grandpa's ball.

ever since i can remember, my grandpa has been an avid gum chewer. going through several packs a week. well over 10 years ago, as he was sitting, relaxing and watching tv, he started making a ball with the aluminum foil part of the gum wrappers. his ball is now larger than a baseball and a solid, heavy weight! and of course everyone in the family wants to inherit it someday because it's just so cool, but he insists (and i agree:)) that it should go to someone who's going to continue adding to it:) 

he says it's his therapy and i love watching him peel the wrappers and then use a wine cork to rub the sheets of foil smoothly onto the ball. he was sweet enough to let me take a few pictures one night!

from one venice to another.

after spending a weekend in south carolina/georgia with friends for the wedding of one of my dear friends, i took a flight to florida to spend a few days with my grandparents. i was really excited about this time because i've never in my life had one-on-one time with my grandparents like this and i've taken it for granted up until now that they will always be there. 

it was warm and sunny the day i arrived but quickly shot down to 50 degrees for the rest of the week. i couldn't really complain though because everyone back home was experiencing -10 temps! i definitely didn't miss the cold temps or snow whatsoever!

grandpa wanted to take grandma and i out one day to do something fun so we headed to the ringling brothers art & circus museum. i thought it was just a museum about their circus years but when we arrived, i quickly learned otherwise! it's a gorgeous property in venice, florida right on the sarasota bay. the 1920's venetian style home sits right on the water and along with TWO circus museums, there is a gorgeous museum that was built in the 1920's to house john ringling's large & impressive art collection! we had such a wonderful time exploring and it was so much more than i had imagined! my favorite part was how much the ringlings had incorporated venetian and italian architecture and lifestyle into their property & lives. even the art museum was filled with italian paintings dating back to the 1500's.  

from one venice to another… italy to florida:)