The Sexiest Man in Italy...

(Disclaimer: a total fluff piece)

Who would your #1 answer be:  

Raoul Bova - not a bad choice

Marco Borriello - AC Milan's other pretty boy after Beckham

Gabriel Garko - my husband would choose him as 2nd, me no

George Clooney - mentioned based on residency in Lake Como

Just to name a few...

Without a doubt, the honor (for me) goes to Luca Zingaretti, otherwise known as "Il Commissario Montalbano".  Who said short, pudgy and bald couldn't win over the hearts of women all over Italy?!  

I love this program.  The story lines are interesting, the scenery fantastic (SE Sicily), there is a comedic undertone that actually works -  and thanks to this fabulous actor, it sizzles with sex appeal.

Even my husband agrees!

It's a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood...

It's the little things in life that make me so happy 

(after 4 years of begging!)... :)

But in all seriousness, the past couple of days have been gorgeous.  

Lots of sun, about 50 degrees out mid-day.  

A nice, needed break from the nightmare weather this country have been having all of January.

This morning on my walk with Lucy.

I only hope Mother Nature will be so kind to our friends in the south where it hasn't stopped raining yet.

Limited Creative Juices Flowing...

There are so many people out there in blog world that I admire for their creativity (Di and Amanda come to the top of my mind).  I wish I possessed more of that talent, although I am prone to say it's more a lack of time than actually ability.  But when I read some of these fantastic "how to" blogs, be it art, food or knitting, I am inspired.  And I got the "itch" this week of make something.

My latest "project" was to find/create a vassoio (tray) for our poggiapiedi (footrest) which will double as a table and ultimate comfort tool for those couch potato moments (we are finally getting Sky next week - yippee!).  I found this already good looking wood tray at a funky little store in Genova (by the way, Genova has lots of fun and funky stores):

I wanted to continue our "seaside" theme and dug into my collection of shells:

Then for contrast, I painted the inside of the tray:

And the final outcome was this:

Even Lucy seems to like it!

She's the One...

I never thought it would happen, that Lui and I would become fans of the X-Factor.  But we were glued to our seats last night for "Round 2".  X-Factor is American Idol in Italy: same formula, arguing prima donna judges, talented but "raw" singers, all the hoop-lah and more.  When we were sick and stuck in front of the TV for way too long, we started watching the "provini" (try-outs) and that's when we got sucked in.

My early favorite is Ambra Marie.  She is something like 20 years old and already oozes "rockstar".  Here's her performance from last night:

Nice set of pipes on this girl, huh?

A few stations away on Canale 5, you can also have the (dis)pleasure of watching "Grande Fratello 45" (or so it seems).  15 people stuck in a eco-perfect house trying to create drama and challenges between themselves, all while wearing the smallest outfits possible maximizing as much flesh as possible (this pertains to both the men and women).  The following video is not a joke, it's what millions of Italians watch day in and day out for about 3 months:

The only thing GF has in common with X-Factor is people trying to become famous, at least with the latter talent is involved.

Casting its Spell...

There is something bewitching about Italy, that’s for sure. People awe in its beauty, and leave thinking there is nowhere like it. A simple piatto di pasto becomes an “out of body” gastronomic experience. The statue of David moves one to tears. People watching over a cappuccino at an outdoor cafe is better than any “A-list” party one could attend.

I’ve been trying to nail down what the heck is Italy’s “mojo” for years now, but I don’t think I (or anyone else) will ever know exactly. And then again, maybe that’s just it. No one knows the answer to Italy’s “secret”, and that makes it all the more alluring and romantic as ever...

Back into the Swing of Things

2009 started out with a bang.  Ok, a bug.  The flu bug.  First it hit Lui and I play nurse maid for 3 days.  Then it was my turn, and it was a doozy.  I am just getting back on my feet literally. Next week I plan to restart blogging and hopefully entertaining you all again.  In the meantime some goals for the new year:

1) "Streamline" the business.  Sounds so corporate, but it is the best word to describe what needs to be done in order to accomplish #2.

2) Get social.  Start planning more outings (beyond the supermarket and the gym!) and really living la bella vita.

3) Work on my book idea.  Yeah, me and everyone else out there, but it's a dream so I might as well pursue it.  Besides, I like my rough draft outline!

4) Finish the house.  We came a long way in 2008, but still have some work to do.  Then hopefully I can "unveil" the before and after shots online soon.

5) See more of the South.  It's been too many years since my last visit.  Been wanting to head down to Puglia and Calabria, but it's been too much talk and no action.  I'm shooting for the fall.

That's it for now.  Hope you have entered into 2009 with hope and excitement of a new year and new opportunities!  A dopo - M:)