Ornament
So, the other day, I got my Yule tree – a fresh Frasier fir – in preparation for the holidays. While I usually don’t get a tree this early in December (the 9th!) because keeping a captive evergreen alive in this humidity can get dicey… I’ve had quite a *time* this year, and I think I needed some holiday cheer just that much earlier than usual this year!
Today – December 12th- I went out to purchase some new blinky lights – as the ones I had been using for trees past had become unfortunately unsalvageable- I was surprised to see that my local Target had all of their holiday decor ON SALE already 😲
What?! Christmas is still nearly *two weeks away* and they’re already thinking about Valentine’s Day?!
What indeed, but there I was, picking through their sad little aisles, and this festive fellow caught my eye, lying in a bin of felt ornaments:

And honestly, though I am not a fan of snails or slugs, what I really love about this one is their colorfully curled shell…and that mysterious expression – that saucy upturned smile, those furtive eyes.
I thought, This snail is going places.
Or maybe, this is not a colorful snail at all.
but a pale pink slug or worm who has cleverly stolen a fruit roll-up (or perhaps several fruit roll ups!) and is trying to make a getaway with their sweet prize rolled up neatly upon their back!
Either way, this sly fellow is well on the way to becoming my favorite ornament.
It’s the eyes, really.
They’re getting away with something, and they KNOW it, hence why they look so saucy about it lol
May we all be as successful and confident as this little thief in 2023!