"You can't have a light without a dark to stick it in." ~Arlo Guthrie

So, this past weekend I went to Kosta to help sell glass at the Julmarknad (Christmas Market) for the Venice trip.  The whole place was super decorated for Christmas... which you might expect since it is a Christmas Market... It is a bit weird to be in a country that doesn't celebrate Thanksgiving first... There is nothing getting in the way of Christmas starting as early as you want it to.  I keep forgetting that Thanksgiving is, well, tomorrow... I just keep thinking that soon December is going to start!

AND! I will be flying home December 20th to North Carolina for Christmas with my family and Sam!!!

So, the Kosta Boda Art Hotel was decorated in the lobby area where we picked up our keys to our little hut.

 A really nicely decorated table in the midst of some trees with ornaments...

 And one of the coolest wreaths ever! Those are schnapps glasses with Christmas-y decorations painted on them hanging from the wreath!

 There were maybe 15 huts outside the big glass shop selling all sorts of things.  Anything from Christmas decorations, candy, sausages, mustard... glass... all sorts of holiday thing.s

 This was our little hut.  We where we froze for about 10 hours on Saturday... Luckily I brought Toe Warmers for me, Natalie and Erika!

 There were some little kids singing Christmas songs... and being adorable!

 The lights in all the trees were so pretty! There were lights in nearly all the trees, on all the buildings and just EVERYWHERE!  We got to enjoy them for a long time because it gets completely dark here around 3:30 now... which is a bit sad.

 Erika got some candied almonds which I had never had and they are REALLY GOOD! We got them warm and the red ones are flavored with extra cinnamon or something Christmas-y they said.

 And they had the spiral candy! I remember this candy from when I was kid! We used to go watch them make it in big places not far from the glass factories.  

This week everyone is back from their praktik studies and school is back to normal.  We are doing this technique with two colors, one on the inside and one on the outside of the vessel.  I have done it some before but hopefully will be able to get better at it.  Also, I have dyed my hair!