kirstencan

Mail as Distraction

GRRR, this is the second time I've posted!  Somehow I was using a new(?) Typepad interface and it ate my post with all my photos and links!!!!  And now I have the old interface again - whaaa?

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Anyway, this week has been kind of rough.  We will not be discussing the nebulizer, the nebulizer breaking, late night doctor visits, steroid shots, or walking out of the pharmacy with 4 prescriptions for one child.  We will also not be discussing the fact that another child started vomiting last night.  Which was not a symptom the first child had...

Nope.  Let's change the subject, shall we?

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Happy Mail.  Ahh, gotta love it.  My birthday just keeps coming. ;)

Lori sent me this awesome quilt book - because of this pattern:

A Jane Austen quilt!  How cool is that? 

New friend, Jen, sent me a box packed with Daiso goodies!  Just because! (Daiso is like a Japanese dollar store, and there aren't many in the U.S.)  I was shocked by all the great stuff she sent!  We had such a great time digging through the box!  Thanks so much!

(click on the photos to see them bigger - there is a LOT of goodness going on here!)

My SIL Eva sent a selection of her letterpress cards - gorgeous stuff!  I esp. love the Mother's Day card, Eva!

Littlest sister, Kellie, sent me two rocking mix cd's.  I really like them!  She made covers for them out of paper bags - with collaged paint chips on front!

My brother, Kris sent an old California State reading text.  It has awesome illustrations that I'm itching to cut up, but the boys actually like listening to the stories - so in one piece it will stay... for now.

I like how he illustrated the back cover, esp.  I think the face in the middle was already there... since the sixties? :)  Kris has a thing for aliens...

Don't I have a creative family? ;)

Also just received or will soon some new etsy purchases! And more packages on the way, as I'm getting ready for Monkey's birthday.   

Happiness is in the Mailbox

*Sorry I haven't been good about replying to comments lately - I try, I swear!  Some weeks I just have more time for it than others.  Thank you for stopping by and commenting anyway!*

I've ordered some new fabric recently - all from etsy:

Amy Butler's Cherry Lotus fabric.  Soon-to-be new kitchen & Dining room curtains.  Sweet.  (From Still Spaces).

Uber-cute robot, train, and cloud fabric (from Plumtickled Fabrics).  I don't know what these will be for ... yet.  But does it really matter?  How cute are these?  They make me happy.

Folklore Forest and Garden prints (from Mountain of the Dragon).  These are too cute + really match my living room - I couldn't resist and was happy to find them in the colorway I wanted in fat quarters on etsy.

I've already made a small cushion out of one of these for my couch.  I love how the dots and the squirrel print set each other off! 

A little more color for inside the house - since it's still completely dreary outside...

Miniswap 3 - Received

The Miniswap package arrived!  My partner was Michelle of Greetingarts.

It was a blur of paper and goodies... the kids were so excited.

For Princess - markers, stamps, stickers, notebooks - good, girly, crafty stuff for my girl - and she loves it.

For the boys:  sidewalk chalk, books, and...

A rocket!

And aliens!  Michelle says the pattern is modified from a free one found here.  Since I don't knit or crochet, I'm always in awe at the cool stuff people can do with yarn!  These are awesome!

My boys (and Princess, but the boys especially) LOVE the rocket.  And Michelle, thanks so much for making two aliens!  I'm happy to report that the rocket flies well, the aliens have had lots of important missions, and are getting along well with spacerobot.

Thank you so much, Michelle!  This swap was fun!

(Hopefully she'll get my package today - and then I'll post what I sent to her girls).

MailMamaMail

I was super lucky and won Beth's (of WriteMamaWrite and SewMamaSew)giveaway recently.

Her pretty pretty package arrived today. 

Inside was a beautiful bag, in a really cool shape (another view here) that would make such a pretty dance bag for Princess - but I think I'll keep it for myself - at least for a while!  It's nice and girly and I love it.

Also included was fabric (I'm dying to put the puppy fabric on the bottom to good use!), cute appliquéd birdies in a frame (probably destined for Princess' room), halloween cards (which I don't think I can give away!), and she wrote a note in a TinyHappy card!  I thought that was pretty cool - I love all of Melissa's stuff.

Everything was packaged beautifully, and she remembered to send some kiddo treats - which they loved, and they were stuff that Thomas could eat!  I doubt she knew about his diet.

Thank you, Beth!  What a fun package to open today, you spoiled me and I really don't deserve it!

Belated Monkey

The best surprise was in my mailbox today.  A little box covered with cute drawings - like this monkey:

It was from Katurah of Luckybeans!  Way back when, I won her giveaway, which was this amazing sock monkey (tights monkey?) + monster.

She tried to mail it to me, but (African Post) it was returned to her.

I told her not to worry, that it was an honor just to be nominated, but she tried again, this time from the states on her trip this summer.  That's above and beyond, if you ask me.

I love the details that didn't show up in the picture she posted - like the house button and the ric rac on the little monkey's apron.

She also sent the dotted silk scarf (already a fave of Princess') that is shown in the first photo, some super cute drawings from her children and, of course, some luckybeans.

Thanks, Katurah!  Nakka & Ipa are already well-loved!

One More Reason...

...why I love blogging - happy mail!

I lucked out in Soo's giveaway recently and got the best little package the other day (and all the way from Australia, which never fails to impress me)!  A Japanese apron book, one of Soo's handmade cards (love!) amazing chocolate, and equally amazing fabric - look - Anne of Green Gables!

Anne is one of my best book-friends, so I will be thinking hard about how to use this fabric best.  A pillow for my bed, possibly, or part of a quilt, I think.  Something to keep close.  And just for me.

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One more reason...
...to buy etsy:  good packaging.  I bought some baker's twine from Cristina at String theory for a project I'm working on, and it came packaged so nicely!  sticker, twine, cute tape, postcards.  I was going to buy some twine from the Martha line at Michael's, but the kind I wanted was always out of stock.  And now I'm glad.  Thanks, Cristina!

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And now, for your viewing enjoyment, some amazing apron photos from my new book (ISBN 4579109724)  - to kick off your weekend.

Courtesy of me and Soo.

Thank you, Soo!

Spoiled am I!

I have been fortunate in the mail department recently!

Lera sent me a package with vintage doll dresses, handmade notecards (love!) and her famous handmade soap!

Thanks, Lera!  I can't believe that all fit in that padded envelope! :)

And I won Katie's recent giveaway - and was shocked by the heavy box I received!
fabric, trim...

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Blueprint mags, and an American Girl book - since she knows we're fans here.

Thanks so much, Katie!  I've already got a finished project (!) to show you made from some of your lovely gift!  Maybe tomorrow... :)

Royal Mail is Happy Mail

A while back, Julie and I decided to to a little swap.
Ah, Royal Mail!

Look at the goodies!  And I am dying to use the Japanese ladybug linen she sent me! (background).

Julie made me a bunny with a white dress/blue sash - inspired by someone's birthday dress!  Isn't that awesome?

(Princess loves the blue panties!)

Do you understand why I was drooling over her stuff?  Drooling.

And 'from one princess to another' the little pink box was a little gift for Princess - which is now her #1 treasure.  She wrote on the back of the teeny notebook with the teeny pencil:  "From England".

Which makes me smile, because it's still amazing to me to get wonderful gifts from blog-friends.  I have more to show you soon!  Julie told me that her daughter was telling people that "someone in America designed a shirt just for her!"  That's how I feel sometimes.  I want to carry around my bunny and just tell people casually that "Oh, my friend in England made this just for me!".

I won't.  But I'll tell you.

Thank you, Julie, for a wonderful swap - it was fun!

(You can see what I sent her here)

Recent Mail

Well, I picked up my camera last night (hooray!), so I can show you some of the goodies that have arrived in my mailbox recently:

Mirre sent me some lovely tissue holders, flower, and check out her cute moo card!
Thanks!

On the right, cute pink tree fabric from Tasha (Thanks!  Did you all see her sale?  Too fun.  Now if only Ali hadn't bought the last of the car fabric! :) and the other three pieces are from nuno+ (an eBay store).  And since I couldn't wait to use them, and at the same time am having a hard time cutting them...

I made some more pillowcovers for the couch.  The feet are Thomas'.  He likes the pillows.
I like the added whimsy of these fun prints, but as much as I love the numbers print I'm not sure how well it goes.  But that's okay, It's a big piece, I can totally use it for something else if/when I change my mind.

I used a stripe for the back of both, one that matches enough yet mellows the bright prints a little.  I like that.

And I have some plans for the pink trees fabric as well, but I couldn't wait to use it so I patched my jeans with it!

The legs here belong to Monkey.

Too bad Japanese fabric is pricey.  I want to use it for EVERYTHING!
Cute overload.

Happy + Unhappy Mail

Hannah's yard sale package arrived the other day - and I couldn't wait to take pictures of it - we were playing outside when the mail came.

I was taking photos, the boys were playing in that lovely early-spring mud.  You know, when it's finally warm and dry enough to play outside, but the yard is really still in winter mode?

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Anyway, when I saw that Hannah had a size 8 vintage girls' pattern, I couldn't turn it down.

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And it came with fabric - but not just fabric - an almost finished skirt!  That fits Princess!  We just have to hem it.  How cool is that 1960's go-go-ish fabric?

An almost finished jumper, too - but I'm not sure if I like it.  Maybe with some trim added?  There was a tiny folded paper bag with the buttons that someone intended to use for the straps.  Makes me wonder who made these and who they were making them for.  Was this mom's to-do list just too long, too?

Hannah was so sweet and sent a bag of vintage buttons as well.

Thanks, Hannah!

Then, I looked at the water bill.

Yikes!
That'll give a girl a heart attack!

Yes, of course I called and the correct amount was about $50.  They really should owe me now for mental distress!