Welcome to A Certain Simplicity. I’m Diana Strinati Baur, and work as a writer, an innkeeper and a potter at our home in Acqui Terme, Italy.

I moved to Europe in 1994 after a busy career as a marketing specialist in the commercial interior design industry. My husband had gotten the job offer of a lifetime in Germany and I was burned out, freshly laid off and happy to go. I redefined myself, became an English language consultant for business executives, learned German and completed a ceramics apprenticehip. In 2003, we left our comfortable life in Hamburg to come to Italy. We restored an ancient farmhouse on a hill in the wine region of Piemonte, and opened a small bed and breakfast.

It seemed like such a cool thing to do. Italy. La dolce vita and all that.

I suppose we never thought that with this move, every assumption we ever made, every paradigm we ever held, every thought we ever had about how life is would be twisted, bent, exploded, melted and smashed like rocks rolling down a mountain in a landslide. Never gave it a thought, really. But that’s what happened.

Giving up everything to make this project happen has given me a whole new perspective on life. After living through six restoration phases (with two left to go), hundreds of breakfasts, a third language, the kindness of strangers during times of sheer desperation, and countless small moments of  serendipity, I can honestly say that my priorities have shifted seismically.  For example…

I have become more vulnerable and less egotistical.

I have become much more creative as a result of change.

We live a much simpler, more conscious life than before.

Our health is everything. We have to take care of ourselves.

I love making a beautiful environment where people can feel safe and at home.

Food should be simple and made from the best ingredients.

Italy is a fertile ground for learning about life. It’s not always easy here. But it is amazing.

Money does somehow take care of itself, but needs to be treated with care and caution.

Here at A Certain Simplicity, you will find reflections on simple living, developing creativity, trusting your senses, honoring your vulnerability, eschewing materialism, eating well, and following a path toward contentment and wellness. It’s about finding your own personal style and helping you to design your own space and life in ways that suit you.

And of course, there will be stories about Italy and how being here physically brought me to this point spiritually.

Thank you for joining me on this journey.  I hope you will stay awhile.