there were stacks of pretty paper, piles of markers and splashes of color and glitter. we used cutting boards and hole punchers and scissors with squiggly edges. we ate chocolate and guacamole and apple pie a la mode. and all i could think was: "this must be what heaven is like." everything you love within arms' length.

the ladies came over today for an afternoon of crafty fun. we transformed my house into a studio, with the dining table as our work bench and the sunshine's gleam as our lamp. think of it as a quilting bee without the needles or a bridge circle without the playing cards. we passed scissors and gluesticks, shared secrets and giggles, and created some beautiful art pieces. there were no boys allowed.

it was the first time i'd hosted such a thing and certainly not the last. it was wonderful for so many reasons, but mostly because i discovered i know so many festive and creative young women, and i realized the potential we have not just as individuals, but also as a group of artists and dreamers and people who can color the world every day. i just wish we could do this sort of thing more often, with more people and more glitter and more pie.