Valentine’s Day is just around the corner!  We all know the story of Romeo and Juliet, and nowhere is it more celebrated than in Verona, the setting of the story, on Valentine’s Day.  Shakespeare’s famous lines still ring throughout the courtyard of Juliet’s house and down from her balcony.  “What’s in a name?  A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.”   Many centuries after Shakespeare, a sweet-smelling bouquet of roses is still considered to be among the most romantic gifts to give your loved one.  For any rose-loving Valentine, Mia Emilia has a gift idea that will...

While here in the States, New Year’s Day often marks the end of our holiday season, in Italy, the fun continues.  Especially for kids, Epiphany on January 6th is almost as exciting as Christmas itself.  Epiphany celebrates the day when the Wise Men came, following a star, to the manger to visit the Christ Child and bring Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.  In Italy’s famous Presepe, nativity scenes, and the Renaissance paintings like the one featured here by Sandro Botticelli, we often see this moment beautifully depicted. Italians have added legend to the holy celebration in the form...