THE GOOD. December sure went by quickly! We celebrated the holidays (not to mention the many orders we packed and got out of the door) with a Monday night office party! It was great to unwind over fish and chips, meet everyone’s significant others, and just say thanks to the team. Every single day I feel lucky to work with these great people. :)
We also put our wrapping skills to the test this month. We set up a gift wrapping station over at The Paper Mouse one Saturday afternoon. Our friends at Felix Doolittle run the shop, and it’s full of charm and wonderful stationery and gift items. Sabrina and I enjoyed our time there talking to the many customers and squeezing in a little holiday shopping ourselves. The following weekend, four of us headed over to The Boston General Store’s pop-up location at the Legacy Place shopping complex. Talk about another gorgeous store! Despite the morning snow, more and more shoppers showed up and we wrapped many, many cylindrical things.
I'm happy to say that our final product release of the year was completed right on schedule! Thanks to George all of the new cards were done in time for us to fold, package and send out to our sales reps all over the country. Now we're busy photographing all of the new products so we can get them onto the website and have them available early in the new year. I think you'll really like what's coming!
THE BAD. Sad face. This month we said good-bye to Deb who along with Kate started the company 14 years ago. Even though I took over early this year, Deb stuck around to help out with the transition. I really enjoyed working with her and was thrilled she would still be a part of the team. Now that the year's over, Deb's ready to move on. It'll be a little (okay, a lot) weird without her here. And the treats probably won't be quite as beautiful. I think we're all pretty sad, but we'll adjust. Besides, we're really excited to see what's next for her. Good luck, Deb!
THE UGLY. Only 115 days to go until the perfect date, guys!
P.S. From all of us at Smudge: HAPPY HOLIDAYS! We hope your days have been filled with the people (and the food) that you love most.
This playlist, simply, is for those that hold a classic Christmas nearest and dearest to their hearts. You'll find overtures from your favorite Christmas movies, classic vocalists, and familiar instrumentals. So put this playlist on and enjoy the beauty of the season with a happy smile and share it with the people that you love. Christmas time is here, so bring on the nostalgic cheer! No record player needed. 
Feliz Navidad, Feliz Navidad, Feliz Navidad, prospero ano y felicidad! This playlist has been hecho to spice up the holiday season with the nuances that only Spanish/Latino music can provide. This year, add a kick to your holiday season in una manera espanola that you may enjoy. You can make enchiladas para Christmas Eve (like some of us here at Smudge), you can substitute regular cinnamon for cinnamon Mexicana (tambien known as la canela), or you can also just trata this playlist. Have we been typing Spanglish this whole time? Wow, I guess the playlist has been a success here in the office thus far! 
If you read yesterday's blog post, all of us here at Smudge are seasonal (and sometimes even off-seasonal) cult followers of the beloved new-wave Christmas/Holiday movie classic entitled, "Love Actually." In honor of this very special movie, we have created a Smudge Ink playlist devoted solely to the movie's soundtrack. We even put in some extras that didn't make it into the film. How well do you know your "Love Actually" soundtrack? 
APRIL. Favorite scene: When the Prime Minister is in the car with Natalie and her family members so they can talk on the drive to the school that’s “just around the corner" and the octopus says “We’re here!” And then the Prime Minister says “That really was just around the corner.” Because they were in the car for 30 seconds. I just find it so funny. And so often we’re on a car ride and arrive more quickly than anticipated and it’s very true: “that really was just around the corner.”