November 2012 - Page 4 of 4

it’s the little things

November 2, 2012 at 11:47 am

In theory I like to stop and savor the little things of life that make it sweet, such as Lena’s glee when I pick her up out of her crib, Siena’s faithful shadow, having just one baby for a little while longer, or waking up beside Elliott each day (something a military wife learns to never take for granted).However, in the hustle and bustle of life lately, I’ve taken fewer photos and often forget that we live in Italy, for crying out loud. (One reader pointed that out recently… to my conviction!) This week I tried to capture some things that have made our lives sweet recently. Here are a few glimpses into life in our home:

in the phone booth in town, I love that she’s talking with her hands!

& morning light in the neighborhood

main square

& view of our town and Mt Etna, the largest volcano in Europe

running down the hill into the main piazza

& a visit to the little general store where I picked up some of my favorite tortellini for lunch

a pit stop for a drink on a walk

& stairs from the valley leading up to our house on the edge of the cliff… a long walk with a baby on your hip!

Daddy’s cowboy hat

& a mailbox in our neighborhood

dazzling morning light

& looking out over our town

our first trip to Centro Sicilia mall… which is all of 10 minutes from our house

making the switch to greener kitchen products

my little girl

where did those neighborhood kittens go?
& well, there’s one of them

bella principessa before church on Sunday
& bike on a balcony

Today I’m linking up with Hello Hue and InstaFriday.

27 :: in home sweet home, Italy, Lena, life lately, Sicily

happy halloween!

November 1, 2012 at 12:10 pm

Say hello to our little Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz! She got to show off her costume last night at a fun Halloween party some friends of ours hosted. I think she was deee-lighted about all the toys and kids and couldn’t care less about anything else, including the candy. We’ll keep the illusion going for another year or two that Halloween has nothing to do with candy…

As of 12pm on Halloween, Lena did not have a costume, and the party started at 5pm. At the store earlier that day I had looked half-heartedly at costumes, but the crafter in me said, “You have to make a costume! Even if it’s a brown paper bag… you’ve got to make something! Come on!”

Back at home, I dejectedly searched for “last minute homemade Halloween costume.” (It’s not a fun search to make.) Eventually I settled on this cute snail costume even though I secretly suspected Lena wouldn’t wear it. I don’t know many 1.5-year-olds who will keep a hairband on their heads or a “backpack” on their backs.

As a last ditch effort, I pulled open my fabric drawer and saw this cute blue-and-white gingham. All at once the pieces fell into place. Dorothy! “I have a white blouse that would work… and a basket she can carry with a stuffed animal inside to be Toto… and I can put her hair in pigtails… and she has maroon leather shoes that will be a bit of a stretch, but a) I just couldn’t put red glitter on them even if I owned some and b) they’re so stinkin’ cute that no one will care….”

Now the question remained: could I make her a dress from this piece of fabric?? I stared at the fabric and then studied photos of Dorothy, and very quickly the whole idea came together. I pulled out my sewing machine and shears, cut up the fabric into a few simple rectangles, and started sewing everything together. In a couple of hours I was able to craft something that fit her, even despite the fact that the only thing she wanted to do with the measuring tape was put it around her neck.

I’m proud of it! At any rate, it’s better than her Halloween costume last year…