stud muffin.

valentino certainly nailed studded it this time.

never have i ever been so enamored with such rock stud style.

how amazing are these little stud muffins?!

i am coveting them in a big ol' way.

while shopping in rome last week, i saw these in all sorts of fall styles.

animal print. black. red. taupe. each one more glorious than the next.

and the best part. they not only had them in heels,

but they had them in chic pointy toed flats.

and you know that i live in those babies.

i can totally see these studded flats being an everyday staple in my fall wardrobe.

black skinny ankle pants. black blouse. effortlessly tousled scarf. valentino stud muffins.

perfect fall uniform. chic to boot. 

how would you rock these studded shoesies?

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thanks bee to you winner.

yahoo to you,

mrs. taylor brown.

you are the lucky winner of the darling john wind bee earrings! 

thank you for being a c'est si bon reader, sweet friend.

xoxo. 

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peach & gold.

everything is peachy keen, baby.

i am totally crushing on this juicy summer color.

just makes me want to be sitting under the sun.

nothing screams summer louder than peach. gold. & scallops.

perfectly & sweetly overflowing with flirty ambition.

every girl beams like a beach gal in this combo.

my heart skipped a beat when i laid eyes on these beauties today at neimans.

how sweet are these gold scalloped chloes?!

i can think of a million reasons as to why i need these.

chloe nailed it with this bedazzled beauty.

a gold & peach purse is a summer wardrobe necessity. 

this practically begs to be worn with crisp white shorts & gold strappies.

isn't the scalloped detailing just darling?

sweet as {peach} pie.

and here is the kicker, ladies...

a golden tan is the only accessory needed.

are you loving this fresh combo as much as i am?!

images courtesy of chloe. shopbop}

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scoot. scoot.

alright, you seekers of adventure & lovers of excitement.

i have got such a fun story to share with you.

a stay in florence simply is not complete without a scooter tour.

oh yes, a vespa scoot-scoot ride through the countryside of florence.

hands-down the most thrilling way to view the scenery.

and the helmets are actually quite cute to boot, too.

in our short stay in florence we called up keith and andy of tuscany bike tours.

we had heard rave reviews from friends who have done this tour in the past,

so we just knew it was a must-do on our day trip. 

and oh my, these boys do not disappoint. 

it quite possibly was the best day of our italian vacay.

we started the day off with some pastries from an authentic little bakery 

just down the road from tuscany bike tours home office. 

we highly recommend the chocolate croissants.

they are the perfect source of energy for a highly active day.

after fueling up for our tour, we headed on out to the countryside.

the views in every direction were simply stunning. 

keith and andy start the adventure by guiding a tour of this sweet little town.

the town is owned by a count & countess... which added a new goal to my list of to-dos.

become a countess & live in a castle upon a tall hill.

this town is the home to a lovely winery that happens to make fabulous wines.

after touring that winery, we headed to the tippy-top of the castle.

where we stumbled upon these most beautiful views.

an italian cypress lined drive? yes, please. 

magnifico, right?!

the town chapel. so sweet.

absolutely lovely.

after taking in the views. & the wine.

it was go time.

we started off by practicing driving in circles.

i felt really good about my scoot-scoot skills the first lap or two.

and then it went downhill from there.

i totally froze.

like the big weenie baby i am.

i may look like a real pro in this picture, but don't be fooled.

minutes after this i quickly decided that i would rather be a rider than a driver.

thankfully, our guide didn't laugh at me. too much.

and he kindly allowed me to be the passenger on his bike.

i showed my appreciation by volunteering to do all the proper bike signals.

i am pretty sure i was a real big helper for him. 

after everyone else was warmed up, we were off on our way.

slowing down only for views like this one.

and this one.

and this one.

it was so amazing to drive the winding hill streets of florence.

the wind in our hair. the sun on our shoulders. 

on top of the world.

surrounded by wild flowers.

and majestic castles. 

super studly scooter boy.

i clearly did not want to take my helmet off.

safety first, friends.

keith and andy planned the most perfect day for us.

i highly recommend that if you are in the florence area

you make this bike tour top on your list of things to do.

you will have a boat load of fun. lots of laughs. and unforgettable memories.

a day of adventure that trumps all others.

thanks tuscany bike tours!

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thanks bee to you.

i am feeling so overwhelmed with thankfulness.

starting c'est si bon last august was simply for my own enjoyment.

i have a passion for writing. & an even bigger passion for fancy things.

so it just felt natural to create my little baby of a blog.

an outlet where i could gush uninhibitedly about everything i adore.

a place where i could dote on my lovie. spread some wittiness. 

& praise our Lord for all His wonderful ways.

never in a million years did i ever dream that all of you, my lovelies, 

would take such a liking to reading of my everyday musings. experiences. thoughts.

i am humbled everyday by each & every one of you. 

i am grateful for every email. comment. like. that you send my way.

as it means the absolute world to me. 

to know that you find joy in reading c'est si bon makes my heart happy.

how wonderfully great it is that something so simple 

can bring such pure happiness to others.

yahoo!

so, today i celebrate you, sweet friends.

and while words fail to completely express my gratitude...

here is to hoping that a sparkly little giveaway will in some way suffice. 

you all know that i am a perennial lover of all john wind jewels.

its as if everything he touches turns to gold. the man is a jewelry genius.

so, it seemed only fitting that a john wind giveaway would make the perfect treat.

i recently snagged this little charm to add to my bauble bracelets.

isn't it just the cutest?

so cute, in fact, that i just had to share the bee love.

alright, girlie girls.

one lucky reader will win the darling earrings that match.

sparkle button earrings with a whimsical gold plated bee perched on top.

so stinkin cute. 

my little way of saying

thanks bee to you.

follow these simple steps to enter in this giveaway.

one. share this link on your facebook wall.

and two. like the c'est si bon facebook page, if you haven't already.

and three. like the john wind facebook page. 

oh, and side note.

how impossibly darling would these little bee accessories serve as a 

thank you gift for your bridesmaids? or your maid of honor?

i can just see a little jar of honey. tied with a ribbon. dangling with these earrings.

and a tag that reads thank bee to you, my friend.

absolutely precious. 

good luck, lovelies. 

winner will be announced thursday evening.

xoxo

{c'est si bon was not compensated for this post; however, was sent jewelry to giveaway. opinions are my own}

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civita di bagnoregio.

civita may be my all time fave town in italy.

a quaint & ancient town that boasts the talents of sweetly doing nothing.

a town that very few get the pleasure of seeing. and even fewer greatly appreciate.

sitting on its great pedestal, civita is perched high in the clouds on top of a great rock.

only accessible by foot, one crosses the long bridge to enter the romanesque arches

carved out by the etruscan population 2,500 years ago.

civita is a remarkable witness of history.

while i am a city girl through & through,

i found an overwhelming amount of pleasure strolling these empty streets.

there are no museums. no shops. no tours.

no attractions for the usual tourist.

there are simply tiny roads, puzzle pieced together.

and family eateries, where mother. father. & children work together.

and homes that are populated by those who appreciate a true tuscan getaway.

the getaway that fills your days with drinking wine. eating food. and sitting the day away.

all the while overlooking the tuscany countryside surrounding. 

join me for a stroll through civita. 

a true italian gem.

isn't it just magnificent?

the way the sun reflects golden hues is simply stunning. 

{that is us hiking the long, steep bridge that connects civita to outside towns}

i could absolutely come home to this sweet little door stoop. 

everywhere you look. every street you turn down.

every one is lovelier than the last.

i adore all the rich textures that make up this town.

the stones. the clay. the woods. 

they all boast so much character & charm. 

that view is amazing. 

God sure knows how to make this world a beautiful one.

i could not get enough of the architectural brilliance.

we had the most amazing dinner in this wine cellar cave.

absolutely amazing in every way. and the food was hugely superb.

love my little lovie.

our little noses are pink from days spent beneath the tuscan sun.

drew baby. looking dapper as can be.

a toast to an amazing trip with even more amazing friends. 

italy 2012 was more fabulous than i had ever imagined. 

if you ever have the chance to visit civita. you must do so.

simply stroll through the town & rest in the piazza.

it will provide the most abundant of all joys.

xoxo.

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florence & the vineyard.

everyday here gets better & better.

i can hardly put into words the amazing experiences we are having.

today we spent the day in florence. and the evening at a tuscan wine vineyard.

i mean, really? does it get any better?

a visit to the accademia to see the david was our first order of business.

it was even more remarkable than i remembered.

not to mention i was quite pleased to brag about the fact that

my lovie has the cutest bum that rivals the davids.

one of many reasons why i love him.

the duomo in florence is unbelievable.

the size is tremendous. the grandness is breathtaking.

but most of all, the reverence is amazing. 

simply walking into this stately cathedral left me speechless.

the frescos depict stories of faith. leaving my eyes stinging with tears of wonder.

we climbed to the tippy-top of the dome.

and the view made up for every single spiral-staircased-dizzy-step.

hello, florence.

makes me want to skip from rooftop-to-rooftop.

us bretts are used to having our heads in the clouds.

lunch on the piazza was the perfect way to relax after the steep climb.

then it was time to head over to le velette for our wine tour.

is that villa not the most lovely thing you have ever laid eyes on?

this vineyard has been under the care of the same family for six generations. 

this sweet family has put their love into making wonderful wine for hundreds of years.

and let me tell you... it truly was the best wine i have ever sipped on.

a wine aficionado in the making.

blessed everyday by these loves.

adore this girl. 

love having her here. but we sure do miss you douphy.

the property was stunning.

a villa. a wine cellar. a chapel. & a monastery. 

and a view that words fail to describe.

sweet boy taking in the evening.

and having lots of fun to boot.

another wonderful day in italy. 

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orvieto.

our sweet little villa is right outside the town of orvieto.

and today we decided to spend the day exploring through orvieto proper.

what a darling town it is. in every possibly way. 

from the piazzas to the pizzas. from the duomo to the dapper duds.

this town is downright unbelievable. 

darling streets just begging to be strolled upon.

i tell you, i could spend days walking the streets of orvieto.

visiting the duomo in orvieto was such a highlight.

i was blown away at the magnificent size & splendor. 

i was especially intrigued by the mosaic tiling that served as decor.

to think that hundreds & hundreds of years ago, each tile was laid by hand...

that is simply amazing to me. 

the interior of the duomo was equally as majestic. 

the columns. the arches. the frescos. 

such a beautiful place of worship.

the paths of orvieto were lined with grape bushes.

and greenery adorned every wall in sight. 

i am such an ivy lover. this door frame had my name written all over it. 

it was so pretty, in fact, that i decided to sit and enjoy it for a spell. 

dining alfresco with my lovelies.

two devilishly handsome brett men & the beautiful kristen menke.

i was enamored with the exterior of the duomo. 

the black & white stripes were so chic.

i've always said that black & white stripes were timeless.

there is nothing sweeter than ending the night sipping wine

from a local vineyard with sweet family & friends. 

oh, and cheering on the italian soccer team with the locals. 

a lovely day. in a lovely town. with my most lovely little family. 

florence bound in the morning.

can hardly wait for round two in that great big city.

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