Look at that face!

"Found" dialogue:

"Look at that face," he says. "Look at that Mommy face."

My two-year-old. Leonardo.

Then he adds, "Mommy happy? Mommy happy?"

**

Nicolette - No Government

I love this song so much by the British/Nigerian singer, Nicolette. Listening to it, I feel as though I'm committing a crime or telling a lie, its beat is so infectious and sinister.

OK, so I have a thing for trays

This tray is part of my "Italian tray" collection. Yes, the collection has subcategories.

This tray was actually a gift for Il Nostro Inviato.

I was delighted to see an article about trays in the New York Times' Home section today. As the article says, they "corral" items that would otherwise be clutter and also convey a sense of service, if used for drinks or food.

Unlike the trays featured in the Times, my trays all come from thrift stores! Even the one from Italy!

Sesame Street: Leonardo da Crunchy's "The Muncha Lisa"

This is what we've been watching this morning. "The Muncha Lisa"? Oh Lord, too funny.

We discovered this video just as we'd been looking the past few weeks at a calendar of Leonardo Da Vinci paintings, including, of course, the Mona Lisa.

I can only imagine that comparing the two -- even just the names -- made the discovery that much sweeter for my Leonardo.

And for this Italophile, the accents on the Leonardo and Mona Lisa puppets are hysterical! And spot-on.

C'era una volta a Firenze

Più che una libreria, fu una chiesa per i libri.

Libreria Condotta was a delightful little bookshop not far from Piazza della Signoria. The type of bookstore with those old ladders left leaning against the shelves, which of course lined the place from floor to ceiling.

The owners were incredibly knowledgeable, and even a bit intimidating. I always had the sense I was interrupting something very important whenever I asked a question.

But they had everything, so many delicious Italian novels.

It's now a winebar. Ah, the remembrance of things past! Past and now lost forever.

My latest dose of Italy

c/o Il Nostro Inviato (ma certo).

Quasi quasi piglio il libro di Tabucchi e mollo tutto!

Spotted at Blue Ridge and Cleburne (ATL)

Buongiorno, right back at you!

Italian Books Rock! (Bambino edition)

I recently received one of the most beautiful books I've ever seen. And it wasn't for me (though I quickly appropriated it). Take a look. Squisito, no?

It's a children's book that my cousin-in-law, Stephanie, brought back for Leo from Italy. (Stephanie, a.k.a., Mary Kate Wife, in Leo's parlance).

The images are gorgeous, the thick cardboard cutouts are solid and elegant, and the design is ingenious!

Sometimes it's as though all I do in my life is fall in love again and again with the same things! Ahhh....books!

And I suppose if that's really what life is like, well, shoot, it could be worse.