Random Kindness from Strangers

One of the things that I have always found amazing about the blogosphere, is the random utter kindness of total strangers. A few weeks ago, I received an e-mail from a sweet woman named Wendy. She had been following my blog since the first round of the Vintage Swap. She said incredibly complimentary things about my ramblings here on G+N, and said that she had found "a few things" she thought I might like while shopping for the round two of the Vintage Swap (which I am sadly not participating in). Could she have my address to send me a package, or is that creepy and weird?

Let me think about this for 2.5 seconds...umm it's never creepy and weird if you want to send me vintage stuff! Oh boy, I just got a funny horrible image of me getting kidnapped by a man in a creepy van waving, not candy, but vintage sheets. I have serious issues.

I waited for days, thinking a padded envelope with my name on it would show up at any moment. Wendy was, in fact, just sending "a few things." What really happened is that I opened my screen door one day and a giant package fell out of my door frame, walloped me in the shins, and came crashing onto my cement porch. That's when I noticed FRAGILE written all over it. Thanks United States Post Office! I reached to pick it up, but my hands were full of other stuff, and I dropped it again!!! Doh! At this point I'm thinking to myself, "Great. Now I have to e-mail Wendy and thank her kindly for the giant box full of broken Pyrex. I am an idiot."

I finally got the huge box upstairs and opened it up. Not a single thing inside was broken, and each little gift made me squeel, gasp or otherwise!

s&p shakers (in their original packaging), a tiny Fire King luster ware dish and a maple syrup carafe



an amazing vintage apron with lobsters on it, what any good New England girl needs for summer time!



a piece of patchwork that is destined to become a pillow for my bedroom



a beautiful table runner embroidered with butterflies



A SILK SCARF! now i have 32, YESSS!



a janis joplin-esque hat, which sits ridiculously high on my head, but i intend to wear it anyways.



a tea towel



a crocheted pillowcase



an amazingly sweet tray!



Also included was a note from Wendy written on a BINGO card (*love*) and an issue of Workbasket Home Arts magazine from May, 1969. The hilarious advertisements in that gem are worthy of its own blog post!

Thank you so, so, much Wendy! Your package was such a thrill to receive!

P.S. You really should start blogging. Maybe you can post about where you find all of this amazing stuff!

Advent Day 4 :: New Holiday Mix and Recipe

I recently completed the Holiday Mix CD and Recipe Swap over on Swap-bot. I was super pleased with what my partner Alyson sent to me. The mix is a perfect combination of classics, and new to me songs that I now love. I thought I would share the playlist and recipe that I received here:

Alyson's Holiday Mix

1. Boogie Woogie Santa Claus - Preacher Lee
2. Cha-Cha All the Way - Capitol Studio
3. Deck the Halls - Cuba L.A.
4. Feliz Navidad - Bobby Rodriguez
5. All I Want For... - Spike Jones
6. Indian Giver - Squirrel Nut Zippers
7. Winter Weather - Squirrel Nut Zippers (This is one of my new favorite songs!)
8. Baby It's Cold Outside - Brian Setzer
9. Sleigh Ride - Harry Connick
10. Merry Christmas Family - Dixie Chicks
11. Winter Wonderland - Eurythmics
12. Make Me a Present - Dinah Washington (Another new favorite)
13. Marshmellow World - Brenda Lee
14. Lasso Santa Claus - Brenda Lee
15. Santa's Messin' with the Kid - Eddie Campbell
16. Blue Christmas - Elvis Presley
17. Blues for Christmas - John Lee Hooker
18. Swing Them Jingle Bells - Fats Waller
19. White Christmas - Louis Armstrong
20. Jingle Bells - Bing Crosby
21. Sleigh Ride - Glenn Miller Orchestra
22. Hands - Jewel
23. Silent Night - Stevie Nicks

Alyson's Nutmeg Cookies

Cookies:

1 cup soft butter
2 tsp vanilla
2 tsp rum (or rum flavoring)
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
3 cups flour
1 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt

Frosting:

1/3 cup butter
2 tsp cream
1 tsp vanilla
2 tsp rum
2 cups powdered sugar

Directions:

For cookies: Mix wet ingredients in a large bowl. Mix dry ingredients in a smaller bowl. Add/mix dry into wet a bit at a time until well combined. Roll dough into cylinders about 1" in diameter and chop into cookies. Bake at 350 F approximately 12-15 minutes. Dough also works well with cookie cutters. Frost and sprinkle with nutmeg while fresh!

***

Sounds tasty, huh? I can't wait to try this recipe out!

Cheers, Sarah

P.S. I have to add a note: Today I am SUPER THANKFUL that my friend Gemma has found a job! I'm over the moon thankful for this! Hurray!

The Mother Load

It took one glance at Jennifer Casa's blog, JCasaHandmade, for me to realize that I was paired up with the best swap partner of all time. And it's true. She is the best swap partner ever. My only complaint is that she is terrible at following instructions! Instead of sending me 3-5 vintage items, Jennifer sent me the mother load of all swap packages with over twenty items. So. unbelievably. generous.

Check out the booty!

Not one...



not two...



not three...



but FOUR vintage aprons!



Next up is a fun Mexican dishtowel (?) runner (?) thingy



Another towel/runner that matches a thrifted tablecloth that I already own



A cute place mat in a quilty print



A beautiful linen doily



Vintage hankies, fabric and hex quilt pieces



Gem Co sugar dispenser



Anchor Hocking carafe



Hand spun yarn



Buttons



And an unbelievable quilt top...





Amazing.

This package arrived during a very difficult week and it absolutely made my day. I think karma decided to pay me back all at once for every swapper that has ever flaked on me. Thanks universe! I just kept opening each item going "Oh my goodness. Oh my goodness!!! It's Christmas!" Thank you so much Jennifer! And many thanks to Heather for organizing the Vintage Swap!

*SWOONAGE* Blog friends are the best...

C'mon, I'm not the only one that cuddles with a piece of Pyrex like it's a baby, right?

*CRICKETS*

I'm not crazy, I swear!



Blog friends are the best! Pam of Gingerbread and Snowflakes sent me this sweet Daisy Cinderella Round Casserole after my recent casserole dish binge posts. I've been on a strict no thrifting for a month diet, since April 15th, and Pam's Pyrex arrived just in time to scratch a thrifting itch. Thanks for feeding the addiction Pam! (HAR HAR HAR HAR).

***

Pam also reminded me, via e-mail, that I hadn't posted the May Holiday Handmade Crusade theme here on my blog! I've been so busy it completely slipped me by. I can't believe it! The month is half over and I didn't make announcements! Silly me! I'll share that info with you promptly in the next post.

Thanks again Pam, I love it!!!

Mail Love :: Flossy-P

Monday I received a fun package from my dear bloggy friend, Flossy-P. I was the lucky winner of a give-away she did a few weeks ago, the prize being this super cute brooch:



Before she sent it out to me, I took the chance to order a post card of her illustration "3 Piece." Flossy being sweet and awesome sent me a package stuffed with goodies!

Wrapped beautifully with my favorite illustration from her recent show, Affirmations at Artstream:



Amazing loot!



In addition to the brooch and the post card she added a little bundle of vintage buttons, a keychain, and extra post card and a lovely note. It most definitely made my day!

Thanks so much Flossy!

Today I'm thankful for wonderful blog friends. I'm thankful for my mom's tasty pesto that made for an easy and filling meal tonight! What are you thankful for today?

Fabric Button Swap Spoiler :: No Peeking

I posted a swap package yesterday (late *whoops* due to all of the current DRAMMA - with two "M's" that has been life lately) to sweet Shael.

I hadn't done a swap for so long, and I just loved the idea that Ella came up with: a fabric button swap. We had to make five fabric covered buttons, a project inspired by our buttons and a little something extra if we felt like it. You can see the beautiful buttons and tissue holder that Shael made for me here. She also included some of her own twill tape, which is on sale for $2.50 in her Etsy shop. You can bet that the tape will be making an appearance in some Christmas crafting soon! Thanks again, Shael!

Now on to my end of the bargain...

::buttons::



::pockets::



::sewing case - with built in needle book ::



::gifts - the brooch is for little dancing Ophelia::



I hope that she likes everything!

Loved

Oh my, yesterday I felt very loved indeed!

At the end of my Ballet 1 class, two of the children presented me with this GIANT bouquet of a dozen gorgeous roses and mums, plus a "we'll miss you" card. These little girls are eight years old, and they gave me big hugs and said, "You're a great teacher, we'll miss you!," then bounded off on their merry way. It brought tears to my eyes, it was almost enough to send me running into my boss' office screaming, "TAKE ME BACK, I'M MAKING A TERRIBLE MISTAKE!!!" I love my kiddos, it's going to be so tough to leave them behind.

On the way home I was feeling very contemplative and thoughtful about the decision to leave my job. I was a bit moody about saying goodbye to my little ones. When I got home I opened my mail box to find a package...from England. Now, I only know two people in England, Matt's good friend, renaissance man, Noah Charney and Gemma. I concluded that Gemma was much more likely to send me a package, (since Noah is probably off frolicking in Italy, researching stolen paintings), and indeed what a package it was!!!

She sent me: A package of little, Japanese(?), panda bear biscuits filled with strawberry jam, chocolate covered pretzels for Matt, a pair of HUGE purple, rhinestoney sunglasses, in a hand sewn case(!), two equally huge, fun necklaces. Oh my love for large sunglasses and big plastic beads knows no boundaries! This girl knows me well! I'm modeling the jewelry and glasses, at right, and doing my best to look like a "ghetto superstar" or whatever it is those young whipper snappers are calling the cool folk these days.

Gemma also included a lovely card, and I'll quote from it, because it was exactly the thing that I needed to read at that very moment. "You are totally doing the right thing, there is no good time to follow your dreams and you are so brave to do it!!"

Thanks for believing in me Gem! You are a dear, dear friend!