Why I love mail part, well, who can keep up?

Oh boy! Two days in a row. I still can't reveal what I received yesterday until after tomorrow...are you still with me? Anyway, TODAY this was my special treat~a big envelope from Shelley (Gypsy Wagon)! Check out the front of the envelope, I was satisfied just with that, closed and all... ...then I turn it over to open it and here's the back and, again, how cute?

Inside is a copy of the Texas Highways magazine she had been telling me about (remember, we have that Texas, among many other things, in common. As if that wasn't more than enough she included a beautiful card with a sweet note and AN ART TAG. Pick me up!

Here's a close-up of the art tag. Oh my dear goodness, I'm launching into a Sound of Music song, "I must have done something good"!

Thank you so much, Shelley, I'm inspired to "cook" up a treat for you now...

I Love Mail!!!!!

Even if I set it up myself, I still get a thrill especially when I get several packages in one day. Not that I do that very often but I am using some of the items for Mellie's birthday THIS WEEK. In addition to the button cards from the swap I also received my order from Catherine at Red Shoes Home Goods. Check it out!!! I love when orders come dressed like a gift from a bff. Here's the BOX she made and what it looked like just opening it. I could have lived happily ever after with just that. THEN I unwrapped the order part of the box (the beautiful soaps were a gift) and voila! I'm embarrassed that my photos don't do these little guys any justice so you'll have to check out her website that I have listed under my links. She's the one of the fairy door fame in case you've heard, if not you need to stop doing chores and start spending more time online or have good friends who keep you up to date on the important things in life. I'm lucky!!!!

Got My Button Cards From Speckled Egg Swap!!!

And the envelope please...from top left and going counterclockwise~from Barbara Burkard, from Suzy Spence, from Speckled Egg, from Angie Hall Haviland, and from Heather. I love every one, and look how different each one is from the other, that makes it so much fun and wonderful. Thank you so much ladies and for hosting, Heather!

this is my reality...

I love those pictures that artists post of the glitter spilling over the antique sheet music with the perfectly curled silk ribbon where the most fab embellishments are laid out for an optimum visual. I do, I really love those pictures, they are so inspiring. But here's reality for me...

...two days in the "cave" and this is what it looks like. And this is even after I've parsed through my ribbon jungle and am getting ready to post a huge lot of them for sale on Etsy. You are certainly correct if you think that this situation inhibits my creativity. Although I got enough accomplished to feel good about myself and put me on a roll that is continuing, I've still got to clean up my act more before any more productivity can be expected. My 21 year old son is moving out next week and I'm actually cooking up a rotating rooms idea...stay tuned for details as to the explosion that will be the guys' heads as I sneak this info into their "don't change a thing" mentalities...

Lest you think I've had nothing going on...

Well I have to admit that because I thought I'd be having surgery yesterday I'd been on a huge tangent the last couple of weeks tackling big projects that I had procrastinated on for a while. Not that I was "getting my life in order", at least I was trying not to think of it that way. I told myself these would be things that would bug me while I was sequestered in bed for a few days. Sooooo, these are the days I was supposed to be recuperating and so I've been a little at loose ends. This is a picture of the "big event" of today. I put together this little cutie. I found the antique cup and saucer at Emporium Antiques last week (paying rent in person is very expensive). I had to have it and it was even under "had to have" reason. Then thinking where he'd like best to live in this well-edited (ha!) home, I decided on the window sill of the kitchen where there's a lot of green. That's where one of Hope's (Paper Relics) cards had been residing. It was love at first sight and they moved in together. Tomorrow the guys are all going fishing ALL DAY LONG and possibly the night so I am planning a full day in my work room match-making other pieces who will travel with me to Silver Bella for vendor night. I have to have a big, uninterrupted span of time before I like to work and, since school let out, I haven't had much of that kind of time with swimming lessons, etc. So I CAN'T WAIT. I've been a little antsy awaiting this creative time. Oh boy!