I’ve been writing this blog since September 2013, at some point in January 2014 I decided to start “marketing” and I’m happy to say that I actually have a few readers!
THANK YOU
After all of this time existing without an “About Me” page, I decided to finally publish one.
I think I owe you all a real introduction…….
About Me
Hi I’m Angie!
I’m Italian-Canadian.
My parents are both Italians who immigrated to Canada, fell in love, got married and had 4 kids. None of us learned “real” Italian, but a strange English- Sicilian dialect!
I turn 35 in August, am 4’ 10” and recently learned to drive manual transmission and pass my Italian driving test, which is probably one of my biggest life accomplishments! See one of my BEST parking jobs here!
I’ve participated in the Liebster Award Q & A, so if you’re looking for juicy gossip, what’s in my purse and what my favorite food is you’ll find that all here.
I have a degree from the University of Toronto in Arts + Management, so I studied marketing and economics and also visual and performing arts. I love budgets as much as I love Van Gogh!
I grew up in Ontario, Canada and moved to Italy just before Christmas, 7 and a half years ago when I decided to learn Italian and dance the tarantella – consider it my quarter life crisis!
I’m married to an Italian artisan and together we work for his exotic leather belt company – TES!
I met this man dancing the tarantella, but it was thanks to a stranger in Milan that we stayed together.
I had his baby, who is a super cute, feisty red head.
I’m a work at home mom, meaning between the hours of 4 and 8 am I work on this blog, manage my husband’s belt brands and do home workout videos!
I’m a stay at home mom from 8 am to 8 pm daily, and proud to say my little guy is fully bilingual. Together, we have the time of our lives in Modena, Italy, which is a paradise for the stay at home mom.
I love “researching” on the internet aka surfing the web like its going out of style. I try to get the look for less by staying ahead of the trends, while not becoming a fashion victim (I said “I try”!).
I love fashion and traveling and thought becoming a stay at home mom meant I would be stricken to a life of jogging pants and isolation.
Thankfully, I was wrong!
Living in Italy, I’ve picked up a few tips from Italians including how to dress for no occasion at all, making everything “an occasion” and how to appreciate the finer things in life even as a parent (who knew!). Italians bring their kids everywhere and they stay up LATE…maybe even a little too late!
I’m pretty cheap and also relatively poor compared to my North American counterparts, which is not easy when you work in fashion! Yet, I manage to save money, travel and indulge in both high quality and fast fashion items while still eating…even if it means I need to cook all the time!
I have a hard time staying put, so every month I try to go on a local adventure and discover more about Italy. I appreciate even the briefest outings whether they be to a car museum, Kid’s Museum or Medieval Castle, and I bring my son EVERYWHERE. Any reason to dress is a good reason to get out and live life.
Oh, and I love stories!
ReasonsToDress.com – A Lifestyle Blog { Fashion, Travel & Life as a Mom in the Bel Paese }
So what’s this blog all about?
This is a blog about my passions and the things I have a strong desire to share. This isn’t a niche blog, but it is an honest, passionate and in-depth record of real life in Italy as it relates to fashion, travel and being a mom.
I am what Italians refer to as a “chicchierona”, which means “super big chatterbox”! This is where I chat away about:
Life:
My expat adventures, how and why I came to Italy, what life is like here, the differences between living in Italy vs. living in North America, “becoming Italian” and living “la bella vita” or even the “not so bella vita”, which is also a reality.
I also blog about Italian “rituals” like the aperitivo, going to the beach in the summer, why stores are closed on Sundays and “Ferragosto”; why Italians shut down in August.
Modena, Italy:
This is where I live now and I’m so happy to be here! I share my favourite places to eat, shop, play and visit. I provide insights into what to do when visiting Modena and the surrounding areas, including daytrips to other cities like Bologna.
I’m a “foodie”, so you’ll find reviews of my favourite places like the Osteria Francescana (yes the number 3 restaurant in the WORLD is in Modena and I’ve been!), Italy’s best panino and where to eat the best gnocco fritto, a typical street food in this area.
A Normal Person’s Review of the World’s Best Restaurant – Modena, Italy
Travel:
Combine obsessive research with a desire to travel and you have a lot of posts about my travels and the things I discover! I share kid friendly destinations like a visit to a water workshop in the Apennines, what to do in Copenhagen on a Monday, what to see in Milan for free, visiting Italy’s “Teaching Farms” and where to find a hipster hangout in Rome.
Fashion:
Reasons to Dress.com is not a typical fashion blog but I’ve accepted the fact that I am a fashion blogger! (who knew!) I love sharing what I ACTUALLY wore and why I dressed. I want to inspire other English women to be a little more “Italian” and not worry about the criticism that can often come with “dressing up”. Looking your best makes you feel good because clothes have the power to transform us. Italians know this well and look for any reason to dress up and look their best!
If you think that you can live in Italy without thinking about fashion think again!! This country is a hotbed for the World’s top designers and luxury products. Many people are in some way connected to the fashion industry (like my husband and I). Here, it is much more than a frivolous detail and there are even unwritten rules about how to dress (don’t forget your scarf and leave your sandals at home if visiting Rome in the Spring!).
Italian Mom Street Style & the #reasonstodress linkup:
Just to prove that I’m not lying about Italian moms looking fab (no matter where they go), I decided to start a weekly street style series. Every week, I try to share Italian street style and although I mainly focus on moms I’ve also featured looks from fashion week, other bloggers, real dad style and even my fabulous READERS‘ style!
I now host a weekly linkup every Tuesday called #reasonstodress where all bloggers can linkup their style posts to inspire not only others but themselves to look their best.
Hand Made:
Recently, I started a new series dedicated to all things “hand made” in Italy, from leather artisans and Murano glass jewellers, to the people creating Italy’s signature food items like traditional balsamic vinegar. Made in Italy is a powerful and important statement and I delve into the people behind the label.
Giveaways:
What’s the use of finding all of this great stuff if I don’t share? I love telling stories about the products I’ve discovered and also sharing the opportunity to win something for yourself! All giveaways are open internationally as a thank you to everyone who reads along.
And that’s it!
I would love to have you as a reader, and if you’d like to follow along you can find me sharing my posts on Facebook, tweeting out articles from my blogging friends on twitter, sharing real life moments on Instagram, pinning future fashion trends and travel destinations on Pinterest and joining in on communities on Google + !
If you want to find something specific feel free to search through my categories or visit my Archives page, you can sort it by tags and categories.
I love hearing your feedback so please fee free to leave me a comment here or on any post. It may take me a while but I respond to comments and will also pay a visit to your blog if you have one.
I’m always looking for new collaborations so if you have something in mind please feel free to email me at reasonstodress.com
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