Fall Exchange From Karen!

Did I mention I'm behind on everything?! Because I am...!

I got this beautiful exchange from Karen weeks and weeks ago and am just now getting around to posting a picture of it!


This sweet little pillow has been on my mantel all autumn. Karen's finishing is second-t0-none! It's really beautiful. And the goodies have been delved into since their arrival! She sent beautiful fabric quarters, fibers in gorgeous and vibrant fall colors, a dish towel, needles, and a glow-in-the-dark jack-o-lantern Pez dispenser that my 2 kids took off with all tucked inside a leaf dish! I love fall colors and this was just overflowing with them!

Thank you so much Karen!! And I am genuinely sorry it took me so long to finally post about it. It's been on my t0-do list for much too long!

Better Late than Never!

I am SO BEHIND on everything right now! Oh my gosh, it's November! How did that happen?!

So this baby - IT'S A BOY! - is due 3 weeks from today and I my life feels so crazy. Besides baby Evan being on the way, my 5-year-old son starting kindergarten (our first grade schooler - I never would have guessed elementary school makes life even more hectic) and I have too much on my plate. But sweet Natasha is the most patient, most wonderful woman in the world and has repeatedly showered me with "it's okay" and "get it in the mail whenever you have time" and "no rush" and "no worries!" I'm so thankful for her patience!

But I'm here to say that I have OFFICIALLY mailed my fall exchange to Natasha! 2 months late, but it's on its way! And it also has my winter exchange for her too so that one she's getting a few weeks early! I'm not sure that makes up for a 2-month delay, but hey it's something!

Thank you so much Natasha for being so gracious and understanding. I am so grateful!

Summer Exchange from Karen

I got my package in the mail on Wednesday night from Karen and it was brimming with summer goodness!

It all came beautifully wrapped in little cellophane bags with red, white, and blue ribbon. I had to get a picture of the lovely presentation before opening the little bags.


And here's the whole kit and kaboodle on display:


Karen stitched up Summer House from LHN. I love the fuzzy trim! And she sent along a sweet little bowl (perfect for containing all those pesky ORTs if you ask me), a pair of patriotic socks, 2 beautiful fat quarters, 3 skeins of summery threads, 2 pads of paper (DS is eying the bumble bee pad), and a tub of delicious smelling coconut body butter! I LOVE all things coconut scented and this is even a little shimmery so my legs are going to be looking and smelling great all summer!

Thank you Karen! Getting this was a real treat in the middle of what has been a long and arduous week.

While we're on the subject of packages I figure I'll go ahead and let everyone in the group know that I'm working on a package of my own these days. I'm pregnant with our third little offspring. I'm due December 7th so I am already getting a big headstart on my fall and winter exchanges for Natasha so they will be ready to go even if my life gets a little crazier by the mailing dates. I'm planning ahead so I don't fall behind! Here's an ultrasound pic of the little one at 7 weeks (I'm 16 weeks now). He/she looks like a little toad to me in this pic. Hopefully by our 20 week ultrasound he/she will be looking a less amphibious :)


Thanks Karen for a super summer package! It was a real delight!!

Natasha's Package is FINALLY in the Mail!

It may be a week late, but it's finally shipping! My hubby just left here with the box and he's headed to FedEx so be on the look out Natasha! Thanks for your patience :)

I'm Late! Sorry Natasha!

Natasha,
I am so very sorry. This whole week has gotten away from me as the kids and I have been totally focused on getting ready for Father's Day and we've had so much going on (people flying in from out of town, church workshops, etc). I completely forgot the mail date was looming and your box is still sitting unsealed, unaddressed, and unready for its trip to the post office. Clearly someone (ahem, me) needs to better mark these things on the family calendar so they don't pass without my realizing it! Last night the feeling that I was forgetting something just washed over me and then it hit me like a ton of bricks that Wednesday was our mail date. I will get to the post office sometime in the next day or 2. I am so so sorry.

-Kim

Spring Has Sprung! Exchange from Karen!!

I got my spring exchange from my mystery partner - Karen - on Monday! I would have posted sooner but Cuddle Bug suddenly came down with a fever and before I knew it I was thinking to myself "what is that nagging feeling I have that I was supposed to do something..." So without further delay, check it out:



Karen stitched Eat, Sleep, Stitch by Cherry Wood Designs for me and finished it into a darling little pillow. How perfect is the finishing fabric for this design?!

She also included a tin of mints, 2 skeins of Needle Necessities, beautiful blue finishing fabric, green-blue ric rac, and a needleminder and pins that she made herself. Here are close-ups of the needleminder and pins. Aren't the lovely?



I am pleased to report that it has been gorgeous here the past few days! We got a taste of spring. I told Karen I think she must have packed some beautiful Arizona sunshine in with this exchange! Unfortunately, DH is reporting that we are supposed to have highs in the 40s for the next few days. Oh well :)

Love seeing everyone else's packages coming in!! Happy spring stitchers!!
-Kim

Mail

My package will hit the mail tomorrow! I had to run to the store to grab some last minute goodies today since we had a freak snow storm yesterday. But it's all ready to go now and will be in the hands of the US Postal Service tomorrow morning!! Let the 2011 exchange officially begin!

-Kim

Double the Fun from Melissa!

My package from Melissa came Saturday, but I've either been too busy or it's been too dark to get pictures. Today, despite the overcast and lack of decent lighting I am sharing with you the wonderful exchange(s) I received from sweet Melissa!

Melissa was under the weather and under a pile of other obligations (see also: work, school, life) and wasn't able to get my fall exchange in the mail in September. So it showed up with my winter exchange which only doubled the fun.

Check out these wonderful fall goodies and the festive fall bean bag:



I tried and tried to get a good picture of the needle minder (made by Melissa herself) because the skeleton cameo cracked me up, but the lighting is just so bad from it being overcast and the flash washed it out. Oh well, here's the best I could do for your viewing pleasure:


And the silkweaver fabbie (which is both fall-ish in color and winter-ish in irridescence) was definitely a high point too!

And here's the winter exchange that accompanied the fall:

Don't you just absolutely love the darling little pillow?! It's finished so perfectly. I perched it in our Christmas tree right next to the ornament Vonna sent me last year.

Thank you for a wonderful year of exchanges Melissa! It was so great getting to know you (we're FB friends now) and getting all these lovely little treasures in the mail all year!!

-Kim

Package

Hey Kim, your package is on the way. I sent it Priority Mail, so hopefully it will be there early next week. Be sure and look inside things well when it arrives because there are a couple of goodies tucked away inside of one of the items. :)

I also just want to say how much fun I've had being a part of this exchange group this year. I really wish I was able to commit to it again next year, but my life is just so busy these days that I know I just shouldn't. In just the past six months, I've been promoted into management at work, gone back to college, and moved. Yeah, life is definitely busy these days. LOL I'll still be lurking around blogs and checking in on Facebook, so I won't be a complete stranger. :)

Melissa

It's On Its Way!

Hey Karen! Your package is in the mail as of noon today! I actually got it out EARLY this time :P

-Kim

It's in the Mail!

Hey Karen, I hang my head in shame but I got your package mailed today.

I couldn't find a box that was the right size for it anywhere! They were all too big or too small. Finally my husband managed to construct a "box" of the right size out of a bigger box. I believe his exact words were "it's okay if it's ugly right?" So be on the lookout for an ugly box!

-Kim

Running a Few Days Late

Hey Kim,

I sincerely apologize! I'm running a few days late with your exchange package. The latest 2-3 weeks have just been insane between fiscal year-end coming up at work this month, my grandmother having a stroke, moving, and then hurting my back last week during the move. Between it all, I just haven't been able to get in much stitching time unfortunately.

Thankfully, I don't have too much more to go to have your piece finished. I already had most of the stitching done before I started packing up to move, so I just need to get that last little bit done and then do the finishing. I tried to finish the stitching part on Sunday while I was watching football, but just wasn't able to stitch yet due to my back. :( It's feeling significantly better this morning, so I should be able to finish up your piece and get it in the mail by Monday at the absolute latest.

Again, I'm so sorry for being late!

Melissa

I'm Late...Again!

Sorry Karen! You deserve a gold star for patience! I had a huge exam last night and my life has been completely unmanageable for the past week. But I'm heading out today to pick up a few last minute things. I hate being late twice in a row. At least I'm consistent...

It will be in the mail tomorrow or Friday. And I promise it will be worth the wait :)

Hugs!
Kim