Hel-looooooooooooo!!

Today Orlando and I received a package in the post

I set about opening the extremely well sealed package wielding knife and scissors carefully and several minutes later

We were very excited!

Orlando was especially keen to see what was inside for him

“C’mon Mumma” he is saying “Let’s open it!”

While I was trying to enjoy the pretty packaging and practise ‘Anticipation 101’ my cat was nudging my hand and insisting the box be opened.  Once opened the contents were thoroughly investigated and then he went looking – he knew there was something else, he just had to find it ………..

The whole thing went something like this

Then we got to the really exciting part – his present!

The package was, of course, from the absolute Queen of beautiful gifts, the wondrous Ms Boomdeeadda. While King Orlando snuffled and nudged, I oohed and aahed at the gorgeous packaging, the envelope, the letter, the sweet smelling pot-pourri……  Then I settled down with the gift bag – truly the most impressive gift bag I have ever seen in my life.  So pretty, so detailed, so impeccably put together in terms of colour and combination and detail.  The woman is a genius!

I wish the photos could convey the texture and subtleties better

The front of the gift bag

The back of the gift bag

Bearing all the wonderful signs of my dear blogging friend – I felt it really didn’t matter if there was anything inside the gift bag or not – in itself this is such a treasure.  But there were several more  little treasures and tea bags and chocolates wrapped in aqua foil [of course – if you follow Boomdeeadda then you know how much she loves aqua!  If you don’t, go on over and say I sent you – you will love her blog!]

I knew Boomdee had sent me this wee container of pot-pourri as I had squee’ed over it last December when she posted about making them.  With her big heart all aglow she had obligingly wrapped one up and sent it off via a nice postal person who hiked from Alberta, across British Columbia to the sea and then swam southwards across the Pacific to my door.

And here it is at last.  A beautiful, woody, piney, spicy, rich smelling wonder which in 24 hours has wafted through my home filling it with the memory of my Northern Hemisphere Christmases – with perfect timing as Father Winter has just begun to rap loudly on my window pane here at the other end of the world!

This amazing package also contained a little something from Alyster – see the specially packaged little porcelain toadstool surrounded by some of the gift bag contents – thats especially for us, from Alyster 🙂  Next thing I’ll be making fairy gardens!!.

And to end, this is this mornings shot of a boy  and his new best friend, who have just been woken from a sound slumber by a crazy woman with a camera.

This was a lovely break from my house cleaning and tidying – the job has grown and grown.  The bathroom has been re organised and given a good seeing to.  The laundry has had the same treatment and my bedroom is also getting a redo.  My ‘Create Joy’ room is inaccessible as that has become the place where everything gets stored until it is ready for relocation, either here or elsewhere…….. YD is still selling stuff on Trademe and other sites.  Various charity stores have been the recipients of trunk-loads of stuff and other bits and bobs are making the giveaway rounds of family and friends.  I am so light!!  My wardrobe has been halved, my ‘one day it might be useful’ pile has all gone. My ‘cottage by the sea’ accoutrements have also now all gone.  I have left only what I need and use.

And, of course, my arty-crafty stash 🙂

And please, do pop over and visit Boomdee – I know you will enjoy her, she is a lot of fun!

Thanks for coming by today, I love that you did!  🙂