When I look at this picture of Cinque Terre, all I think is, "Sigh. So beautiful." You can imagine how over-the-moon excited I am to be heading there this upcoming week! That's right, folks. On Sunday I'm jumping on a jet plane for a fabulous trip to Italy, stopping off in Rome, Florence and Tuscany. I'm spending the week on a whirlwind excursion with Trafalgar Tours, who are promoting their new 'At Leisure' tours for 2011. I have to admit, I've always been wary of tours because I like to explore cities by myself, but I think I'll love this one because the 'At Leisure' aspect shows tour guests all the amazing parts of the city as a group, yet allows them more time to go off by themselves, too. Plus, they organize special events that you may not experience otherwise {I'll be eating dinner in the middle of an olive grove ... how cool is that?!}. Whenever I travel, I'm always find myself inspired by my surroundings. When I went to Paris, all I wanted was to make my home look like a romantic French apartment, filled with beautiful antiques and Old World charm. When I visit Scotland, it's all about tartan, all the time. So, I'm assuming the same will happen on my trip to Italy. I'll be posting throughout the week, bringing you beautiful Italian interiors, delicious food and other inspiring images. I've never been to these parts of the country, so let me know of any recommendations you have for fab bistros, great design stores or other hidden gems! xo, Lauren