Snail Mail >> Outgoing

It occurred to me that, despite putting quite some effort into my snail mail, I hardly ever show pictures of my outgoing parcels. However, I do tend to take pictures while I put them together. So I've decided to finally post some of them.

 Anyway, this was a little surprise for a lovely mom-to-be. I went with something cute, as well as something very Dutch. The illustrations on the cutlery are the literary characters (Jip & Janneke) every single Dutch kid grows up with!

Of course I also had to sneak an owl in there. And I could not resist color coordinating everything either.

More snail mail coming soon! Including some absolutely wonderful incoming parcels...

Late Birthday Recap

Even though I should have done this many weeks ago, I'm only sharing my birthday gifts and pictures with you now. It was quite a relaxed day and I also had a lovely little party a few days after. Anyway, here are some pictures!

If you're a long time follower of my blog you might have seen a very similar cake before. They had green ones in spring or for Easter or something, but when my birthday came round they had the pink again. Not complaining though, it is absolutely gorgeous! And it actually looked much better in my pink home than the green ever would have.

Tofu was a little disappointed he didn't get his own slice though. But he did enjoy the gift ribbons a lot! Anyway, I received some beautifully packaged items from a very dear friend. The bunny box in the first picture was hers too.

I didn't really mentioned this to anyone I invited to my party, but I was really hoping for gifts that didn't take up too much space, were useful or even edible.  Somehow they all picked out perfect things anyway. Like these chocolates!

Another edible gift was this awesome jar of cookie ingredients. I look forward to using it up, but I also enjoy the way it looks in my kitchen. So I'll keep it as decoration for a while longer... until the cookie-craving becomes too strong.

The same friend gave me an amazing notebook that has cute tabs, a zipper pocket and even little folders to hold pictures and loose papers. She also included some magnetic bookmarks that actually match the notebook very well.

These gifts were wrapped in a gift bag with a beautiful crocheted butterfly (which is now gracing my door). And inside I found not only the quirkiest knitting book I'd ever seen. But also an invite to a Burlesque Show! (Which I've always wanted to visit!)

Next up was another dream come true, or maybe more accurately… a nightmare averted. Growing up I just adored Joan of Arcadia. I had always remained sad about it getting cancelled, and I was also afraid I'd never get to see it again (because the DVDs weren't released here). I now have both seasons to watch over and over and over again. I'm so happy!

The same friend also gifted me this amazing owl shirt. I actually blogged about it a while back. It looked so pretty on the picture online, but it's even better in real life. The fabric has such an interesting blend of colors and it's super soft.

Lastly I got my first ever Lush gift box. It contained mostly items I had never tried before, and I'm loving all of them. The shower jelly smells amazing! And the shampoo will probably be a re-buy for me once I finish this bar.

I also got a few items that aren't shown here… some amazing Japanese cookies, a remote for my camera, and I'm actually still getting a nice new water boiler from my mom, but we haven't been able to go shopping for one yet...

In the Mail… Christmas Edition!

So I'm a little behind on my Christmas posts, but I received some amazing gifts that I'd still love to show you! A very dear friend from the US sent me some things that just arrived recently, and they were very much worth the wait.

Everything was beautifully wrapped in the cutest papers and ribbons. Such a treat to look at and open! And the insides were amazing too! I got a stunning silver owl mug, along with chocolate-y treats and even hot cacoa mix to go in it.



In the United States a lot of people make it a tradition to give each other pyjamas. No one does that were I'm from, so I was really excited to be part of that tradition once, and receive three beautifully patterned flannel pyjama bottoms!

Hot drink? Check! Lounge wear? Check! All I need next is books, right? And maybe an owl ex libris sticker set? Yes!

But my friend also took care of any actual reading needs, because I got those gorgeous Puffin in Bloom books I am so smitten with. I had the feeling they'd be amazing, but to see them in real life… wow! They are fantastic!

 

And there were more owls… This gorgeous barn owl plate. I love how it's lifelike, yet really colorful at the same time!

Apart from the beautiful plate, there was also an adorable little hedgehog dish. It even has some slight 3D effects!

*

My lovely friend Amy also sent me some adorable things for Christmas! I got a teeny tiny owl planner that will come in very handy!

And a gorgeous notebook with the most beautiful patterns on the outside as well as inside, on every page even!

Anyway, as you can probably guess, I was over the moon with all my Christmas gifts! Did you get any in the mail too?

In the Mail...

It's been a pretty rough week for me, but there was also something that cheered me up a great deal... Some amazing happy mail from a very dear friend! Everything was so beautiful! And of course I took some pictures for the blog.

The stunning turquoise owl is a cookie jar. It looks a lot smaller in this picture, it's actually pretty huge and could hold a lot of cookies indeed! And there were also some other equally awesome and beautifully wrapped-up gifts.

Like the fairy tale coin purse and the tiny gift that held some very pretty nail polish (post coming!), but there was also an amazing week planner for my desk (will show up later too). And socks. But not just any socks, no no no... cat socks!!!

Wasn't that awesome?! It certainly makes it harder to feel sad when you have these things to look at, doesn't it? And my friend and I also made a very special owl thing happen, but I'll save that for another post as well, so stay tuned...

Have you gotten any happy mail recently? I hope so!

Wassupbrothers Update

Current main sponsor Olga is a very busy bee. She's always keeping her shop full of old favorites, while creating lots of new creatures at the same time. A lot of new items have hit her Etsy shop recently, so high time for an update!

 I love following the Facebook page to see what's in the making. Apart from the plush creatures we know and love, Olga enjoys trying out some new mediums and techniques. She recently added a wooden bird that she painted.
But she also created some stunning textile sculptures. They seem so alive and attentive! Great for when you want to invest in some lovely art! But if your wallet isn't as thick at the moment, you can get these lovely babies instead!


 I fell madly in love with them… They are so tiny and so fluffy! But if you don't have room for any creatures, not even tiny ones, there are also some paper pieces to grace your walls. Most illustrations are even hand embroidered.

As you can see, there's always something -or someone!- new at Wassupbrothers. So be sure to follow Olga's blog, the Wassupbrothers Facebook page and her Etsy shop to see what comes in next. Every update is a lovely surprise!

In the Mail...

As I mentioned in my birthday gift post, there were still some late gifts to arrive, some of which arrived just now! Amy from I Am Adorkable sent me a parcel filled with loveliness! Let's start off with this pretty woodland kitchen set.

I was actually in dire need of a spoon rest, but every time I was in a store it slipped my mind. Amy saved the day! And a barn owl spoon rest? It can't really get any better than that! And I adore the hedgehog and mouse items too.

I really like the style of these illustrations. They're still cute, but also quite grown up and they look good everywhere. The spoon rest will find a permanent spot on my counter, but the others will probably switch between the kitchen and the living room. I'm already envisioning using them for tea time. With cookies of course!

I also got this cute magnet set. The quote is definitely something to live by! Can't wait to use them on my magnetic board. And finally, yet another beautiful and very handy gift, I was sent this adorable owl hook!

Great gifts, aren't they?! I love them all so much and they look amazing in my apartment. Thank you very much, Amy!

Birthday Gifts

More than three weeks after the fact, but here I am, finally ready to post about my birthday gifts. Believe it or not, but there are still some late gifts to be received, so I might even have to do a smaller second post. But first...

This pretty pastel pile was sent to me by a wonderful friend from overseas. She's the sweetest person with the best taste! Every gift is, without exception, wrapped like a dream and always holds something absolutely amazing!

All the wrapping paper was designed by Natalie L'Ete. I think every single gift had a different design. There was a lot of gorgeous stationary inside, including one planner by the same artist and some notebooks from Rifle Paper Co.

I also got some things that I'm sure will make -or already have made- an appearance on the blog. Book post will follow! But I just had to show you these adorable mints as well. They are so incredibly delicious, I could hardly believe it!

During the weekend my friend came over with a cute Easter floral arrangement, which happened to match her outfit perfectly! Anyway, it brightened up my living room for quite some time and I'll see if I can revive the bulbs next spring.

A little while ago I had a tiny nail polish party with another friend, so on my birthday she surprised me with some lovely OPIs. These colors hold so many possibilities as far as combinations and designs go...

Onto my mom… She gave me something totally unexpected, but completely amazing! I think I literally screamed when I saw this little suitcase. My dad sat there utterly confused by my reaction. It was pretty funny seeing his face like that.

In it were a couple of lovely little gifts. Including dvd, some kitchen utensils -that sounds horrible, I know, but they were pink and I'm really happy with them!- and some fun post-its. Also, she helped me out with a microphone! Which deserves a post of its own...

So yeah, that's my big birthday post! I'm really happy with all the lovely things and sweet notes I received. And if you're reading this and recognize something you gave me. Thank you very much, yet again!

In the Mail...

Earlier this month the lovely Suki threw a wonderful giveaway with an amazing assortment of all the lovely things she makes -buttons, a lavender heart, a puzzle brooch and a beautiful Christmassy owl!- and I turned out to be the lucky winner!

As you can probably guess, the arrival of these things really brightened my day. The lavender heart will get a prime spot in my new walk-in closet so I can see it everyday. And all the pins will be flaunted regularly.

Thank you so much for everything, Suki! Even the gift wrapping was perfect!

Anyway, don't forget to pop by her blog if you're not a follower already, and her shop if you're looking for some wonderful handmade, yet affordable Christmas gifts.