Valentine's Sweet Goodness

I recently participated in a Sweet Goodness Swap for Valentines Day.  Their swaps are always so much fun.  I made Michelle a bracelet with some of her favorite things; like inspirational charms, crowns and beads.   As many of you know I just underwent surgery for ovarian cancer and so I used the turquoise colored beads in her bracelet to signify the search for a cure as a turquoise ribbon represents ovarian cancer.  In the past Sweet Goodness Swaps there have usually been thrifted items as well as the hand made so I found this cute little bear baker figurine and quilted heart magnet for her bag also. I was hoping to receive hers to me so I could run these posts at the same time, but I've yet to receive mine so decided to run them separately.

~ Red, White & Blue Swap ~

Mamarazzi hosted another fun swap over at Our Dandelion Wishes.

My partner was Kimberly over at Kim and Mikey got Married. She sent me this awesome box! I'm using the red, white and blue towels as we speak for the 4th of July! There was this awesome jam made by her father-in-law, a notepad with my favorite flowers, a wonderful collection of LIVE, LOVE & LAUGH words for the wall, a magnet, a notebook, a scent infuser, a great smelling candle and a much needed bookmark!

I sent her red, white and blue yankee candles, a red tea tin of some of my favorite tea, red and white note cards, a white rose soap petals bloom, 2 red, white and blue patriotic magnets, a red, white and blue decorative box, a notebook and pen, a hand made red, white and blue eyeglass pin and a red, white and blue notepad.

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Christmas in July Swap

How much fun is this? I'm so excited to do a fun Christmas swap without all the stress of the season to bog it down. Head on over to Angie's Spot to join the fun!

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Snail Mail Delight

A couple of weeks ago I received an awesome swap package from Diana over at Forgetfulone. And then today I received a package with this great book and Mary Engelbrett stickers. Diana is an awesome bloggy friend that I look forward to meeting some day in real life. The book in the background is the scrap book that Diana sent me in my box. I've turned it into my blog log. A place to keep schedules, future ideas and recipes to post. It is really helping me stay organized.

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Hurray for the Red, White & Blue!

There's another new swap in town.

I'm so excited! Mamarazzi is hosting another fun swap over at Our Dandelion Wishes. I've put my thinking cap on and am coming up with some fun ideas. Go check it out and join the fun, but hurry, it's filling up fast. Stop on by and join in the fun!

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Spread the Love ~ Favorite Things Swap

I'm so excited! Mamarazzi hosted her THIRD Favorite Things Swap over at Our Dandelion Wishes and my box arrived today from my swap partner Diana at Forgetfulone! I love the pastel pink wrapping, it's so sweet.

And such a wonderful box. It turns out her favorite things are some of mine too! She sent me this awesome Sweet Pea candle from Bath & Body Works, a place I truly love, but is 2 hours away so I don't get there often. There is also a bottle of their Clean Linen signature line bubble bath that I will use sparingly. Both of those scents are 2 of my all time favorites from Bath & Body Works. She included one of my favorite candy bars, Three Musketeers, an adorable kitten notebook, the Woman's Day magazine that I 'didn't' pick up at the checkstand the other day and this cute Martha Stewart Gumdrop scrapbook kit. I love all of it Diana. Thank You soooooooooooo much!!

Sh also included this cute poem to be sung to the theme of My Favorite Things!

Cute little gift bags
and candles for smelling.
Sweet pea's the fragrance
that's made for your dwelling.
Fine fluffy chocolate
a smile always brings.
These are a few
of my favorite things.

Scrapbooking photos
and making them pretty,
writing in notebooks
adorned with a kitty.
Making to-do lists
a smile always brings.
These are a few
of my favorite things.

When I'm burned out,
when I'm worn out,
when I'm feeling sad,
an hour of reading,
a hot bubble bath,
and then I don't feel
Sooooo bad!

Diana and I have been bloggy friends for quite some time now, so I was really excited to be paired with her for this swap. Now since her box was delivered today I can disclose it's contents too. We have so many of the same likes I was able to pick out things with her in mind that are my favorites. too Diana is a Disney ornament nut (and so am I) and I found this set of Hallmark Mickey Mouse train ornaments that I really hope she doesn't already have. I also included my favorite pomegranite & papaya soak beads and leaves from Cuccio so she could pamper herself with a foot soak and pedicure. I also included some of my favorite scented cottage made soaps, and loofa a couple of my handmade Christmas bulbls, one of my favorite book ~ the Notebook by Nicholas Sparks which I thought would be a great summer read, a cute fat quarter of fabric and ribbon for scrapping, a spice infuser for soups and stew, a knit coaster, a photo frame, kitten kitchen magnet, a sweet smelling candle, note cards as well as a handmade sketch journal and a cute pink daily journal. I was so late coming back from my trip that I didn't get to wrap as cute as she did.

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Favorite Things

I'm so excited! Mamarazzi is hosting her THIRD Favorite Things Swap over at Our Dandelion Wishes.

I didn't get to participate in the first two, but really wanted to and am so excited that I'm in time for this one. It's so fun to give and receive good fun mail.

I've put my thinking cap on and am coming up with some fun ideas. Go check it out and join the fun.

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Very Vintage Valentine Swap

I participated in Heidi's Very Vintage Valentine Swap. I had fun putting together my partner's box and here is what I sent: an altered candy box full of Valentine's ribbons, cupcake stakes, recipes, vintage Valentine postcards and a cute little note board. I also made some crepe paper garland and sequin confetti hearts. She has asked for no sweets so I sent these awesome JELL-O flavors: Margarita, Pina Colada and strawberry Daiquiri. I also included a cute set of heart note cards, a vintage table centerpiece, pink variegated yarn, heart cookie cutters and and a Chinese heart carton full of metal conversation heart magnets. I'm still waiting for my box to see what's in it.

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Secret Apron Swap Sneak Peek

Over at Mommy Holly there have been secrets being kept, fun secrets. She's hosting the Amy Butler Apron Swap. Holly and I have agreed that we're both nuts though. She's moving and I'm remodeling so we went right down to the wire on this one. This was a secret swap so since I just mailed it yesterday, I'm not going to ruin the surprise for anyone playing. Along with the apron you were to send your secret partner your favorite recipe for the winter, and a nice note to let them know who you are! I sent the recipe for Rib Sticking Winter Soup YUMMY! I hope she likes it all.

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Ornament Swaps & the Secret Santa Shindig partner revealed

The Secret Santa Shindig was hosted by Kori at My Life as a CFers Wife. Christmas Ornament Exchange 2008 was hosted by Smoochiefrog over at In the Mind of a ThirtySomething mom. The 2008 Bloggers Ornament Exchange was hosted by Pampering Beki. The Island Life 2008 Christmas Ornament Exchange was hosted by Kailani at An Island Life. These are the ornaments I sent out:

I'm anxiously awaiting to see what comes my way.

This is what I sent my partner Rachel over at Something to Blog About. A set of hand painted Christmas tree bulbs, poinsettia salt and pepper shakers, hot chocolate mixes, a snowman cookie and tin, hot tea, Santa notes, Santa ornament and a Santa candle.

I received this adorable box from Jessica with lots of chocolate (made hubby SUPER happy) cute crystal candle holders, a little holiday clipboard, the cutest handmade card and an adorable soap basket with a hand knit washcloth and heavenly smelling soaps.

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A Very Vintage Christmas Swap

Heidi over at Foxgloves, Fabric & Folly was our fabulous hostess for A Very Vintage Christmas Swap. My partner was Ann over at Annie Fannie's Green Acres. Ann sent me this awesome box. She used my love for Snowmen and sent these awesome ornaments and an adorable snowman hand towel. The candle smells heavenly and I really love the heart plaque that she made. It matches my guest room perfectly and looks great in there. Thank you so much Ann. I love it all.

The package I sent Ann was fun to put together. I found these awesome snowflake mugs and filled them with fun hot chocolates and snowman & santa painted cinnamon sticks. To that I added some Mistletoe Mocha Coffee, a snowman cookie, a set of holly salt and pepper shakers, snowman placemats, a cute hot pad, a quilted ornament and a jingle bell tealight tree.

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Home for the Holidays Swap Update

Everyone should have mailed their boxes by now. I hope you had great fun. Don't forget to post to flickr. We can't wait to see what everyone has done.

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Snowflakes and Sparkles Swap

My partner was Elizabeth over at Thoughts from an Evil Overlord

Elizabeth loves snowmen and I found this great AVON light-up snowman, (his beaded legs light up and flash) a hand painted snowman box, a fun snowman cookie tin, a snowman candle and some snowmen ornament twirlers.

Elizabeth also likes vintage ornaments and I found these 3 vintage ornaments: a red silk beaded cameo, a nativity and an angel that my grandma had made. And a vintage quilted one as well as 2 beaded icicle ornaments. I also had these great vintage snowflakes for making her own ornaments.

A while back she admired some lids I had on my blue ball jars full of buttons so I made some of those for her too. I found this adorable silver Christmas tree candle and then some chocolate caramel bars and hot cocoas for those cold winter nights.

Then today I received this great box from Elizabeth.

Inside was so much fun! She picked out some great Christmas fat quarters for me since I'm a quilter and then she wrapped my packages in fabric too - how neat! I've been thinking of making a small Christmas quilt as I've been reading the Christmas Quilt by Jennifer Chiaverini. There is also some gold wire ribbon that is just begging to be used this year.

Elizabeth sent me some 'green tags' which I love and have been making for 30 years. Great minds think alike? LOL Essentially you recycle this year's Christmas cards into next year's gift tags. It's creative, fun and pretty too.

I never told her what they were, but she managed to send 2 of my very favorite candies too, Junior mints and my all time favorite - ribbon candy! As a little girl I would wait all year long for my dad to buy that seasonal ribbon candy and was always sorry when it was gone! Better yet it's made right near her home.

She sent a this beautiful frame which is awesome as I am in the midst of finishing a family photo case in the stairwell that I hope to use in show and tell soon - perfect timing Elizabeth. The fingertip towels will be awesome with all our holiday guests.

There are also Christmas candles, a CD collection of Christmas songs I can't wait to hear, a bead craft, a patchwork quilted ornament and a Santa pin. Thank you so much for a fun box!

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