I may be less than 10% Italian, but I LOVE Italian culture: the food, the wine, the fashion, the cars and scooters, the people, the history, and especially visiting the country. I was invited to attend Discover Valdichiana at Houston’s Italian Cultural and Community Center hosted by Italy-America Chamber of Commerce Texas for an evening […]
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Finding DNA: Additional Testing
These past few years have been full of science and serendipity with all the DNA testing my mother and I have participated in in search of ethnic lineage, not to mention being matched with BOTH her biological parents’ family members (she was adopted). As we navigate through our new relationships with newfound family members, I […]
Finding DNA: An Adoption and Ancestry Success Story (Part 2)
Those closest to me know that my mother was adopted. It’s no secret, never has been. Her parents (my grandparents) are incredible people who raised her (and me) in a loving and structured home. My grandmother is my hero and my grandfather(s) encouraged me to put myself through college and succeed like they did. We […]
Finding DNA: An Adoption and Ancestry Success Story (Part 1)
Those closest to me know that my mother was adopted. It’s no secret, never has been. Her parents (my grandparents) are incredible people who raised her (and me) in a loving and structured home. My grandmother is my hero and my grandfather(s) encouraged me to put myself through college and succeed like they did. We […]
Little Black Trench Coat: My SCOTTeVEST Travel Staple
Much like that little black dress that every woman has in her closet, which can be dressed up or dressed down depending on accessories and setting, my little black trench coat is just as versatile. I travel A LOT and prefer to not carry a purse abroad. So when I was looking for something that […]
A Dirty Souvenir for Dogs: You Travel, They Sniff
Meet Ginger, Tegan, and Amelia: our fur babies. Jetting off to the Mediterranean for two weeks might seem glamorous, but leaving these loveable/kissable/derpy faces behind for that long was really difficult. If we could’ve brought them along with us, we would’ve. Instead, we brought them with us in spirit, and we brought back something a […]
Benvenuto Brunello Wine Seminar in Houston
As a Sangiovese (the primary grape in Chianti) lover, I consider Brunello di Montalcino best of the best in Italian wines. So I was thrilled to attend the Benvenuto Brunello 2017 wine seminar and guided tasting event hosted by Consorzio Vino Brunello di Montalcino and IEEM last week in Houston. For those unfamiliar, Brunello is […]
Italian Wine Tastings at ICCC
Wine tastings are about as exciting to me now as the ice cream truck was to me as a child. Some of my favorite wine tasting events are held at Houston’s Italian Cultural & Community Center (ICCC) in the museum district. The ICCC promotes Italian culture and tourism, including language classes and Italian eno-gastronomic events. […]
Thanksgiving Wine: What to Bring & What to Serve
You can’t escape it: Thanksgiving is upon us. Whether you’re hosting a formal family dinner, joining a casual Friendsgiving, or just wanting to keep it classy while watching sports ball…wine is on the menu! So what do you pull from the cellar or buy from the store? As always, you can do whatever you like, […]
Mediterranean Cruise on Norwegian Jade (Part 1: Sea Days, Greece, Italy)
Continued from Under the Tuscan Winter Sky After one last panini in Rome, our shuttle took us about 40 minutes to Civitavecchia to board Norwegian Jade for a 10-day cruise around the Mediterranean. We would stop in two cities in Greece, two cities in Turkey, and one city in Italy before returning to Rome. […]