What a Marvelous Monday!

Many months ago, when I started my Flickr account, I started browsing around in my favorite groups - the doll groups.   After seeing so many wonderful dolls, I came across a young lady from Germany/Sweden.  Her shoppe, Froken Skicklig, her name, Juliane.  

Her dolls, magical; her spirit, enchanting.  After many emails, a lovely friendship has evolved and I just think that gal is so sweet and talented.   Not only a master doll maker, but a wonderful story teller - an artist all around.  

She has a DaWanda shoppe and I was so happy for her when she opened up her Etsy shoppe; giving everyone a way to be in touch with such an amazing spirit.

Well, I'm a crazy doll lover and if you saw my home, you would know, I love my dolls.  But it's not only the dolls that I love, it's an extension of the doll creator that I admire so much.  I've talked about my Little Soul dolls and their creator, Gretchen Wilson.  She is an amazing woman that I've had the tremendous pleasure of meeting and speaking with on many occasions.  With Juliane, I feel the same connection.  Both women inspire me to look within and find the joy in creating.  To find the connection between my own soul and that which I craft.  They are both wonderful and it's my extreme pleasure to have reminders (their wonderful work, ie, dolls) around my home to keep me on the right path!!  

Below is my Alva, created for me by Froken Skicklig.  You can read her wonderful story at Juliane's blog site.

She's a magical little girl that I will adore, always. 

Here are also a few items that my wonderful Juliane included in my birthday box!

A wonderful sache, a birthday candle, a lovely little cake, and some body lotion.

Here are my two gals together, Jilly, from Little Souls creator, Gretchen Wilson and my little Alva.  Jilly was willing to share her tiara for this photo.  

Along with this wonderful package that I received today that brought me my lovely Alva, I also found that I was featured in a team blog.  I am a part of the EtsyNJ Street Team and my shoppe was spotlighted.  It was a wonderful surprise.  To visit my team's blog, just click the link and you'll see that there are so many exciting, talents here in NJ.  :D

Sweet Gal in Alabama...

The hot dogs are boiling and I'm getting ready to sit and have lunch, I hear the mail truck driving by.  It's funny to hear everyday... the slow revving of the engine, then the break, revving then break.

As my mail lady places the mail in my mailbox, I start my cardio workout (oh, about 50 steps) to the box and get my mail.  Going through all the Thursday flyers - I come across this lovely pink envelope.  It's thick, full of some sort of goodies and I can't imagine who it could be from.  It's from a customer!!  

I have a Wonderful, sweetheart of a customer in Alabama and just lookie what she sent to me.

This UNBELIEVABLE package of handmade note cards!!   Along with a lovely card, filled with caring and kind thoughts.  It has made my day!   

Here's a close up of my new cards!  I just can't wait to use them!

Look at the time that she put into making these cards!  Incredible.  They are glittery, too!  Love that!  Just too perfect to even use... 

I have to thank Marilynn for all her thoughtfulness and kindness in sending me this wonderful surprise... and they were the best surprises!  I can't say it enough, how touched I am everyday by everyone I've met; via Etsy, or Flickr.  You gals are just the best!  And it's great to know and get to know everyone of you!  Marilynn, you doll you, I can't say enough about your wonderful gesture.  Thank you!  :D

Can a Hospital qualify as a Staycation?!!

Staycation:  the newest term in counteracting the economic situation in our country.

I wonder how many other words are currently being invented with the new recession?  Well, that's a great topic for another time!! :D

For the past few weeks, many issues with having Octogenarian parents have been coming to surface and having a staycation in the hospital for one of them happened.

I'm sure, that with the money spent on this lovely staycation, my parents could have reconnected with family in both Sicily and Naples!!  I kid now because everything is ok and the problem was only minor; however, during that time sitting in the hospital room with my dad, I did LOTS of meditation and crocheting!

Below are some flowers that I worked on while sitting with my mom.  I just loved the color yarn I was working with and kept crocheting, not knowing where I'm going with them or what I will eventually use them for.  Actually, that's all my mom would ask me!

Below, are the same flowers taken with the flash, and you can see the shimmery quality of the yarn.  That's what drew me to that material in the first place.  That, and the feeling of re-connection with my Grandmom, who would crochet and bake "S" cookies all day!  Well, to an 8 year old, that was a cool life!  :D

I got the bug of crocheting all these wonderful flowers from this issue of Marie Claire Idees.  I can only find these past issues at selected book stores, so to me they are like GOLD!  I just love reading them and it's funny how my 3 years of high school French can pay off!!  During the past warming streak we've had, I've actually sat on my deck with a cup of tea and pretended that I'm sitting out in the French country side listening to the birds.

Here's a photo, below, from the magazine.  Just a lovely little hand towel with these terrific, repurposed material posies.  Just adorable.  My pal, Rachel of Thinkoutsidethebox, also did the same thing with a few of her items.  Click on the link I set up to check out her flickr account and also those lovely colors from Creative Breathing.  Just love them both!!