Friends... they cherish one another's hopes. They are kind to one another's dreams. ― Henry David Thoreau
Isn't that so true? So many of you over the years have cherished my hopes regarding this little fixer upper - and have definitely been very kind to all my cottage dreams, big and small...encouraging me every step of the way, providing helpful advice and ideas, and coming back here to 'visit' and catch up as we make progress on the place. I will always be so thankful to all of my bloggy friends - you inspire me to keep on keeping on no matter how little the time or tiny the budget. Thank you!
While we're on the subject of friends, one of my dearest - Deborah of the charming Fairfield House - recently surprised me in the loveliest of ways. She sent me the most cheerful and amazing gift package I have ever seen! Now, if you know Deborah, you know that she weaves words like magic... her writing and blog posts are always such a joy to read. While I can sit in front of my blank Blogger screen as my eyes glaze over and my brain goes numb trying to think of something remotely interesting to say, Deborah's beautiful, thought-provoking posts just seem to flow from her fingertips {though I know she puts a lot of thought into everything she writes}. Well, after receiving this package {and others from her in the past}, I have had the joy of discovering that she puts a lot of thought and beauty into her gifts as well. I certainly hope she doesn't mind that I share some photos with you... Her packaging details and the gifts themselves were just too pretty to keep to myself. So in the interest of spreading creativity, cheer, and happiness, let me show you the cottage delights that Deborah sent to The Twice Remembered Cottage!
My heart skipped a beat when I opened the box and saw the red with white polka dots. Do you realize just how much I love red and white polka dots? I mean really - it's almost an addiction. I just can't help it... Polka dots are my favorite color! But I digress.
Ah, what a dreamy card...
Kraft paper packaging tied up with twine...This is my favorite way to wrap {and receive} gifts! There's just something so old-fashioned and timeless about it.
Sweet little details like hand stamped tags, a page from an old book, a feather, and a seashell just make my heart smile...
Even though these packages were too pretty to open...
...I eventually did. :)
And what precious cottage goodies were inside! There was a lavender sachet {the whole box smelled of heavenly lavender!}, ribbons - including polka dotted ones, a sweet felt brooch, an embroidered tea towel, and a beautiful white doily...
...and just look at the old red rimmed enamel bowl! Cottage perfect!
Deborah knows that a cottage isn't a cottage without a lot of good books, so she sent me this novel titled 'The Tea Rose'. It is set in the 1880s and is the first of a trilogy - I can't wait to read all three.
As more cottage treasures were unwrapped, I oohed and ahhed over each one, including this little old jam jar. Adorable!
Then there was an address book, gorgeous antique style earrings, stationery items {Love the 'Fly' theme!} and cute magnets...
Ok - I am not even kidding when I say that I gasped when I saw these measuring spoons! Are they not the most exquisite set you've ever seen? I had seen them somewhere before and put them on my mental 'wishlist'. So to actually have these in my kitchen right now thrills me to no end. I will never put them away in a drawer! And how about the red polka dot ceramic trivet? It has inspired me to be on the lookout for me red polka dot ceramics. They just make me happy!
Last year, Deborah sent me these fun pot holders and oven mitt. I must admit, I can only bring myself to use one of the pot holders because I don't want to get them dirty! And speaking of not wanting to get anything dirty, those classic monogrammed linen napkins are a special treasure...
So crisp and clean and beautiful!
I found the perfect spot for this little love token - the neck of a glass bottle that sits on my dining room mantel. :)
I can't express enough how blown away I am with Deborah's generosity and how well she knows the kinds of things I love. Thank you, Deborah, for your kindness and for inspiring us all by your creativity and thoughtfulness!
And thank you for all your kind comments on my last post regarding our beach vacation. We had a wonderful time! I did take photos but I'm afraid editing them for a blog post has taken a back seat to painting, painting... oh, and painting!
Until next time!
~Kim
Oh, here's a little something I've been meaning to do for quite a while - lining the kitchen drawers with old book pages! Of all the things to hold me up, it was mainly the fact that I couldn't find just the right book. I finally found a vintage Emily Post Etiquette book that suited this little project perfectly! I used the chapters of the book that related to food and entertaining...
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