Chopping Cabbage and Smoking Cigarettes

Last night I actually used the phrase "chaps my ass." I'm not sure I have ever put those three words side-by-side in a sentence in my life.

What makes me giggle is that I honestly thought that there wouldn't be many people in Wal-Mart. Turns out, two weeks before Christmas, on a weekend night, and mere hours before possible snow, people shop. Go figure.

Just a reminder that shopping locally not only helps support community businesses, saves gas, and in my case, saves money, but ultimately, piddling around local shops makes patience and sanity a little easier to come by during the holidays.

Some more local finds...
Pat Ritter and Gary Cooper are both amazing artists. Check out their webpage for shots of Pat's paintings and Gary's woodworking projects: http://www.artmusic.net/index.html. I don't want to ruin the surprise; I'm keeping my order a secret.
Find a pretty ornament (this one picked up at Main 210) and do your own decorations. Nothing says sophistication like a big, puffy Santa and an assortment of yellow "ho ho ho"s.

Custom framing is always a good option. Stop by and see Charlotte and Danny Cash at The Square Corner on Hwy. 90 east. Mrs. Cash has some wonderful matted photos and drawings for sale as well (plus, it is just a beautiful home and farm).
I found this pocket photo album at the Dollar Store for an actual dollar (I love that nearly everything in there is more than $1) and had some photos developed and enlarged at Morgan's Medicine. Save one sleeve of the album for a favorite poem, song, or personal note.

Lucy and Willie are getting new dog beds from Fred's this year alongside some homemade treats from a dog cookbook a dear friend gave to us last year.
Since my boyfriend no longer reads Pillow Book, it won't hurt to show this. He loves to eat crap. He "is red." Hence, lots of balls of red sugar and sugar-coated nuts from Kountry Kitchen for his stocking.
A $1 tie and two, $3 shirts from the Methodist Opportunity Store.

*I am also getting something monogrammed at Country Peddler (I'll show pictures when it's finished), stopped by Grider Flea Market to check out cookie jars (Dad got me, Leigh Ann, and Mom all one several years ago and it remains one of my favorite Christmas presents of all time), explored Brown's Supply for stocking stuffers, listen to the Swap Shop every morning and write down numbers for people who have hens and roosters, and asked an incredibly creative local card designer to possibly do a few for me to include with a gift.

Let me know if you have other suggestions!