Another Swap More Pictures

I just love swaps so I just had to join Shannons Parasols and Paper swap recently. My partner was the delightful Rosa who lives in the USA. Well her gorgeous parcel arrived yesterday and I took piccies of the awesome stuff she sent me. She sent a note with it to say that she had so much fun creating for me and she hoped that I liked it.
Well Rosa I LOVE LOVE LOVE IT ALL!!!

Here are the piccies as I opened the parcel and unwrapped everything. It was almost too gorgeous to unwrap each parcel as everything was so beautifully wrapped.But at that point I was beside myself with excitement.

Take a look at the pearl L. OH MY GOD it is so gorgeous.

And the big parasol which is decorated on BOTH sides

and the sweet plaque that i have hanging on my bedside table. You are sooooo clever and I love it soooooo much.

and the Simply Shabby Chic wrapping paper. Rosa anything from Shabby Chic or Simply Shabby Chic is just so prized here because we can't get any of it unless we get it from the US so it will be used for the most special people in my life. Thank You.

Rosa all your work is impeccable. You are so creative and I love everything. I just hope that you like what I made for you but it is not a patch on your creations. Thank you so much, you are an awesome swap partner and I was so lucky to get you as a partner.Please excuse the piccies as my camera is playing up yet again.......

Swapping Joy

I promised photos of the Paris in Spring Swap that I took part in recently. My partner was the fabulous Peta. Now I must admit that I tore the parcel open as usual so there is no wrapping :)))) just can't help myself I am like a kid in a cake shop when I get a swap in the mail. Now I kinda forget the exact rules but the colours were black and white, duck egg blue (my favourite) and something French or connected to Paris. Have you seen such a gorgeous box...I know exactly what I am going to do with it.....it is white with a flocked design in black...oooohhh just love it...

Peta also sent me this cool blue bottle that she decorated with fringing and blue beads....it was filled with freddo frogs (chocolate) which lasted about a minute?...

that gorgeous box was filled with pretty blue shredded paper and it hid so many TREASURES!!!!...like two little lace scented bags...lace, ric rac,

MY OWN EIFFEL TOWER!!!...I am in heaven.....and a tiny Kath Kidston soap

a crochet piece tied with a tassel, and the tiniest porcelain house that was hiding in an awesome venetian mirror box...and finished off with a stunning blue card...which I adore...

Peta you are such a sweetie...I adore it all..thank you sooooooo much....Peta has blogged my swap...check it out here....and there is one more swap that I took part in. The girls from Pretty Chic had a Mothers Day Banner swap...my partner was the hugely talented Julles...we have similar taste so I was guaranteed to love the banner she made for me...oh and I do...I just need to find a fabulous spot to photograph it so you can see just how incredible it is....so keep a look out I will try to get it done soon and show you the special extras she sent me...you are a treasure Julles...

Just Popping In.....

I have spent the last few weeks reading blogs about all your fabulous vintage finds and wondering when my turn to find treasure was going to come up. Lately treasure hunting in my neck of the woods has been pretty ordinary to say the least until yesterday. I went to my favourite op shop and found some treasure.

Heres the box....any ideas?

Now the price...the princely sum of $1........



look inside....





gorgeous vintage roses







to die for. Not sure what I will use them for but I will enjoy them in the meantime

Hoping to post again tomorrow as its a Public Holiday here in Queensland and I get the day off. Yay! I received my Mothers Day Banner swap from the gorgeous Julles and will show off the pretties she sent me....


I am exhausted and off to bed...today we hosted a birthday party for the sweetest 2 year old I know.....heres a photo of her taken last week......isn't she just the cutest thing? Happy Birthday Amy Baby....Love you heaps

Grab A Coffee...Long Post...Thanks Gail And Valerie..You Sweeties

Well Its freezing here this morning :(

Looks like winter is round the corner at last.....I love the cooler weather...we are close to the Bunya Mountains..about half an hour away and so our temperatures are a bit cooler than the rest of Queensland..especially at night...I'm wearing warm jammies already :))))








Anyhooo.....
guess what arrived this week..........

My giveaway prize from the fabulously talented Gail McCormack.....it is just so beautiful...she also sent me one of her cards and the sweetest note. The packaging smelt of roses...truly beautiful....I am in raptures.....here are a few photos but my camera just does not do this work of art justice.....Gail, Thank You sooooo much. I am truly honoured to own an original piece of your work...




Next and just as exciting...my Easter Basket Swap arrived from my swap partner the sweet Valerie.....
Oh My....my basket was filled with coloured straw....there were glitter eggs, bunnies, more eggs, chocolate chiccies that didn't even make it to the photo shoot....they were soooooo yummy...














And wait theres more.....pastel coloured crepe paper, vintage paper embellishments, chocolate drinks ( dh and I enjoyed them very much!).












Oh and four vials of GLITTER!!!!!
Oh Valerie you just made my day. I am keeping them all to use next year........ Oh and gorgeous wired ribbon in rainbow colours and a foil flower and the prettiest bunch of lavender velvet flowers...

there was so much it just kept coming out of the box....Valerie you are the best Angel ever......I'm afraid my parcel paled in comparison to yours.......
And lastly I am sharing my Easter decorations.Took photos but haven't had the time to show up to now. I really had a relaxing time over Easter and just did NOTHING!!!
Glorious NOTHING!!!
Enjoy the photos.....they are all packed away in a pretty blue gingham box waiting for next year......













Bye for now.......I am taking part in Sweet Goodness Swaps....Paris in Spring Swap...its all about duck egg blue and Paris.....my favourite city in the world behind London......
huggs

Goodbye Ol' Blue Eyes........Heaven Has a New Angel

On Monday, St Patricks Day our beloved Ol' Blue Eyes, Thomas, left our world to become Heavens newest Angel. He was 12. You will see Thomas sitting on our butchers block on an earlier post. Well Thomas had been losing weight and had a snuffly nose for the past 6 weeks. Despite several doses of antibiotics he was getting worse. A trip to a different vet for a second opinion resulted in an xray which revealed that he had an aggressive tumor in his sinus cavity......so we made the painful decision to let him go.....he was literally starving to death because he wouldn't eat.......here are pictures of Thomas and his friend Sophie last winter....Sophie had a coat on and Thomas was cold...simple solution...piggyback.......

Thomas had the most incredible blue eyes. He was so gentle and placid. He meowed incessantly as all Siamese do when he spoke to us...oh to hear that meow just one more time. You see he lost his best mate Bear (a German Shepherd) about 18 months ago and his Juliet last year. He never connected with our other dogs so he was quite lost. He gave us so much joy we had to let him go. So Thomas is in heaven being nibbled by Bear and snuggling up to Zoe (his Juliet).
Goodbye my brave boy. God Speed until we meet again at Rainbow Bridge.

Have a lovely Easter.

Welcome To My World

I'm home! Back from my Conference. It was very full on but alot of fun. I caught up with some great people. Forgot to take photos. I could kick myself. I left the camera in my car and just kept forgetting to take it out!!!
So I thought I would give you a peek into my world. The area I live in is blooming at the moment. We have had more rain over the summer than in the past 5-6 years. So everything is sooooo green. I live in the country and my neighbours are growing sunflowers...don't you love them? I do.....took these photos from my car today...

I love sunflowers!!

This is the road that leads to my house.



The view on the other side of the road from the sunflowers. It reminds me of a parchwork quilt.

Don't you just love this gorgeous red barn. They use it to store peanuts!

This orchard is just down the road and they grow persimmons on those vines. If you look real close you can see the orangy coloured fruit amongst the vines. They are yummy! and are exported to Asia.



This is my driveway with a peep of my house.

My roses are spectacular this year. The recent rain has produced this late bloom.

I believe these are peace roses. Just gorgeous and they smell amazing!!

So this is my world I hope you enjoyed the ride.

Linda