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....

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!!

serena and tea!

The past few days I have been blessed with a few nice surprises. My aunt and uncle who live in Hemet came over to visit this past Saturday and we all had a great time. I hadn't seen my aunt in quite some time and it was so nice to see her looking healthy, well and jovial too! She brought a few gifts over and it was like christmas! We were blessed with yummy teas like pumpkin cream chai, pomegranate green tea and delicate white teas with honey sticks, tea pots and sets too.

Also this week I got a nice little owl post, literally, from my friend Mathyld. Serena the Wizarding Owl is home at last! She made herself quite comfortable upon arrival and even began to enjoy the new tea pots and such with us.


One of the first things Serena did was to peruse books we have all over the house.


She absolutely fell in love with my new owl tea pot my Aunt gave me. I told her how thrilled I was to receive it :)


Eager to use my first Yixing clay teapot (also given to me by my aunt), I made some delicious Blueberry tea given to me by a dear friend who lives in England right now.


Serena, a bit tired from her long journey from Paris, couldn't wait for a cup herself.


While we waited for it to brew, I showed her the beautiful Yixing Tea set that my aunt gave Natalie...


...and this absolutely darling porcelain set she gave her as well.


I think Serena felt quite at home!



Serena came just in time to be with us for this autumn season and I am ever so thankful to Miss Mathyld for sending her my way...

tea and totoro!

oh tea, how i love thee!! a friend of ours was nice enough to send me a whoooole lot of teas to try out for her company. she also sent me three bamboo trays that all the tea packets fit perfectly into. i feel so blessed when others know me and understand who i am and the things i like. it's also a wonderful feeling when they understand the imagination of a child and really go out of there way to get them something amazing. she sent all these lovely japanese things to natalie as well including an awesome totoro mug. it came in a cool green box with an illustration of mei's straw hat on top (i saved it)!





i haven't seen the movie in awhile and i suppose it's that time to bring it out again. it always seemed more like a spring/summer film for me. what i haven't seen in a long time is howl's moving castle which is fantastic! nat never wanted to see it though because when we first got it she was a toddler and walked in during an intense scene. i think she could completely handle it now but i need to just have it on one day so she can just happen upon it. 

also, i had originally started journaling at livejournal and then moved here to blogspot. i think i will be cross-posting again from there to here so that i can keep up with friends i have made over there as well. so, if you have a livejournal, i am owlacrobat if you would like to add me. the content will be the same and i would love to still have some friends around, capesh?! :)

let me believe...and other things...

mama, make me a dress out of feathers

so i can fly in the blue sky and reach the heavens.

mama, make me a coat of fur so i can prowl oe'r

the ground, like a fox, don't worry mama,  i won't get lost.

mama, make me a net of spider webs and i bet

i could reach the stars no matter how far away

they seem to be.

oh mama, mama, let me believe...

(maybe i'll finish this, one day...)

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

yesterday in the mail, i received a lovely card from my dear friend mathyld. thank you so much dear for the cards, the wonderful seeds (that i can't wait to plant!) and of course, for the precious tiny clover...you are in my heart!

today i am not sure how the day will go but i am hoping that this afternoon, we take a break from the house and go to the park for a little while. i want to see what things we can find or maybe just breathe and be in the wonderful outside. of course, the camera will come with me...hopefully i will take some nice photos of some trees and things.

a few nice things, for now:

• moth/moon garden from 5 orange potatoes
  
• homemade vanilla extract from herb companion
• violet rose water i posted at my flower apothecaire
• her first little sprouts in her teacup garden
• the anticipation to make my first orders from seeds of change and richter's
• wanting to put these on all the doors of the house (from maya*made)
• june's end haikus by moonshinejunkyard
• i am in love with these imaginary friends by november moon (swoon!)

i'm off now to do a few things and think of new ways to be creative and use the things i find around me...happy tuesday friends...

found things

on my walk today, i found a few things and brought them home including this lamp cover.  the ghost snail shell i have out in her discovery box (where she collects found things). the leaf intriges me because it looks like a little boat or even a little fairy bed. i can see it filled with feathers and rose petals. it would make quite a snug and cozy place to rest your head, don't you think?

my encore petite!

hooray, i finally got my little package from mathyld of encore petite. she sent me the sweetest little things i am so very grateful for her and our blossoming friendship.

look at these adorable house pins she made for natalie and i. of course, nat was just thrilled to receive a little gift all her own.

tea from her mother's tea shop in france. i can't wait to try it (i am waiting until nat gets home from school so we can have it together).

more delicious teas! i already had the inuit herbal tea this morning. it's juniper and had a very nice, different flavor i hadn't had before.

again, our little house pins, side by side. i can't thank you enough mathyld!!

coraline is mine...

we braved the rain on friday night to see coraline and none
of us were disappointed. we all feel in love and i am happy
that the darker moments did faze my little bubelah.
so now i'm finding a little magic everywhere on the coraline website
and wanting the soundtrack and the dolls too...