Things I Missed While I Was In Italy

Don't get me wrong, Italy was absolutely beautiful and there were days where Matthew and I were talking seriously about moving there {like making business plans and everything}. Being back, however, I realized how much I missed while I was gone. All these little things and more, make me super happy to be back home!

American Breakfasts. In Italy breakfast consists of a cappuccino and pastry item. Amazing, yet not completely satisfying. I craved big American breakfasts of eggs, pancakes, and french toast!

No Smoking Areas. SO many people smoke in Italy..it's actually the thing that bothered me most while we were there. I hate walking through clouds of cigarette smoke. Luckily you can't smoke indoors but when you want to eat outdoors on the patio {which we almost always did}, the smoking can practically ruin your meal.

Iced Drinks. I didn't see any iced coffee drinks in Italy, which was fine, but something I definitely missed on a hot day. Some days it was 85 degrees so drinking a hot espresso didn't always sound appealing. 

Ginger. I missed my little puppy so much! There were a lot of cute dogs in Rome but none looked like my Ginger. I couldn't wait to get home and hold this furry little thing. I took her to the groomer's yesterday so she got extra clean and fluffy!

Sushi. Oh, did I miss sushi. Matthew and I normally have Saturday night sushi dates so I was definitely craving it. We did have some incredible seafood in Positano but nothing beats sushi from our favorite neighborhood spot.

My new ring. Matthew gave me this gorgeous rose gold ring the night before the wedding and I love it so much. It's absolutely beautiful! I wanted to keep it safe so I left it at my parent's house while we were gone. I'm so glad I can wear it now!

Blogging. Boy, oh boy, did I miss blogging! It's amazing to be back posting again. I can't wait to get caught up with all your blogs! So many big things have happened in the blogging world with engagements, weddings, pregnancies, and moves. I feel so behind! I've missed you guys a lot a lot!

Happy Memorial Day everyone! 

Let's remember all those brave U.S. Service Members who died fighting for our freedom and safety. 

xox

look book: I'M BACK!!

Oh my goodness I can't tell you how amazing it felt to log into Blogger and hit New Post! I've missed you guys! The whole time I was in Italy I was counting the days till I was back on a computer..haha..well kinda! It was a nice little break and I'm so grateful for my amazing group of guest posters Angel, Kelly Ann, Lauren, Olivia, Tieka, Tania, Kim, and Eden! They did such an awesome job and I've loved reading their posts. I'm still going through all the pictures from the honeymoon so I thought I'd share an outfit post from the week before the wedding. Things were so insane that week {obviously} and I never got around to it.

 

sequin top J. Crew, jeans Gap, tote c/o Brahmin, lipstick Covergirl Outlast Lipstain, bracelets Forever 21, earrings Banana Republic

Matthew and I are in the process of moving my things into his apartment and oh my goodness it is insane! Moving stresses me out so much because there is stuff everywhere. I just wish I could snap my fingers and everything would go into its place. Hopefully we'll make some progress over the long weekend, though. Yay so happy to be back!! Leave me a comment letting me know what you've been up to!

Have a great day everyone!

xox

Guest Post: Ina's Italian Tiramisu... Yum!

I am so thrilled to be guest posting for my very sweet friend Mara! I'm Eden and I own an event design and floral company called Sugar and Charm. I also have a blog where I share recipes and fun crafts, that you can see here. I had the pleasure of (and best time ever) working with Mara on the design and florals for her beautiful wedding day! I must say it turned out gorgeous and I can hardly wait to see the pictures!! When Mara asked me to guest post, I instantly thought of sharing a recipe, since we both have a passion and love for baking. I also wanted to incorporate Mara's favorite chef, Ina Garten, and the amazing country her and Matthew have been frolicking in for two weeks... Italy! Read below for a sweet and delicious Tiramisu recipe from Ina Garten's Family Style cookbook. Enjoy! 

Ina's Tiramisu (from The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook, Family Style) printable 

INGREDIENTS 

     *6 large egg yolks, at room temperature 

     *1/4 cup sugar

     *1/2 cup good dark rum, divided 

     *1 1/2 cups brewed espresso, divided (if you don't have espresso, you can make a strong dark coffee)

     *16 to 17 ounces mascarpone cheese (find this at an Italian specialty store)

     *30 Italian ladyfingers 

     *Bittersweet Chocolate, shaved or grated

     *Confectioners' sugar (optional) 

DIRECTIONS 

Whisk the egg yolks and sugar on high speed for 5 minutes, until it's light yellow and very thick. Lower the speed to medium and add 1/4 cup rum and 1/4 cup espresso as well as the mascarpone cheese. Whisk  until smooth.

In another shallow bowl, combine the remaining 1/4 cup rum and 1 1/4 cup espresso. Dip one side of each ladyfinger into the mixture and line the bottom of a 9 X 12 X 2-inch dish (really any dish will work... even little individual ones). Pour half of the espresso cream mixture evenly on top. Dip one side of the ladyfingers in the espresso-rum mixture and place them in second layer in the dish. Pour the rest of the espresso cream mixture on the top, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. 

Before serving sprinkle the top with shaved chocolate and dust lightly with confectioners' sugar. Tada! 

Thanks for letting me stop by, Mara!! Can't wait to hear all of the exciting adventures you and Matthew had on your honeymoon. xoxo 

Guest Post: Kimberly Genevieve

good morning lovelies, my name is kim (from kimberly geneviève). it is an absolute joy to be guest posting for mara while she enjoys her italian honeymoon with matthew.  for those of you who don't know me, I am an avid photographer, a road-trip-er, a traveller, a positive thinker, a juicer, a food taster ,and a serious music lover. my boyfriend andre and i have been together since my senior year of high school.  we should probably be married by now, but we're simply too busy living our lives like rockstars.  besides taking photographs together, we enjoy road-triping around the united states.  this country has so much beauty.  we've driven through 42 states, some much more interesting than others. 

below are some of our most recent adventures together. i hope you enjoy :)

01. the open road. death valley  02. true love. valley of fire 03. clear mind. mount st. helene 04. holga. somewhere between los angeles + santa barbara 05. sugar lips. top pots. seattle 06. top pots. seattle 07. graceland. memphis. tennessee 08. a full day of walking. san francisco 09. tuesday morning market. oregon 10. vegan sweets. voodoo doughnuts 11. promenading. new york city 12. wine tasting. napa valley 13. napa restaurant 14. kurt cobain's bench. seattle 15. french quarter. new orleans 16. peaches. cafe flora

Guest Post: Tania from What Would a Nerd Wear

Hi, I'm Tania from What Would a Nerd Wear, filling in for Mara while she is on an enviable honeymoon with her handsome new husband. One of the things that drew me to Mara's blog was her amazing sense of style. Even when she's playing with trends (which she does with aplomb), she always looks incredibly feminine. So my "lookbook" outfit today is all about being Mara-style ladylike (with a little twist).

works cited: gap denim jacket; thrifted dress and wedges

Because I am a grad student, I have lots of books but very little money, so I love scouting out thrift stores for good finds. I found this vintage silk dress a few weeks ago and rescued it from its future as a nursing home dress by hemming it and altering the waistline. With a denim jacket, it was perfect for a day of reading and bike rides around my neighborhood--my two favorite activities :)
Thanks for letting me fill in, Mara! I know I speak for many when I say I'm thrilled for you and eagerly anticipating seeing photos of your sure-to-be-gorgeous wedding. xoxo

Guest Post: Tieka from Selective Potentia

Hello, lovely M Loves M readers! My name is Tieka and I run the blog Selective Potential. With last week's Blogger hiccup, my guest post has been pushed back, so you'll get two guest posts today! First, I just want to say how EXCITED I am for Mara and Matthew. It has been so amazing for me to read and watch their journey through this wedding and I can't wait to continue to read more about their life together. For me, being married is one of the best things that has ever happened to me. I've been married for almost four years (eeps! I'm getting old!) and it has been the best four years of my life. My husband's name is Brett and I met him when he was a drummer in a punk rock band. Obviously I stalked all of his shows and finally convinced him to fall in love with and marry me. ;)

Brett and I live in a small beach town along the coast of Lake Michigan. We have two kitties - Sergeant Death and Ultra Mega. We also play in a punk band together called Circle Maybe! One of the best parts of our marriage is how we are still kids together. We'll pick up for a weekend and drive spontaneously for seven hours to the arch in St. Louis. We'll go up north and stuff our faces with fudge and ride bikes along Mackinac Island. We ride every carnival ride together, chase each other around the apartment with mini squirt guns and ride around on our scooters together constantly. He's my best friend and I love being a kid with him... and can't wait to someday raise kids with him!

I think the most important thing in a marriage is to be best friends and find someone you can have fun with. I can't imagine not doing all of the crazy things we do together. Playing in bands, running a fashion blog, having full-time jobs... life can be crazy, but it's so much more enjoyable when you can have fun together and be silly. You can read more about our adventures over at my blog! Congrats again to Mara and Matthew!! You're both amazing!!

guest post: summertime, by olivia.

Hi! I'm Olivia and I blog over at Everyday Musings about food and travel and dinner parties and brunch and my charming home, Charleston. Come August, I'm leaving my beloved home to spend some invaluable time traveling and living in new places (more about my upcoming adventures here and here).

Summertime is always my favorite time, but this year it seems even more special since I'm leaving so soon. Here are a few things that have defined my summer thus far (I think it's going to be a great one).

1. Roasted veggie porch dinners with friends, where candles are a must.


2. Days spent on empty beaches at Sullivan's Island.


3. Mexican food, every single day. I'm finding it difficult to go 24 hours without a margarita.


4. With Mexican food comes giant sombreros, clearly.


5. Big Italian feasts on patios under string lights, with lots of cheersing and dancing.


6. Hikes in dresses on a farm in the foothills of Arkansas.
 

7. Chocolate lavender macarons, homemade by my little sister.


8. Random adventures on golf courses documented by goofy self-timer shots.


9. Mint and basil vegetable garden rolls.


10. Abandoned sunsets too pretty to be real.