A Home Away Honeymoon

After nine different ideas about where we would honeymoon - yes, NINE - the Office Groom and I finally decided to go back to our original idea of Tuscany. Tuscany to me is the picture perfect idea of a romantic getaway. My favourite movie Under The Tuscan Sun may have a small part to play in this idea of course :) But Hollywood glamour aside, the thought of spending a vacation in a villa that overlooks the rolling hills of olive groves and grape vines, while enjoying a glass of the finest Italian red wine and devouring a delicious home cooked meal sounded right up our alley after all the wedding madness.

So when a friend of ours told us about Home Away, we discovered that we could have just that for our honeymoon!

I LOVE this site. Aside from the fact that I have this fascination with the way other people decorate their homes, the site allowed us to search for rental homes all over the world, at a wide range of prices and aesthetic requirements. We decided to focus around the area of Lucca, since it was the closest thing to an authentic medieval city, and was central to other cities of interest like Pisa and Sienna. The latter being top on the list of things to see for The Office Groom, since it was one of the filming locations for the last Bond film :)

We're film buffs, what can we say?

We decided on a beautiful old farmhouse located in a town just north of Lucca. It's very private with the most amazing views of the mountains. And the best part - it was only $800 CAD for a week and a half!! BOOKED! While I'd rather not say where exactly we're staying, I thought I would at least tease you with a few photos which the owner sent us. Mwahahaha!

The town



The view from our house



I love cobblestone



If you and your partner are looking for a quiet get-away honeymoon that allows you to sit back and relax and feel at home, definitely check out Home Away. Happy Searching!!

Movie Review: "Knight And Day"

Last Sunday, after a relaxing couples massage at Novo Spa (Office Groom's birthday present to me), we headed over to the movie theatre and watched "Knight And Day." I saw the trailer a month ago and remember thinking "That's the Tom Cruise I remembered loving!" And while watching the film, I kept thinking the same thing.


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If you like a light hearted comedy with loads of action and eye candy, this is a great summer flick to check out. With friends, or on a date night, this movie will definitely keep you entertained for two hours.

There's great chemistry between the two leading stars, Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz, and as I mentioned before, you almost forget all the "crazy" that Mr. Cruise has made himself out to be in the last few years, and fall in love with him all over again :)

Movie Review: "Teenage Paparazzo"

Last night, the Office Groom and I checked out a Hot Docs Festival film entitled "Teenage Paprazzo." Written and directed by Entourage star Adrian Grenier, the documentary follows the life of a 14-year old paparazzo named Austin in his hometown of Hollywood.

Yup, you read it right. 14.


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Not knowing much about the film going in, OG and I really enjoyed it. Layered with different takes on the world of paparazzi, the documentary included interviews with celebrities such as Alec Baldwin, Matt Damon, and Eva Longoria Parker, and much more (surprisingly) candid talks with some of Hollywood's most succesful paparazzi.

While there were a lot of laughs throughout the film, there were moments where the audience was quiet - mostly shocked that this kid is doing this at such a young age, and the implications of his character and his childhood upbringing. There are times where I was shaking my head in disagreement, and when the credits were rolling, OG turned to me and whispered "We're never letting our kids talk to us that way." LOL.

You'll have to watch the film to understand what he meant.

On another note, the film was screened at the new Royal Conservatory of Music venue, Koerner Hall. I was in complete awe of the interior design - a great mix of old and modern architecture.


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Along with musical performances, the venue is also open for private event bookings. No doubt that this would make one spectacular wedding venue! (See how I managed to tie this post to weddings? Crafty!)