My cutting machine hero

I ran out of my custom planner stickers, which help keep me organized, so I decided to try using my Cricut cutting machine to achieve a precise size and cut on the next batch. Unfortunately, I had error after error, and none of my sheets of stickers turned out well. After struggling for too long…

The fun part of unpacking

We returned from Venice several days ago and jet lag hit us hard, so we’ve been slow to unpack. Today Mama and I finally unearthed a few of our Venetian treasures. Despite a broken suitcase, we were thrilled to find the bottle of Moscato D’Asti that we brought home intact, as well as our tiny glass…

A rainy rest day with some laughs

Having walked our feet off all over Venice, plus the islands of Burano and Murano in the last few days, Mama and I didn’t mind that it poured rain all day today. We knew we’d need a day of rest; I even went to the grocery store yesterday in preparation. Mama spent the day working on another…

Appreciating artistry and serendipity

Mama and I got to see interesting, live demonstrations of fine European craftsmanship today. We attended a collection of free art exhibits called “Homo Faber: Crafting a More Human Future,” spread across the Venetian island of San Giorgio. Our absolute favorite artisan was from the “fanmaker to the queens since the 19th century,” Duvelleroy, with…

Quirky highlight on my errands

While Mama and I were out running errands today, she requested a detour down one of our favorite streets. Sebastopol’s Florence Avenue is filled with quirky, imaginative sculptures. Mama’s glee and awe as we cruised slowly down the street was perfection. My favorite piece that we saw today is this Frog Prince. The sun sparkling…

New friends at the theater

Mama and I returned to a local playhouse tonight to see the second in a summer Shakespeare series. Tonight’s performance was “Illyria” — a modern, musical adaptation of Twelfth Night. We absolutely loved the show! Clever lyrics and expressive actors kept us laughing from start to finish. My favorite bit was the song about ale…

Angels in our adventures

Mama and I went on an adventure to San Francisco today, because we wanted to see the Rube Goldberg exhibit at the Contemporary Jewish Museum. We’ve been looking forward to this day trip for weeks, though we nearly had to postpone, as I wasn’t feeling well last night. Having grown up learning about Rube Goldberg’s…