she dreams of italy.

"occasionally she dreams of italy.

she dreams of cheese shops, persnickety fiats, 

and very fine leather goods."

-kate spade

last year at this time we were floating through italy on our honeymoon. not a single day has gone by since that trip, that i haven't thought about italy in some way. i go through withdrawals and find that making myself a caprese salad, pouring a glass of red wine and sitting in front of the laptop going though our photos from start to finish (only stopping to grab a tissue to wipe my tears), really helps. 

what? that's weird and not normal? really now.

if i could go to italy every year, i would. in the short time we spent there, it taught me so many things i didn't know before:

the way it makes you appreciate the simple things in life.

the way it shows you how beautiful a place can make you feel.

the way it makes you long for beauty in your life.

this means more of things like cappuccino's under an umbrella in the rain, colorful doors adorned with pots of pink geraniums and freshly laundered clothes hanging on the line. tumbler glasses of red wine, fresh lemonade made with sun-warmed lemons, kissing someone you love in the streets because you love them too much to wait another minute and eating dinner for 3 hours, later than you should. taking naps in the afternoon and not feeling bad about it, eating good cheese and  fresh prosciutto for lunch every day. buying something expensive because it's worth it. each and every hard earned penny of it.

  

it's simple. it's more beautiful than you could ever prepare yourself for it to be.

it's my idea of heaven on earth.

and i miss it every day.