Dan Conradt: There’s no better present than a hug from Mom | Columns | Necklace Box

What should go in the trash?: Anything you can’t take to the collection event. Styrofoam is not accepted in recycling bins. 

A seasonal trio of Mavala’s award winning iconic 5ml mini colour, beautifully decorated with a silver charm and finished with a beautiful red satin ribbon and bow. The polish is long-lasting and gives a professional finish that comes off easily.

The event is a hybrid of Tristan Iseult’s monthly Häxan parties, which are the stuff of local goth scene legend, and renowned L.A. club night Warlok, which is described as a “cult ritual discotheque.” The result is a night filled with gloomy grooves with Tristan Iseult and Warlok’s Xian Vox spinning industrial tracks and harsh sounds, as patrons “writhe with joy through the impending darkness.” The 21-and-over night starts at 9 p.m. Admission is $5. See the Facebook event page. Benjamin Leatherman

My team there wrapped toys for Margaret Thatcher’s grandchildren and a huge rocking horse, which a very famous pop star bought for his daughter.

People with proof of Waco residency can take batteries, cooking oil, motor oil and glass bottles to the recycling center at 2021 N. 44th St.

While some children challenge themselves to find the biggest, heaviest, most expensive pumpkin in all the land (much to their parents’ dismay), others find themselves drawn to the wee ones, which really works in everyone’s favour. That’s because there are endless creative ways for kids to decorate small pumpkins, meaning they’ll be kept busy for hours.

23. Shouldn’t they have tried to avoid this, maybe by not casting Steve Carell? It seems like it undercuts the serious nature of the subject matter. (The previous sentence is also my entire review of Welcome to Marwen.)

This is not a particularly flirty heart but it is very cute for reciprocal affection and would be very sweet if you and your crush had just exchanged a flurry of compliments or feelings for each other. Like aw, same!!

I was 7 and Mama was crying and had to tell me a secret, a secret I shared with our own children as they made out their Santa list in their childhood. She said, “Son, Santa has to pay each family for the things he brings their children. All the money from our tobacco crop is gone and we spent the farm sale to pay off the farm and to buy things for the house.” Then she taught me to play “Authors” on the bed. I first studied all Authors’ pictures with his or her famous book printed on the back. Then she held the picture as I tried to guess what that author had written. I still know a lot of authors and book titles for books I have never read!

The directions in this tutorial look pretty simple: punch two holes in each of the cards. Glue on your "reasons" labels — ones you’ve made yourself, or download a printable template here. Make a cover card from a joker card and decorate with rhinestones. Thread onto book rings. 

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Despite all reason, the accessory is surprisingly versatile. A big, black, handmade silk bow from the Santa Fe studio Bianca & Red affixed to the end of a braid pairs well with the I’m-dressing-for-myself vibe of Phoebe Philo-era Céline. The same brand’s long, red-and-white-striped iteration, made from a cotton-linen blend from Italy, looks like something Dolly Parton might have worn in the 60s when tied to a low, loose ponytail. But when pinned atop a high ponytail, it’s sheer cheerleader. The accessories designer Jennifer Behr has gone so all-in on bows that her Website has the Bow Shop selling a velvet bow studded with pearls for $198 or plush ones made from vintage velvet in hydrangea, rhubarb, and dandelion.