hunca munca times two

 

a little hunca munca cross stitch (I never finished)
a little hunca munca figurine
a cute little bunny

favorite things

 

Well here I am, so sorry for the ultra poor quality photos.  I strained my lower back yesterday and I feel so miserable.  Not that that's a good excuse for the poor photos (especially since my photos are always poor) but geez, they're even worse today.  Oh well.

I thought since I'm sidelined and can't do what I had planned, "Oh! Take some quick photos for A Favorite Thing and then I can lay down with the iPad and visit everybody!"

Sharing some of my most favorite things today ... 

 

"A Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady", such a charming book!  Later when they started producing china from it, my mom got me the basin and pitcher.  And last but by no means least, one of my absolute favorite things I own, Mrs. Toadflax (from the Brambly Hedge books), also a gift from my mom.

 

Treasured little bits on A Favorite Thing Saturday, 

with Claudia at Mockingbird Hill Cottage.

I wandered lonely as a cloud That floats on high o'er vales and hills, When all at once I saw a crowd, A host, of golden daffodils; Beside the lake, beneath the trees, Fluttering and dancing in the breeze. Continuous as the stars that shine And twinkle on the Milky Way, They stretched in never-ending line Along the margin of a bay: Ten thousand saw I at a glance, Tossing their heads in sprightly dance. The waves beside them danced, but they Out-did the sparkling waves in glee: A Poet could not but be gay, In such a jocund company: I gazed—and gazed—but little thought What wealth the show to me had brought: For oft, when on my couch I lie In vacant or in pensive mood, They flash upon that inward eye Which is the bliss of solitude; And then my heart with pleasure fills, And dances with the daffodils. - See more at: http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/15925#sthash.pY36VQu6.dpuf

I wandered lonely as a cloud That floats on high o'er vales and hills, When all at once I saw a crowd, A host, of golden daffodils; Beside the lake, beneath the trees, Fluttering and dancing in the breeze. Continuous as the stars that shine And twinkle on the Milky Way, They stretched in never-ending line Along the margin of a bay: Ten thousand saw I at a glance, Tossing their heads in sprightly dance. The waves beside them danced, but they Out-did the sparkling waves in glee: A Poet could not but be gay, In such a jocund company: I gazed—and gazed—but little thought What wealth the show to me had brought: For oft, when on my couch I lie In vacant or in pensive mood, They flash upon that inward eye Which is the bliss of solitude; And then my heart with pleasure fills, And dances with the daffodils. - See more at: http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/15925#sthash.pY36VQu6.dpuf

that's amore

When the moon hits your eye
Like a big-a pizza pie
That's amore
When the world seems to shine
Like you've had too much wine
That's amore

Okay, let it be said out loud ... I have a sort of OCD when it comes to presents ...  no understatement at all. I drive myself crazy trying to find things I think are perfect.  So it follows that I went on the hunt for a shower gift and wedding gifts for my oldest nieces quickly approaching nuptials. 

The lucky young couple are going to honeymoon on the Amalfi Coast in Italy so I had to grab up this hand painted ceramic dish from Italy, in my nieces wedding color of dark blue for a bridal shower gift. And that of course led to my realization that I should get Italian wrapping paper! 

And here's where things went wrong, for some reason I thought I had to buy material too ... not sure why at this point hahahhahaha.  But it seemed like the thing to do at the time. So I looked for cottons with navy blue ... nuh uh, nothing nada zip zilch.  But I found these really pretty fabrics that I thought at the time, the darkest blues in them, would be okay.  And of course like an even bigger nincompoop, I had to get the Fat Quarter pack.  What is wrong with me?!

Well they arrived the same day as the gorgeous paper and no way in you-know-what, do they go together or look in the least bit Italian. One batch is English chintzy and the other French toile-y. WAH! 

So the search is back on ... perhaps for another something Italian for my nieces bridal shower gift? 

 

Perhaps my niece will place sea shells they found on the beach on their honeymoon in the little heart shaped plate I got her.  Because that's amore ...

adorable Johanna Parker freebie Easter tussie mussie

This is so darling, I just had to share!  Just in case you're not a frequent visitor to Johanna Parker's blog or receive her newsletter (Heavens! you must correct that immediately because you're really missing out!), she has posted a charming freebie printable for everyone.  Here's the link!

woohoo! the easter bunny made it to Canada

WHEW!  Big sigh of relief ... just received the good news from Jill that she received my swap package.  yippie yippie yippie!

I'm so frustrated and tired of working on my taxes --- I couldn't find the appraisal for my dad's house this morning and just about throttled myself --- so that's a good reason to take a break, don't you think LOL. And have some easter candy and post some pictures of what I sent to Jill.

Holy moly!  I sure suffer from lack of focus and sensory overload. I had too many ideas and too many directions.  We were to make a spoolie for our partner and send them a box or basket of goodies. Well before I could manage to focus on my spoolie, I found this darling vintage easter basket and knew it was just the thing.
 

I made a crepe paper ruffle for the first time ever, so much fun!  The inside of the basket is pretty small but I was able to put some chenille Easter ornaments, suckers and chocolates inside. I wrapped it up in Easter cellophane.

Making a spoolie was a real challenge for me, never having made one before.  I had a lot of fun figuring it out.  So here's my spoolie ... I used two of my grandmothers spools of threads for the base.

I took a photo of my spoolie before I put some packing in to cushion it ...

The inside of my box of goodies for Jill ...

little containers of surprises begging ...

Open me!  Goodies inside!

vintage buttons and also charms (from French General)

I am having spacing issues with stinking Blogger
and can't get rid of these cavernous spaces ... even though
they don't show up in the HTML! ARGH!

vintage bunny buttons and chick die cuts

vintage easter stickers and postcards

easter scrapbook

little easter bunnies
(no, I didn't make them but sure wish I knew how!)

Well that's it ... thank you so much Sandy for hosting!  And thank you so much Jill for all my goodies and being my very first swap partner and making it so much fun!

Happy (early) Easter!

521 Lake Street Easter Spoolie Swap Extravaganza has arrived

(Yup, you're not losing your minds - I accidentally hit publish right after I typed in the title to this post and nothing else and it took me quite awhile to add the text and photos, sorry!)

My package from my darling swap partner, Jill, arrived in yesterdays mail and ... Oh my good gosh!

The fun started right away too ... with bunnies and easter egg stickers on the shipping box and everything.  I took a picture for myself but am not posting since it has my whereabouts on it and I don't want some envious bunny burglaring going on at my place LOL. 

There were many layers of suspenseful goodness and unwrapping to be enjoyed!

First things first -
first out came the blue bag,
followed by the little pink bag ...
and the sweetest note and some stickers ...

And then there was the biggest purple easter egg
one ever did see, I assure you!

More on that later,
first we have to open the pink bag ...
Oh! I forgot to say, here is everything
out of the box ...

Lookie what was inside! 

The sweetest of earrings from Jill!
ooooohhhh - made from precious sea glass 

from Prince Edward Island. 

Be still my heart, all these goodies came
out of the blue bag --- it was like the magician
trick with the handkerchiefs, the bag was
bottomless, the cuteness endless.
So much fun!

Maple syrup from Ontario! Pretty chocolates,
cupcake papers, washi tape, even easter kleenex!

A Beatrix Potter book YIPPIE! A wonderful vintage
postcard, a decoupage egg, an easter egg magnet,
vintage rick rack and the sweetest and dearest of
all, a precious hanky from Jill's mom's collection. 
You know me, I am the biggest sentimental smoosh
ball of all time and I got all weepy when I read
that I was being gifted with it.



and now for the big reveal ...



Not only was my darling spoolie inside (!!! I love buttons and it's
covered in PINK [adore pink!] buttons), but there was yet
MORE!
Can you believe it?!!
A darling compact and the cutest little bunny ever!



I think you'll agree, that was most certainly
an Easter Spoolie Extravaganza, if ever there was one!

Thank you thank you thank you Easter baskets full, Jill!

Poor Jill has to wait on my package to arrive yet ...

hanging head in shame over the combined slow pokedness
of myself and the US Postal Service.

an irish blessing

 (This sweet little Irish Belleek china house was my momma's.)

 

May joy and peace surround you,
contentment latch your door

and happiness be with you now
and bless you evermore!

 ~old Irish blessing


Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Happy Saint Patty's Day!

I had written a lengthy post about what I'm up to over here and then I thought, PHOOEY!  Who cares?!  I don't even care LOL!

Pretty good self editing, huh?!

So suffice it to say that I'm buried under a pile of paperwork, trying to make heads or tails out of it for tax purposes and feel like I'm losing the battle.  WAH! 

All the while, trying to use a few of my brain cells to figure out a memorable gift for my niece who's getting married May 11th and also wondering where this chubby, old as dirt personage is going to find a pretty dress for the occasion?! Everything is teensy weensy and short short short.  OH! The horror of it all hahhahhahahahha.

I shared these cards I made in 2010 before, here and here, back in the days when I used to blog a lot. Gosh that seems like forever ago! I gathered some St. Patrick's links together on the posts too - not just my cards - there's some cute ideas. 

Remember the days when you had to wear green to school or you'd get pinched?!

Happy Wearing 'O the Green this St. Patrick's Day weekend!  

the easter bunny is on his way

a (very) little sneak peek for everyone

The Easter Bunny left my humble abode in Los Angeles on Saturday morning, making his way north to Ontario, Canada and my Easter Spoolie Swap partner, Jill.  Please keep your fingers crossed that the dear folks in Customs are in fine spirits upon his arrival there and do not delay the last leg of his journey.  

Thanks for being my first ever swap partner, Jill!