Cara Steffi...

Dear Steffi,
   
   Please stop watching Downton Abbey and eating cupcakes and write another blog post for crap's sake.

Love, 
La Vita di Cuori

But seriously...have you watched Downton Abbey?  

It's like a posh, prim and proper version of Melrose Place.  

But set in England.  

In the Early 1900s.  

OK, so not really at all like Melrose Place but the dramatics, the costuming and the settings are freaking fantastic!

Also, I have no idea what the hell a Dowager Countess is, but thanks to you, Downton Abbey, I want to be one...now where DID I put that Hart family history - there MUST be a title up for grabs??

Disclaimer: My husband is working in China this week.  He hates period dramas.  Your husband probably hates them too if he has a pair of bollocks, so best keep Downton for ladies' nights...

xoxo sjkh

Sei Pazza...

I simply cannot tell you how many times I have head the phrase - "Sei pazza..." 

Translation: "You're crazy..."

The other day in fact, I heard it no less than 5 times from one lady in the space of one conversation.

This really made me wonder...AM I crazy?  A little touched?  

I know I'm different, but seriously?  Crazy?

Well, what does an every day 'un-crazy' lady do when she hears this...she makes a list of all the things that the Italians have called her crazy for - and includes a rebuttal.  

That'll show 'em...

'La Lista di 'Sei Pazza" and Steffi's Rebuttal...'

(It's sort of like church...follow each question with the response "You're Crazy!")

1. "You moved to Italy from the USA?"  (Well, yeah.  I finally found a dude who could tolerate me)
2. "You have a small chihuahua?" (It's a dog. Get over it.)
3. "You want to ride a mountainbike?" (Well, you can blame my husband for that...I do)
4. "Oh my goodness you're not wearing a scarf!" (It's 70 degrees for Christ's sake)
5. "What? Sandals? In this weather?" (See Above...)
6. "Aren't you cold in that short sleeved shirt?" (Ahem.  70 degrees.)
7. "You have never been to the beach near here?" (100 degrees and a bunch of smelly, half naked Italians about 2 inches from me does not sound like fun...)
8. "You want to buy a house that needs work?" (Because spending double the money on a small apartment in the middle of a hundred other apartments is a MUCH better investment, right?)
9. "You don't want the name of a guy who does the gardening for you?" (I think I can dig up some flower beds and prune roses myself thank you very much)
10. "What? You don't think your child needs to go to the International English School?" (Yes, because the English we speak here at home is obviously inferior to that of the Italian mother tongue teachers there)
11. "You will fly to the US all alone...just you and the baby??" (Yep.  Got me there.)
12. "Dentist appointments every 6 months?" (Right, because the yellow on your teeth really brings out the sparkle in your eyes)
13. "You're going to paint the (insert room name, house, baseboards, and whatever here)??" (I have arms and can buy paint in the hardware store, seems like a waste of energy to pick up the phone and ask someone else to do it for me)
14. "Jogging? In this weather?" (I am a human, not the Wicked Witch of the West...a bit of drizzle never killed me)
15. "You don't have a nanny?" (Nope.  And yes, I think I am a bit crazy for that one...)
16. "You are going to put carpet in your house?" (Because an ice cold floor in the winter is so comfy)
17. "And you are going to put it down by yourself???" (Again.  Got me there.  That is definitely freaking nuts)
18. "You read a book to quit smoking? And you don't think that you were brainwashed?" (Yes. Damn you, Evil Brainwashing Mr. Carr.  Damn you for brainwashing me into thinking that smoking is bad for me...)

Aaand.  The one I have heard more often than I care to admit...

  19. "You have been here for 6 years??"

(Yep.  That is crazy.  Even crazier is that I may or may not even like it just a teensy little bit...shhhhhhh)

 So....am I crazy or not???

Here's how it is.  Americans are different.  Different to even the Brits.  

The crash of cultures in this house is mental...Mexican Prada insists on playing La Cucaracha at all hours while British Henry wants to drink tea constantly and cannot choose a suitable cravat on any given occasion.  British/American/Italian Olivia really cannot stop arguing with herself about which country David Beckham REALLY belongs to (I mean, really - he's played for Milan, he's played for LA, he's played for Manchester United...it's like a bad episode of Maury Povich...)...and all the while this crazy American Mamma spends her days humming the National Anthem and wishing I owned a gun.  

Hold on a minute...    

Ah yes. Stereotypes.  

The thing is, nobody is crazy.  I think the Italians are crazy. I think the Brits are crazy (Shhh.  Don't tell my husband...).  

I think Australians, Russians, and Californians are crazy (they really ARE crazy though).

Each culture has their way of doing things, and it is not always easy to understand why.  I really don't understand why Italians think if you don't wear a scarf that any light breeze has the ability to kill you - or give you diarrhea - but, hey, guess who wears a scarf!? (Unless it's 70 degrees...I've gotta draw the line somewhere).

The key to NOT going crazy is trying to understand WHY - not just calling someone out for being crazy...different is not crazy.

So there you have it my faithful readers...Verdict - NOT Crazy. 

Um.  YET.

xoxo sjkh

Welcome Autumn...

So I know that TECHNICALLY the autumn has not yet arrived, but as soon as I pluck the last pepper from his leafy home, I know that the time has come to yank up all other greenery left (ahem...mostly weeds) in my little veggie garden for the year.  Now if I were an overachiever, I would be getting my lettuces, radicchio and fennel plants geared up for the late autumn harvest, but alas I am not.  I need these cooler temps and lack of mosquitoes for all things pruning in the Hart garden proper...so maybe one day when it is all under control I will be able to concentrate on making ourselves a sustainable veggie patch, but I fear that will never happen.  

Tending our garden is like painting the golden gate bridge...

As of now, my little veggie patch is like a secondary outdoor cupboard for salsa makings and basil for fresh pesto...this year I added peas and green beans to the mix.  As for the level of success, I'm going to stick to the excuse that there was far too much rain... ; )

So the salsa. As an end-of-summer treat, and much to the hubby's pleasure, I made 6 gigantic jars of mexican salsa. I must say that as a first attempt it turned out pretty good!  Although I think I need a proper pressure cooker/canner...and maybe a wall knocked out of my kitchen to store everything...

Homemade Salsa...

Now in the spirit of full disclosure, I will say that I don't often cheat when it comes to cooking, but I found it completely convenient to use a salsa mix that I picked up my last trip to the USA...Mrs. Wages.  And thank you indeed to Mrs. Wages, she rocks.

So what do you need for the salsa....?

Spicy peppers...

Loooovely cherry toms...

Toms, Onions and cilantro...match made in heaven!!

Making sweet salsa love...

Finished!

To be enjoyed with my famous taco salad and homemade refried beans!!

Ciao ciao summer...you will be missed.  

Mosquitoes.  You will NOT be missed.

xoxo sjkh

Buon Compleanno Bambina Mia...

So, two years ago today our lives changed dramatically.  We had been embroiled in a 19 month long house-buying war (as is probably typical here...), and all of a sudden had to come to terms with the fact that we had to bring our newborn daughter home to live in a "gasp, shock, horror" apartment.  I know.  Rough stuff.  But we managed to survive.  

Americans, I even gave birth in an Italian hospital with social healthcare....and it was a DREAM.  No they did not give me the option to have any painkillers whatsoever, but who the hell cares!  I can now hold the pain over Olivia's head for years to come.  You call that pain, I call it ammunition.  

But despite the pain, the big head, and the waddling for weeks after, I have myself now a baby girl who is two years old today.  

How the hell did that happen?  

So today is for my little princess...I love you so so very much. 

You have truly made my day, my week, my life - you name it.  

Who couldn't help but love to pieces a little girl who squats and tells you when she is doing a "fah-ties" - I'll leave you to the translation - and who points out the mole on my neck and calls it a "zucchini". 
Yep, pure entertainment.

So to my baby girl...Mamma loves you.  You are my little sunshine...

Happy birthday sweetheart.

xoxo Mamma

Un mariage en Provence

I know I keep going on about weddings, and being a young lady who has already had three of her own, I should pretty much be tired of them by now...

But how can I be expected to grow weary of weddings when our friends continue to celebrate their unions in amazing places?!  This past weekend Henry Olivia and I hopped in the car to celebrate the wedding of Dear Friends Elliot and Charlotte in the South of France...

OK, a quick work stop for Henry in Monaco....beach time for Mamma and Babba...

"You can reach me on the Monaco number dahhhhling...."

Then off to Grasse for a super lovely time with lots of friends...

Now, for any of you who know the Harts very well, it is a rarity that Mr. Hart is master of linguistics with the Mrs. around.  But Henry has managed to bring himself a couple of rungs in the language ladder following our latest trip.  You see, although I have been in Europe for the better part of the 2000's now, I have not done tons of travelling round...so this was my first visit to France.  

And I struggled with the language - BIG TIME. 

Actually, struggled doesn't begin to explain just how lost I was.  I now have a strong urge to learn at least a bit, as the natives looked at me with a deep "Silly American" expression...

Le Ouch.

Thank goodness the new couple are English and therefore the majority of the guests I was able to communicate sans difficulty...except with the Scottish guy of course ; )

(Side note - the Scottish guy who I sat next to at dinner was named Grigor and his wife - a German - was called Juanita...Love it! And loved them...what a couple!!)

But the wedding...Oh the wedding.  

If Henry and I were Seal and Heidi Klum, we would have wedding renewal parties every year, most definitely.  And if I could choose a place to get married again, it would definitely be this place.  Strangely similar to our second wedding in the hills of Monfumo, yet so different. 

It was beautiful.  Pics can only try to do it justice....

Where Liv and I spent most of the wedding...

Obligatory Hart Fam shot...

Officially Mr and Mrs Herbertson!

Lovely old Porsche...

Drinks reception...what a setting...

Liv dancing to the music...

Looking good with the 'tasche...

Liv obviously thinks something is funny...

Silly Hart girls...

Lavender everywhere...it smelled divine...

Sweet baby.

Father of the Bride makes his speech....

Sophie and Liv clowning around...

Dinner...

Who is this "Steffi Hart"????

Little touches made it so personal.

Menu...

I LOVE bunting.

Hand painted signs directed you where you needed to be, and I definitely needed the bar.

Guess whose husband was the first one in the pool?

Many thanks to the couple and the families of the couple for such a wonderful time!!

Still so darn good lookin'... ; )

xoxo sjkh