Tara, cookie exchange is pure genius. You show up with four dozen cookies and come home with what seems like a bazillion. Miraculous! And they send the recipes home with you.

Angie, holiday sweaters = 0. Kinda disappointing! How 'bout you?

That’s precisely how my cookie exchange worked too, Laura. I came home with two different sets of dough because I contributed two sets of dough.

Sum total of holiday sweaters this year = 0, as well. But the style quotient was far from stellar. Very disappointing (sad face).

Angie - Disappointment on the sweater front! Style quotient was low at my exchange too. Although the hostess spoke to a guest after I'd left and the other guest mentioned me as the "chic" one with the stylish haircut. (The hostess called me last night to report this news.) So at least style was appreciated, if not put into practice

The quotient that was quite impressive at the cookie exchange was the number of high-achieving women present. The hostess is a Northwestern business school grad and she has very lovely and impressive friends. VPs of marketing at big companies, for example. Another woman I spoke with has an economist husband at U of C and they're moving to Washington to work for Obama. That sort of thing. For little writer me, it is fun to see how the other half lives! I loved it!

ooh la la chic one with the stylish haircut! More cloud walking for you tonight Glad you had a lovely time.