flaneuse

italy gallery

Italy - Images by Flaneuse X

Italia!

We have been in Italy for the past week and a half! We had a great trip over and our casa was just as we left it...but dustier! Thankfully we arrived during a cold front and I was able to enjoy cleaning and airing out the house in 70F weather. Unfortunately that gorgeous cool weather did not last long and we are back to a blazing Italian summer.

I have been enjoying cooking with the local ingredients so much! Lots of fresh vegetables, trays of perfectly ripe peaches, and some great cuts of meat. Our cherry and fig trees put out some delectable fruit as well.

We took a short trip over to Italy's west coast to the Cinque Terre. It was fantastic!! We hiked to four out of the five villages. Not an easy feat with a 4 year old, and not something I'd recommend doing, but the views were SO worth it. As soon as I find me SD card reader I will upload some photos to flickr. I think my favorite towns were Monterosso and Manarola. Monterosso for the fabulous food and ocean views, and Manarola for the gorgeous hike along the vineyard and for the farranata--a kind of chickpea pizza.

Tomorrow we are going to Verona for a dinner alone and then to the Arena to see Aida. We both have not been to the Arena for an opera before so that should be a treat.

This weekend we go to Rhodes, Greece, for more adventures and some well deserved resort time. I think we are planning to rent a car and drive to Lindos if the mood strikes us.

I hope everyone has a fun fourth of July weekend!!!

schnecken

If only all snails were this adorable, I wouldn't mind them in my garden. The pattern is from Wee Wonderfuls and was easy-peasy to follow. The only change I made was to use marker for the eyes and to secure the braided shell with a bit of hot glue. 

Handmade Moleskine iPad Case

Ever since I bought my iPad last Thursday, I have been desperately searching for the perfect case to house it in. And quickly too, since we are leaving for Italy in less than a week. My ideal case would be a Dodo case, but I need the case sooner than the 4-6 weeks it (understandably) takes to make and ship one. The Hard Candy Squish Case for the iPad also caught my eye, and I did order one and am waiting to receive it, but it's still not exactly what I want. What to do?

I decided to try my hand in making a case. Having an extensive background in the fine arts, I've done a bit of book making. I went to Jo-Ann Fabrics and was able to find all the supplies I needed--chipboard, fabric, spray glue, and elastic. The whole project too about an hour from start to finish. I am reasonably pleased with how it turned out, although I wish that I could have applied the interior fabric better. I considered cutting it to fit and not folding the selvage under, but I was worried that the edge would fray, even with some no-fray applied. Placing and adhering the four corner straps was a bit of a pain too, but I think now that I figured out how to do it, making another case would be easier. I paid about $25 for the supplies and I have enough fabric, glue and elastic to make another!

this squirel...

Sums up how I feel about today

World Wide Knit In Public Day

...in my own hometown. Many thanks to Angelica Sauceda for hosting us at the Kitty Pozer Park.

Baby Surprise Jacket

I thought for my very first baby sweater I would start with a time honored classic--the Elizabeth Zimmerman Baby Surprise Jacket. It is ingenious in its design and its simplicity. Knit flat in garter stitch, EZ used simple increases and decreases and a little bit of picking up of stitches to shape the jacket, then shoulder seaming to finish. I used Bernat Sox, which although definitely not something I would use again, was not terrible to work with. I used two balls and held the yarn double. I omitted the button holes (too fussy to button things on a baby IMO) and instead added a bit of grosgrain ribbon to the placket and used snaps for the closures, and then added decorative buttons on the top. Et voilia!

Chanel Illusion d'Or and Black Velvet

I was super excited to order these from Chanel this past week. They are part of a limited edition. I decided to pass on the Gold Lamé color because I already have Gold Fiction from Chanel's 2008 collection. Illusion d'Or is very sheer, more like opalescent gold leaf suspended in clear lacquer. It looks great worn over most nail colors. I want to pair it over Riviera and also Gold Fiction. Black Velvet is amazing. It's not really a true "matte" finish--more of a vinyl finish. It is not as shiny as a traditional polish but has a slight sheen to it. I'm not sure if I will wear it this spring/summer but definitely in the fall/winter.

Chanel Riviera

I feel like Tinsley with this gorgeous hot pink shade. Nice cream color, no shimmer.

Cherry Blossom Festival

Here are a few photos from this year's National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, D.C. We went to check it out two weekends in a row--first on the festival's opening day, and then for Lululemon's 2nd Annual Cherry Blossom Yoga. Each experience was fantastic! The festival is wrapping up this weekend with the annual Cherry Blossom 10 mile run and 5k walk/run. I really wish I could be taking part in the 10 mile run but I missed the lottery sign up! I'll be sure to sign up for it next year though.

    

 

Fenton/Fallon for Jcrew

I am in lust with this collaboration between Fenton/Fallon and Jcrew:

 

I love the combination of metals, textures and that the rhinestones give it a bit of light. I really like some of the necklaces in this collection as well, but they look so heavy that I couldn't see myself wearing them very much. The bracelet looks like something I would wear more often.