good news, bad news.

Let's get the bad over with, yes?

Fiddle Leaf Fig, we hardly knew thee:

A photo retrospective in memorial:

Like Christmas morning!

Triumphant homecoming.

Part of planning stages on the salon wall.

What happened? Good question. I'd read around that some people had a hard time getting their trees to stay alive, but I was told at the nursery that she was a hardy gal, and I even bragged when she sprouted new leaves after bringing her home. But then our Christmas tree came, and I think that was Fiddle Leaf's downfall. In order to accommodate the Christmas three, Fiddle Leaf was moved into our bedroom where she was exposed to different light than she had been for the previous few weeks in the living room. That's where it all started to fall apart. Literally.

One by one the leaves would harden, with brown spots that almost looked like they had been burnt (the internet was no help on this). Then the leaves would drop off and fall to the floor, which, when it happens near your bed late at night, sounds an awful lot like a killer coming to get you.

Fiddle Leaf, why? I built your presence into my salon wall!! Has anyone had better luck with these? I'm wondering if it was the shock of bringing it home and then relocating it a second time to a less ideal spot. Also, we have old Chicago radiators that blast on high like the landlords are trying to slowly cook us, so we also have windows open too. Hot dry air, cold drafts... Who knows. Anyways.

Good news! Hey, I found my awesome Arnold Schwarzenegger portrait!

Oh, like you don't have one.

A student did this drawing a couple years ago as part of an assignment to study the life of a famous person who immigrated to America.

Include a drawing or picture of the person, I said. And then I got told:

Yes, it is titled The Immigrant Arnold Schwarzenegger

Is that not undeniably amazing? I still count Kindergarten Cop among my favorite movies. (Let's say it together: IT'S NOT A TUU-MAH!) Also, this "Arnold doing DVD commentary" bit on Jimmy Fallon had us cracking up the other week. Click over, it's worth it. And then tonight you can narrate your every move in a terrible Austrian accent, making your loved ones ever so pleased.