A Girl Friday for the Holidays

December is a good time to tell you about a new small business in the Dena: Girl Friday. I've mentioned them before because I visited their book club to talk about my novel, Camelot & Vine. But Girl Friday is much more than a book club. It's a Girl Friday, just like it says.

Here's the email I received from them yesterday:

The holidays are upon us and our elves are ready to go!

Top 10 Tasks Our Holiday Elves Enjoy:

1.  Getting your Christmas tree (it's fun!)
2.  Hanging holiday lights / decorating (so bright!)
3.  Gift shopping & wrapping (we love bows!)
4.  Baking goodies & treats (tasty!)
5.  Proving babysitters (parties are more fun without kids!)
6.  Cleaning your house (dirt is bad!)
7.  Holiday centerpieces & table-scapes (pretty pretty!)
8.  Creating care packages/gift baskets (gifts are good!)
9.  Shipping holiday cards & packages (long lines are no fun!)
10. Pet / house sitting while you are away (meow, woof etc!)

What do you need to make this holiday season a success? Our elves await you.

I don't know about you, but I need all these things. And I can attest to the baking and decorative talents of these women. They are so creative. And they're having a holiday party December 11th, where you can meet them and check out the goods. Click on the flyer to enlarge it for the details.

If you need the assistance of an elf or two, contact Cindi Knight, Girl Friday Personal Assistant Services, 626-221-5111.

I took the photo at Kidd's Jewelry Heist in South Pasadena, where I met the Girl Friday Book Club and where you want to do some shopping, now or any time.

Girl Friday Book Club at Kidd's Jewelry Heist

Best event ever! I was invited to speak about Camelot & Vine with the Girl Friday Book Club. I knew it was going to be fun when I walked into Kidd's Jewelry Heist and saw this display.

Girl Friday Personal Assistant Services is just what it sounds like: a small, personal assistant company so loaded with creativity that I don't know where to begin. It wasn't just the food, or how artfully it was presented, or the wonderful people, or the venue. It was all these things and more.

And what a venue! Kidd's Jewelry Heist is charming for many reasons, not least of which is the decor, and most of which is owner Kelly Kidd himself. I wouldn't call him a shopkeeper, I'd call him a curator. He and his partner Redd Carter have created a cozy space where your imagination is invited to create whatever it wants to.

I grabbed a few photos of the place before the people came. 

 

Then I forgot about photos for a while. We met new people, drank wine, ate hand-crafted candies, and talked about anything and everything. When it came to talking about Camelot & Vine, I found a good-sized group of engaged and interesting women, great questions, and acceptance. Maybe it was the wine. If so, that was some amazing wine.

After book talk, we picked out our favorite charms and made "medieval" bracelets! That's (L-R) Rebecca, Karie, Kat Ward from Hometown Pasadena, author Pam Tartaglio, co-hostess and creative talent Ellen Main, Kelly, and Redd.

Cindi Knight orchestrates it all. The business is her brain-child, and from what I can tell she's got a hell of a brain.

I regret that I didn't get a decent picture of Cindi, who created Girl Friday Personal Assistant Services and who organizes these book club events. But I got a good picture of Kelly (above), and he got one of me (below).

Many thanks to our hosts Cindi, Ellen, Kelly and Redd, and to everyone who came. I had a fantastic time and I hope you did, too.

Update 11/18:
Tada! Here's the bracelet Kelly and Redd helped me make:

photo by John Sandel

You can see my little dragon and my crown and my fuzzy thing. On the underbeneath side I have a feather and a pail, both made of the same material as the crown and dragon.

An Intimate Heist

Kidd's Jewelry Heist in South Pasadena is a cache of trinkets and treasures, surrounded by Victorian finery and cozy divans. It's the perfect place for an intimate party. And that's just what we're going to have on November 14th with the Girl Friday Book Club.

There's a lot of information on the flyer below, but basically what you need to know is:

• While we enjoy dessert and wine, we'll talk about my book, Camelot & Vine. You don't have to read the book to come, but you can read it free if you've got a Kindle.
• The leather necklace or bracelet you make, in keeping with the Dark Ages/Medieval theme of the book, is included in the price.
• Kidd's is behind the Dinosaur Farm at 1510 Mission in South Pas. Parking is in the rear and you can enter from there.
• RSVP to Girl Friday by this Friday, November 7th, and tell them you heard it from me, that your price is $30, not the $40 on the flyer.