Photo Day Fun with Kate @ The Healdsburg School

Team Mugsy headed by Kate Nagle had a wonderful time capturing smiles at The Healdsburg School.



Take a look at more of Kate’s wonderful work by clicking here.

Photo Day Fun at San Francisco Day School

Your Mugsyclicks photo team had a wonderful time for photo day at San Francisco Day school! Take a look!

Photo Day Fun at Mark Day School!

Melissa and Abby had a fantastic time with the students for photo day at Mark Day School! The day was full of fun and smiles.



Take a look at more of Melissa and Abby's work by visiting their websites:

marbleryephotography.com  atarschesphoto.com

Spring Creek Photo Day Fun

Kate Nagle and her team have done it again, and had a blast with the students for photo day at Spring Creek!



Take a look at more of Kate’s wonderful work by clicking here.

Tam Valley Photo Day Fun

Jarreau Cross and his team had a blast with the students for photo day at Tam Valley!



Take a look at more of Jarreau’s wonderful work by clicking here.

Photo Day FUN at Evergreen School!

Kate Nagle & her team had another fun-filled day with the kids at Evergreen School!



Take a look at more of Kate’s wonderful work at KateNaglePhoto.com

Photo Day FUN at Oak Grove School!

Kate Nagle and her team had a wonderful time back at Oak Grove School! We are delighted to be providing your school portraits this year!

Please keep Kate in mind when thinking about your family portraits or special events. You can see more of her work at KateNaglePhoto.com.

Welcome Rincon Valley Christian School!

Kate Nagle and her MugsyClicks team were happy to celebrate their first year as Rincon Valley Christian School photographers. It is always exciting to discover a new campus and craft photos for the first time. Welcome aboard RVCS we are looking forward to watching your children grow!

Please keep Kate in mind when thinking about your family portraits or special events. You can see more of her work at KateNaglePhoto.com.

Ross School Photo Fun!

Our MugsyClicks Photography team, headed by Jarreau Cross, had a wonderful launch to our season at Ross School. It was fun being back in the park where the kids could romp while awaiting their turn at the camera! What a wonderful group of polite and thankful smilers! We delight in seeing children we have been photographing since they were in kindergarten celebrating their last year at Ross School.

Sonoma Country Day School Photo Day Fun

Your MugsyClicks Photo Team headed by Kate Nagle had a wonderful time capturing this year's cherished portraits. These images will be available in approximately 2 weeks.
Watch for access code and ordering info via your student's "backpack mail".
To see more of your photographer's personal work check out -KateNaglePhoto.com

Sonoma Academy Photo Day Fun!

Your MugsyClicks Photo Team headed by Kate Nagle had a wonderful time capturing this year's cherished portraits. These images will be available in approximately 2-3 weeks.

If your student was not photographed on Registration day, please send them ready for photos on August 27th

Watch for access code and ordering info via your student's "backpack mail".

To see more of your photographer's personal work check out -KateNaglePhoto.com

Zeke Graham Epic Cuber

Meet 12 year old Zeke Graham, 6th grader at Proctor Terrace Elementary. Born in Santa Monica, Zeke has lived in Venice, Chico, Pacific Palisades and now Santa Rosa. He loves Rubik's Cubes, gold mining, video games, YouTube, RC cars, riding his scooter, the Giants, hanging out with friends and family and mostly his beagle, Carter. A born entrepreneur, Zeke just got a his first camera for Christmas and his first paid job 2 weeks later, shooting video in LA at his friend's bar mitzvah, alongside his mom, MugsyClicks photographer Suzanne Karp. At age 11 ,he invented an all-natural cleaning product called Natura-Clean which finances his Rubik cube passion. Recently Zeke participated in a Rubik's Cube competition at UC Berkeley. Solved a 2x2 cube in 7.47 seconds. Check out the YouTube Channel, "3 Epic Cubers", created by Zeke and his good friends, Caden and Pasha.

When is your first memory of playing with a Rubik cube? Who gave it to you? Where did you find it?

About a year ago I found a Rubik's Cube in my parent's bedroom on the shelf. It belonged to my mom but she was never able to solve more than one side. About 90% of how I learned to solve cubes is from watching instructional YouTube videos.

Why do you think some people like to play with these puzzles and some not?

I think some people get really frustrated but fortunately for me, I seem to have a lot of patience for cubes!

Tell us a bit about what a Rubik's Cube Competition is like?

The recent competition was held in a classroom at UC Berkeley. There were about 125 people crowded into a room that is supposed to hold 50. All of the competitors were standing around spinning cubes, waiting for their turn, while all the parents were waiting in their places with their cameras ready to go. There are many events throughout the day, each one using a different cube - everything from 2x2 up to 7x7, plus extra events like one-handed 3x3. Each competitor has 5 chances to see how fast they can solve their cube, while a judge watches and times your solve. My mom and dad made a timelapse video of the competition that you can see on my YouTube channel. IT WAS THE MOST FUN DAY I'VE EVER HAD. I just signed up for another competition in March in Sunnyvale.

Do you play video/computer games? Which ones? How does the experience of playing those games differ from the cube?

I play Minecraft, Legend of Zelda, Pikman 3 and Sinister.

Top favorite foods?

Bacon, tomato soup, pasta, cherries, Chipotle pork/rice/beans.

Favorite Book?

The BFG, Mr. Lemoncello's Library, Smells Like Treasure.

Favorite movies?

Avatar, Hunger Games, The Hobbit

How many cubes do you own? Are any extra special? Why?

I own about 30 cubes. I've saved money to buy them from selling Natura-Clean, my all-natural cleaning product. I've also saved birthday and Christmas money to buy them. My most special cube is a custom-made, Pyramorphix cube from Thailand.

Fastest time?

1.21 seconds for a 2x2, 19 seconds for a 3x3.

Any secret tips you can share on cubing?

The whole key to solving cubes in learning the mathematical algorithms that apply to each cube when it's in certain positions. I've memorized about 40 algorithms so far.

Who is your hero?

My mom and dad are my heroes.

What do you like in a teacher?

My 6th grade teacher Mrs. Lyon is awesome. I love that she's really calm and always helpful.

What's your favorite color?

Light blue.

Meet Justine Malone, Owner of Cast Away Yarn

How could we not celebrate a creative Mompreneur who spearheaded a yarn bombing of Railroad Square in Santa Rosa? Justine Malone shares with us why knitting is a great way for kids to learn?

What do you consider your greatest achievement as a small business owner?

That so many people know about my shop in only 5 years! I want to be a staple in Santa Rosa/Sonoma County/Railroad Square. I wouldn’t have my shop ANYWHERE else. I fantasized for years about being here. To me it was the ultimate. I had 2 shops before this and wished both of them were here. I live on the West side of the tracks and try to do most of my living over here. The great thing about our large and vibrant city is that the downtown really feels like a small town. we don’t feel much bigger than Petaluma or Healdsburg, even though we are the county seat and triple their populations. I have been adamant about shopping local for 20+ years, no matter what my community. Living near Railroad Square for 13+ years, and having my business here for the last 5 years makes me feel like I am finally a permanent part of a community. I run into the same people every day, have regular customers, and spend as much of my money within 1 mile of my house as possible!

Why is knitting a great skill for kids? What do they learn?

It teaches them fine motor skills and basic math. It brings the focus into a small sphere, allowing ​for concentration​ and feeling lost in something at the same time. Kids are my best students, they are used to learning new things every day and don't doubt their abilities.

What advice would you share with someone who wanted to make their love of Art also their means of income?

Well first off the answer isn't that glamorous: you need to enjoy running a business. Because 80% of what you will be doing all day is the business part. After that I'd say delegate. Free up as much of your time and you can so you can bring your all into even the boring business parts. Pay people to do the things that show your creativity, even if those things aren't cheap to hire out. It might be inexpensive to hire someone to do the things you love but don't be tempted to give those jobs away.

What’s your favorite thing to talk about with your customers?

I love it when customers tell me about an ongoing or finished project and include stories about what was going on in their life when they made the item. Some people knit during boring periods of life- school, meetings, work. Some find knitting helps them through loss- quite a lot of people come in to stock up for hospital stays. Some people have pets that try very hard to destroy their projects! It can be boring, trying, and comical. Such is life!be a better student in areas that are challenging for me, mindset is 90%!

What is a positive thing that beginning knitters often say?

“This is fun!” “I’m doing it! ”Oh my gosh I made this!” (about a tiny square of nothingness which makes it even cuter), or even “I am awful at this hahahaha!!!” and then keep trying with a smile. Students who talk like this do well. The ones who say “I won’t be able to do this” ”This is terrible!” ”I’m not creative” just don’t do well. Teaching knitting has taught me how to

How is knitting changing peoples lives?

I have a lot of beginning knitting students that are at retirement age. These are women (yes, mostly women- you should see how excited we get when we get a male student!) whose mothers were knitters & crocheters. Baby boomers wanted nothing to do with hand crafts back then- but now these women are excited and thankful to have someone teach them what they weren’t ready for 30 years ago. I like to think that these people walk away with a sense of nostalgia and pride.

Why do you think people love to see your dog at work?

Oh wow, that dog has taught me a lot. Greeting people with pure love, adoration and the complete expectation of all of that in return. How could you not fall for that?!! Also, everyone needs to get out of their head. She’s silly.

In what ways do your customers inspire you?

I have customers that go to knitting retreats & events, remember the names of designers and patterns, knit sweaters in weekends! I so wish I could do this. My brain is scrambled with the daily chores of running a shop. I can’t wait to someday take some time off and immerse myself in … ironically… knitting!

What is your favorite yarn or project of all time and why?

Don’t make me choose! I love The Fibre Company yarns, Shibui, Skacel yarn company ( I love rain and cold weather so someday I hope to live in the Pacific Northwest or Midwest) My favorite needle size is 4-6 and I just can’t decide if I like a meaty project that takes months (ok, years) or a small project I can finish in a weekend. I really just get full of yearning and excitement when I dream of a new project. It’s like hunger- not unlike after a long day at the beach when you long for warmth, stew and a beer! It’s a full body experience. Not sure how else to describe it.

What is the biggest change you have made in 5 years of business!

I am so glad that I was able to connect with Leslee Fiorella and Isla Corbett, my amazing partners and co-owners who brought together Folk Modern Craft and Cast Away. Partnering allows us to become a full service modern craft shop, the only one in Sonoma County. Working together allowed us to rent a much larger space in the Lee Brothers Building, the first building built in SR after the 1906 earthquake.