Michael and I were talking about finishing up our holiday shopping this morning. We both agreed that we wanted to shop locally as much as possible and to support artists who are brave enough to put their work out into the world. It reminded me of a blog I wrote about this idea and the invitation I made to you about sharing your work with my online community.

Here it is… updated .

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Michael and I went Christmas shopping last night.

For about twenty minutes.

Then, standing in the middle of a busy mall, we looked at each other, smiled and whispered: Foot massage!

We made a beeline for our favorite Chinese foot massage place on the other side of the building.

Christmas shopping isn’t what it used to be.

Wasn’t there a time when malls were filled with unique and interesting shops, dressed up people smiling and happy, and festive music playing at just the right decibel?

Ahhh the good old days…

We gave the mall our best shot, but big box stores just don’t do it for us anymore. We like boutiques, arts & crafts fairs, and supporting local businesses.

Like on Friday night.

Every year our community hosts an invitation night where businesses stay open late, serving food and drink to customers who come to visit.

I love this annual event because it feels like visiting “Whoville.”

Michael and I walked around (during a light snowfall, no less, for which I will be eternally grateful), and wandered into a holiday craft fair hosted by, Roberta Horsman, an herbalist and wheat weaver. Here’s a picture of her art…

While walking around the fair, Michael and I met several talented artists. Cori Caputo, for example, makes imaginative, whimsical paintings for cards and prints.

Here’s an example of her work…

We also stopped into BC Essentials, one of my favorite shops in Newburyport, MA, owned by Beverly Buccheri. Beverly creates lotions, soaps, candles and oil blends infused with heavenly scents that are some of my go-to gifts for the women in my life.

Here’s one of her pretty displays…

I love supporting artists because I know how much courage it takes to put our creative dreams out into the world.  We pour our essence and experience into form for months at a time (sometimes years!), create a finished piece, and hope like hell someone gets our vision.

Well, we saw plenty of vision Friday night and I thought I’d raise a glass to the artists of the world by sharing some of them with you.

Now it’s your turn.  Are you an artist?  Do you have a website you’d like to tell people about?  Post a comment here on my Facebook Page and include a link to your website (and a photo of your favorite piece/product if you have one).

Let’s share your art with the world, too!

Happy Holidays .

Video of the Week

This week’s video is a fun one about pups who entertain themselves. You can watch it here.