Lori was one of the first people to ask me for a swap (the second one, actually). We said we would do a "Surprise Swap", and after I had collected together a few things, I decided on a theme for her: Roses/Flowers. I got some rose soap and rose paper cutout thingies (no idea what to call the stuff), dyed and painted some flowery design on a little tote bag, etc etc. I should post pictures about it but they're hiding away somewhere right now...
Anyway, when I received Lori's package, I had to laugh. Check the picture closely to see why:
YES! She sent me some rose soap as well! And rose paper! And rose scent bags! Ain't it just fantastic? No idea how we managed to think so much alike!
As you can see, she also sent loads of other stuff - a Rolling Stone magazine (never yet had one in my hands before, fun!), a Stephen King novel (without knowing that I had read some of his books as a wee teenie, but not this one!), some great beads and other fun stuff. The one thing that isn't in the picture is the lovely windchime she sent, all pinkish-purple fun - and it's not in the picture because it's hanging in my entry hall, and I didn't want to take it down.
So much fun, Lori, thanks again! And whenever I'm sick of life again, I'm sure your blog will cheer me up. :)
(Check it out, people, and you'll want to live on a little farm in the middle of nowhere as well! I know I do everytime I take a look at it.)
I think next in line came Carolyne from Adelaide. Now, Adelaide holds a special place in my heart every since I mad a very good online friend there, who has since disappeared, but I still heartily miss him. This fascination with Adelaide led to a general interest for Australia, and, in time, to the topic for my thesis - and me being able to make another friend, here in Graz, over our shared interest. So, as you can see, Adelaide, to me, is special, even if I've never been there (YET!).
Carolyne is an interesting person, for me. Working in what I would call hard science, analysing writing samples etc - whew. And then, on the side, she makes the most beautiful things. Check out this picture:
See the bag? Click on the picture, please, to see the larger version, and look at the bag again. Isn't it great? I wore it for the first time to the opera, to see Carmen, and have the pictures to prove it (check the GYS site if you want to see them), and I'm longing to be able to use it again. I had it hanging up in my room for a couple of weeks after I received it, because I just wanted to look at it all the time. :)
Well, Carolyne also sent other things - loads and loads of wonderful beads, a great big t-shirt that, despite Carolyne's doubts, has already been in use several times, then a nice magazine with many many projects inside *fingers itching to make something*, some great chocolate (those FruitChocs were a true delight), and some nice stickers and touristy stuff, the kangaroo now sitting on my bedside table with some other nice things (a little touristy elk from Norway I got from my sister, a little angel figurine I received several years ago from my brother, and, since a few nights ago, another little kangaroo, from Perth).
Carolyne, thanks again! I loved and still love everything you sent!
And then there was Charlene, from Berkeley, CA. I asked her for magazines and look what she sent me:
Magazines! And what great ones! First, the Japanese craft mag, fantastic, with things easy enough for me to make, lovely! Then, BUST, which I'd only heard about in whispers among the blogs I read, and wondered what was so great about it - then I looked through it and I think I understand now! Great to get this chance to check it out (without even asking for it specifically). And lastly, this really interesting music magazine. Never read a music magazine before, what fun!
But the magazines of course weren't everything. She also sent some great fabric, and some stickers, and...Ghirardelli chocolate! Oh, Ghirardelli Square, how I miss thee! I spent one afternoon of my life there, and what fun it was! So many things! So many lovely things! And great weather! One of the best days of my later school days, I'd say. (And the best thing I bought, ever: Chocolate pasta! My family was a little startled over that one when I brought it home!)
Again, thanks Charlene! And I'm still extremely sorry about the item that I sent you and which broke! (And I haven't forgotten about the recipes I meant to send you, they're just terribly late...I hope you don't mind waiting a few more weeks.)
So, these were my autumn swaps that I never posted about and had the worst moments over because I felt such a lazy thing, not to post about all these great things I received!
There's still two swaps I haven't written about, which I received just around Christmas:
One from Meshell in Perth, and one from Melissa in Singapore. But I'll post about them soon, as there are so many nice things to show you, and it would be a pity to let them suffer for publicity as long as the other packages did!
As a final picture, another one from my stay with my friends - on the afternoon of the 31st, we drove around the area a bit, and did some walking, and geocaching (google it if you have no idea what that is, or wait for me to say more about it, hah). It was my first time, and much fun! I took this picture about 30mins before the sun was setting. This is Burg Güssing, in the south of Burgenland, the most eastern province/county/whatever of Austria. My friends are thinking about getting married there. I hope they do, it would be fabulous. :)
2 Kommentare:
swaps are so fun!
Yes they are! :D
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