Where we do belong

Airports are overcrowded in summer. Lines of people waiting in front of their gates, ready for boarding - they dream of their holiday destination and crave for the window seat, waiting to be finally toes in the sand...

There I was a few days ago, in line right behind a couple excited for their next few days in Spain. Myself I was waiting to come back to Biarritz after a week in Italy to my family.

I've always referred to Italy as my home and I keep on doing that. But when I was there I realized I called Biarritz my home too. I thought I was betraying the place I grew up in some sort of way.

Confused, I started thinking about the meaning behind this word.

I told myself: home is were your family is, the place where you treasure your sweetest memories and where you spent your best days. I didn't want to seem ungrateful. But I missed my seaside French village, the small apartment so close to the beach - our little nest -, the walks along the shore...

I realized that during the last year I became more and more attached to this place, to the point that now I start to call it home.

So what now? Which of the two is my "home"?

I can't help missing one of them when I'm not there. I surrendered to that and understood there's no right answer.
Home is where your heart is. So, there is no reason to believe you have to belong to one place and only.
We are adventurers, travelers, dreamers. We'll visit plenty of places we'll leave a piece of heart in. Some of them will mark our paths more, some others less.

But we don't have to worry about finding a place we belong to. We belong everywhere and nowhere. Home is not a place, but a mind status. 

Home is love - and the most important thing is to have a home to come back to, wherever it is.

Credits // Author // Pics: Marta Tomasini

Homemade lavender spray

So, I have to admit I've always had a great sense of smell. I wouldn't say it is the greatest talent I have, but I'm quite proud of it.

I know it could sound weird, don't judge me! :)

This kind of perfume-mania of mine leads me to always look for a better way to make my home smell wonderful. I tried candles of every kind and scent. I also tried electric fragrance diffusers and incenses. While I'm pretty satisfied with natural wax candles, the second and third options ended up smelling too strong for my taste.

I firmly believe that smells can influence our emotions. Lots of psychology books explain how our smell sense works and how it relates with our brain.

That's why scents are so important in the habitat we're surrounded by - they can evoke memories, feelings and awake our inner emotions.

So, when my mum gave me a small bottle of natural lavender essence after a travel to Provence, I couldn't miss the chance of finding a new and natural way to make my home smell good and feel great myself too!

Lavender oil is known for its beneficial properties such as fighting mosquito bites, cleansing cuts and bruises, calming itchy skin, sunburned lips and sickness. But most of all, lavender helps create an atmosphere of relaxation around you as soon as you smell its scent.

This is just how I want to feel when I'm at home!

So today I'm sharing with you the recipe for a homemade natural lavender spray for your home. It is very easy to make and will take no more than three minutes!

You need:

• empty spray bottle
• 5 to 10 drops of natural lavender oil
• 100 ml water
• 1/2 tbs baking soda

Pour water, baking soda, and lavender oil into your spray bottle. Shake and vaporize.

Ta-daaaa!!! Your new natural relax home scent is ready!

Never done a faster DIY before!

I spray it mostly in the bedroom before going to sleep and in the living room when I just want to relax.

Let me know if you enjoyed this DIY as well as lavender scent. I'm looking forward to hear your thoughts and feedback!

Credits // Author // Photography: Marta Tomasini

Home is where your heart is

Being back home has been great. I loved spending time with family and friends talking about everything and nothing and just being together. 

After the Christmas lunches and dinners marathon (see previous post), I went to my parent's house at the mountain. It's a small village in the Italian Alps and I used to spend my winters there with my family until just before moving here.

So, it's been quite like being back to my roots, to a place in which I spent a big part of my adolescence. Here's where my parents put me on skiis when I was 2 an a half - so I can say I learnt to ski just right after learning to walk! Most importantly it's the place where I became passionate of snowboarding and of all boardsports in general. At the age of 15 my parents gave me my first snowboard for Christmas and from that day on I never stopped being on a board.

Seeing familiar places and landscapes, feeling that biting cold and pungent air hitting my face... It all felt like home. I decided to took some pictures to bring to Biarritz with me. They remind me of an era where there were no problems, no responsabilities... Just myself, the mountains, a bunch of good friends and huge smiles.

Sometimes looking at these pictures and feeling so far away make me sad. But then I realize that in those places time had stopped. And even if I am not 15 anymore, home is where your heart is and I know somehow it won't change and it'll be still there for me when I'm back.


Credits // Author // Photography: Marta Tomasini, Andrea Scatolero

My beach cottage // Tips and tricks for rental houses

Having moved to another country, with my baggage half-done under the bed and always ready for the next adventures is not the right way to settle down and look for stability.

That's why my boyfriend and I chose to rent a house instead of buying it. We had the chance to find a two bedrooms flat right next to the beach and we love it.

But as most of you may know, not owning your house means a lot of restrictions about decoration, furniture, paint, etc. That's why it's often difficult to create YOUR OWN space and feel really at home.

After a year living in this apartment, we somehow managed to create our little corner of peace and comfort to exploit after long days of work and weekend laziness.

Today I'm sharing with you all the little tips and tricks for turning a rental boring home into a place that reflects your personality, as well as a home tour of my beach apartment.

1. Build your zen corner

Everyone needs their relax corner in their home. It could be in the living room, in a veranda or in a patio (oh, I'm so jealous!). I decided I need my little zen corner in my bedroom. Don't get me wrong: I didn't decorated it with Indian wall hangings or turned the room into a Moroccan riad. I just added a little flowery accent, played with the right curtain to make the light soften and chose a soft color palette for bedding and pillows.

2. The power of scents

Sometimes we underestimate the importance of being surrounded by perfumes in our homes. And I don't mean those chemicals spray they sell at the supermarket.

Being close to the ocean you could feel the smell of humidity in our apartment right when you opened the door. Not cool when inviting people for dinner!
So, introducing fragrances in my home place was definitely the turning point.

Really, scented candles and natural essences can actually make the difference without overwhelming you. And they have the power to throw you into a happy and relaxed mood too.

3. Textiles and layers

Don't be afraid to play with different textiles, blankets, throws and pillows! They can really make the difference. When we first arrived in this flat we hated our sofa. We really did! But after little experiments and adjustments we turned it into something we actually love spending our time in. It's cozy and we can't wait to wrap into our warm blankets and watch movies all night long.

4. Grow your own herbs

Dedicating a little corner for herbs and spices not only will make you proud of something you grew yourself, but will fill your home with life!

5. Plants, plants, plants

As said above, herbs and plants fill your home with life. Not only they make a statement in your house, but they can make you proud of taking care of something that implies cures and attentions to grow.

And they can hide those places you don't want to show or that stayed undecorated.

If you don't have green fingers (like your very own here), go with succulents - they're easy to grow and extremely stylish too.

6. Make room for memories
If you're far from home drop downs can happen and the nostalgia for last summer holidays with your friends can take you when you least expect it. Photos of your family, hanging pictures and little objects from your travels can really cheer you up during those moments. They will always remind you about your roots and give your home that little extra touch of personality it needs to be unique.

I hope these simple steps can help you turn your rental into your special shelter and a home to be proud of. They definitely changed mine!
I hope you enjoyed my home tour.

Do you have other tips and secrets to share?

Credits // Author // Photography: Marta Tomasini