Scuola

As the snow slowly falls here, I cannot help but think of the happiness my little bambini from scuola are experiencing right now. I bet they are bursting at the seams to get outside and play. It reminds me that I have yet to tell you, I have been teaching at the local elementary school! My friend, Mariangela, kindly asked if I would be available to come to her 4th grade class every so often to talk about art...in English. This got my head spinning, of course, and based on my Chic Girls collection of paintings on canvas, we came up with a program that involves Art, Anatomy, Literature, and English. I now go to the school every two weeks or so to give a little of my time, and hope that the students get a little out of it!

We started out the class with anatomy and parts of the human body in English accompanied with how to draw a face complete with practice drawings of the head, neck, shoulders, and rounding out with the face and hair. The excitement was contagious that first day. The smiles were so big, I wanted to take them all home with me.

The next session happened to fall on Thanksgiving, so I decided, still with anatomy as our theme, that we would use our hands and feet to make turkeys! They were so happy to get a little messy with paint and brushes and learn a bit about an American tradition.

Then we moved onto the big stuff...the main part of our project...the self portrait. We took pictures of each child and challenged them to draw themselves based on the photo. Look at how great they are doing...I am so proud! We will be continuing throughout the school year with painting and storytelling and I cannot wait to see what they will do next! Don't worry, I will be sure to share the finished product with you.

To round out our last class of 2010...we read Twas the Night Before Christmas in English and then sang every verse of Jingle Bells. As the bell rang, 15 little Italians ran out of class chanting "Merry Christmas and Happy New Year"...it really doesn't get much better than that.

Festeggiare

We have been celebrating around here. Anyone who knows me knows I am out of my head for birthdays. Well, at least for MY birthday! As far back as I can remember, I have celebrated not only the day, but usually the week, and sometimes even the entire month of December. Yes, I exaggerate and I don't care who knows it!

This past week continued my tradition of exploiting my birthday and now a year passing of our health issues...so we celebrated...tanto...troppo! We began the week with a day trip to the province of Asti to attend the Fiera del Bue Grasso...the festival of the fat ox. Seven of us piled in and drove up through the snow to Northern Italy. What a gorgeous trip...we wound through the coast roads of Toscana and Liguria to end up in Piemonte.

Even though the sun hid from us the entire day, the colors of the architecture and landscape contrasted brilliantly against the snow and fog. We ate and drank amongst the locals at the Sagra del Bollito, a feast of strange and wonderful delicacies. Can you imagine, the menu included, among other things, a version of raw tartar of ox (which most ate like a hamburger), crowns and innards of a rooster, and boiled tongue and head of the ox served with salsa verde. I bravely ate everything...cannot say I enjoyed it all, but I sure am proud of myself for being adventurous.

We continued the week taking time for languid walks through the woods and fields with the puppies, attending a gift regalo expo, decorating the live Christmas tree, pizza with friends (because it is not a celebration without pizza!), a delicious Italo-Americano dinner in a beautiful home high on a hill, and the icing on the celebration cake...a surprise birthday dinner party at a Mexican restaurant. Yes people, you can take the girl out of America and drop her in Italy, but please don't mess with her love of Mexican.

Grazie mille to all of my lovely friends here in Italy and from afar that contributed to this year's festeggiamenti. What a week...I so cannot wait until next year...I am already planning. Gosh, I am a lucky lucky girl to have all I do and all of you in my life.

Olio Nuovo

For almost an entire month, I have been in an olive oil induced haze...yes, we picked olives this year.

With the help of many friends, I have laid out nets under at least 200 trees, moved ladders to and fro, hand scraped more olives from their branches than I want to count,

emptied crate upon crate of olives into bags,

made exactly 3 trips to the frantoio, olive oil mill, for pressing,

bottled and labeled specialness for friends, and ate a boat load of fire toasted bruschetta with just a hint of garlic, salt, and a drenching of electric green oil.

I have to say, it certainly was not as much as I have done in years past, but it was still a bit of work. However, the reward is incomparable. Tuscan olive oil, yes I am biased, especially when it is freshly picked and pressed has to be the best in the world. It has an almost harsh spiciness in the back of your mouth that makes you eager for more. I drizzle it on salads, soups, veggies, of course bread, anything I can really. In fact, over the past month I cannot tell you how many times I have uttered the words...excuse me while I wipe the olive oil off my chin...

Cento

100, cento, I have posted here 100 times...hard for me to believe I have had that much to say, and that even though I have slowed down, you all are still reading. I appreciate it and thank you so much for the constant support. This past weekend we said ciao to October, I thought I would leave you with the memories of the month. Still one of my absolute favorites I have to say again. If you are thinking of planning a trip to Tuscany...make it in October...just a few reasons why:

Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into the trees. The winds will blow their freshness into you...while cares will drop off like autumn leaves. ~ John Muir

Reveal

Something VERY big has been brewing behind the scenes at Laura Fair over the past months. (Sneak peek above...this is a very soft reveal, as I am not even sure if I have the go ahead to do it...but, I am just so elated!) I promise I will reveal much much more to you as soon as I have my hands on some photos and the official word where it will be sold. For my wholesale clients out there and those of you going to the High Point Furniture Market this week...the Laura Fair Teen and Children's Bedding Collection for Girls and Boys is debuting with Rizzy Home! (Yes, as I hinted before, now your children can have sweet dreams with Laura Fair!) The Rizzy Rugs and Home Texco showroom is in High Point at Showplace #3515, so please check it out if you are there and tell them I sent you...and be sure to let me know if any of you happen to catch it!

More Damask

I happened upon more of the Laura Fair Damask Collection for Golden Rabbit enamelware while perusing the web the other day. Aren't these shots gorgeous?!

If you would like to see more info or to purchase...click on over to Madison Avenue Gifts.

Battesimo

In the midst of all of the touring we have been doing over the past weeks, we also celebrated a very special day. Above is my Goddaughter, Caroline. She traveled all the way from the United States to be baptized in Italy...and for her grandmothers and grandfather, I offer this personal post. We found the perfect venue, as Caroline's parents are Episcopal, the over 100 year old St. James Church in Florence, and had an intimate private ceremony with Father Mark Dunnam...not only an American priest, but a southern gentleman to boot. How wonderful and something she will no doubt be able to tell her grandchildren.

In 2010 I have become a Godparent twice...to my little nephew Alexander, and now Caroline. I pray that I will be able to give them support, love, and be a good example to each of them throughout their lives. More realistically, I will probably be known as their crazy aunt Laura who lives in Italy and lets them eat gelato for dinner...but that is ok, both sentiments sound pretty good to me.