I signed up for one of the coolest things around…The Sampler. Once a month, I receive a package of tiny handmade goods from artists and crafters around the country. They’re just samples of their work…little items that might entice me to visit their website and buy a few things. Yes, I’m paying for advertising. But I love it! All the trinkets are handmade, original, and tons of fun.

December’s package came with several handmade cards, some buttons, jewelry, soaps, and other doo-dads. I’m totally in love with one little mixed-media pendant…I got lots of compliments on it at the New Year’s party we attended, too, which is always nice. I tried a bath bon-bon, which, true to it’s claim, turned the bath water into a moisturizingly smooth pool of fragrant goodness.

If you’re interested in this fun thing, you can visit The Sampler and sign up for the newsletter, which will tell you when the next batch of Samplers go on sale. They tend to sell out very quickly (within minutes, sometimes), so keep your eyes open for those emails!

Also, am I the last one to fall in love with Madeleine Peyroux? I just bought her new album on itunes, and I’ve been swaying around the house in a dreamy daze ever since. She sounds amazingly like Billie Holiday, and her newest album, Careless Love, is my new favorite thing. I’ve heard her music in different shops and restaurants, most recently at Storyville Boutique, which, by the way, is a wonderful little shop with a storybook theme. Not for kids, really, but just fun and beautiful clothes and knickknacks, both handmade and vintage. I bought an awesome shirt that’s screenprinted with a swan and kitty, and I’ll definitely be back soon. Anyway! The music! You should listen. It makes you happy inside.