Gone Crazy

Albert Einstein once said "insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results." Well, I feel like I'm getting close but I will spare you the details and say this;

It's time to change gears. The internet is effecting my artistic practice, I find that I am constantly looking for something to write, tweet, post about that I can’t be creative. I feel like there is a lot of wasted time and  loss of interaction. All of this 'social networking' is making me eminently unsocial. 

I’ve been trying to  really think about what it is that I think I am good at and the conclusion I came to  is that I’m good at people - but face-to-face people, I enjoy conversation but I hate talking on the phone. So it makes me wonder why I would think I would be good at 'talking' to people on-line. It just feels like something is missing to me and like I am trying to be something that I’m not. 

With constant pressure to produce more and always be present and interact online, I loose myself in that rather than loosing myself in my work.  I don’t understand how to make it all work together – it’s just not me. As an artist my work improves by working continuously and there are times when I am incredibly productive and then it gets interrupted by the pressure to be on line. I’m trying too hard, its not working. It’s time to get more involved in the community and the social networking that I understand; with real people.

Some people seem to have the knack for the Internet but I went from working with groups of 25 people at a time 5 days per week, interacting, talking, meeting so many interesting people, to sitting on a computer trying to get people to notice me and join in conversations where my responses are taken the wrong way. This isn’t working and I think that is important to understand when its time to try something new. 

I know this is similar to posts that I’ve written in the past but, things have really come to hit me in the past few weeks. I’m just not cut out for this internet business. Perhaps this is not a smart move on my part but in thinking of when and how I have had success with my work in the past, it’s always been in person. Of course that doesn’t mean I won’t be using the internet at all anymore, I think that is pretty near impossible these days, but I think it will be second to the work, and only when I have something that I think is truly worth sharing. I’m betting that your not interested in seeing a post from me everyday on my facebook page telling you that I made another pair of earrings.  I will be taking some time to re-evaluate and re-focus. I truly admire those of you who have found a way to make this all work and who have found success on-line, but for me its time for a different approach. 

The blog will stay up, but again only be updated when I think there is something interesting to share with you! Thanks for reading and please feel free to contact me anytime! 

Ciao belli!

When Life gets in the Way

That's not me.

Life. It always seems to get in the way. I know that a lot of people have a very romantic idea of living in Italy and that things are always fantastic and wonderful and that I get to sip red wine all day long as I sit in the piazza and watch the world go by!! I wish! Unfortunately that's not the case, especially right now since its still a bit too chilly to do that. No, as it were, these days I have been spending a lot of time working on projects and ideas for the Spring with hopes that the warm weather will also bring some [sun] light to these endeavors as well.

After extensive research and having tried a few different avenues in the past for selling my jewelry designs, I have decided to really try and focus all of my efforts on my Etsy shop and make it as best as it can be. I am hoping that with the proper adjusts and upgrades I will be able to finally make a profit from my work and support myself as a designer.  So I have gone back and changed the entire look of the shop and I am now working on making new pieces and taking new photographs to fill it up!

Then I began to look through the hundreds of photos I have taken in the past several years and thought that I would try my luck at opening an Etsy shop for my photographs as well. And maybe I shouldn't say this but I don't' really think that I'm a very good photographer, but I love to take them and I am always willing to take a risk and I guess I will never know until I try, right? To be honest I haven't been spending as much time on it as I probably need to but its there and I will update it from time to time.

We are also starting to approach the high tourist season, granted we still have about 6 more weeks of quiet but reservations for the apartment are already starting to come in through Airbnb, which is of course great news. But that means lots of inquiries and questions to answer!

And.........We are also STILL trying to clean out our garage and decide what we are going to do with that space once we're finished. Its a daunting task, that's for sure! We have found lots of interesting things in there though!

And just in case that wasn't enough for me to keep up with, two of my girlfriends and I have decided that we are going to run the Firenze half-marathon coming up on April 15th.  So needless to say the next 12 weeks are going to be dedicated to serious training and preparation. I have never done anything like this before and still hardly believe that I am going to, but I am more than excited and definitely more than nervous.

That's not me either. At least not yet anyway! Photo courtesy of Fitsugar

But I can't wait until I cross that finish line after 13.1 miles or 20.1 kilometers. Training sessions have been intense but great so far, we'll see how the next few weeks go. Wish me luck! I'll need it!

So needless to say, my relationship with Florence at the moment is all about finding the best running routes and where we can go to increase our mileage and not as much about its art and fashion, at least for the time being anyway.

But for those of you who are runners and who are in Florence or who are planning a visit, check out Walk Jog Run for some great routes posted by locals and visitors.

I love the idea of this challenge and I can already see how it is changing all aspects of my life. I have become more focused and more determined and not just on my workouts, and I can hardly believe I'm going to say this, but I'm also learning how to manage my time more efficiently so that I can get all of my work done and still have time for training. Life is is crazy, but I wouldn't want it any other way!

Are you a runner? Do you have any tips or suggestions for running a half-marathon? How about tips for running a crazy, hectic life? I could use all the help I can get!

Every Girl's Crazy 'bout a Sharp Dressed Man

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 This is a post that I have wanted to write for a long time, in fact I have a few blurbs written already that I will pull from and I also have one from a friend who expresses herself so eloquently on the subject.

With the way things are going around here lately, I think its about time to brooch the subject. Between the ever failing government and this most recent tragedy of the Costa Concordia, the cruise ship off the Coast of Gilli Island, it is time to talk about Italian men.

Get on the F-ing Ship!!! This has become the new motto in reference to the Italian Government!

I know what the idea is about them in the eyes (of women) of the rest of the world…….

Italian men, ahh, they are so beautiful, tall, dark and handsome, with such style and grace, they always look so elegant and put together. They must be so well organized, motivated and smart.  It’s just so sexy!

Well guess what?  Sorry girls, but I have to do it, really I’m sorry, I hate to burst your “Italian- Men- are- so- Hot” bubble, but if they look that good, chances are its because their Mamma or their WIFE (yeah, that’s right probably married even if they try to pretend otherwise, or they still live at home!) Washed, dried and ironed it for them. Punto. Sorry, but it’s the truth.

So what does this have to do with the government and a sinking ship? Well the Italian government IS a sinking ship, and the Italian men that run it are not willing to man up and take responsibility for it. Why? Well because they’ve never had to take responsibility for anything their entire lives. And I am 100% whole-heartedly convinced that it all begins with their underwear. I cannot tell you how many foreign women I know that are married to or partnered with Italian men who tell me that their significant other has never bought his own underwear or socks for that matter. And I am talking about men well into adulthood. And this is aside from the fact that the average Italian man lives at home until he is in his mid 30’s and then gets married to a nice Italian girl who will take over and continue to iron his p.j’s for him. But she will never buy his underwear because his mamma will still do that.

Ok, and then when he finally does move out and get a wife to take over, what happens now? Well he gets a job doing whatever because his fathers, brother’s, wife’s, brother knows someone who knows someone who can get him the job. He doesn’t necessarily like the job, but it’s ok, he’s not actually going to work anyway. But he’ll be the first to complain when the system or the services don’t function properly.

But the point is that he never really had to go out and look for the job, he didn’t really have to interview or convince anyone that he was qualified for the job, it was just handed to him, just like his underwear.

Ok now let’s talk about his good little wife who is at home making him breakfast, lunch and dinner and ironing his p.j’s. He marries her because, well, she’s pretty, or at least she was at one point in time, or maybe not, but she sure knows how to make a killer sugo, of course never quite as good as his mamma’s but, good enough. And now they have a couple of kids, (boys hopefully, there is actually an expression that is said at Italian weddings to this day regarding boys: Tanti Auguri and Tanti Figili maschi, which means, best wishes and lots of male children) And the wife is at home ironing her husband’s p.j’s and buying underwear for her son’s while her husband is out doing who knows what. Maybe working, but maybe not. Maybe he’s hanging out at a café on his lunch break hitting on American tourists, looking all nice in his freshly pressed suit and shiny black shoes.

What does this mean? Well, he has never had to be responsible for buying his own underwear, ironing (or even washing) his own p.j’s or finding a job, or cooking his own meals. Yet we expect that these same men are going to be responsible for successfully running a COUNTRY?????? 

Here is a blurb that was written by a friend of mine about dating in Italy.

It's true. and I'll come out and say it- I blame their mothers. When you're in your mid30s and your mother is ironing your underwear and socks (YES. I am NOT making this up ladies!!) There is a BIG problem here. Two things, when the Italian mother is such a huge part of their lives: they will place you in their mother's role and expect you to do/be the same. And, strangely, they will place you in their mother's role and you will never, ever live up to her. There should be an intense study on Italian men as a requirement for any psyche major.

Ok. But can we really just blame their mother’s? Honestly, I think they’re all at fault a bit here. So you grow up thinking that its ok to let everyone else do everything for you, but come on dude! You’re an adult, don’t you know by now that this is not ok. And seriously Italian Mamma’s teach your son’s to take care of himself. Why do you think you are helping them by doing this??? It’s actually a HUGE disservice. Now they get out there in the “real world” and they have no idea how to take responsibility of ANYTHING!

Just the other day I heard a story about a grown man who happens to be a police officer who lives on his own but the gym he goes to happens to be close to his mother’s house so what does he do? After the gym he takes his gym bag with all of his dirty sweaty clothes and drops them off at his mother’s house and the next time he goes to the gym, guess what? Yup! You got it, first he stops by Mamma’s house and picks-up his gym bag with nice clean gym shorts! Underwear and socks included, and probably ironed!!!! OMG! Italian women, I beg of you, I plead with you, STOP THE INSANITY!!!!!

Ok, now what happens is this. Italian man are used to having everything done for them, everything handed to them and they get married to make sure that well, they will never have to take care of any of these things themselves, but the marriage is not really about love. It’s about convenience, for both parties. Don’t think that oh these poor Italian women they suffer, no, their not stupid, they know what their doing but at the same time, I guess they really don’t have much of a choice, especially since careers for women suck in this country.  Now they have someone to take care of them, financially that is. So there is never really truly, this sense of responsibility in their relationships. There is no sense of responsibility in their relationship with their mother either for that matter, as the above example shows, he doesn’t have to give anything back to her, she just makes sure he doesn’t have to work too hard, because povorino he might get tired! Oh and sometimes he stays for dinner too. 

These Italian women latch onto their son’s in this weird Freudian reverse Oedipus kind of way I imagine because they never really had a mutual, loving, responsible relationship with the person that they married anyway.  I’m telling you people, its bizarre.

So the moral of the story is this, personally I’m not surprised that the captain jumped ship before the passengers. literally and metaphorically.  The Italians themselves have in fact used this story as a metaphor for their government. This country is being run by a bunch of little boys who don't know how to take came of themselves let alone an entire country! But they do have very clean underwear.

Now, do I think ALL Italian men are like this? Of course I don’t, I wouldn’t be married to one if I did. Certainly there are exceptions and the above statements are of course speaking generally about the Italian culture. But I will say that men that leave home and live on their own when they are 19 like my husband did and the coast Guard Captain Gregorio De Falco who told the cruise line captain to get back on the F-ing ship, are the exception, not the rule. 

Do you agree with me? Do you disagree with me? I want to know. Am I missing something here? I want your opinion on this issue! Comment below!

Driving in Italy, Baby You Can Drive My Car, Part II

I have been receiving a lot of messages lately about driving in Florence and Italy in general so I thought it might be time to revisit a post I wrote a little over a year ago on the subject.

"Should we rent a car?" "Can we park in the street?" "Is it better to rent a car then to take the trains and buses?"

No, no and not even close.  Let me take a moment to explain  a little bit about Italian drivers and driving in tiny towns that were once meant for horse and carriage.

First let's start with the Italians themselves. A relaxed, laid back culture enjoying La Bella Vita or La Dolce Vita, in Il Bel Paese. They're never in too much of a rush, they always have a smile on their face (insomma)  and they really know how to eat. All true, yes. Well then that must mean they are relaxed, courteous drivers to, right? Wrong! Totally and completely wrong. Its like something takes over when they get in a car or behind the wheel of a motor vehicle of any kind. It's like they all begin to channel Mario Andretti or Valentino Rossi. It's incredible. Its scary enough just trying to cross the street let alone drive a car amongst them! I know you think your cool and that you can keep up with them, but trust me please, you don't want to try. Remember that they all know where they are going, you don't, they're going to get mad at you and start honking and make you even more nervous. And you don't want to know what they're saying about you, trust me, I sit in the passenger seat in an Italian vehicle, you don't want to know. Ok, so fine you don't care, they can say whatever they want. But that's not the only reason you don't want to drive here....

Seriously something to keep in mind! Trust me, its all true!

Aside from the Italian's being just plain crazy drivers who conventionally forget what they learned at autoscuola,  you are dealing with tiny one way streets that are difficult to navigate, in tiny old cities with thousands of residents who need a place to park their cars. Most cities issue permits to residents only which allows them to park on the street and without that permit you will get parking tickets or even wheel locks if it happens to be street sweeper night.  The city of Florence for example and I'm sure others as well, also have limited traffic zones with cameras set up at each entrance to the historical city center and if you do not have permission to enter these areas, again you will be ticketed. And do not think that the rental companies will issue these permits, they will not, there is a reason why their offices are all located OUTSIDE these limited traffic zones.

I found this video on YouTube and its perfect! I cannot tell you how many times I've seen this kind of thing! This is exactly what you're in for! And who know how many tickets they got for entering the city center! Good thing these guys have a sense of humor about it!

Please believe me when I say this for your own good and for your SANITY! Don't drive in Italy. You'll thank me for it I promise.  The trains and buses are awesome. Check out Trenitalia for a time schedule for all of Italy, you can even purchase tickets online. If your visiting Tuscany check out Sita bus for routes within the region that are simple, quick and run frequently.

You will enjoy your trip so much more if you don't drive! Don't forget to check out the other post about driving on this blog.

Have a story to share about driving in Italy? Let others know about it in the comments section below!

Luci e Ombre/ Light and Shadows by Felice Limosani

As I was walking home last night I caught a glimpse of the ongoing light installation project running here in Florence until Sunday January 15th titled Luce e Ombre or Light and Shadows.  As I was passing the Palazzo Strozzi I could hear the music coming from the courtyard so I popped in the check things out. It was like the building was alive. The facade was pumping and breathing and the vibration of the music was reminiscent of a pounding heart.  I captured a little video on my cell phone and tried to post it but for some reason it doesn't want to work and since I'm not terribly tech savvy, I borrowed a video from YouTube. It was super cool and it will be happening again this evening if you didn't get a chance to check it out yet.

If you liked that video you can find more on YouTube at luci e ombre palazzo strozzi You can also check out the information posted on the Palazzo Strozzi website.

This light and sound installation is the perfect metaphor for the contemporary art scene in Florence.  Light and Shadow, as it certainly is the case that contemporary artists constantly find themselves living in the shadow of the great Renaissance masters.  And while the heart of the Renaissance still beats strong we are constantly trying to bring our new work to light and gain recognition. This particular piece is also interesting to me since the Palazzo Strozzi is one of the most important historic structures in the city, and houses a contemporary art collection and ongoing contemporary art exhibitions. I also love the idea of mixing current day technology with historic, a fantastic juxtaposition of old and new and the incredible difference in the designing and building of structures past and present. I was fascinated by the piece and think I may even go and check it out again this evening. Enjoy!

TGIF

So we are already 13 days into the New Year and new ideas are popping up every day. It is also now time for me to update the 'about me' section here on my blog because as of January 1, 2012 it was officially 11 years ago that I moved to Florence and in with Luigi. I still can't believe it myself sometimes. 11 years of growing and learning and changing and finding out who I am and what I want to do.  Its been an amazing adventure.

Taken just outside the door of my parents house in L.A

Of course for a Southern California girl these cold dark winters can sometimes effect my mood and my creativity but I know that it is only temporary and that there is so much inspiration around me I can hardly stand it! I do feel big changes coming on this year however and I am trying to be as positive as I can and remind myself, as John Lennon said, 'There is nowhere you can be that isn't where you're meant to be'  and I believe this to be true both physically and creatively. And while it is a bit chilly around here and I am spending much more time indoors I am looking at this down time as an opportunity to re-focus and work on the things that tend to get neglected otherwise.

One of those things was going through all of the photos that I have saved on my computer and on not one, but two, external hard drives. Ever since my husband bought me my beautiful Cannon digital rebel a few years ago, I take photos of everything and anything I see that strikes me. I don't necessarily think of myself as a photographer, but I do think that taking photos helps me to be creative. It's almost like drawing for me. I like to create the composition and subject matter through the lens and I am fascinated with people. All kinds of people. And I try to capture scenes of everyday life and hold on to that moment through the image. So after looking at literally hundreds of photos and trying to decide which ones to keep and which ones were not so good, I  started to think about what I was possibly going to do with them all. And I got to thinking. Well,  lots of people sell their photos on Etsy so why not give it a try? Like I said I don't necessarily consider myself to be a photographer but rather an artist who uses photography has a medium. I am going to try and add at least two new photos per day and build up the collection from there.  I've decided to give it the name When in Florence as well. If you click on any of the images below it will take you into the shop! I figure I can try it out for a while and see what happens. One never knows! 

Happy New Year!

The holidays are over, a new year has begun and resolutions have been made! Let's hope it's a good one, or at the very least better than the last. I am currently working on some new ideas, concepts and designs and hope to be back to posting regularly very soon.  So for the next week or two I will be using the down time to re-think and re-organize. Stay tuned! A presto!

I hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday season enjoying family and friends! I will be back in Florence next week!

La Dolce Vita - Michelangelo my Cat

Yes, that's right, my cat makes for one Dolce Vita.  Unless you own a cat, you may not understand why I would say that he enriches my life, but its so very true that he does. Now I know some of you are not 'cat people' (whatever that means) but there really is something to be said about having a pet. I love animals of all kinds, I don't really understand that whole debate over cats and dogs, personally I love them both and can't wait until I can have a dog too. The thing is, they are different animals and it seems like those that say they don't like cats expect them to be like dogs, but that's like saying you expect men to be like women. Two different species entirely. The Truth about Cats and Dogs anyone?

I grew up with dogs. My C.J and Bear were truly my two best friends, they made me happy when I was sad they were always ready to play and our golden retriever actually unlocked the back door to let me in once when my big brother tried to lock me out. True story, I'll never forget it, she jumped up and slide the latch down with her paw. Such a smart dog!

I have always had animals in my life and cannot imagine life without them. Michelangelo came along a little over 5 years ago (he was so tiny he could fit in the palm of my hand) and he has truly enriched our lives everyday since.  He too knows when I'm sad or sick and comes to comfort me, he cuddles up on the couch with me when its cold outside and keeps me warm, he faithfully sleeps at my feet every night and greets me with a meow and then throws himself on the floor with his belly in the air waiting for a tummy rub every time I come home.  I know he will always be there and he doesn't care if I didn't put make-up on or if I gained a little weight. I am not exaggerating when I say that everyone I know who has ever met my Michelangelo falls in love with him.  Even my father who was always an openly anti-cat person.  When I brought Michelangelo home to California for a visit a few years ago, by the end of the trip my Dad was actually trying to convince me to leave him there with him! No way! He loved his company so much that now, my dad has a cat of his own.  Michelangelo loves when people come over and will come and say hello and maybe even crawl into your lap for a little cuddle.

And aside from just being sweet and cuddly,  did you know that it is scientifically proven that cats improve our health?  They reduce stress and cholesterol as well as our risk of heart attack. Don't believe me?  I didn't make it up, check out this article that will give you all the details.  Need more convincing? Do a simple Google search on the health benefits of owning a cat.

So there it is, my Dolce Vita entry for this week. Michelangelo my cat truly enriches not just my life but Luigi's too. (Trust me he's just as smitten as I am, don't let the macho exterior fool you!)

For stories about La Dolce Vita click here. 

For One Day

Saturday 17  and Sunday  December 18 from 10:00-19:00 

Vecchio Conventino/ Spazio Sam, Via Giano della Bella 20/1

[a 50 mt da Piazza Tasso]

www.fondazioneartigianato.it

Head on over and check out the work of local artists in this great space dedicated to being creative! For this weekend only, the artists and artisans will have a show and market. I'll be heading over this afternoon. There is lots of great work to see so don't miss it! Here you can find some photos and a post about last years event.

Art & Clothes

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A few days ago as I was walking home I came across a store window that caught my attention.  Anytime I see contemporary art or unusual clothes I am always intrigued.  But in this case I was even more interested by the idea of both in one space. Art and clothes are essentially my two favorite things in life, so what could be better than a boutique with an art studio or an art studio that also shows clothes? Not much for me.   So I went in and introduced myself to Sheila the owner who is from Denmark to find out a little more about her fantastic shop.  From the moment I met her the passion and professionalism for what she does was obvious. She was very welcoming and eager to share her concept with me and show me around the store.  She talked in great detail about each artist and designer and why she chose their work for the store.

Absolutely adore this look!

The name itself is very straightforward, Art & Clothes is exactly that, but it could easily be called Art Clothes as well. As soon as you walk through the door you can sense not only the quality of the work but also the creativity of the designs at the same time. These are not pieces that will be found on every corner and are for those that see fashion as a form of artistic expression not merely something to wear.  These are pieces that are made with a fashion forward confidant woman in mind who wants something unique and even custom made.

Everything is made by hand by local designers or designers who have once lived in Florence.  The space is both a showroom and a ready to wear boutique.  The work of both Anne-Mari Pahkala and Veronica Spadaro are on display to see and feel but can be made to order in as little as 3 fittings.  And what that means is not only the size can be changed but also the color, the length or possibly even a detail or two.

There is also a ready-to-wear line by Paola Pucci who specializes in recycled and re-used materials to create an incredibly sophisticated style which is casual yet glamorous at the same time. 

There is also a unique jewelry collection on display and again there is an obvious artistic flair to each piece.  Some which appear to be miniature sculptures only to find out that they are actually quite wearable and quite extraordinary, but again, always handmade. Local jewelry designer Sabrina Bovani As well as Indian sisters Preetika and Pika who have combined their formal jewelry design education with their Fashion design education to create this beautiful line of bone and marble jewelry called Pretty Stoned.

The work of a local artist Sabrina Bovani working in metal and found objects is also happy to make adjustments or moderations or even custom pieces made to order. The concept is that even though the artists are creating the designs; you as the wearer are able to make it your own unique, one-of-a-kind piece.

And then there is the other half of the store, which becomes a contemporary art gallery and studio. The paintings on the walls compliment the contemporary clothing on display and at the back of the shop there is a painters studio where you can find Raffaello Mastroberardino working on his own paintings or giving private art lessons to students from all over the world.

As Shelia knows there are not many outlets for contemporary artists in the midst of the Renaissance masters of Florence so her idea is to give them a space where they can show their work. She definitely has an eye for talent and quality, as well as a great sense of style. 

If you are in Florence it is definitely worth checking out. You can find the store on Via dell'Agnolo 50/r or head over to their fabebook page and follow the rabbit! 

The mannequin in the window is always wearing a rabbit head so it will be easy to spot!  As Shelia explained she has become quite obsessed with changing the Rabbits clothes, you can see all of her outfits by 'liking' her facebook page.

La Dolce Vita - You've come a long way baby

Photo courtesy of Happy Deliveries

Yesterday I was feeling rather sorry for myself. For five years now I have been trying to make a living as a jewelry artist with nothing more than a few minimal sales here and there. Nothing that anyone could call a living. I have been hearing a lot of 'no thank you's' lately and sales seem to be at a stand still. So as you can imagine, it left me feeling a bit discouraged.  I wanted sympathy. So after unloading on my very patient husband, I went out with my two best girlfriends and told them all about it. But what I got wasn't sympathy at all but rather a little encouragement mixed with a big reminder of how lucky I am. Not only do I have amazing people in my life that help me put things in perspective but who also remind me of how fortunate I am to actually have the option to pursue my dreams and to have made the choice to leave a job that was making me less then happy. Not everyone gets to do that. I am not being forced to work just to maintain a certain lifestyle. We don't have much, but we have what we need.  So yes, Louie Viutton handbags are out of the question, hell, even H&M handbags are out of the question right now, I am doing something that I love to do every single day. I don't have to commute for 3 hours a day, I don't worry about keeping up with the Jones'.  I get to do what I love and give it all of my time and I am not living my life according to anyone else' standards or ideals. I'm sure there are some who may think this is absurd, but thankfully, I don't have to answer to them  I am happy and I am healthy and I live in a place that revers the arts and allows me to be myself.  And just in case that wasn't enough, I also read this article today posted by the same friend.

For more about La Dolce Vita, click here!

In Your Opinion

photo courtesy of Food Tours

Its almost Christmas and then it will be New Year's eve.  2012 is almost here. I know, hard to believe isn't it?  Especially since that means that the end of the world is coming.  Or is it the end of the world as we know it? Do you feel fine?

Things are definitely changing that's for sure.  While the last 10 years have absolutely changed how we communicate with each other, even more specifically the last 5 years have been incredible in terms of technology and social networking. Now we are dealing with an economy that is enough to scare even those of us who know nothing about the economy. Not to mention an increasing number of natural disasters and melting ice caps.  So I say hey, what's going on?

I really try hard not to be negative and always try to look at the bright side of things. I try to understand the lesson or the reason for everything that happens and to be grateful for that what I do have and not what I don't. But I want to know what others think of the current state of our world.  Why are we so scared? Have we come to expect too much and now we are faced with the possibility that we may longer be able to 'have' everything that we feel like we should?  Life has been moving incredibly fast in recent years, are we afraid it will suddenly slow down and we may have to reexamine how we live and what is really important.

Here in Italy, most people I know were not happy with the Berlusconi administration so there is now a  new leader in his place but from what I hear in giro, no one seems to be happy with his new ideas or policies for trying to fix the ever failing economy of the country. Of course we all have our ideas as to how things should be done, but are we considering all the factors? Do we really understand what it means to fix these difficult problems? Will we EVER be happy? Will it ever be enough?  What do we really want in the end of it all?

I will be the first to admit that I am ignorant when it comes to politics and economics and my reasons for it is simply because I don't understand how it all works and it bores me to death! And if this is all really so bad should we really be wasting our time worrying and complaining about it or try to focus on the things in life that actually bring us joy and happiness? When do we trust that it will all work out and focus on being happy and appreciating life for what it is? Is ignorance really bliss?

I want to know what you think?  How do you feel about it all?  How can we fix it? 

Running Late, I'll be there in 15.....

....that's the story of my life. Although I do have half of an excuse. I'm half Italian.  Or maybe more like 75% by now right? (After all I've been living here for almost 11 years.)  The German side of me however, really doesn't agree with this running late business. But I can't help it. I don't know why.  I try and I try but for some reason it just doesn't work.  The Italians are notorious for being late in fact their idea of being on time is at least 15 minutes late. And that's just really how it goes. So don't expect that just because the store hours indicate that they will be there at 15:30 that they actually will be, it's more like 15:30ish.  But that's beside the point. This past weekend, the internet was out in the house and not only is it  amazing how much we depend on it, but how much not having it has put me behind. I was already running about 10 days behind 'schedule' and the to do list keeps getting longer and longer, but then without connection for 5 days, (even though they told me it would only be a few hours) I am now about 15 days behind, but, I suppose in Italian time, I'm right on schedule.  So that's my story and I'm sticking to it. I'm sorry to be boring but I will have something more exciting to tell you soon. Promise.  A presto!

It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas

I absolutely love this time of year.  All of the stores begin to decorate their windows for the holiday season and the streets are filled with lights and the people are out and about. Chestnuts and hot chocolate and Christmas markets in the piazzas. I can't get enough, and its not necessarily the holiday itself, its more the spirit and the creativity that comes out and the special winter treats that we only get once a year. Since there are so many wonderful things to see and smell and eat, I don't think that just one post will be enough, so I have decided that from now until the new year, I will make a weekly posting of all the holiday happenings. Here is the first installment. Divertitevi!

Fabulously Festive Window in Piazza Duomo, look carefully you can its reflection in the top left

I Always love the windows at Coin

Ok, so maybe its not exactly holiday theme, but I just can't resist a dog in clothes! And I'd never seen a dog mannequin before either! Brilliant!

The window has a very 1930's feel so I thought it would look really great in black and white

Just gorgeous!

La Bella Vita - On Tuesday

Click the button for more Dole Vita

Sorry about the late post, but yesterday I was still recovering from a very busy but very fun finesettimana.  Not only did we celebrate our Thanksgiving on Sunday so that more of of our friends who had to work on Thursday could join us, but we also celebrated a very good friends 30th birthday by way a of a surprise party! It was so much fun.  But with all of that fun and food (and maybe a little too much wine) I was out for the count yesterday and busy taking care of all of the things I usually do on the weekends, you know the necessary stuff like cleaning, laundry and grocery shopping. But I will never complain because I truly feel like the luckiest person in the world to be surrounded by so many wonderful people and some of the best friends that I've ever had, they truly are my family.  I really don't know what I would do without them. It can be hard, especially around the holidays to be this far from family, but somehow, being in the home of one of my best friends with my other best friend and all of our significant others, felt completely natural.  This is now the 5th year in a row that our host has made such a beautiful turkey and opened her home to us.  For me this is Thanksgiving.

The bird. Yum!

This is view from our Thanksgiving table, the pumpkin pie was made from fresh pumpkins that were grown in this garden

It was wonderful to be able to share one of our American holidays with all the Italians again. Sure some of them needed a little convincing to try some of the not so familiar side dishes like sweet potatoes and desserts like pumpkin pie, but they all loved it! We ate, we drank and we laughed all weekend long and if that isn't life enriching, I don't know what is!

And this is the view from the kitchen window, it was a beautiful afternoon!

Are you a creative person in Florence? Join us

As many of you know, over the past few months I have been  working on forming a group here in Florence for artists of all kinds. The intention of the group is to meet other artists and creative people to discuss our work, inspire each other and develop our portfolios.   One of our group members, Birgitte Bronsted of My Sweet Florence, My Sweet Rome and My Sweet Copenhagen had the wonderful idea of creating a facebook page for the group.  I am very excited about this since it will really work as a platform for us to announce events and meetings and also discover some unknown talent.

Below is a description of the  group. We hope you'll join us.

Artists, writers, photographers, designers, bloggers... all kinds of creative people in Florence are welcome to join the group and participate in the network. Once a month we will meet for brunch, lunch, aperitivo or something else. At these meetings members will have the opportunity to meet, chat, exchange experiences and - who knows - maybe create events, exhibitions or other kinds of collaborations. There are absolutely no obligations attached to being a member. You can participate in all events, some events or you can join the group to simply follow us.  

When you join the group it would be great if you would post a few lines about yourself and what you do. Also feel free to come up with ideas for the network, and do share your work with us by posting photos and links.

La Dolce Vita- La Creativita`

For more about La Dolce Vita click here

In collaboration with my new blogging buddy over at Ciao Christy I will now be participating in her Dolce Vita series every Monday on my blog. It's really a wonderful idea that will help me to stop and think about all of the things I am thankful and grateful for. The idea is that each Monday a group of bloggers will write a post about something that enriches our lives by living in Italy or something that enriches our lives in general.  It is easy to get caught up in the daily stresses and rushes of life and that means we tend to take certain things for granted, its a great way to start the week on a positive note and remember how fortunate we truly are.  So thanks Christy for coming up with such a great idea and for inviting me to participate! 

Creativity is a fundamental part of my life. Not just being creative myself but also being surrounded by other creative people and things.  As we know Florence is full of art in all its forms, from the classics to the contemporary to the sculptors to the painters to the fashion designers to the chefs, its all here in this beautiful city. Since quitting my 'day job' in January of this past year, (the best thing I ever did)  I have had the opportunity to get to know Florence in a new way, to remember all of the reasons why I feel in love in the fist place.  For many years I was jaded by an environment that was not my passion nor my calling and caused me to overlook some of the fantastic things that this city has to offer.  Contemporary art has been gaining a lot of speed around here in Florence lately and more and more artists are attempting to get their work in public spaces. La Rinascente, the countries biggest department store chain has made their windows available for exactly that purpose for the weeks surrounding the holidays. 

I was very excited on Saturday night as I was crossing town to find these gorgeous window displays, so of course I had to take some photos! They made me happy for so many reasons. Not only are they fun to look at but they are also giving contemporary art a broader audience.  So I do indeed feel that they enrich my life but instilling joy and giving me inspiration as a contemporary artist and designer myself.  What I love so much about this is the materials that are used, I am noticing that it may be a little hard to tell from these photos but each work is made of recycled materials such as paper, plastic bottles, writing pens, bottle caps and plastic cups.  I hope you enjoy them as much as I do! Oh and I took A LOT of pictures!