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Hi, my name is Sophia.

For many years I was busily caught up in chasing after my “American dream”, working a sixty-hour week in a stuffy, airless cubicle. I was glued to my 'ergonomic' chair staring at the computer screen all day long, eating lunch at my desk and making “play dates” with my daughter. Obsessed with becoming more successful, I was depriving myself the one thing I foolishly believed I was rushing towards - the good life.

At some point, the “good life” became some distant, imaginary finish line that could only be reached through psychotic effort. I had become no more than an overly caffeinated hamster on a wheel; constantly running, sweating, and sacrificing. I started wondering if there was something wrong with this master plan. Could there be some lost key to the kingdom of happiness that I had overlooked? If life is a journey, mine was heading in the wrong direction.

I was awakened from this miserable slumber in Tuscany. Surrounded by tranquil landscapes, lovingly tended vineyards, olive groves and lush vegetable gardens, I came back to life. Savoring long mouth-watering meals, crusty loaves of bread, and robust Tuscan wine I admired the rustic simplicity of the sun-drenched countryside.

My observations of the locals and their daily lives, helped me realize that in Italy, and above all in Tuscany, the epitome of 'the good life' seems to reside. It was impossible not to get captivated by the richness and quality of daily Tuscan life which is not just lived, but thoroughly enjoyed.

I started my blog www.laccento.com/blog as a source of inspiration for over-worked, ambitious, goal-orientated people who forget to relax and enjoy life. It is a gentle reminder of the boundless joy in living, the thrill of simple things, the daily celebrations, the pleasure of physical beauty, social togetherness, and, of course, of good food and wine.

www.laccento.com/blog is an invitation to take a deep breath and look around; look at our homes in a whole new light - as a sanctuary that heals the body, calms the mind, and soothes the soul. My on-line store www.laccento.com is a sources of inspiration for turning our homes into beautiful haven, a fabulous refuge from the stressful world.

Just as Tuscan food and wine are rooted in a myriad of things beyond the kitchen and cellar, so the quality of life is a vast combination of daily details. Each ingredient must be of quality for all of it to work.

I invite you to slow down and relax… Let’s enjoy the delicious, little things that make life fun and worth living!

Sophia