This is Emilie.

She arrived today in my mailbox, courtesy of the burly mailman who mutters to himself as he walks his beat. He had no idea, really, that such an enchanting force lay in his mailbag but I had an inkling.

So Emilie arrived and she proceeded to perch on anything near, my laptop being among the first. She was also seen in the Christmas tree, near the glitter bird I made last year and among the houses I set up over the doorways.

She's balanced on an askew house but I don't think she noticed. I really didn't at the time.

Oh….and just in case you're wondering, I am crazy over certain children's toys, it's true. Two retailers, HearthSong and Magic Cabin, have made me dream big and hard since the first time I got one of the catalogues back at the tender age of ten. Since then, I have poured over the pages and occasionally, oh so very occasionally, picked out a special treat from them. Emilie, my snowflake fairy, was my splurge for this year. If you've never looked into those catalogues, check them out. They're just fun to flip through. Everyone has a kid in them and Christmastime is generally on the best times for those kids. At least…Emilie and I think so.