In December '12, we sloshed across the rain-soaked highways to enjoy a mid-afternoon's distraction with Emily in Manchavegas - admiring her painting in the NHIA Professional Artists Exhibit, touring her studio space on Amherst street, chowing at Ruby's, high-fiving a giant creepy Santa, and meeting the reclusively beautiful Leila back at the artisans' apartment. Marilyn did the hard work of driving and GrammaB tagged along cheerfully, while I bedazzled as the creative director who envisioned the trip and ate most of the cheese nips, so if our excursion wins an inexplicably fabulous prize, I get it. Clearly. Naturally, I took some pictures.