Ravelry's Flat Rate Box Swap

I recently joined a few swaps on Ravelry.com, and am excited to say that today after work I came home to find a package waiting for me on the front porch. It was a swap package from the Flat Rate Box Swap on Raverly. The theme for this particular swap is "Local Theme" meaning, we are to send items from our local area (town / state). My swap partner lives in the state of Maryland, so she sent me some things related to her area. WOW, I must say I sure did get a nice package of things! Even my kitties got treated by my swap partner!

Jasper & Casper with their new toys!

Here's all the neat stuff I got in my box from my swap partner...

• "Crochet Boquet" Book from Joann Fabrics - This is a book on crocheted flower motifs.
  (And you'll never believe that just this morning I was online trying to find a pattern for a flower motif, then I find this awesome book in the mail from my swap partner today)!
• Skein of Vanna White white yarn
• Skein of red yarn made locally in my swap partner's community
• Old Bay Seasoning (YUMMY! Can't wait to try this!)
• Souvenier sand keychain
• Souvenier toothpick container (shaped like a small coffee mug)
  
• Stationery note pad designed by a local person
• ANNA magazine - never heard of this magazine before...it's filled with needlework patterns!
• Hallmark Wedding photo/scrap book
• Gummy Worms for my fiancee's boys
• Webkins Oriole for my son - Orioles are Maryland's state bird
• Postcards with pictures of Maryland and places in the area
• Postcard with a crab cake recipe on it
• Kitty Christmas wrapping paper
• Kitty stickers
• Stuffed toy crab
• Crochet hook comfort grips
• Maryland collector spoon
• Magazines on Maryland and the local areas
• Blue Angels magnet
• Hand crocheted angora hair tie, made locally in Maryland
• Lavender soap from Ireland
  

If I've overlooked something on this list, I'm sorry! There's just so much, and I am so grateful to "cardidog" (my swap partner). This was her first swap, and she did awesome! I appreciate and love everything!

THANK YOU CARDIDOG!

Mother's Day 2009

Mother's Day is always special, but this year was more special than ever... it was the first time my son was ever able to give me something for Mother's Day without having to get help from someone else.
A week earlier my son & I were shopping at a local JoAnn Fabric & Craft Store. I was looking at birthday cards and hadn't realized that my son was looking at Mother's Day cards. When we got to the checkout counter, he told me not to look, so I closed my eyes...he had picked out a card for me and had the cashier scan it with my items as my eyes were closed, and she put it in a separate bag for him to carry. I hadn't even realized he had picked out a card for me until that moment, so being the mom I am, I pretended like I didn't know what he was doing and what was going on. And even though I had to pay for my own Mother's Day card, it was a most memorable and special moment for me...the first time he had picked out a Mother's Day card for me without any help from someone else! Here's an image of the card & envelope (inside & out, since he drew some wonderful pictures on it for me). It's a card I will treasure forever, and will never throw away!
But the card wasn't the only gift I received from my son! He also made me an awesome bookmark in school and decorated a planter pot with flowers in it. He kept it all hidden in his bedroom until Mother's Day came. :o) I love my boy so very much!
Here's a picture of the front & back of the bookmark that he made for me...
Picture coming soon of the planter pot & flower.

I had another surprise on Mother's Day this year... my fiancee's son, Dalton, had a gift for me as well. He made me a really neat clothespin "Superman" character in school, as well as a tissue paper flower! I usually just get a verbal "Happy Mother's Day" from my fiancee's boys, but Dalton must think of me as more than just his dad's fiancee, because he thought about me when he was making these Mother's Day gifts in school. My eyes got all watery when the boys gave me all these great Mother's Day gifts. I know I'm loved, and I love them back ten-fold!

Here are two different angles of the gifts Dalton made for me...

We had to take my fiancee's boys back to their mom's by 10am on Mother's Day so they could spend the day with her, so after dropping them off at their mom's house we decided to go to Watertown, WI to stop at Wal-Mart SuperCenter so I could pick up some much needed yarn for something I'm making for the Kitchen Swap 2009 to put in my swap partner's gift basket. After Wal-Mart, we decided to go for a late breakfast somewhere and ended up at Frank's Corner Cafe. Talk about a wonderful breakfast! We also had beautiful weather, so all in all, I had a most enjoyable Mother's Day this year, thanks to my wonderful family!

Blue Jean Teddy Blankie

I made this Blue Jean Teddy Blankie in March of 2009, for a friend's baby shower. Her nursery theme is Blue Jean Teddy, so I wanted to stick with the theme. I found this beautiful fabric panel on eBay, and found the flannel fabric featuring clouds, for the back of the Blankie, at Wal-Mart.

Think Pink Blankie

I made this "Think Pink" Blankie, which features the Pink Panther, for a friend's baby shower in October of 2008.

Thomas the Tank Blankie

I made this Thomas the Tank Engine themed Blankie for a friend's baby shower in 2008.