viva italia! (also, a shabby apple giveaway!)

While it's true that I don't eat a lot of Italian cuisine, it's also true that I'd absolutely love to visit Italy one day.

Pizza's was an Italian creation originally, right?
I know we've Americanized it to no end, and this is a perfect example of that--baked beans, ham, and lots o' mozzo.
Not a tomater in sight.

It doesn't look like that'll be happening any time soon, but while I wait for some lephrechauns to bring me a pot of gold (yes, Ireland's a nation I'd love to experience as well)(also, Scotland and Australia, to name a couple more...), I'll have to settle for eating food conceptualized there and wearing clothes inspired by its atmosphere.

That little preface brings me to my giveaway. Have you heard of Shabby Apple? It's a really exciting company which makes it a point to offer stylish dresses that allow you to look fabulous without having to compromise anything else. They're also committed to helping women in many nations and are supporting the fight against global poverty by partnering with Unitus, which is a non-profit organization that accelerates access to life-changing financial services for those at the bottom of the economic pyramid. Shabby Apple donates 5% of its net sales to support work in India (where Shabby Apple Dresses has sourced many of its dresses and the textiles used to manufacture its dresses). Every $100 donation from Shabby Apple Dresses provides at least 20 women with access to financial services and the chance to live a life without poverty.

Pretty admirable, right? As if that weren't enough, their dresses are amazing! To get the word out, I'll be offering one random comment-maker her (or his...) choice of the following dresses from the Roamin Holiday line:

Da Vinci.

Rosso.

To win your pick of these dresses, leave a comment telling me either a place you'd like to visit or the best place you've ever been (even if it's that spaceship into which you were abducted or Grandma's house right down the street). For an extra entry, like Shabby Apple on Facebook, but be sure to let me know that you did so in another comment. I'll close the comments in a week, on May 30th, and I'll contact the winner shortly thereafter. Leave an email address so I can contact you, and good luck! The giveaway is only open to US residents--sorry, all you Italians (and Irish and Scottish and Australians)!

I think you'll all find the Shabby Apple company a dream with which to work and shop!