From the moment I found out my friend Mara and her husband Andrew were going to be spending a year in Florence, I started dreaming about a trip. Not that I haven’t been before, but Mara, the calligrapher/journalist behind Neither Snow, has the best taste in just about everything. Yes, Italy is amazing, but Mara’s Italy is quadruply amazing.

So today I get on a plane bound for Italy, for five days in this inspiring world of languid names and soft colors, and I’m pretty much beside myself with excitement. You may have noticed it’s been quiet around here. I realized earlier this week how much I need a vacation. Life has been, in a word, abundant lately. Beautifully so, but the circuits can get overwhelmed, especially if you’re me and you don’t know when to rest or pause. I can’t tell you how many posts I’ve started over the last couple of months, and left hanging unfinished. I’ve learned that for me this is a sign of the need to rest and re-inspire with new images and new places, and new ways to be curious.

These images are all from Mara’s instagram feed. Follow her for more from her amazing eye, and I’ll see you, bursting with energy I’m sure, next week!

Xx Ingrid