Dear Mom,

I hope you have the best day! I wish I was there to spend it with you!

Love, 

Fonts used: Sofia
Photos by Clare Wilkinson for C Squared W

Spiaggia :: Beach

Visiting the small, rocky beach below our hotel was one of my favorite parts of visiting Sorrento.   Although the beach wasn't much to look at, the pieces upon pieces of sea glass and Italian tiles washed up on the beach were truly treasures.  My little sister, Margaret, took some amazing photos of the rocky little beach:

 Aren't they gorgeous???  Thanks for sharing your photos, Marge!

Interested in seeing more photos of Sorrento?
Colors of Sorrento // Sorrento Brights // Bay of Naples & Treasures


Photos by Margaret Parkinson for C Squared W.

The Bay of Naples + Treasures

I'm still daydreaming about the wonderful trip to Italy I took with my mom and sister back in April. In Sorrento, I enjoyed my first ever swim in Europe.  The water was freezing, and it took Margaret and I about 45 minutes of moaning, groaning, and dipping our toes in the water before diving in. We only lasted for a few minutes, the water was so cold, but we did it.  We spent the rest of the afternoon soaking up the sun on lounge chairs with my mom.

Something equally awesome that we experienced in Sorrento was visiting the small, rocky beach below our hotel. The beach was covered with small pieces of sea glass and sea-weathered, broken, colored tiles. I could have spent hours down there sifting through rocks and finding smooth, colorful treasures. It was unreal! I brought a nice collection home with me that I cannot wait to display one day in our "someday house" in some sort of creative way.

Resources
Font: American Typewriter
Arrow Brushes from Creature Comforts

Photos by Clare Wilkinson & Katrina Parkinson for C Squared W.

Italy: Sorrento Brights

Colors of Sorrento // Rome in Color

P.S. - Smita, the clothes hanging out to dry are for you - I know you love a good clothesline! 

Font used:
American Typewriter

All photos by Clare Wilkinson for C Squared W.

Colors of Sorrento

I just finished editing and organizing the rest of my thousands of photos from my recent trip to Italy and am excited to share them with you.

My absolute favorite place that we visited was the beautiful, seaside town of Sorrento.  I have never seen anything quite like the vibrant colors that occupy every inch of space there (and considering that we live in the Caribbean, that's saying a lot!).

There's nothing I love more than a beautiful blue.  Combine a few pretty blues with a pop of bright color?  I'm in heaven!

Sorrento was absolutely breathtaking.  I still cannot get over the colors!

Which colors tend to catch your eye?

***Thank you, Katie, for the wonderful post idea! I was so inspired by your fun Colors of St. Maarten post!

Lastly, safe travels to Emily today as she begins her amazing word traveling adventures! 

Fonts used:
Channel
Caviar Dreams

Images by Clare Wilkinson for C Squared W

Dinner in Rome

One of my favorite dinners in Rome was one that Margaret taught us to make in our apartment one evening.  Having had the opportunity to take a handful of cooking classes while spending the semester in Rome, Margaret eagerly shared her skills and taught us how to make homemade orecchiette pasta ("little ears") like an Italian grandma {that's who taught her!}.

After visiting the market and grocery store, we returned home with the essentials for a delicious, homemade Italian dinner: good red wine, fresh mozzarella and Pecorino cheese, Roma tomatoes, spinach, basil, and some warm bread.

Homemade Orecchiette Pasta

Ingredients:

• 3 cups of flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup of lukewarm water
• 1 or 2 tablespoons of olive oil

Directions:

• Combine the flour and salt, then pour in a mound onto your work surface.  Make a well in the center of the flour/salt mixture and slowly add water to the well, a few tablespoons at a time.  Begin combining the water with the flour and salt, slowly adding more water until the flour has absorbed as much water as possible without becoming too sticky.  Add olive oil and begin kneading the mixture on a lightly floured surface until the dough is smooth.  {Add more flour if it feels too sticky.}  Make a ball with the dough and cover. 

• To the make the "little ears" of pasta: Pull off a handful of dough and keep the rest covered.  Roll out the dough until it's about 1/4" thick, and begin cutting small triangle shapes from the dough, about 1.5 to 2 inches in size.  Using a small spoon, press the back of the spoon into the dough to create an indentation.  Flip the piece of dough inside out, and carefully pinch around the sides to reinforce the indentation.  Set the "little ears" aside on a floured surface, and continue making the "little ears" until you have used all of the dough.

• Boil water and add the homemade pasta a little but at a time.  Once the pasta floats (only after a minute or two), remove from the water.

• Prepare the pasta to your liking - we kept it simple and sprinkled the pasta with olive oil, salt, pepper, Pecorino cheese, minced garlic, cooked spinach, and chopped basil and tomatoes. 

• Feast! 

We served the pasta with bread and caprese salad, and it was definitely one of my favorite meals while in Rome. The homemade pasta was so so soft and delicious, I was really impressed!  I cannot wait to make it again sometime soon. 

Thanks for the cooking lesson, Margaret!

This was the bag our bread came in.  So fun!

Rome in Color

I have a thing for bright colors. I love them; I always have and I always will! 

As I was looking through my photos from our trip to Rome, I couldn't help but notice how vibrant so many of my photos were.  My eye is always drawn to color, and Rome is the perfect place to take a million-and-one photos, full of color and texture.  

Aren't they fun?!?  Enjoy your Friday and have a vibrant weekend! 

Today I'm having a virtual coffee date with Louise and some other fun friends.  Check out our favorite coffee mugs {mine is very bright, surprise, surprise!}.

Favorite Travel Shoes

Such a huge portion of our recent trip to Italy was spent walking around and exploring, so wearing comfortable shoes was crucial.  Check out the shoes that we walked miles and miles in...

Our Travel Shoe Picks:

1. Canvas Classic TOMS.  A pair of classics in black {perfect for Europe} or something a little more fun like a red pair {if you're feeling bold}, are perfect for walking around the city.

2. Converse One Star Slip-ons.  I'm a huge fan of Converse's line for Target.  A pair of laceless slip-ons is perfect with jeans or a skirt and tights. Margaret and I shared my navy pair all week. Bonus: Converse are really popular in Europe, so you won't look like a tourist!

3. Coach Isabelle Signature Drivers.  My mom wore these daily, they are so stylish and comfortable!  After breaking them in, they were the perfect shoes for an Italian adventure! 

What are your favorite shoes for lots of walking + travel?

***Thank you, Smita, for the great post idea!

I love Rome.

The first portion of my recent trip to Italy with my mom was spent in glorious Rome.  As you may know, my little sister, Margaret, spent the semester studying abroad in Rome.  She's currently living with a host family in a cute area of Rome called Trastevere, so when my mom began looking for a place for us to stay during our visit, we wanted something that would be close to Marge.  

We ended up booking the cutest apartment from Air B&B that happened to be just a block away { a two minute walk} from Margaret's apartment.  It was perfect!

The apartment was gorgeous with tall ceilings, beautiful architectural details, and huge windows.

We enjoyed good wine, cheese, and coffee in the apartment when we weren't busy exploring all of Rome with Margaret who was a perfect tour guide.

Just a few minutes from our apartment was a wonderful market that was stocked with fresh fruits and vegetables every morning.  The tomatoes were to die for, as were the strawberries and oranges which we enjoyed for breakfast on several occasions.  

We rented a car and drove around in it all week.  Italians are wild drivers, so that was a pretty crazy experience!  Just kidding, I just liked this picture.  We did not drive or rent a car.  Every day we did a ton of walking, with a few rides on buses, trams, and trains, and the occasional taxi ride. 

Our days were comprised mainly of walking...

cafés and cappuccinos...

visits to museums and sightseeing...

. . . and obviously, eating fantastic Italian food, like this spinach and cheese ravioli with truffle oil.

Each day in Rome held new adventures, photo ops, and culinary delights.  One of my favorite parts of traveling is discovering unknown treasures: happening upon a beautiful church or fabulous restaurant, just by chance, while walking through a city.  This happened to us often during this trip, and resulted in us seeing some gorgeous churches, visiting interesting museums, and eating delightful pastries.  

What I love about Rome is the incredible history and rich culture.  We would set out each day with a plan and list of what we wanted to see and do, and would excitedly visit those sites, while always adding a few unexpected destinations to our list, like a cool museum we passed by, or historical gems discovered on a walking tour.  Rome is amazing! 

What's your thing about visiting a new city?

***Thanks Margaret for sharing some of your wonderful photos with me! 

My Trip to Italy: 4 Cities

You should be so proud of me - I unpacked my entire suitcase yesterday, within one day of returning from my trip! {Sometimes this takes me weeks.  It's bad, I know!}

My trip to Italy was so fantastic, and I've almost recovered from the long trip home {getting back to Dominica often takes a couple of days, so on my return trip I had to overnight in Puerto Rico}. I'm excited about sharing bits and pieces from my trip over the next couple of weeks! 

During the ten days that I was in Italy with my family, we were lucky enough to visit four different cities:

Each spot was so beautiful and unique in its own way.  I can't wait to share my photos and tell you all about what we did in each city!  

I would also like to thank my wonderful blog friends for sharing some awesome guest posts while I was away.  In case you missed them... 

Emily gave us some helpful tips for planning a trip. 

Supal shared her essentials for a backpacking trip.

Katie showed us some fun photos from a past trip to Rome.

Bobbi gaves us a glimpse of one of her favorite places in Australia.

Thanks again, ladies!