Five Things That Made Me Smile (May 2024 Edition)

Mama: A World of Mothers and Motherhood

I spent Mother’s Day weekend with my mama in Hercegovina.

I bought Mama this book:

Mama: A World of Mothers and Motherhood by Helene Delforge.

I’m unsure if I would categorize it as a children’s book. But at first glance, you might.

I don’t think it matters.

The book is a collection of beautiful portraits and reflections on motherhood.

I bought mama the Croatian version. I found a copy in a store in Hercegovina.

When I noticed it, I immediately picked it up and read it.

I got through it fairly quickly since it is a children’s book.

Maybe I should continue reading children’s books in Croatian.

If you are looking for a gift for a soon-to-be mom or any human who loves good storytelling, I highly recommend this book, which has been translated into multiple languages.

For those in Mississauga, Canada, consider ordering the book from my favorite local bookshop: The Book Wardrobe.

The owner, Carmela, is a joy, and her space is beautiful.

Visit her space or order online at The Book Wardrobe | Mama

I couldn’t find an online store in Croatia that sells the book. But I did find one in Bosna Hercegovina:

Rezultati pretrage za: 'mama helene delforge' (knjiga.ba)

Enjoy the search.

I hope that when you read this book, it makes you smile.

Hercegovina Travel Fest

Hercegovina Travel Fest 2024 - Hercegovina Travel Fest (hercegovina-travel.com)

I attended this event with Mama on Mother’s Day weekend.

The event was held in Ljubuški, Hercegovina.

Journalists Martina Validžić and Goran Milić, captivating storytellers with distinctly different styles, were guest speakers at the event.

I heard Goran speak, and I swear, I could listen to him for days. His tone, his words, his calm, the decades of working on his craft, the decades of stories and storytelling—what a joy to listen to.

Martina speaks my language.

She gives it her all.

To me, she sounds like she found her joy in her work. That place where passion, curiosity, and growth intersect. Goals.

Listening to these storytellers discuss travel and adventure made me smile.

And honestly, that would have been enough.

But there was one more reason for a smile that day.

Mama and I entered our names in a contest.

We wrote our names on a ballot and dropped the papers in the ballot box.

A few hours later, Goran was asked to draw a name for the grand prize: 2 airline tickets to anywhere in Europe.

And Goran drew mama’s name.

Imagine the smiles on our faces.

The My Adriatic Adventure Tote Bag

Tote bags make me smile.

Well, it’s usually messages on tote bags that make me smile.

They remind me of the places I have been.

So, I decided to create one to mark this adventure and share it with others.

I ordered a bunch, and as a first draft, they are pretty special…to me.

I am already thinking of how to step it up in the tote bag game.

Why not?

If it makes me smile, that’s enough to get started.

Here’s a short history of the Tote Bag:

The Tote Bag: History & Origins | SANVT

Maybe, one day, the My Adriatic Adventure tote bag will end up in that story.

Hey, a girl can dream.

You’ve got to start somewhere.

Money

Game Change - by Rob Walker - The Art of Noticing (substack.com)

Reading this piece by Rob Walker made me smile.

Rob’s piece is about people who pick up coins or change, and it got me thinking about my game change.

A few weeks ago, I was walking with my aunt and noticed a penny on the ground. I stopped to pick it up.

My aunt said the penny had been there for at least the last week. We laughed.

Lucky me! I was the first to pick it up.

Here’s my thing with finding any denomination of money. In any currency. And why I will almost always pick it up.

Years ago, in my grey days, I was walking out of a Starbucks and noticed a few 20-dollar bills on the ground.

I picked up the cash. It was 80 Canadian dollars.

In my fog and funk, I walked over to the counter and handed the cash to the cashier, letting her know someone was out $80.

I have no idea what she did with it. I will not presume.

But I think about that moment a lot.

I think about why I didn’t keep the money.

Part of me knows it belonged to someone else, and I hope that if I drop $80, someone will try to return it.

But part of me knows I did not keep the cash because at the time, I did not feel I deserved anything.

Yup, that dark.

I was in a deep funk when I handed $80 to the cashier that day.

I have no regrets about handing over the cash.

I have regrets about feeling unworthy.

Thankfully, things have changed a lot since then.

So now, whenever I notice a coin on the ground, I stop to pick it up.

Not because of its financial value.

But because I think of it as a gift or treasure.

And I do believe I deserve gifts and treasures.

I believe we all do.

My Adriatic Adventure Logo

With some help from Canva and my dear friend Jessica, I have created my first logo for My Adriatic Adventure.

I am learning about fonts and design in the process.

And learning to tap into my creativity.

It’s a work in progress.

Looking at this logo makes me smile.

It reminds me of the work I have put into this Adriatic adventure and the joy it brings me.

It’s the little things…

That’s all for now.

Thanks for reading my rambles.

Wishing you a lovely Sunday.