Happy New Year everyone! I’ve missed talking with you. Hopefully now with the holidays over and things starting to get back to normal, I hope to be “around” more. That’s my intention, anyway. We’ll see…

I’ve spent the last several days in Atlanta at the International Gift Show, and all I can say is… WOW! If you’ve never heard of the Atlanta Gift Show, it’s the world’s largest wholesale market where retailers and boutique/store owners of every kind descend upon Atlanta (all 88,000+ of them, from all around the world, armed with their market guides and fanny packs) and Buy, Buy, Buy (just the kind of place I would expect to feel right at home… minus the fanny pack).

But, it’s overwhelming! I mean, you can find EVERYTHING at this market: clothing,
jewelry, furniture, toys, bath accesories, stationery, pillows, candles, watches, frames, shells, gourmet foods, you name it. There’s even an entire building floor dedicated to “Pampered Pets” products (where Prince Lorenzo Borghese from “The Bachelor” was signing autographs as he launched his “Royal Treatment” line of “luxury pet products). You get the picture. Huge, excessive, gross, exhilarating, tiring, but lots of fun. If you want me to tell you about the latest “stuff” I saw at market, let me know. I’m in the know.