"Wrinkles should merely indicate where the smiles have been." -Mark Twain

I'll share with you a funny story. On my 37th birthday my husband treated me to a full spa day - massage, facial, pedicure, manicure, the works. As I lay on the facial table in my zen like bliss the twenty something aesthetician says to me "My you have some deep wrinkles around your eyes." Lucky for me it would take a bulldozer to rattle my self esteem (thanks mom and dad) so I merely shrugged it off, tuned her out and continuted to enjoy my experience.

At some point over the next few days I caught myself looking in the mirror with a smile on and felt a wonderful moment of gratitude. For what this woman called "wrinkles" are actually proof of a life lived with laughter and so many smiles that it's created it's own historical record on my face. And so my friends here's a thought for the day - "Wrinkles , bring em' on! Whoever has the most at the end gets to look back and say 'Damn, what a great life."

A Special Request

LA MUSE NEEDS YOUR HELP! The Alexandria Times 2008 Best of Alexandria contest is well underway and we want to WIN the best Specialty Store of 2008!! Anyone can vote - even those of you that don't live in the area. All you need to do is go to the Alexandria Times website at www.alextimes.com. At the top of the page click on "Vote Here" - then click on 'next' until you get to the tenth page - the 'specialty store' category is at the bottom of the page after bookstore, florist and jeweler. If you happen to live in the area feel free to vote for your favorite merchants around town, they will appreciate it!

Winning this contest not only provides free marketing in the Alexandria Times for La Muse but it is a super designation to carry and promote throughout the year.

Please take a moment to vote - and we will be most grateful if you would pass this email on to friends and family asking them to also vote for the best little gift store ever! :)

Savings:

La Muse is discontinuing the line of Mirror Me affirmation T-Shirts and we are offering 50% off of our remaining stock. Quantities are very limited. Mirror Me

These empowering t-shirts are a perfect gift for young women - offering a wonderful self affirming message with every look in the mirror. The shirts are called 'baby' t's and run smaller than a regular boxy t-shirt. Here's a sizing guide for you - small/0-4, medium/4-6, large/6-8, XL/10-12. The shirts don't come with sizing tags inside.

We have expanded our Emily Rosenfeld offerings and now carry a larger selection of her joy filled gifts. Her work includes special items for dog & cat lovers, travelers, and small sentiments of love and encouragement. All of her items are on sale until January 31.

Calendar:

La Muse will be closed Monday through Thursday, January 28-31. Debra will be away doing her part to help with Hurricane Katrina rebuilding efforts in New Orleans.

Our next shipment for AnySoldier.com will be going out on February 6 - feel free to come by the store and drop something off!

Your Thoughts:

The Avon Breast Cancer 2-Day Walk vs. The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer 3-Day Walk.

For the longest time I have thought about joining in one of these experiences to support the eradication of breast cancer. My mom, Mary Monahan, has been fighting an 11 year battle with cancer that began with breast cancer and my former boss and dear friend, Diane O'Meally, lost her life in a battle that began with breast cancer.

I continuously donate to organizations that support breast cancer research and education but have been weary to join one of the 2 or 3 day journeys because of the amount of money you need to raise in order to participate. The bottom line is - I hate to ask for money.

For some reason I feel compelled to participate this year - the hard work of fundraising seems minuscule in relation to the experience, the journey and the overall mission.

I will participate in one of these two walks this year but I am not sure which cause has the best reputation, donates the most money to 'the cause' and has the best overall experience.

If you have an opinion about either of these walks please share them and help me to make a more informed decision. Send an email to: Debra@ShopLaMuse.com.

Debra Monahan
La Muse

108 N Patrick Street

Old Town Alexandria, VA 22314

(703) 683-1696