Marcel the Shell with Shoes On

Last night, Cody and I had a "suburban vacation," which is what we call it when we drive out to Metairie, eat at a chain restaurant, and go to Barnes and Noble. This time we ate at Le Madeleine's. I always feel like I'm eating at DisneyWorld when I go there. Specifically, the restaurant in the Magic Kingdom that I think is  based on Pinocchio and is supposed to feel German and rustic. La Madeleine's has the same low ceilings, brick and wood, and tray service.

At Barnes and Noble, I was mostly "window shopping" as I am currently low on funds and need to get some Christmas shopping done. First off, I'm a huge fan of children books and I love spending time in the children's book section, looking at the new picture books and flipping through classics and rediscovering my favorite books from my childhood. Then, I was on a mission. There was a new children's book that I wanted to buy (for my own collection and to hopefully share one day with my future kids). I decided to start a children's book collection and I knew which one I wanted to start with: Marcel the Shell with Shoes On. If you are not familiar with Marcel, PLEASE watch these videos. Marcel was made by Jenny Slate and Dean Fleischer-Camp. Jenny had a brief stint on SNL and she's a wonderful and charming comedian. These videos are magic. I show them to people to cheer them up because no matter how you're feeling, Marcel will always make you smile.

Well, I carried the book around Barnes and Noble for a while. Before we were about to leave, I put the book back. I told Cody that it didn't really make sense for me to buy this now. I bought a Christmas gift and a Christmas card and we left. Then....

I woke up this morning to find THIS on my bookshelf:

Cody is the best. And I am such a lucky girl.