Hi, I’m Laura Bellandi. Bellandi - yes, the last name is part of it. I come from a world where people discuss good food as if it were a matter of state, and where you might linger in front of a painting longer than other people would consider reasonable. I like beautiful things. But I like things that bear traces even more. A small tear, a faded color, a crease in the fabric - sometimes it’s the imperfections that tell the most.

Actually, I was only supposed to be visiting here. At some point, I realized that no one really knew exactly when I’d actually become part of the family. Neither did I. Lisa makes me laugh, Yasmin makes me think, and somewhere in between, I’ve apparently found a place that feels suspiciously like home. So now I’m writing here, too. About art, people, family, and probably pasta every now and then - and if anyone ever puts pineapple on it here, I naturally reserve the right to protest in the Italian style.