Gifts Were Shared

To top off a perfect day with good friends, we girls exchanged gifts...



...Deanna sent a package from her shop Gather and our friend Debbie baked Paula and I her amazing mushroom meringues...I would show you a picture of those meringues but half of them have already been eaten and the other half have been hidden from Santa Baby and the Cookie Monster...



Presentation is everything!



My girlfriends know me well. Paula found these darling red leather antique baby shoes when she was helping out at Gather in Ivoryton ...
After she bought them...Deanna confessed that she thought of me when she saw them too...
What is it with me and little shoes?
...I guess lots of us have a shoe fetish...but an antique baby shoe obsession?



Starla was intrigued with this linen covered book box that Paula gave me...
She bought one for herself from Taken for Granite and when both Evi and I expressed our admiration for its lovely worn look and how she had it displayed in her beautiful home...
...Paula was able to find one for each of us...



Catch a glimpse of those little girl's white cotton gloves? They were on top of the package...ah...she knows me well...another one of my collections to add to...



Deanna sent along this wonderful old oak sewing machine box and filled it with the kind of treasures she knows I love to discover...





An old scotch tape tin, silver manicure tool, fountain pens, ruler and a leather bound pocket dictionary...



Long ago...someone wrote this saying on the inside back cover...



flea...a troublesome insect
52 flea...lots of weekends at the flea market...a troublesome habit...



Everyone should have a famous and talented dollmaker as a dear friend.
Once again, Evi made something very special for Paula and me. Just look at this beautiful antique linen covered paper mache box...with handmade strawberries that Evi stitched with antique fabrics in my favorite blue color...



Inside was a tiny doll that she created with paper mache...
...lovingly hand stitched clothes from antique fabrics...again in my blue...



Paula's little doll and oval linen covered box were in her favorite shades of white, brown and black...equally charming and made with love.
Mind you....Evi did this for us while she was preparing Christmas and her beautiful home for her family. I do not know where this girl gets her ideas, energy, organizational skills and creative genius from....but I want some!!



A few of the other gifts that were exchanged....these Garden Markers came from Anthropologie! Old silver ware with hand stamped names of herbs, plants and other appropriate words like Love and Bloom...





This little etched glass cloche on stand also came from Anthropologie and is the perfect size for a cupcake! The little ornament with the golden bird was tied to the gift that Evi gave me...



...and lastly I wanted to share my birthday gift that Evi gave me last month...
...this lovely blue linen homespun pocket belonged at one time to her Aunt Gertrude...
It is one of the few things she had from this Aunt and Evi has generously and thoughtfully passed it on to me....just because she knows that I would love it...its color and that it probably held handkerchiefs at one time....yes, I collect those too.
I will treasure this very personal and thoughtful gift.

So, there you have it. It was a wonderful holiday and I received many thoughtful and special gifts. My greatest gifts, however and without a doubt, are my wonderful family and my dear friends.

Have a good night!
Back to the office Monday morning!
:)