In this issue:

• Booboo Bandaids and Joy
• A Free Gift!
• Common Threads opens this week
• Potholders available for holiday giving

What I Mean When I Say Invest In Joy.

I got my annual flu shot. Since this required me putting on my Big Girl Pants, I closed my eyes for the shot and laid still for the next few minutes. Then I rolled my sleeve down and went about my day. It wasn’t until after I got home that I noticed the nurse had given me a bandaid decorated with hearts and rainbows.

This bandaid made my heart sing. Not only was it a functional object signifying that I had done a Difficult Adult Thing, but it was pretty. Would a plain bandaid have done the job? Sure. Did the rainbow bandaid make my booboo feel ten times better? HELL YES.

Sometimes it’s hard for adults to remember small joys. We dismiss them as juvenile, frivolous, irresponsible. Surely this little sparkly feeling means we’re neglecting something important somewhere else.

If there’s one hill I could die on, it’s the Hill of Putting Functional Pockets In All Clothing. But if there are two, the second hill would be Small Joys. As I put it in the inaugural issue of Everything Sucks, So… ​

• eat the good cheese
• mend those jeans
• play the guitar
• adopt a pet
• nap
• scream
• finish the series
• stickers
• oil that squeaky door hinge
• get new pillows
• etc.

This is what I mean when I say Invest In Joy.

Stop postponing pleasure until you feel like you’ve “earned” it. You don’t need to earn joy. It’s your birthright.

This is my recommendation for the final days of 2023: Treat yourself to small joys. Whatever that means for you.

Not Sure Where To Find Joy?

If you’re looking for ideas, I have a gift for you.

​Visit the zine section of my web store and use the coupon code SMALLJOY at checkout to receive $2 off your order. If you buy a digital zine, this means that you get it for free. Issue #1 is devoted to Pleasure, and there are lots of ideas there. But all 8 issues are intended to give your brain a little vacation.

If you’re ready to invest in joy
that you can literally wrap around your body,
I’ll help you make that happen!

​

Oklahoma City: Common Threads opens at Myriad Gardens 12/14

Common Threads features five fiber artists: Sarah Atlee, Vicki Conley, Irmgard Geul, Sarah Sherrod, and Lisa Wing. I’ve show in this beautiful space before, and I’m excited to return in the company of these fabulous artists!

What: Common Threads, a fiber arts group exhibition

Where: Myriad Gardens conservatory lobby (map link)

When: December 14 through January 23

Opening Reception: Friday 12/15, 6-7:30 pm (link to Facebook event)

The reception for Common Threads will be concurrent with Myriad Gardens Conservatory After Hours event. The art exhibition is free and open to the public, in the Crystal Bridge lobby located at the center of Myriad Gardens.

Crystal Bridge Conservatory is open Mon-Sat 9am-5pm; Sun 11am-5pm (click here for their seasonal calendar). Outdoor grounds open daily 6am-11pm.
**This is a great family-friendly place to visit during the holidays!

A GIF For Those Who Read This Far

Treat yourself.
xoxo Sarah