So this week we finally BOOKED OUR HOLIDAY!! Woop!
We haven't been away together just 'us' since our Canadian honeymoon 2 years ago and we've really, really been desperate to have some time away to reset and recharge. After pinging ideas back and forth on where to go; Cornwall or Lake District; Alabama or Vermont; we finally settled on another location that we've been dreaming of visiting for years: Tuscany.
We very quickly realised that we were both dreaming of the same ideal - sitting on a terrace watching the sun set over a vineyard whilst sipping a bottle of local vino and chatting about our hopes and dreams. Essentially what we did in Rome 6 years ago but against the backdrop of the beautiful Tuscan countryside.
And of course, with such great excitement of a holiday brings much great excitement of the holiday shop! Here's a handful of pieces that have me daydreaming about wandering the cobbled streets of Florence and pipping around sweeping country roads of the Arno Valley in our little rental Fiat 500...
I love this hat from ASOS - a floppy summer hat is great but this one has that certain something else - a chic & classic style that makes it just that little bit more dressy than your average straw hat. It'd be great for day and night and for what more could you ask?
Also had my eye on a denim shirt dress for some time - it's just such a simple way to throw together an outfit with minimal effort. Teamed with bare legs, sandals & a great pair of shades, it instantly creates a laid-back summer look for those warm but overcast days wandering down higgledy-piggledy streets with a freshly brewed Italian coffee in your hand.
THIS.
O.M.G this.
So some of you will know that I've had an obsession with peas since I was a child. I'm not even kidding; they're my favourite food and always have been. I spend every spring waiting for what I call 'pea season' to begin - when the fresh pods are on sale in the supermarkets and I buy them to sit and eat as a snack. It's a common thing in summer to find me snuggled on the sofa with a pile of empty pea pods stacked up in a neat little heap on the arm beside me. And colleagues are no longer surprised to find me podding peas and eating them at my desk, again creating a little wall of pea pod shells next to my keyboard. It's such a daily routine for me that I can't even imagine how odd that must look to people that don't know me! 😂
So this bag. Honestly, I am head over heels in love and I really do need it in my life! Only problem is - I promised hubby that we wouldn't spend any money between now and holiday so we could save up some spending money - but I've already fallen in love and I don't think I can hold off from the 'add to basket' button much longer! (I only found it about 2 hours ago and that's been a hard enough wait - oh dear!)
I found this beaut of a top, also from Joanie Clothing about a month ago - it's just so pretty and simple. Also the perfect tee to team with heels and a soft tulle skirt for a lunch date in Pisa, or with skinny indigo jeans and pastel suede boots for chilled afternoons exploring the local area and medieval town of San Miniato.
And these sunglasses - what can I say? I was on a hunt for cat's eye glasses as they've got that retro fifties look that I love, plus I wanted a pale coloured frame for a hazy summer vibe - and Jimmy Choo just happened to have the perfect pair! Not something I'll be buying anytime soon as they cost almost as much as our holiday but a girl can certainly dream, right!?
And speaking of fifties...
This beautiful dress has been on my wish list for a good few months now - I just love the print, the fit and the lovely button back. It's currently in the sale at Collectif Clothing - so if you do grab yourself one, do me a favour and add one to your basket for me! 😉
It's the perfect dress for a retro-lover's date night - particularly for celebrating a 2nd wedding Anniversary in Florence wining and dining; choosing the outside table that looks over the piazza on a balmy September evening, romancing the night away sipping local wine and talking of the future.
I recently stumbled across the lovely Wolf + Moon jewellery, and love their unique but understated pieces. Orla Kiely is one of my favourite designers and a lot of the colours and shapes used in this stunning jewellery remind me of her iconic work. These colours feel just a little bit retro and reminiscent of hazy summer days - maybe because the beautiful pastel shades remind me of sun-faded photographs from the past, of relaxed and happy holidays by the sea.
Simply put: the jewellery of my dreams! What better accessories to wear than these whilst promenading around the streets of Lucca with my beau, hand in hand, drinking up the dazzling local scenery and creating unforgettable memories?
And to compliment those gorgeous colours, these two shades of OPI nail varnish are just lovely, and aptly named 'Happy Anniversary!' and 'Italian Love Affair.' What's not to love?
And lastly, I have to mention the icing on the cake that I'm lucky enough to already own - and I intend on wearing it the entire duration of our dream Italian holiday.
Aside from my Penhaligon's wedding perfume, this is my absolute favourite scent and words can't describe how delicate, summery and happy this perfume truly is.
Paul bought me this scent for my birthday and it simply is sunshine in a bottle. I've had a fair few compliments while wearing it - generally that I 'smell like holiday!' and who doesn't want to smell like holiday? Sunshine, sand, suncream and buckets of happy memories - why wouldn't you want to walk around smelling like all those wonderful things!?
I'm so grateful that we've finally been able to book this holiday, after two long years of daydreaming about it - we're so happy that we can actually make it happen now. It's going to be a long old 6 weeks of waiting but will be totally worth it - and watch this space for the photos!
n.b. all images are linked to their original locations & I do not claim copyright
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