknown on 9:00 PM / comment : 0 featured, Italy, outfit, style, travel style

Have I mentioned that I love this skirt? It has basically been on repeat since I bought it in Paris (recently seen here). The coordinating top, however, I actually stumbled on in Florence (it's the same brand -- Sandro). I was planning on just wearing the skirt with a simple black sweater or shirt, but when I saw this adorable crocheted coordinating top, I couldn't resist. Especially since I knew we were heading to Siena later in the week. I mean, is this not the perfect outfit for Siena (you can read more about Siena here)?

Today we are off to explore more Tuscan towns, be sure to follow along on Snapcaht (HinHH)!

Postcards from the Amalfi Coast

By: Unknown on 9:00 PM / comment : 0 Capri, featured, Italy, my travels, Positano, Postcards

We just returned from an exhausting but amazing three days in the Amalfi Coast. I have been traveling to the Amalfi Coast for about seven years now and I never grow tired of it. It is one of my favorite places on earth (well, that I have been to).

For the student tour we give them a taste of everything -- a boat ride around the island of Capri, eating fresh seafood overlooking the sea, a beach day in the adorable town of Positano, hiking Vesuvius, and visiting the ruins of Pompeii... all in three days!

So before I dive into the details next week (details on the lemon dress are coming, I promise!), I thought I would share some of my favorite snapshots (I can't tell you how happy I am with my new camera).

hat available here

And you can read more of my posts about the Amalfi Coast here:
20 Tips for Traveling in the Amalfi Coast
Packing for the Amalfi Coast
My Favorite Hotel in the Amalfi Coast
Postcards from Amalfi (last year)
10 Things You Must Do in Positano
And some history on the region