Catching up from the holiday

Harleigh is back at school. She returned a little early to start her job, every Saturday, from 9AM to whenever, working in a gown shop in little downtown Statesboro. She happened to be in the store one day poking around, killing some time, and the manager approached her about applying for one of 26 positions needing to be filled for prom season. She started today (after an afternoon training session yesterday), and I can't wait to hear how it all went. I'm sure she'll be pooped from being on her feet all day. How fun to channel "Say Yes to the Dress" while helping high school girls find their special gown for the big dance!!!

I'd been eyeing these ceramic berry baskets online 

and I'll be darned if Molly didn't get me one from Anthropologie. Love it!

Am just getting around to putting all my Christmas decorations up in the attic. Ugh. One of the things I look forward to when pulling everything down from the attic come holiday time is looking at Christmas cards I received the year before. Every year I tie up the cards in ribbon and a little perty thing, and then unwrap them the following year, a little gift unto themselves. This year they'll be packed away wearing a little knitted mitten and twirled candy cane.

Was super excited to get this book from co-worker Julie. Any gal who has a blog or reads blogs knows of Liz Owen from Mabel's House. We cherish her posts. She's like a neighbor, a gal pal. She bares her soul, and I can't imagine blogland without her presence. Her book was a tonic to the end of my holiday vacation. I expected to smile a lot, even laugh out loud, both of which I did. Get yourself a copy and you'll find out that there's much much more to it than her witty storytelling . . . the tears will come, and you'll love and respect her even more.

 Found these Matryoshka (Russian nesting doll) manicure kits at, of all places, Party City. They came in many colors, but I picked up the black and purple ones to keep for gifts. How cute is one of these for a stocking stuffer!?!

And then there's this new addition to my craft table from Ali! She and Matt are building a home in Serenbe, a 900-acre sustainable community in Palmetto, GA. She got this big spool (almost 6" tall) of jute with hand-forged scissors at one of the local shops. Think it's just about the best part of my craft table!