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Strawberry Swap!

So I posted and scheduled this, or at least thought I did, last week. However, it has failed to materialise so I am trying again!

To date, I have done two previous swaps via Popular Crafts magazine (who featured me this week – squeee!) My first was the Union Jack swap, followed by the Polka Dot swap. I signed up for the strawberry one with much excitement and absolutely no clue how busy August and September would turn out to be – oops!

I was partnered this time with lovely Lynsey, who blogs at The Diary of a Novice Crafter and while we are both super-busy and rather stressed out, we have managed the odd email and tweet which is great – I love to meet fellow crafters and stay in touch beyond one project! (I have to say though, she’s not a novice, she’s bloody brilliant!)

Now, I have just about got there with my makes and will sneakily post them here once they are safely with Lynsey, but I couldn’t resist posting photos of what she sent me when they arrived yesterday – terrible lighting as I was out and didn’t get back till really late, but look how gorgeous it all is!!!

Here’s my parcels, prettily wrapped:

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And inside, here are all my beautiful bits… hand knitted strawberry gloves (I adore these and will be wearing them to work the moment it turns colder); a beautiful cross stitched card that has pride of place on my mantelpiece; a strawberry lavender bag (destined for my clothes rails – it’s too pretty to go in a drawer!); and strawberry bunting for my bike basket! I squeaked when I saw this – so exciting! Pics of Bluebell suitably adorned asap 🙂

My treats are just as exciting – two dainty little pots of strawberry jam, Body Shop lip balm, which happens to be one of my favourites, and gorgeous strawberry stickers 🙂

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Thank you so much Lynsey – I adore it all and it made my weekend! I hope you love all your pressies as well when they eventually wing their way over to you!

Aren’t I lucky? Did any of you take part? Post your links, I’d love to see what you sent and what you received!

Things that make me happy – home edition

I’m heading home to Mum & Dad’s for Christmas on Saturday morning, and I was thinking how happy going home makes me. I love my flat and my independence, but there really is no place like home at Christmas time.

Some of the things in their flat that make me happy (and all of which I hope will move to their new place in the new year, so it feels like home still!)

 

Dad playing his guitar… one day I’ll learn too 🙂

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It’s five o’ clock somewhere… an Alan Jackson song and unarguably the truth! Mmm… cocktails.

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Continuing with signs (see where I get it from? I’ll have to do a post about mine one day) – Tabasco ‘hot stuff’. I don’t actually like the stuff, but Mum and Dad are almost addicts 😛 They put it with everything, including breakfast.DSCF4980

Some of Mum’s camel collection and the cross stitch I made for her 60th birthday. To date this is the only cross stitch I’ve finished!!

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My graduation photo. Like a million others across the country I’m sure, but I’m chuffed they keep it in their living room 🙂

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And last but by no means least, the very awesome knitted Aleksandr, made for Mum by one of her (talented) friends – isn’t he fabulous?! Simples!

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