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On June 7,2025, I had a booth at the Berkshire Pride Festival in Pittsfield,Massachusetts. On June 20,2025, I had a booth at North Adams Pride Night. (North Adams,Mass) It was the first time, I had participated in a Pride Festival and it was (in a word) WONDERFUL. Both events had weather issues;rain and then wind. It was amazing how people's JOY moved past the weather. In Pittsfield,people marched in the Pride Parade and then arrived at The Pittsfield Common. The joyful energy was palpable. People may have been a little wet,but they were HAPPY. Happy to be amongst friends,family,allies,and community. The performers were excellent. The energy was fantastic. It was an incredible day. I had not been at a market in 6 years,and I felt so welcome,included,and yes,filled with JOY. Seeing people be so comfortable being themselves was a beautiful thing to see. To see people being nice to each other,smiling,singing,and dancing was fabulous. On June 20,at North Adams Pride Night,the wind was wild. The sky was blue,with white fluffy clouds,but the wind was a challenge. Everyone there was helpful,supportive and enthusiastic. From parking,unloading and setting up,there were volunteers to help. We were able to set up our booth, and figured out how to keep things from blowing out of the booth. As the evening progressed,people strolled and shopped. Once again,I was amazed at how happy people were. I was amazed at how much I was smiling. I saw a friend,Jesse,a candle maker,and writer walking by with his husband and their dog. I had only chatted with Jesse through Instagram for the last 4 years, and now we were able to meet in person. So much JOY! I am so grateful to every person who made these 2 Pride Events happen. In the middle of all the chaos in our world,there were 2 events filled with PRIDE & JOY. I still feel that happiness of community and it is a very good feeling. -Kim

Welcome to the lovely and heartfelt greeting cards and stickers by Carrie of Snail Mail. Carrie is 1 of the Nice People Who Make Cool Stuff. Carrie paints the greeting cards with acrylic paint. Her work expresses kindness and empathy in her stickers and greeting cards. 5% is donated back to organizations that show support to our refugee neighbors. Carrie is based in Rockville,Virginia. So happy that Carrie's work is now available at HGBGA.com Wishing Y'All a wonderful week. -Kim

Hello Gorgeous Friends, On June 7, from 11am-4pm in Pittsfield,Massachusetts, we will have our first Booth at the Berkshire Pride Festival! Since we closed our brick & mortar back in 2020, we have solely been online. Now-it is time to try something new! The Festival-Market Adventure. We will also be at North Adams Pride Night on June 20 from 5-9pm. Hope to see you there! If you cannot join in person, items will also be available at HGBGA.com Thank you Gorgeous Friends for your support of our small business adventures! Wishing you a wonderful weekend, Kim

About 25 years ago,I began watching the tv series,"Buffy the Vampire Slayer." Before I went in for a surgery about 17 years ago,I watched the whole series to feel stronger and braver. It worked. I recently began re-watching Buffy again. I thought it was time for me to feel brave again. Here are some simple ideas that stand out for me; In an episode when Buffy is battling Angelus, he says to her "What will you do? No friends, no weapons,no hope, 'What do you have?' Buffy closes her eyes,grabs the end of the sword, and says, "ME." (although I would probably never wield a sword,even with my eyes open,this moment resonated with me.) Buffy is the most confident in herself as "The Slayer." Even so,her friends, Willow,Xander, Cordelia, Oz and Giles always boost her effectiveness. Although this "Scooby Gang" has their ups and downs,they always find their way back together. It is together that they are stronger in their fight against evil. In her high school senior year at Sunnydale High School, Buffy is awarded a special award; first time given; it is a small embellished umbrella, with which Buffy is named "Class Protector." This made me cry. Although everyday we learn of outrageous events we must continue to work together to help our communities,neighbors and friends. In the final episode of the Buffy series,Willow figures out a magical way to share Buffy's Slayer power with girls around the world. It is an amazingly meaningful and powerful montage. We are indeed Stronger Together. Thank you & keep Going, Kim

It is now April 17,which calls to mind..."April Showers bring May Flowers." Mother Nature handles the rain...or snow...but I can show you some superb seeds to plant the May Flowers & Herbs. Sow the Magic is a women owned business based in Asheville,North Carolina. Their tarot inspired seed packets are not only beautiful on the outside but also have seeds inside to grow beautiful additions to your garden. Since I am not much of a gardener,I have included some of my favorite nature inspired Spring Things. Cherry Blossom photo by Talfoto of Brooklyn, Mushroom Necklace by Alissa of A Tea Leaf in the Pacific Northwest and Cloud/Lightning Bolt & Rainbow earrings by Yellow Owl Workshop of San Francisco. The Empress Bee's flower bears subtle purple-blue flowers with curved spikes while attracting & supporting several types of bees. Tropaeloum Minus Edible flowers provide dark red,ruby-black color. Attracts bees & is resistant to deer & rabbit. Cherry Blossoms for All! Lovely photo by Talfoto Whimsical Mushroom Necklace by A Tea Leaf Rainstorm to Rainbow Earrings by Yellow Owl Workshop From tarot inspired seed packets & seeds to lovely floral photos to nature inspired jewelry,find something You will love at HGBGA.com Free Nationwide Shipping. Thank you Gorgeous Friends. Best,Kim

A to-do list is handy. Yes, to write things down,but also to do a tiny dance of joy when you get them done. Enter: To-Do Lists to make that happen: First up is the lined notepad with tiny boxes to check off what you accomplish.Janine,of Kwohtations,creates a border of tasks that remind me what I did actually accomplish. Did laundry,sent real mail,and rested. Yay! The Golden Girls lined notepad is by The Found, collaborative work of Laura Szumowski & Albert Tanquero. This notepad can be used for to-do,but also for notes,letters,song lyrics,maybe even a poem. Magnets & Enamel Pins are good rewards for a to-do list accomplishment. In short, to-do lists help get stuff done. Studies show that when we write stuff down, goals,tasks, etc, we are 75% more likely to accomplish them. I like that percentage. I also like small rewards like magnets and enamel pins. Where can a person find all this? Yes, you guessed it, HGBGA.com Free Nationwide Shipping. Where "Nice People Make Cool Stuff." Thank you Gorgeous Friends for being You. Best,Kim

I decided to write a blog post filled with a few things that make me smile and feel supported and uplifted. Hopefully they do the same for you. Oy Vey is the Yiddish exclamation that my Grandma Eva said to me on the regular. The re-stock of these fab purple & yellow magnets are fabulous. And oh,so timely. Just arrived this week are the "Ducks in a Row" notepads. I always say that "I want to get my ducks in a row." So....here goes. And this is how my ducks go... I think we all have so much going on. In fact,it is almost like we are juggling...on a unicycle. Juggling on a unicycle definitely deserves a cheering section so...next up: Here's to YOU, Gorgeous Friends! Y'All are the best. Have a wonderful week, Kim

I recently read "Remarkably Bright Creatures" by Shelby Van Pelt and it was wonderful. It is one of those types of books that I read slowly...so I would not finish it too quickly. Van Pelt creates characters that I wanted to meet and places I wanted to visit. The ending actually left me feeling happy and hopeful In short, I recommend this book. Lately I have been exploring more places in my new town. (2 years now) I visited the Clark Institute and saw an amazing tapestry exhibit. Took my 3 year old grandchild, which was quite lovely. We sang "Oh,Mister Sun.mister golden sun" to 1 of the tapestries. Today, we went to the Norman Rockwell Museum and saw an exhibit called "Original Sisters" by Anita Kunz. Portraits of Tenacity and Courage." It is an incredible collection of portraits of women throughout history till now. I was familiar with several, however many more were women that this exhibit introduced me to. Anita Kunz, the artist,and award winning illustrator; said something that resonated with me. She said, (paraphrasing) that the remarkable women who were the subjects of her portraits not only inspired her but also that she could not imagine some of the struggles they navigated. As I walked through this amazing collection of portraits,it reminded me how powerful it is to be inspired,uplifted, and encouraged. Wishing you a week filled with inspiration and connection, -Kim

Now is a very exhausting and overwhelming time. I wish I could be more eloquent,but... So yesterday, I cut pink paper hearts out from construction paper and scotch taped them to our window. It felt wonderful. Today I tried to make a snowman, and ended up just moving the snow around. (cause apparently, this snow is too dry. Who knew?) I even made a rudimentary snow angel. I have been dancing while brushing my teeth (there is a 2 minute timer,which seems like such a long time. However,when I dance, it goes quickly) In the middle of making phone calls to my Senators and Congresspeople, I have to take a break from the news, newspaper, and social media. It all is too much. However, I do not want to tune it completely out. I take small breaks doing random things. The above are some of those random things. I also just want to let you know that we are all doing the best we can, As a mom,stepmom and grandma,I can tell. Be good to yourself. Be good to each other. Be You. I think we have to go "one step at a time." If I get organized enough, I will be mailing you an actual card. Maybe a pink heart card. It could happen. Wanted to give you a heads up. I like receiving mail...so I thought you might also like receiving mail. Time will tell. -Thank you Kim

With all that is going on in the world, I have been thinking about what gives me comfort,inspiration and hope. Here are some of the things: 1.Community . Yesterday we marched in the People's March here in Pittsfield,Massachusetts. Being with people walking together outside chanting "What do we want? Democracy. When do we want it? Now." was excellent. I was so into it that I actually forgot to take pics,wear my sunglasses or even wear makeup. (I am embarrassed to say that I am quite vain) 2.Family :My granddaughter visited us yesterday, and sang "Oh Christmas Tree" to us, and showed me how to open and close her "Baby Shark" water tumbler. She is fantastic. 3.Fr iends:Talking on the phone to my friends is a necessity. 4.De rry Girls:Makes me laugh out loud. Watching this funny and poignant show for the 3rd time is just what I needed. Ca use, laughter. 5.Movie s: "Wicked" and "A Complete Unknown" are amazing films. Everything about them. Seriously. 6.Vi siting Northhampton and Amherst,Massachusetts was fabulous. New places,people,scenery,shopping,dark chocolate,cappucinos, and college towns. 7.Th e Gorgeous Friends Community=YOU!!!!!! 8.Th e Cool Stuff Made by Nice People which gives me inspiration with empowering words and artistic reminders to keep GOING,DREAMING and HOPING. Thank you Gorgeous Friends, -Kim ps.orders placed between 1/19/25-2/1/25 will ship 2/3/25.

This is my 2nd winter in western Massachusetts, also known as The Berkshires. I marvel at the silence of the snowfall. In the middle of the night, I even look out the window to see if there is snow on the ground. I find it completely amazing the way that the snow changes the landscape of my neighborhood, and the city around me. We all have seen a snowy landscape in photographs, movies, on tv, in picture books and paintings. However, seeing it up close and personal is at once beautiful, sparkling, but also stark,and filled with shades of gray,black and brown. I am still intimidated by driving in the snow...so to me, the Snow Plowers are magical people with a truck and Snow Plow, that work to keep the streets clear and easier to drive. At night, if there is snowfall expected, (I think like 3-4 inches) the Snow Plowers come out to work in the middle of the night. They often come work in the morning, as early as 6am. Until I moved here, I did not understand the wonder of what the Snow Plowers do; I do now. The Snow Plowers clear the roads in our neighborhoods, on the intricate and narrow streets, up steep hills, and back down again. (I actually have seen them drive the trucks in reverse.) In some places, the city's Public Works Department does the snow plowing. In some circumstances, independent Snow Plowers clear the neighborhood streets, roads and highways. I see the Snow Plowing from the practical level, which is that people need to be able to travel safely to their jobs,schools, and to get around town. I also see it from the level of "Clearing the way of obstacles." "Making things smooth and accessible." Seeing people who work to make life a little easier for others is beautiful. When I was a little kid, I wanted to be a professional whistler when I grew up. Now, I want to be a Snow Plower when I grow up. Thank you to the Snow Plowers, I am grateful for you and your work. -Kim by Kwohtations by Pencil Joy

Hello Gorgeous Friends, I thought about writing a deep and meaningful blog post for year end...but then I changed my mind and thought, WHY? 1 of my fave scenes in Mary Poppins was when Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke sing "I love to laugh!" And then I thought...I "Love to Laugh!" So this blog post is about LAUGHING, chuckling,chortling,giggling and smiling. These following 2 comic strips just make me smile and laugh each time I see them. I actually keep them on my fridge,just for the purpose of laughing. In addition to being funny, they also contain good gift giving advice, as well as the "magic" of a stationery store. (whether for magicians or others) If you are looking for great gifts, that would make the Catwomen, Robins and Magicians in your world happy, then Shop HGBGA.com 2 Classic Holiday Cards from The Card Bureau Seriously, this Card always makes me laugh. Thank you for supporting my small business since 2014. Thank you for being YOU! Wishing You all the Laughter! -Kim