New home

So it's official, after months of house hunting and coming up empty handed for a property to buy...we've decided to move! Michael and I have given notice on our apartment, signed our new lease. No we haven't bought a villa! We've found a great apartment to rent in the grounds of this villa and move out of the city and give Italian country life a go and see how it suits us...more to follow once we're in, which unfortunately won't be until mid-end of February, but it means we've got plenty of time to sort, chuck and pack...all my stuff! I'm going to be so sad to leave our beautiful apartment, but I moved in there as one...with half the stuff and half the people it's time to get more space to fill!

Our new drive way

Our new pad is on the 1st & 2nd floor

Paris treasures

Although I was in Paris primarily for work,  I did manage to pick up some new treasures, don't know if I'll get time this week but I'll try and add some to the store

really sweet for Christmas time - mix and match napkins

pretty hankies

still in their original packaging  - adhesive labels for those all important Christmas parcels.

wire basket

I'm loving this wire tray...I think it may be staying with us, it's perfect for the cutlery I bought in Sidmouth. LOVE

large french linen mangle cloths

Paris

3 days in Paris

We stayed at MAMA SHELTER which was recommended to me by several of my friends...it's a little way out of the city infact it's next to the cemetaary di...but an easy walk to the metro, all the staff are super friendly the breakfast was great as was the restaurant.

It was an easy walk along Rue du Charonne to the e6

check out

French Trotters

and Sessun had some fab stuff!

Not forgetting one of my favorite shops in Paris

Merci where I picked up some great Christmas gifts.

I'd never been to the Canal St. Martin area so we made a lunch reservation at hotel du nord there aren't  too many shops, probably the Spring is a little more lively & buzzing...lunch was OK.

hotel du nord 1938

We walked to the e3 stopped off for a coffee at Merce and the Muse mainly because we'd read so much hype about it...let me put it this way...seen it & done it...no need to go back...the space is super cute the carrot cake was great...but the attitude of the staff SUCKED...and they don't have the Parisan excuse, they were all American!

 hotel du nord

merce and the muse

Le Bon Marche...is a dangerous place.

Friday night we had dinner at hotel amour...it was good, although we had absolutely no luck on this trip with good tables, we felt we were shoved in passage ways, tables that were too small, or on the end of someone elses table...

Saturday morning we wandered around Le Marchè aux Puces...finding some last minute treasures before heading back to Verona.

Corte Verze

Michael picked me up after work and we headed straight up to the Agrituriso corte verze...it's situated at the top of the valley through all the vineyards a beautiful drive even in the dark, we had a warm welcome shown our cozy room, and invited down to dinner whenever we were ready...we were both starving..

Corte Verze is amazing they literally make or produce everything meat, wine, olive oil...the portions were huge...poor Michael ended up eating half of mine...but it was so delicious and I felt so rude leaving it...Michael couldn't move after dinner!

We hung out at the spa in the morning, managed to convince the waitress we only wanted a small light lunch...and even then it was too much. I had a massage and Michael wondered the property & found these amazing wooden crates that the logsman was about to chop up for fire wood...a great find!

Back down the hill we went in time for a relaxing afternoon at home with cups of tea and films..

 On our way...

 Morning view from our room

 Breakfast: chocolate option

 Breakfast: carrot option

 Breakfast: yogurt option

New treasure

 Last of the Pomegranates

 Fresh eggs or fresh chicken?

On our way home...last of the Olive harvest.

Birthday treats

today is my birthday...it's been a struggle this past month, maybe the start of winter blues and general exhaustion...but my amazing husband, spoilt me this morning and surprised me with a beautiful metallic blue vintage bicycle for me to potter around Verona on, ...the basket was filled with treats too! Hopefully this one won't get stolen having had 2 bicycles stolen already...tonight we are off to stay at a Agriturismo Spa, so tomorrow will be filled with pampering and food!

metallic blue delight!

birthday breakfast before work x

so pretty!

Pentax

I love my new purchase from ebay...not the camera, but finally a strap for my Pentax...

New!

NEW in store

   

Pinnies

'Tis the season...to start thinking about gift making...

Whilst my other half was super excited to have the opportunity to spend a Saturday afternoon watching back to back football...this was a real treat for him, I took myself off to one of my favorite fabric shops in the Veneto region. With ideas a plenty, all I needed was the goods to start I found myself some beautiful linen off cuts and some striped linen off the roll. Next stop the remnant shop to find that all important herringbone tape...

Knowing how I am with projects, I have to get going and finish them otherwise they sit in the 'to do' pile for months & months...this is always easier when you have all the elements needed...so they were cut, sewn and washed all in record time ready for wrapping and sending.

the day after

 One of the saddest parts of our weeding weekend was having to dismantle all the beautiful flowers...and desperately not wanting them to die in a couple of days. Flowers evoke different emotions for different occasions, I can honestly say our wedding flowers made me so overwhelming happy I just didn't want to think of them dying...I'd shared collecting them and choosing them with Kim, then had the honor of Natasha spending the day in the basement with us creating our beautiful bouquets and filling jar after jar with her amazing creations...SO much happiness and happy memories were bunched up in our wedding flowers. So on the Sunday dismantling most of the posies was kind sad,  but then we put them in a wooden chocolate crate...where they once again created a visual delight of happiness to everyone who saw them.
Shared out amongst friends and family they then filled the homes of our friends & family for another week.

Our Wedding

Unfortunately because I was the Bride there wasn't much time for me to take photos of the venue and the details...but here's what I have...

Table settings

Welcome hampers

Bunting!

Wine list

Something old, something new, something borrowed something blue.

Menus & Onion chutney stand

Monte Stivo & Rifugio Marchetti

This weekend we took ourselves off up Monte Stivo in Trentino to Rifugio Marchetti which is run Matteo Calzà...who is a machine!! To celebrate our good friends birthday...it was tough going, the sun managed to shine for us almost to the top...but 3 hours of incline is alot to ask on a Saturday morning. We finally made it to Marchetti for the night, after a couple beers and an amazing view...the 3 hours prior seemed a distance painful past.

Goulash, polenta and saurcraut to fill our tummies before grappa, cards and then off to bed, one last trip to the outside loo before hiding under 3 layers of blankets to fend off the cold...finishing off an exhausting, head clearing day.

 Quick lunch stop

 Halfway up

 Brrrr...it's cold at the top

A moment of contemplation...

 Beers and sunset.

 Breakfast in the Rifugio

Early morning frost