little treasures of different sorts...

This past few days have brought little treasures, all special and wonderful in their own right...

* A very generous and thoughtful package from April of White Apple. She knew that I was collecting secondhand books from the 'A Series of Unfortunate Events' for Natalie and found a handful of them for us. Not only that but she sent a few extra niceties like a pair of wooden bird ornaments and a pretty patterned seahorse brooch. I'm always astounded and filled with warmth when I come across sweet souls from around the world. Thanks so much April (and now all we need is 3, 5, 7, 8 & 11; getting closer)!

*Making paper valentine's for Natalie's classmates. If we have the time and the resources, I always much rather make our own valentine's than purchase them from a store. I love that Natalie is always on board with this idea, even to the point of reminding me everyday that we need to make time to make them. Yesterday she stay home from school (she had a very difficult night of sleep and congestion) and we found our opportunity for crafting time. With pretty paper, scissors, hole puncher and glue, we got busy and made twenty three sweet little folded hearts for her friends.

*Mail is always a delight, especially little postcard surprises. I recently joined the project Postcrossing and already received my first postcard from a kind stranger afar. It was from a girl in Germany and now it was my turn again, to send some out. I could send up to five postcards but opted for two (for now). The little owl and hedgehog will be on its way to the Netherlands and the old map to Russia. Also, a little package will be going out to Canada for a certain giving gal named April ;)

*I recently found out that Good Reads hosts constant giveaways of prerelease books from authors and publishers. Any member can enter to win and if you do, you have the option to write a review (which is encouraged since it's really the main reason for the giveaways). I had entered myself in a handful but the very first one I entered in, I found out that next day that I was one of the winners! I received my copy of Journal of a UFO and am so thrilled! I am in the middle of several other stories but they might just have to wait a bit longer to finish...

*Our parakeet PJ is a delight. I never thought we would be pet bird people (which I suppose sounds weird considering how much we enjoy birds) but we are. PJ is truly a part of our family (she even made it in my holiday family portrait) and we love her cheerful twitters and playful interaction with us. Since she is such a beautifully colored bird she leaves us with the prettiest (and sometimes tiniest!) feathers. I do collect feathers but now I love that I have my very own parakeet collection that will continue to grow from my own personal supply!

*I do take pleasure in the small things. Like yesterday evening when Rick and Nat came home after softball practice bearing gifts of blueberries! We love blueberries so much but I kid you not, these were the mother load of blueberries! One package had the biggest blueberries I had ever seen, like the size of medium grapes. I washed them and mixed them together with the regular sized ones for our evening snack. So, after Nat's shower, we settled in together to watch a movie and devoured these bite sized goodies!

*Earlier this week, I put on Facebook how it's the little things that make me happy (like my soup pot!) and someone left me this awesome quote:

‎"One for whom a pebble has value must be surrounded by treasure wherever he goes."

Par Lagerkvist

It instantly became a favorite and I will hold that thought in my heart as long as I can. To find joys in the small things, in nice things, in shared things....

Hello Hyde...

My dear friend Helena has been brewing up some lovely perfumes for sensational olfactory delight! Her natural fragrances at Faunfare are my favorite and now she steps it up a notch with her luxury line, Hyde. Along with the sweetest little mandrake root ever (love him!) I was sent a lovely sample pack of the newest Hyde fragrances, all elegantly wrapped in black.

It was so hard deciding which one I loved the most. Jack the Ripper was scarily inviting and smooth like the silkiest powder. Sorcery has the pleasantness of citrus and bergamot, very enchanting indeed. Opium also has notes of citrus with bitter orange and Japanese yuzu. I'm especially in love because it has the intoxicating and haunting fragrance of tuberose among it's notes. de Sade is delightfully different with black pepper and tobacco blond. It seems at once more serious and yet still playful (Rick really enjoyed this one). Initiation is a bit warmer, a soft embrace of red mandarin and cardamom. All in all truly enticing fragrances, each one!

I'm also impressed with her Hyde business cards, mysterious and prestigious just like her fragrances.

Helena, I feel so extremely honored to be blessed with these tokens of your amazing workmanship but above that, with your friendship...

(You can find both Faunfare and Hyde at her Faunfare Etsy but please take a look at her Faunfare website as well. It is absolutely beautiful and she has a new Faunfare product, solid perfume in a most ornate antique silver cast locket. Gorgeous!! Hyde also has it's on site (currently being updated) at Hydonism.com.)

where a little letter went...

I had to share these lovely photos of my most recently acquired pen pal, Polly Bland. She is a wonderful (and adorable!) gal with a great personality and love for so many things. Her blog, The Littlest Polly is filled with vintage delights and fantastic photos. These are her photos (of my letter to her) for her post I love getting mail and new library fashion books I'm reading and I had to show them off, Thanks Polly!

lovelies from milla

It's always nice to receive mail and packages and I was very thrilled when I got one from the lovely Milla. I had won a giveaway on her blog and these are the lovely things she sent me:

The giveaway was a poster her husband designed. Along with this, she also sent:

• three blouses
• a floral dress (and/or top also)
• a vintage smock
• a dovekins album 
• a vintage book 'nature through the seasons'
• a leather butterfly hair pin
• a delightful framed art work (I wish I could remember the artist. she told me in her letter but I put it away and can't remember where I placed it)
• navy blue saltwater sandals for Nat
• a very pretty feather!

I feel very blessed but all this niceness sent my way. The album is awesome, the artwork from the vintage book is amazing, my favorite new little top is the floral dress and I love when Nat gets a little something too! Oh, I also forgot, she sent me a blast from the past with a Care Bears mug complete with hear tshaped handle! Of course that now belongs to Nattie too. Thanks so very much Milla!!

happy mail day!

Thursday, for some reason, has always been one of my favorite days and today was no different. The mail came early and while I was doing some things, I heard a thud outside the window and a knock on the door. I thought perhaps it was some postcards I ordered but instead, it was a box for me(!) from my friend Amber. Soooo excited, I brought it to my room and found pretties for both Nat and I. After Nat came home from school, she saw a few things laid out on the bed and smiled. Yes, they are for you! Here is Nat, modeling (some in very Violet Folklore style) the outfits she received...

A lovely, breezy romper (yes, a romper, not a dress!) perfect for the upcoming seasonal heat...

(The nonchalant, far away stare pose)...

I believe this dress is a perfect Little Violet Folklore dress...a violette, perhaps?

I truly love the ease of these outfits on my little girl and can see her making much use of them this Summer. She also sent me a very pretty pink mexican dress. Now, I have to say that I have been working on making myself healthier with a major change in diet and walking. I'm happy to say that I am thinning down and when I achieve where I want to be (hopefully!), I will be showcasing this little number. In the meantime, here's a sneak preview of it on me and of course, modeled by Nattie...

She also included a very cute, vintage wall art, featuring a holly hobbie like scene of a little girl praying before bed. I LOVE IT and will be putting it in Nat's room (again, big smiles). I little note was included on a cute vintage illustration owl tag (Amber, you know me so well)!

Thank you Thank you Thank you! It's amazing this online world. I wouldn't have met such lovely women and beautiful, dear friends (you know who you are). I am very grateful for them and hope to one day, meet them all in person for afternoon tea ;)

the last days of november

November is always a good month for me, not just because it's autumn or because my birthday is in November. It's just a great time of year to remember to be thankful and to enjoy things. This November was especially nice for several reasons...

My bubelah lost her first tooth! We were at Sprouts Market when it happened and celebrated by getting her favorite bowl of chicken noodle soup at Panera!



I had already made her a little tooth fairy box so we promptly got it out once we were home to place her little baby tooth in.



She couldn't wait to go to sleep that night and being the tooth fairy wasn't easy but I managed to take the little tooth and replace it with a five dollar bill and two golden dollar coins. She was thrilled!!

It was so nice to have her participate in soccer this year. Her last game day was called the Ice Cream cup and they played four ten minute games and afterwards had ice cream. Here she is, all little number five!






Defense, the loneliest place (but she did it so well!)


and there she goes!







I was invited to participate at the Kin Ship Gallery's art show, "As Seen on T.V.". Of course, I was thrilled and honored and submitted a piece inspired by Charlotte 'Chuck' Charles from the show 'Pushing Daisies'. It's the first art show I have ever been a part of and I hope it does really well. I didn't get the best picture but you can get an idea of how it looks:



I'm also thankful for friends that are dear to me which leaves me to this last part. I have made a few friends from the art world and I they have made a special place within my heart. It's so nice to be able to send postcards, letters and even packages sometimes to one another. It's nostalgic and genuine and I am thankful to be a part of their lives.



So for friends near, there is a family that we have been particularly blessed by and it is with this family we were able to spend Thanksgiving with. Just a few photos I took of the settings but they don't really tell the whole story of what a great time we had on that day...















Thank you November, for all of your blessings!