Vittoria Allen shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Vittoria, so good to connect and we’re excited to share your story and insights with our audience. There’s a ton to learn from your story, but let’s start with a warm up before we get into the heart of the interview. What makes you lose track of time—and find yourself again?
Sewing! I inherited my Nonna’s sewing machine when she passed away and sadly, it has sat collecting dust for over 10 years now. I used to watch her sew when I was younger, but never had any interest in learning for myself. She used to go into my favorite stores with me and sketch up her version of the dresses I really wanted and she’d make them herself. A few months ago, I decided to pull out the machine and give it a try and now I’m hooked. I’ll go hours without looking at my phone and it’s become so therapeutic and fun. 10/10 recommend learning new skills all throughout life!
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Vittoria, but my friends call me Vitt. I’m a writer, wife, mom to two little girls, and a lover of books, hosting, and good food.
Though the majority of my time right now revolves around homeschooling and the daily rhythms of family life, those moments fuel what I write about.
On my Substack, I share reflections on the sacred beauty of ordinary life — messy homes, shared meals, desperate prayers, and the grace that carries us through it all. I’m passionate about hospitality, about gathering people around a table, and about the way a simple meal can create connection and meaning.
At its heart, my work is about intentionality and simplicity — living with open hands, noticing the divine in the everyday, and searching for il dolce far niente — the sweetness of doing nothing. Through stories, reflections, and heirloom recipes, I hope to invite others into a slower and richer way of living that embraces both beauty and mess.
Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. Who were you before the world told you who you had to be?
I was wild and weird. I was, as my husband would put it, formidable. When I look at my oldest daughter, I am reminded of who I was before I let the voices of others have more influence on me than they should. Where others call her bossy, I can tell her she’s a leader. So make sure to lead with kindness. Where others call her weird, I can tell her she’s unique and weird is more fun anyway. Through telling her these things, I’ve slowly been able to reconnect with those qualities in myself again too.
What fear has held you back the most in your life?
The question might be, what fear hasn’t? I have had anxiety most of my life so over the years, fears have manifested themselves in different ways that have held me back from many things. As a writer, there is the fear that people won’t like what I write. Or the fear that I’d be writing something that someone else already did. OR that I don’t actually have anything to say worth reading – the fear that I don’t have what it takes. I don’t think those fears are totally gone, but I’m learning to push through. I write because I love it and because I believe it’s something I’m called to do. So even if my only readers turn out to be my parents and husband, at least I still did it.
Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. What’s a belief or project you’re committed to, no matter how long it takes?
I want to write a book someday. The book has taken many forms in my imagination and I know it will be a very slow process, but I hope that one day I can see it through. Julia Child is such an inspiration to me in this area because she didn’t even start cooking until her late 30s and didn’t write her cookbook until her 40s. Laura Ingalls Wilder was 65 when she wrote Little House in the Big Woods. Tolkien was 45 when he wrote The Hobbit. Anna Sewell was 57 when she wrote Black Beauty. I think I’m in good hands.
Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. Are you doing what you were born to do—or what you were told to do?
I do think I’m doing what I was born to do. But, I wonder if that will ever change. I have, for the most part, known that writing in some way shape or form would be a part of my life. But I think we need to leave room for our calling or career or whatever to change in different seasons.
Some people have a certainty about their trajectory. They know when they’re young what they’re going to do and then they do it and love it and never waiver. That’s not everyone’s path and that’s ok. I know people who have made huge career shifts later in life, sometimes multiple times, and that can be a beautiful purposeful journey too.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://vittwrites.substack.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/vittoria_allen
Image Credits
Lauren Scotti
