Wait for it…Italy!

I ran away. I spent the last decade saying yes to being exactly where I was needed, at home, helping my son. But. Mamas need breaks. And in April stars aligned and mountains were moved by some of the people who love me most. Thanks to them, I was able to visit…wait for it…Italy!

But. Destination and location are not always the same. Yes, Bologna, Italy with a bonus excursion to Venice were icing with sprinkles on the journey cake. But. The destination? The destination was better than Italy. The destination was a creative space filled with people who share my watercolor passion—a Daniel Smith Brand Ambassador gathering.

I’m an introvert at heart. Normally, I would have hidden in the back of a room filled with people I’ve never met in person, waiting for a moment to escape unnoticed. But this shared space? Every person in it was connected by a common thread. A strong common thread. And I immediately felt welcome and comfortable and at home and, most importantly, I felt seen for a part of myself I love most.

So. A reminder. Paint. With your friends. Share. Your art tools, your art talent, your art tips, your art tricks. Find. Your people. Feel. At home.

And a confession. I bought this dress. White. A color that could not possibly navigate a typical day in my life and remain unscathed. For one purpose. For Venice. I wore it on a very fancy ride in a very fancy water taxi. I walked in it from St. Mark’s Basilica back to my hotel. I screeched in it when an aggressive bird stole my parma ham lunch off my parma ham and burrata lunch plate. And I smiled in it for my dream photo op on a bridge in front of the Grand Canal.

Within 24 hours of being home I looked up tickets to Paris…

June 29, 2026