Explore San Marco Monastery in Florence

I have been so excited to visit San Marco and we finally got the chance.💝This monastery was financially sponsored by the Medici (due to their guilt over usery- i.e. moneylending.)💰 Once the monastery was sponsored, they selected one of their friars to fresco the building. 

The Most Beautiful Cemetery - Pisa

Tower of Pisa is made up of several buildings, the leaning Tower, the Cathedral and the last two buildings we visited were the Cemetery 💀and the Baptistry. 💦  This cemetery boasts being the most beautiful in the world! 🌎

The Leaning Tower of Pisa!

The Leaning Tower of Pisa from bottom to top! When you first walk up all the glowing marble buildings are sooo impressive! 🤯You’re looking at a cathedral ⛪️ and the leaning tower is actually their bell tower. 🔔 

It's the Pisa Basilica!

We went to Pisa for Zack’s birthday 🎂 and let me tell you, that place is is soooo beautiful! 😍 You always hear about the leaning tower but the whole thing is mindblowing! Check out the Pisa Tower leaning to the right behind the cathedral! 

Walk Around the Arno River in Florence

End of the day walk around Florence! The Arno River has been a source of life for Florence for thousands of years. We don't have a car when we stay in cities, so we have walked this trail on the regular to get just about anywhere in Florence. 

Incredible Hospital of the Innocents in Florence

The hospital of the Innocents! 👶  I have been itching to tour this place and the day finally came. This building started as a hospital in the 1400’s, but quickly became an orphanage for the unwanted. 💔 At its peak, 1000 kids were brought in a year. It's so heart breaking to think about all those unwanted babies. They even had a window where you could drop your baby off anonymously- which seems quite modern and sad, to me. 

The Fabulous Pitti Palace in Florence

Pictures from the Pitti Palace! Probably my favorite museum name - because isn’t it fun to say? The architecture in the Pitti Palace is a-may-zing!! This is the tapestry hall. Che Bella!

Visit to San Lorenzo Chiesa in Florence

Gray, white, & gold! First impressions when you walk into the San Lorenzo Chiesa are definitely the buildings’ scale and its beautiful colors. ⛪️ The exterior is outstanding in three colors of marble, pink, green and white. The details show a truly incredible example of Florentine craftsmanship.

Touring Michelangelo's Home in Florence

When Michelangelo started having financial success, he began purchasing some properties. 💰 This townhouse was purchase for his nephew and namesake Michelangelo and has housed the family line for centuries. 🏡Now it’s a small museum that has his first two pieces- Madonna of the Stairs and The Battle of the Centaurs. 🎨 

Venice and the Venetian Film Festival

Have you ever had something happen so crazy, not even you can believe it? It happened to us at the Venice Film festival, in Italy.  

Morning Walk to San Miniato al Monte in Florence

Our morning walk took us to San Miniato al Monte- a fabulous old church from around 300 AD! ⛪️ This church sits high on the hill on the outskirts of Florence. We have seen it’s gold mosaic gleaming all the way down the hill and couldn’t wait to check this beauty out. 😱

Gray Pine Scrap Table & Sicilian Wedding

We had the incredible opportunity to celebrate our friends, Ginevra and Keean’s, unbelievable Sicilian wedding! 💗💓💘 It was absolutely perfect! Ginevra was a HUGE help to Zack and I when we first moved to Italy. We met just by happen stance. Zack and I were asking a local business for help and we spoke zero Italian when we first arrived. The worker didn't;t speak and English so we went and grabbed his good friend Ginevra. Ginevra is one of the kindest and most helpful individuals I have ever met. We became fast friends and she literally went to the Dr with me to translate!  So when she invited us to her wedding, of course we came down from Florence and went back to Sicily for the event. 

Perfect Vintage Look for Pine Furniture & Road-Tripping in Italy

This week we are traveling from Florence down to Sicily, it's a long trek but we have several stops planned. We rented a teeny tiny taco car and loaded up out gear. We take a lot of Italy for granted because it's our "normal" now, but I thought you guys may want to check out this Italian Travel Stop food! 

And be careful when ordering 4 pieces of pizza that you check how big the slices are first! 😳😋 For projects I have a great one, because EVERYONE is always asking me how to age pine and we have the perfect product for that!! Weatherwood PINING stain will give pine gorgeous mix of grays and browns colors! One of our favorite clients, Chelsea from Apple Blossom Way, created this farmhouse masterpiece and I thought we would enjoy the inspiration. She is ALWAYS sharing free paint and stain tutorials, so you will want to follow her for sure! Check it out-

Materials

• Unstained furniture piece (can be new wood or stripped, this is PINE.)
• Wood Stain: Pining from Weatherwood [Save 10% with code: WELCOME10]

• Weatherwood Stains' Varnish 

Directions

1.] SAND: Begin with either new wood or strip previously finished tabletop. Start with a rough grit with a 120 grit.

2.] STAIN: Brush on 1-2 coats of Weatherwood Pining stain to weather pine. Brush on and allow product to air dry naturally. Pining turns wood a mix of grays and browns. Here's all 5 gorgeous options from the Weatherwood Color Chart.

Weatherwood Pine Color Chart

3.] PROTECT: Seal the table with Weatherwash Polyurethane, we used Dead Flat.

If you'd like to see more furniture makeovers with this color scheme, here's a gorgeous Nautical Desk Makeover! [link]

Piece of pie, piece of cake! You can save 10% on your first Weatherwood order with code: WELCOME10. I hope to see you tomorrow at our party! 

Easy Brown/Gray Floors & Palazza Vecchio

We are staying at the best location in Florence! We are a 5 minute walk from the famous Santa Maria Fiore and Palazza Vecchio is right outside our door. The palazza has near continuous free weekend concerts and is always filled with people and street performers. It is so much fun. We are so close we just listen for the music and head down tot palazza to enjoy the performance. 




The other day we walked outside and there was a large parade with women dressed in incredible gowns, flag throwers, and military. 🇮🇹  I have absolutely no idea what we were celebrating but it was a blast. The parade closed with a real wolf being walked through the streets! 🐺

Restoration Hardware Salvaged Table Hack & The Spanish Steps

The Spanish Steps! 135 steps connect two large piazzas, at the top and bottom of the stairs. They’re also the site of famous movies like Roman Holiday, The Man Called UNCLE & The Talented Mr Ripley. The square is literally packed with people and street performers.

Cedar Farmhouse Table & Santa Croce Church in Florence

I had to visit the famous old church called Santa Croce because my fav guy Michelangelo is buried there.🎨 But there was so, so much awesomeness happening!!

Herringbone Reclaimed Oak Hack & Santuario Scala Santa, Rome

This was quite the experience! 💜💙 According to Catholic tradition, these are the Holy Stairs from Pontius Pilate in Jerusalem. They are the stairs Jesus Christ stepped on his way to trial during his Passion. ✝️ ⛪ 

The Stairs were brought to Rome by Saint Helena, or Emperor Constantine’s mother, in the fourth century. 

Reclaimed-Looking Beams & Tre Fontane Abbey, Rome

The Apostle St Paul was imprisoned several times on his journey from Israel to Rome to await justice for preaching the "Good News" or the gospel of Christ. This was his final prison and he was beheaded in this small spot between an abbey and a (now) church. 👼🏻 

Faux Barnwood Sliding Barn Door & St Peter's Basilica, Rome

When you got to Saint Peter’s Basilica you have to tour Michelangelo’s famous DOME. 

DIY Barnwood Walls & Beams & Catacombe San Sebastiano, Rome

This ancient church was built over top St Stephan’s Catacombs. 💀 The catacombs buried ancient Romans & then Christian Saints who had been martyered in the coliseum. ✝️ It was also used as secret church for the early Christians who didn’t want to end up in the coliseum like their saints. ⛪️