GLOBESHOPPING ~ Ireland
1. Vintage Yellow Sweater: I picked up this adorable soft, pastel yellow sweater from a vintage shop called “Lucy’s Lounge Vintage” in Dublin. It’s an eclectic little shop found in the basement. I stumbled upon a rack full of tops in a rainbow of colors. A great selection to choose from but this one caught my eye because I don’t really have anything else like it. Nothing better than finding that needle in a haystack item. The joys of vintage shopping!
2. Artisan Brass Earrings from Galway Market: There is an outdoor market in Galway on Saturday and Sundays. Saturday has more stalls to visit while Sunday is much smaller. I happened to find the below brass earrings during the Sunday market. They are cool loop through lightweight hoops.
3. Gunpowder Gin & America Village Apothecary Syrup & Elixir: When you get tired of drinking pint after pint of Guinness, the cocktail of choice is a Gin & Tonic. Lucky for me, it happens to be one of my favorite cocktails. The “Gunpowder Gin” is very popular and I don’t believe you can find it in the states so we brought a bottle home to add to our bar. We also found this unique little cocktail lounge in Galway called “America Village Apothecary Tasting Room” that served some great cocktails using tonics, tinctures & elixirs, they make in-house. Pictured below is their best selling Tonic syrup and the Spiced Turmeric elixir. Unfortunately, they don’t ship to the U.S. so once again, two travel sized bottles made their way into my carry-on bag.
4. Pastel Blanket Scarf: I couldn’t leave Ireland without buying this warm and cozy scarf! The pastel hues will always remind of the pastel colored homes and buildings that lined many of the streets I walked down. The warmth is perfect for those brisk Ireland days and NY Fall & Winter! I found it in a clothing store in Galway called “Dunnes”.
GLOBESHOPPING ~ Southern Italy
1. Crescent Moon Aluminum Necklace: A recyclable material, highly prized for its lightness , hardness , rust resistance and the absence of nickel. I found this piece at a cool store called "Tonda Design" in the city of Lecce in Southern Italy. Pictured below and paired with a blazer from a vintage store also in Lecce. I don't remember the name of the vintage store but the shopping area isn't that big so you should be able to stumble upon it.
2. Lace Flower Handmade Necklaces: I picked up these statement pieces at the "Rigattierri Per Hobby" flea market in Rome. The chain on the black piece is hand beaded with rose quartz stones and the blue piece is hand beaded with evil eye beads.
3. Pottery from Grottaglie: Grottaglie is a town in the province of Taranto, Apulia, in Southern Italy. Regardless if you are into pottery or not, you can't walk away without at least one item created by the talented ceramic artisans. The hand painted face plates caught my eye at a restaurant we dined at and I knew I needed to pick one up to add to my home collection. I also purchased an olive oil bottle painted in a striking green along with some wine stoppers which made for great gifts. There was so much more I wanted but my carry-on limits got in the way!
