A Fine Line

Always on the lookout for new things for the store, I came across Far Fetched, a fair trade jewelry company based in California. Their jewelry is mostly sterling silver, made in Taxco, Mexico (famous for its silver). Some of it ventures dangerously close to cutesy -- not to be confused with "cute" -- but there is one cuff bracelet coveted by all of our staff, and I'm not sure I can live without it much longer. It's a simple silver cuff (similar to those pictured at left) and the inscription reads: "Cleverly disguised as a responsible adult." I don't think you can buy it online, but if you want one, Ten Thousand Villages will be happy to ship!

To Noir Me is to Love Me

Collecting books has never been my thing -- as much as I love to read, I'm perfectly content to use the public library or borrow from an obliging friend. Then, I discovered the Hard Case Crime Series. Garish, retro covers and a heart of dark, noir goodness. Perhaps it might reveal too much about my character to have a bookshelf full of these, but I don't care...I want them all.

www.hardcasecrime.com

I Believe in Miracles

There are the practical aspects of staying warm, and then there are things like hot chocolate. Hot chocolate accomplishes a few things, not the least of which is warming you without the use of microfleece. And I suppose it tastes pretty good, too.

My favorite hot cocoa also happens to be unavailable at your local grocery store and is not the most convenient to make. Why are we not surprised? But (she pleaded plaintively) it's really, really good! And it's not as expensive as all those haute chocolates.

www.mexgrocer.com, $4.95

It's Electric

As soon as the temperature drops below, oh, let's say seventy degrees, I make it my mission to avoid the cold. And by "cold" I mean anything below seventy degrees. That's why my favorite Christmas present had to be the electric blanket my parents gave me. I just use it to preheat my bed before going to sleep, and it's so warm that I've been able to keep my home thermostat five degrees cooler than usual, which appeals to the environmentalist in me. You might even say it gives me the warm fuzzies.

I mean, you could say that -- if you were kind of a dork.


cozywinters.com, $89