Pienza and Montepulciano

Phew! It has been a crazy week. Last Wednesday we left for Venice. The group and I spent Saturday hiking in the Cinque Terre, I headed out Sunday to tour the countryside in a vintage Fiat, and yesterday we all visited Pisa and San Gimignano. Not to mention I went out to the infamous Luisa Via Roma party in Florence last night. Needless to say, I am spent!

But, as I always say, it is totally worth it. I would not have wanted to miss out of any of these fabulous experiences. I am a bit behind sharing them on the blog, but I promise I will get through all of them eventually.

These pictures are from a week ago when the group spent the day in two fabulous Tuscan hill towns - Pienza and Montepulciano. Pienza is famous for its pecorino cheese and Montepulciano for its red wine, which makes for a great day of eating and drinking. We picnicked in Pienza and then explored the charming town before heading out to Montepulciano.

Pienza is the ideal Renaissance city. After his election, Pope Pius II decided to build his perfect city based on the principles of the Renaissance. It is considered one of the first forays into urban planning. The city was artfully laid out and meticulously designed. It became the summer residence of the Pope and his most important cardinals. Today the city is perfectly preserved thanks to its status as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Pienza also overlooks the stunning Val d'Orcia, which in my opinion is the most beautiful part of Tuscany.

Unlike Pienza, Montepulciano was never redesigned or built by a pope, so it retains it Medieval look and feel. I would say there is less to do in Montepulciano than in Pienza, but it is definitely worth a stop for some amazing wine (the Catina Contucci is worth a visit) and a fabulous meal.

For our fun day in the Tuscan countryside, I wore my favorite gingham shorts and bell-sleeve top from Club Monaco. It was our first truly warm day since arriving in Italy, which is so rare for June. I am not complaining, but it was nice to finally feel the sun!

You can read more posts on Tuscany here:
Wine Tasting in Tuscany
Roadtripping through Tuscany
Where to stay in Tuscany
Vespa Riding through Tuscany
Sunflower season in Tuscany

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For the Love of Lemons

dress by Suite (fabric available here) // hat // sunnies // bag (old, similar and such a deal!) // sandals

This is quite possibly my all-time favorite Suite dress. Jen did such an incredible job and I am so in love with it. I have always dreamed of wearing a Dolce and Gabbana lemon print dress while strolling through Capri. It seems like every summer DG releases the cutest lemon-themed or Italy-themed line. This summer was no different. So I decided to take matters into my own hands. I created a lemon print of my very own, printed the fabric with Spoonflower before I left the states, and took it to Florence with me so Jen could do her magic.

Jen asked if I wanted a particular silhouette, but I trust her completely and told her she could do whatever she wanted. The end was result was this perfect, and super flattering, fluted ruffle skirt. Naturally, I wore my amazing new creation for our day in Capri (you can learn more about Capri here).

Do you love this lemon-print dress as much as I do?

I have linked more of my favorite Suite designs below!

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Burnt Siena

hat // sunnies // top // skirt // bag // sandals // earrings c/o Kendra Scott

Have I mentioned that I love this skirt? It has basically been on repeat since I bought it in Paris (recently seen here). The coordinating top, however, I actually stumbled on in Florence (it's the same brand -- Sandro). I was planning on just wearing the skirt with a simple black sweater or shirt, but when I saw this adorable crocheted coordinating top, I couldn't resist. Especially since I knew we were heading to Siena later in the week. I mean, is this not the perfect outfit for Siena (you can read more about Siena here)?

Today we are off to explore more Tuscan towns, be sure to follow along on Snapcaht (HinHH)!

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Fare un Picnic

dress // hat // sunnies // earrings // basket (from Tiger) // shoes

You are probably thinking that this dress looks vaguely familiar. And you are not wrong! It is actually this uber popular dress from Ann Taylor, with a lot of adjustments lol (thank you Kelly!). While I loved the original dress design, it was just so wrong for me. Rather than sacrifice the chance to have this perfect over-size gingham pattern, I decided to shorten it and add sleeves. The dress was so long on me that there was enough fabric for two sleeves!

I love the way it turned out and it was the perfect dress to wear for a picnic in the Boboli Gardens with Anna. "Fare un picnic" literally means to make a picnic, and that is exactly what we did! I must say that Anna and I are pretty good at picnicking. We have mastered the art of sneaking prosecco, a baguette, fresh cheese, speck, and fresh fruit into the Boboli Gardens. Not that picnicking is illegal in the Boboli, you are allowed to eat there, but the guards get a little nervous when they see tons of food (which equals a possible mess they have to clean up later) going into the gardens. As long as you limit what you bring, clean up after yourself, and are discrete, they will let you enjoy a relaxing meal in the back area of the gardens.

We wanted to get a good picnic in before the weather got too hot. Saturday was our first really warm day in Florence, but it was still cool enough for lounging, sipping, and snacking on a blanket under a shady tree. While picnicking in Florida is nice, there is just something really special about picnicking in a historic garden like the Boboli. It's full of so much beauty and the people watching is fantastic. I highly recommend enjoying some fresh air and sunshine in the Boboli Gardens (and Bardini Gardens) if you visit Florence.

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Outfit: Bright Tights, Big City

dress // shirt (old, similar) // bow (similar) // coat // tights // bag // shoes // headband

My favorite day in Paris was definitely our third day. We finally saw the sun and, although it was still very chilly, we decided to rent bikes for the afternoon. We started our morning with a stroll through our favorite neighborhood (which was also where we stayed), the Marais. Not only is this neighborhood lively, but it is also home to some of the city's most beautiful and colorful doors, which I have mapped here (I have a serious obsession with Parisian doors).

I love just strolling the Marais while periodically stopping to enjoy coffee, pastries, and the brightly-colored doors. Door gazing isn't exactly Britt's favorite pastime, but she is a good sport and is easily bribed with macarons. Inspired by the doors' jewel-toned hues, I wore my favorite blue/teal tights paired with my favorite Zara dress, complete with pussy bow (I can't resist a good bow). I blame Kate Spade and Blair Waldorf for my love of brightly-colored and patterned tights and pussy bows.

After our morning stroll, we grabbed our bikes from Paris Bike Tours (only 15 euro for the day and so much easier than having to return the Vélib’ bikes every 30 min) and headed towards the Isle of Saint Louis, one of my favorite spots in the city. The island is not only beautiful and serene, but filled with colorful doors, quaint cafes, and gorgeous views of the Seine. From there we biked to the Laduree on Rue Bonaparte to pick up some much needed snacks, before carrying on to the Luxembourg Gardens. We spent the rest of our afternoon having a macaron picnic in the gardens while enjoying the sunshine. Talk about a perfect day!


What your perfect day in Paris look like?

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