week fifty-two 2025

Welcome to the last week of 2025! Whew. Did you ever think we'd get here? It's been the longest decade, I mean year. When I think back to last week, I keep asking "was that just last week"? The holidays have a way of stretching time. It's been a busy but also wonderful season. It did catch up with me this weekend. I'm writing this from my bed. I caught a real bad cold and have been sick for a few days and can't seem to sleep enough. Very unusual for me. I keep reminding myself, it's only temporary and I'm relieved I was healthy throughout Thanksgiving and Christmas and am able to take a few days to heal now.

Last week was a fun one. The shop was open on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and it was bustling. We met lots of new customers and welcomed old friends too. It was a lot of fun. I love helping people find the perfect gift. It's a pleasure walking around the shop with guests pointing out items and sharing ideas.

I've also been working on a fun design project. I can't really share all the details yet but here's a sneak peek. I'm an Adobe Illustrator girl but this project has me working in both Illustrator and Photoshop. It's been fun getting reacquainted with all the filters, even though Adobe is pushing AI, I refuse to use it. So instead I spent far too much time experimenting and you know what? It was challenging but also inspiring. I encourage you to do the work too, don't rely on AI, especially for YOUR creativity. Your being the keyword there. I'll share more about the project when I can. 

A big highlight of my shop week was Patty, owner of Tre Kroner, my favorite place for breakfast, gifted mom and I an entire quiche. Such a wonderful surprise! We've been visiting Tre Kroner every other week since we moved to Albany Park fourteen years ago. It's a Favorite family Saturday morning tradition. Their coffee is divine, pastries delicious and their quiche is magical. Through the years we've gotten to know Patty, she is a beautiful human. She exudes kindness, I'm thankful to be on the receiving end of her generosity. If brekkie isn't your thing, no worries, the homemade soups and Swedish meatballs are just as delicious, give them a visit. And while you're there, stop by Patty's other business The Sweden Shop.

You guys. I did it! If you don't know or are new here, at the beginning of the year I committed to writing weekly newsletters to share what's happening in the print shop, storefront and life in general. And here we are at week 52! You'd be amazed how challenging and time consuming it is to do a full newsletter weekly. It's been fun and I've had a lot of kind feedback, I'm not sure I'll continue it weekly in 2026. But no worries, you'll still hear from me. If you're curious or want to review the year, you can see all my newsletters as blog posts here. 

Random randomness...

•My mom rarely wants anything for Christmas. Tom and I have started gifted her experiences instead. This year we gifted her dinner at Athena then Twas the Night Before by Cirque du Soleil at the Chicago Theater. What a great show! It was energetic and mesmerizing, like all Cirque du Soleil shows. It was also mom's first time at the Chicago Theater. She was in awe of the grandeur and beauty of it. And I learned from Patty that the theater was almost demolished in 1985! Can you believe it? Thankfully a theater preservation group purchased it and brought it back to it's glory with the help of the City of Chicago. I can't imaging downtown without the iconic marquee.

•Tom and I celebrate Christmas Eve with our friends Jaime and Adam every year. We had a delicious and leisurely dinner at Art Tango. It's such a treat to sit down with friends after working non-stop for months and just talking, eating, laughing and drinking without fretting about tomorrow. It's a long standing tradition and one we look forward to every year.

Woohoo! 52 weeks in the books. Let's hope 2026 is the year we all get it right.