La Traviata

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="604" caption="One of the my favorite events was going to see the opera, La Traviata, at the roman amphitheater in Verona. This breathtaking performance had the most exquisite costumes and set design which were several enormous picture frames that looked like they had been scattered across one end of the entire theater. They created three different stages which were raised and lowered depending on the scene."][/caption]

Around Venezia

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="604" caption="Paper dragonflies pop out of the wall paper in a Venetian storefront"][/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="491" caption="The Venetian lamps have turned pink over the years due to the amethyst in the Murano glass."]Venetian pink lamps[/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="604" caption="I love Renaissance fashion! I might need to start a line of shoes inspired by Renaissance paintings. Can we say gladiator sandals anyone? Taken at the Accademia"]Renaissance Shoes[/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="604" caption="Gorgeous hand painted hanging lamps in Venice, yours for only 2,000 euro! Maybe I'll buy one when I move into my palace. "]Venetian Lamps[/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="604" caption="The icons on this sign are hilarious! We need to use the pregnant woman icon in the states."]Reserved Seating Sign[/caption]

Islands of Venice

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="604" caption="The houses on the island of Burano are technicolor! It's so beautiful and very fun to paint."]houses on burano[/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="491" caption="I thought this quote captured the vibe of the islands"]Color quote[/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="491" caption="A chandelier in the showroom of the Murano glass blowing studio I visited. I thought it looked like it should belong in Willy Wonka's factory."]blown glass chandelier[/caption]

Biennale Arte 2011 - Venezia

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="491" caption="The entrance to the cafeteria at the Biennale"]Biennale Cafeteria[/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="604" caption="I found this exhibit in the Korean pavillion. There was a square room with giant "mirrors" on all four walls. The frames were mirror frames, but the "mirror" was actually a monitor. As you walked in the room there was the sounds of glass shattering and it looked like there were bullets going through the glass, in a slow time lapse. Apparently the artist worked on this piece for the last 20 years."]shattered mirror[/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="491" caption="I found this piece at one of the Bienniale satellite exhibits along the Canal Grande in Venezia. Its like a make up compact but the pressed powder is the floorplan of a church! Love!"]Compact Church[/caption]

Carnivale in Venezia

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="491" caption="I love Carnivale costumes! The paniers on this dress are insane. This way, if I ever feel fat, bloated and like my hips are too big, I'll just think about what these women went through every day in these things!"]Costume[/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="604" caption="I am absolutely in love with the green mask above. Sadly, I couldn't afford it, as it was 80 euro!"]Masks[/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="604" caption="Love these shoes!! Taken in a shop that made shoes by hand. They only started at 800 euro..."]Red Shoes[/caption]

Pisa

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="491" caption="There are other cool things in Pisa than the leaning tower. This scaley dome for example, has great texture."]dome[/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="604" caption="Detail on the leaning tower"][/caption]

Going to the chapel...

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="604" caption="Some guerilla photography in the Sistine Chapel. That's right, the SISTINE CHAPEL. Holy Cow. Michaelangelo was a pure genious."][/caption]

Roses

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="604" caption="The rose wedding bouquet sitting in the back of the white Jaguar limo at a wedding I crashed in Assisi"][/caption]

Medici Estate

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="491" caption="Terraced gardens at the Medici home in Fiesole, as painted in many backgrounds of Renaissance works."][/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="491" caption="Ceramic tile detail from the garden"][/caption]