Montepulciano Due (two)

Welcome to part due (two) of our journey to the lovely Montepulciano! If you missed part one featuring the gorgeous doors of this Tuscan village, click here.

By the way, as I was writing this, I discovered this absolutely lovely illustration that I had to share. 

{via}

Ok, back to Montepulciano. This awe-inspiring Medieval and Renaissance hill-town is a must-see when traveling to Tuscany. It isn't possible to get there by train, so a rental car, bus or taxi is a must. 

The views are outrageous!

Everywhere you look is like a scene out of a film...an Italian film.

We enjoyed wandering all the alleys and exploring the shops filled to the brim with Tuscan Cinghiale (or wild boar), salami, and robust wine and cheeses. They are famous for their Vino Nobile wine and hand-rolled Pici pasta, and barely-grilled Chianina T-Bone Steaks. You will not be disappointed with the tantalizing food that Montepulciano has to offer...

My family and I spent several afternoons trekking around, testing caffe' after caffe', shop after shop, meeting the locals, trying their foods, sipping their wines and perking up from their caffeinated works of art.

We toured a winery that has been in the same family for over a thousand years...

...and we learned to make a real Italian cappuccino from a fabulous woman named Lina! We visited her caffe' daily and she was delighted to share her advice with us!

The churches were absolutely gorgeous.

 The courtyards were divine as well...

The city-center is striking and a perfect place to sit on some old steps and soak up the culture of this exquisite town.

Keep your eyes peeled for ancient details scattered around the streets and buildings.

Montepulciano is also a fabulous place to get some shopping done! Their displays were beautifully put together, as well!

Click the image below to see the doors of Montepulciano!

If you are looking for a place that is quaint, charming, full of photo opportunities and loaded with good food and wine, do Montepulciano and skip Cortona.

If you are interested in staying in an old Tuscan Palace (which is more like a very grand enormous home) click here.

I highly recommend the Vino Nobile, cinghiale and Pici pasta. If you are interested in trying the rare Chianina steaks, be sure to make reservations in advance!

Ciao Amici! 

Be blessed and live beautifully!

The Doors of Montepulciano

Welcome to beautiful Montepulciano in the heart of Bella Toscana! Last fall, my parents, aunt and I did a huge trip all over Italy and I finally have an opportunity to write about our travels. After exploring many, many Tuscan towns, one of my all time favorites is the gorgeous town of Montepulciano, nestled in the rolling green Italian countryside. We stayed in a giant old palace (which typically is less expensive and a better experience than a hotel) with views that were beyond breathtaking...

 There are so many things I wanted to share with you about this lovely little village, I am just going to have to write about Montepulciano in several parts. This part is dedicated to the enchanting doorways, that entice you down winding hallways and alleys and make you want to take a peek through people's doors...My cousin calls this "The Door Sophisticate" !

Enjoy my loves!

Ok, so the adorable red bug is the real reason I took the picture below!

I hope these doorways have inspired you as much as they have me! I believe beautiful, warm design begins at the front door... What can you do to make your door more enchanting? 

You can now purchase my prints by clicking the tab that says shop the boutique or by clicking here.

Ciao Amici!

Shabby Apple Delight!

    

Woot, Woot! I am beyond elated to announce that I am now an affiliate with the gorgeous Shabby Apple line! Shabby apple is a brand that I have admired, respected and loved for a while now, and I am super thrilled to introduce them to you! This shop has everything beautiful, vintage, and nostalgic a gal could ever want! Do check them out by clicking here!

    

Shabby Apple's clothes line is modest, yet sexy, colorful, playful, and vintage! It reminds me of the gorgeous boutiques I have seen during my travels across Europe, especially more recently in Provence and the French Mediterranean. They also have awesome accessories and unique pieces for your home. Live beautifully and shop Shabby Apple!

       

For my American friends living abroad, when you order, order using your American address!

P.S. If you want to hook a sister up (moi), click on the site via my page! Thanks dolls!

Duck Egg Blue Kitchen Table Transformation

To see an updated kitchen tour, click here!

I have been madly running around our barn, half dressed with coffee spilled down my sweatshirt and furniture wax on my face, trying to add finishing touches to our home. The funny thing is, my home will NEVER be done...EVER and I like it that way. It shows that I am growing and will be constantly building our home. Our home will be a place where we collect all the beautiful memories from our adventures around the world.Your home should reflect your favorite moments.
We wanted our kitchen to be a reminder of one of our favorite cafes in Colmar, France, and we have made some changes to remind us of that wonderful, beautiful place.
Below is a picture of what I am still trying to forget...

 We acquired this lovely kitchen set from one of my very best friends who got it as a hand-me-down and wanted to get rid of it. I wish I had picture of it with the green, stained, plaid chair covers, but that was from B.B. (before blogging). Over the years I have changed them quite a bit, most recently by painting my own fabric to make covers that you can see here. This dining set, has been through a lot and traveled a lot... A year ago, one of the chairs broke and we have been "carefully" sitting on that chair so it doesn't snap. Yeah, that got old quick. I decided I wanted a more "collected" look and was going to get rid of the broken chair and mix in some mismatched chairs that I already had and paint the table Annie Sloan Duck Egg Blue (my favorite color). I love how it turned out!

The best part is, it reminds us of the blue and red color scheme from the Theater Cafe in France! The cafe totally has the look we were going for, eclectic, vintage, rustic, mismatched, glamorous, and industrial.

Painting the table blue drew out the duck egg blue in our red and blue rug seen in the image below! This rug also ties in the red fireplace we have in the kitchen (which I can't change because this is a rental). I have added little pops of red and blue all over the kitchen to make it an official color scheme... I still have accents of the other colors in the rug, but red and duck egg blue are the main colors.

I distressed the table so that wear and tear would only add more character...distressed table-tops are a great solution if you have kids...husbands...friends... It technically can't be ruined.

I even painted the door in our niche to go with the table! 

All we need now are some zinc letters or a marquee light up sign. Oh yes, and also a butchers block from France that I have been eyeing (it is the same as one I saw in Napa as a little girl, and always wanted). Have you ever met a little girl who drooled over a butchers block? Yup... that about sums me up.

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