Four years of Italian dreams in 45 scrapbooks

For four years I have been secretly keeping scrapbooks relating to every thing I needed to know, and wanted to do to renovate, live, work and play when I moved to Italy.

I have just completed number 45 in the scrapbook pile and I must admit they are my secret pleasure and also my inspiration. They helped me keep believing that this life change would happen.

If I had doubts, I would open the cover of one of my precious scrapbooks and I would suddenly be there in my Italian bedroom..................... Laying on a feather soft mattress, surrounded by vintage crisp cotton sheets that I found at a Brocante one weekend in France. The bed has a high studded padded headboard in soft greeny grey velvet with a faded patina finish on the wooden scrolled edge trim. The bedspread is a heavy silk cotton in a deep advacado green. The bed is so high that I need a small stool at the side of the bed to step down onto the terracotta tiled floor that is so worn and aged that it is now a soft pale pink. I stretch my arms over my head as I walk over to the tall silk draped curtains whose color matches the bedspread perfectly. As I grasp the heavy curtains to open them I again think how glad I am that I lined them with heavy backing to keep the cold snow air out in winter. I grasp the clear cut crystal door knob on the french doors that are painted in a semi gloss magnolia color. The doubled glazed glass panes keep not only the cold air out but the noise as well and as I step out onto my small two story bedroom balcony, I grasp the newly painted black cast iron railing and breathe in the beautilful Italian morning crisp air. As the breeze slowly lifts my hair, I turn around and glance over my shoulder and look directly into the eyes of me sitting on my bed in Australia with my scrap book in my hand. As I look back at myself standing on the balcony in Italy I say one word......... Soon.