Love … romance … sensuality … Italy has it all. This year, let your inner Italian show through with a one-of-a-kind gift that’s flavored with the fragrance of the Bel Paese.
Here are five creative Italian-themed gift ideas for less than $50 each. And if any of you see my husband, send him the link. Sometimes even the best Italians need a little nudge.
Bella Cucina Canvas - $24.95
For practical Italophiles who like to cook up a little more than love and romance in their steamy kitchens, this personalized Bella Cucina canvas just might be the missing ingredient.
Gondolomio Italian Singing Dog – $29.99
Nothing says ti amo like the Gondolomio singing dog. He guides a gondola, he moves, he shakes, he sings … Remind your Valentine of those romantic Venetian nights with a gift that is guaranteed to set the mood and leave you smiling long after your Valentine’s celebration has ended.
Murano Glass-Beaded Necklace – $34.99
Nothing is more Italian than Murano glass, handmade in one of Italy’s most romantic cities. This Valentine’s Day, give your sweetheart a piece of Italy she can hold close to her heart all year long.
Banfi Col di Sasso Toscana Gift Basket - $46.99
There is no need to go out this Valentine’s Day when you can have a taste of Tuscany delivered to your doorstep. Uncork the wine and let the night unfold as you and your Valentine enjoy Italian pasta, cheese and chocolates from Europe’s most romantic country.
Pelletterie Fiorentine Small Leather Jewely Box – $49.50
These three little words are sure to melt the heart of your Valentine – Made in Italy. Slip a handwritten note scripted in the language of love inside the box … diamonds and other gems, optional.
I kept all of these gift ideas $50 and less because, although my husband and I do celebrate Valentine’s Day, we like to keep things simple. What about you? Do you celebrate Valentine’s Day? And if so, how?
IST HEAD SHEL WAGGENER TO LEAVE CAMPUS POST AT END OF APRIL.
States News Service March 15, 2012 BERKELEY, Calif. — The following information was released by the University of California – Berkeley:
Colleagues:
Associate Vice Chancellor for Information Technology and Chief Information Officer (AVC-CIO) Shelton Waggener has accepted the position of Senior Vice President of Internet2, the national education-networking and technology-services provider, and will be leaving his position at UCBerkeley. We are thankful that Shel will continue in his current role through the end of the semester, and equally excited to announce that Lyle Nevels, Chief Information Officer at the Haas School of Business, will be taking a leave from Haas to serve as interim AVC-CIO beginning May 1st, 2012. Lyle will serve in the interim capacity while we conduct a nationwide search for Shel’s replacement.
Shel joined UC Berkeley in 2003 from Lucent Technologies, where he served as the Chief Information Officer of the InterNetwork Systems Division. He began his campus career, serving as Director of Central Computing in IST until 2005, when, after a nationwide search, Shel was promoted to Associate Vice Chancellor for Information Technology and campus Chief Information Officer. In addition to the CIO role, Shel served as the head of Information Systems and Technology (IST), which provides campuswide computing, application, technical infrastructure and communications services.
During his 9 years on campus, Shel has made long-lasting contributions to UC Berkeley as well as to the UC system. He provided leadership for implementation of the 2004 IT Strategic Plan and has continued to develop campus strategies as UC Berkeley’s CIO. He and his team led the effort to design and launch the state-of-the-art research and administrative data center at Warren Hall and established a partnership with LBNL to provide expanded high-performance research-computing services. He has guided the dramatic expansion of shared computing resources; through his leadership, numerous technology solutions developed or contributed to by UC Berkeley have been open-sourced and are now in use at over 100 universities nationwide. this web site google apps for education
During the recent budget challenges, Shel laid the foundation for the Operational Excellence IT initiative, which he co-sponsored, which includes the common desktop productivity suite, selection of Google Apps for Education, and a new vision for modernizing computing services. More broadly, Shel has been an active and influential member of numerous campus and UC systemwide planning and governance committees,and he played a critical role in designing and implementing the Campus Information Technology Strategic Plan. He currently serves as Chair of the systemwide CIO leadership council, where UC Berkeley-led initiatives are freely shared with other UC campuses. His establishment of the campus Student Technology Council and related fundraising activities has brought renewed engagement with Silicon Valley firms, providing direct support for our students that will last well into the future. this web site google apps for education
Shel will begin transition planning with his team and Lyle immediately. Lyle has been with the UC Berkeley campus since October 2008 and has made a significant impact in assisting the Haas School during a time of dramatic expansion. Prior to coming to UC Berkeley, Lyle was the Executive Vice President, Chief Information Officer with First Franklin, following a 20-year career as a technology leader in innovative Bay Area technology firms. Lyle has been an active leader on numerous campus-level committees and, most recently, served as Initiative Manager for the Operational Excellence IT Design Team. His academic-unit and campus roles provide an excellent foundation as he takes over for Shel as head of the IT Leadership Group, which includes members of the IST, Education Technology Services (ETS), and student technology organizations. Please join us in congratulating Lyle on this appointment.
Shel’s intellect, commitment and passion for UC Berkeley will be greatly missed. However, we are thankful that he created a solid information-technology foundation on which our campus can continue to build. We are pleased he will remain involved in the campus community through his work in Internet2; we look forward to future collaborations.
Please join us in congratulating Shel on his new role and in thanking him for his manifold contributions to UC Berkeley.
George Breslauer Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost John Wilton Vice Chancellor, Administration and Finance
