There’s something for kids in wine country — just ask Novato’s Kimberly DesJardine. The story of Gabby was inspired by a walk through DesJardine’s hobby vineyard in Healdsburg, where she and her husband (as well as their vintner neighbors) make zinfandel. On this walk, her daughter noticed a green grape in the middle of a purple bunch and commented on how it didn’t want to be like the rest. “It’s really a story of individuality and about being comfortable in your own skin,” says DesJardine. You can find the Gabby the Green Grape book and plush toys in many local winery gift shops.
Kasia Pawlowska loves words. A native of Poland, Kasia moved to the States when she was seven. The San Francisco State University creative writing graduate went on to write for publications like the San Francisco Bay Guardian and KQED Arts among others prior to joining the Marin Magazine staff. Topics Kasia has covered include travel, trends, mushroom hunting, an award-winning series on social media addiction and loads of other random things. When she’s not busy blogging or researching and writing articles, she’s either at home writing postcards and reading or going to shows. Recently, Kasia has been trying to branch out and diversify, ie: use different emojis. Her quest for the perfect chip is never-ending.
