show & tell {and breakfast of champions}

ned brought his camera today for show & tell

this morning,

along with several other students,

he was honored at his school's

◄ breakfast of champions ►

for showing empathy.

here he is getting high-fives

from all the teachers:

{such a cool & fun way to do an award ceremony - i love ned's school!}

♥

new favorite :: herb cheese bagels {from winco}

they have been there all along,

but we just discovered them this week...

herb cheese bagels

from our winco bakery

{in the bulk fresh bagel bins}

toasted with cream cheese,

they taste almost like a pizza.

marian took one to school

and everyone wanted to know

what the delicious smell was.

last week our toaster caught on fire

{nothing major, as i was right there to put it out}

and we are temporarily toaster-less.

that is not stopping us...

we are so in love with these bagels

that i'm using my oven broiler

to enjoy their toasty goodness.

♥

etsy artist :: jane mount

jane mount

paints people's bookshelves

here

here

here

here

here

here

here

and here.

jane's ideal bookshelf project:

"I paint people's ideal bookshelves: your favorite books,

books that changed your life, books that made you who you are.

Picking your ideal books is not an easy task (try it!).

I think of this project as an intimate form of portraiture;

a way to illustrate who the subject is on the inside instead of out."

she will create a custom work of art

from your very own favorite books

{your mom's gardening books, your child's picture books}

or you can buy one of her prints.

i L♥Ve her work.

find out more here and here.

♥

do you ever... eat the whole bag?

sure, i shared a few with my kids,

but i pretty much polished off this bag

all. by. myself.

♥

p.s. in my defense,

{have you ever tried these?}

they are gourmet cheese puffs...

"aged blue & cheddar cheeses" the label says.

my favorite scent

this is what i wear everyday

auric blends "egyptian goddess"

{about $7.00 at my co-op, but you can also buy it here}

{they have other fragrances - you can even order a sample pack}

the solid perfume sits on my desk,

and i keep the roll-on in my purse.

it is affordable.

it is all-natural.

it smells familiar to me, but i can't place it.

it is my favorite.

even ned likes to wear it.

{he calls it "smell-good" as in, "can i have some smell-good?"}

♥

last bits of christmas

i have packed away the last of the decorations.

this santa candle was a "secret santa" gift in 2nd grade {circa 1977}.
the silver dish is from mary ~ i love how it works for every season.
and, of course i must have books.

wreath inspiration from dawn.

it takes me longer than most people to

sufficiently "recover" from christmas.

{or recover from anything, for that matter...}

here's hoping all this clean-up

equals a more productive week.

♥

book review :: winter is the warmest season

we have packed away our christmas books,

but this one will stay on the shelf until spring.

{find it here}

i love winter, snow, and ice.

however, i do not like to be cold.

on the contrary,

i love to be cozy & warm,

curled up beside the fire,

with a bowl of soup and a cup of tea.

this book really captures
my fondness for chilly weather,

which is really a fondness for being snug.

winter IS the warmest season.

♥