First.

I just arranged my first purchase of "original art".

This feels really strange. It's just a couple of small paintings, but most of the art that decorates my walls is my photography or reproductions, and I don't actually have any paintings. Last weekend my mom and sister and I visited an artists' space together, and I noticed one pair of paintings that I really liked. Enough that I could see them on one of my walls. And the prices were reasonable, so I took one of the artist's cards home with me.

Well, after a week of procrastinating and mulling it over, I finally got around to calling the artist, and she said she'd hold them for me for purchase in November or December. I am *so* excited.