Catching up...

Last time I wrote on the blog it was July, it was scorching hot and I was counting down the days to my summer vacations. Now it's October, the mornings are crisp and misty and my vacations seem to have taken place ages ago. A lot  of things  happened in the meantime.
Our trip this summer to Slovenia and Croatia was amazing. Among other things we...drank white wine that tasted like freshly cut grass, watched shooting stars from the darkness of silent vineyards, went rafting on the crystal clear waters of the Soca river, met a bunny who lives in a castle, swam water so clear it seemed invisible, ate mouthwatering seafood on a flight of stairs overlooking the Sibenik Cathedral, took a boat to the Kornati Islands and much much more.
Shortly after we came back I turned 30 and my friends basically kidnapped me and took me to Barcelona as a surprise gift, making me feel like I am the luckiest 30 year-old to ever roam the earth.
Now I'm back to my routine of work and to-do-lists trying to hold on to that feeling you get while travelling when everything seems slightly more poetic than in your everyday life.
I have a few finished products to put up in my shop (one of which I am particularly proud of), a few new projects on my needles and lots of ideas in my head.

A few pictures of the summer in random order...

Ephemeral

If, like me, you have a deep fascination for New York City and its history, I suggest taking a look at Ephemeral New York.
The website is a treasure, each article tells you a little bit about the history of the city, the hidden worlds within it, the way it used to be, the lesser known historical episodes that occurred there, the characters that have lived in it and their way of life... I can get lost in it for hours.
It makes me long to go back to that amazing city and try to look at it with an eye for hidden details.
I suggest exploring through their archives, but if you live far away from New York, be prepared for a healthy dose of Wanderlust...

 

 

 

 

 All images from Ephemeral New York

Japan

The past two weeks I had the opportunity to travel around Japan and attend my childhood friend's wedding there. Beforehand I had never been further East than Turkey so the whole experience felt entirely new  to me, it was like being in a world that is somehow similar to mine yet entirely different.
Japan is an amazing country, and what I loved especially was getting the chance to appreciate the diversity it offers...from the huge modern cities full of lights and people to the quiet and peaceful temples hidden in luscious forests, from the incredible contemporary art museums to the old town centers with wooden houses and narrow roads, from foggy mountain tops to beaches full of highschool kids in uniforms.
There was something about Japan (and probably being on vacation helped as well) that calmed my spirit, and I really hope I can maintain this state of mind as long as possible as I move on into my daily life.
Here are a few pictures from the trip...

 

 

End of summer

The summer vacations are over, I'm back at the office and the end of summer is aproaching, a part of the year that always makes me slightly sad, even though I do enjoy fall once I get into the groove of it.
Here is a small collection of photos from my summer travels...we decided to travel through Italy for a change, including parts of Italy that I had never been to before, specifically the Marche region, which I found beautiful and quite peaceful as mass tourism doesn't really seem to have discovered this area yet.
It is an incredible country I live in, wherever you go there is so much beauty to explore that a whole lifetime would not be enough to enjoy it completely...

(If you are wondering where any one of these pictures was taken just let me know in the comments!)

Inspiration: Miami summers

While I have been to Florida before, I have never been to Miami, and it is one of those places I would love to get to see at some point.

I am particularly drawn to the iconic colorful art déco architecture that I've always only seen on magazines and in movies and the vision it creates in my mind of a blistering hot afternoon where the sun rays bounce off the pale colored surfaces of the buildings and almost hurt your eyes.
Here is a little collage of Etsy finds inspired by this atmosphere and by my favorite of all seasons...

1) Travel poster of the Carlyle Hotel,WhiteOneSugar
2) Red Wrap Dress, Kulayan
3) Avalon Hotel Fine Art Photography, CestLaVieArt
4) The Colony Fine Art print, GwenMeyerson
5) Art Deco Building, Miami, Fine Art Photography, VictoriaPhotoShop
6) Vintage Lanvin Sunglasses, PNB vintage 
7) South Beach Peach Architecture Photography, inthisinstance

Istanbul

I just came back from beautiful Istanbul, where I spent a few days with my friends. It's a spectacular city, I had been there once as a kid but going back as an adult made me appreciate it so much more. There is something about huge stretches of water within cities that really fascinates me for some reason (maybe cause my city only has a smaller river running through it), and the architecture and atmosphere are breathtaking.
And the food. Ooooh the food.
The last day was a great excuse to go on a hunt in the market area for a yarn store, and after getting help from various sellers and a bank security guard we finally found it and I bought some lovely organic cotton yarn in three gorgeous colors. My luggage didn't arrive at the airport back home so my yarn is now somewhere in Europe on its way to Turin. Can't wait to use it!

Sono appena rientrata da Istanbul, dove ho passato un po' di giorni con delle amiche. La città è splendida, ci ero già stata da ragazzina e me la ricordavo bella, ma non a questi livelli. C'è qualcosa che mi affascina particolarmente delle città che hanno grandi bracci d'acqua che le attraversano (forse perchè la mia di città è attraversata solo da un fiume di medie dimensioni), e l'architettura e l'atmosfera della città sono spettacolari.
E il cibo. Ooooooh il cibo.
L'ultimo giorno è stata la scusa perfetta per andare a cercare un negozio di filati di cui ci avevano parlato. Dopo una caccia al tesoro nelle viuzze del mercato, e dopo varie indicazioni da parte di venditori e di una guardia di una banca siam finalmente riuscite a trovarlo. Ho comprato dello stupendo cotone organico in tre colori bellissimi. Al rientro la mia valigia non è arrivata quindi ora il cotone è da qualche parte in Europa sulla strada verso l'aereoporto di Torino. Non vedo l'ora di usarlo!

Amsterdam I will never grow tired of you...

Crazy cat ladying as usual...

And the dutch countryside and the city of Utrecht are also absolutely beautiful...