Red Letter Day
Rain and all, Monday turned out to be one really good day for this gnome {who played hooky from work to complete orders for The Walrus}. We had a spectacular weekend, coatless warm temperatures, sunshine, my folks came to visit, my mom and I crafted our little hearts out, we ate good mom-cooked food, we relaxed and hung out with Lizzie and Mike and Brutus. I got all pending orders crafted and packaged up to finally send out today. I got an extra day away from corp. giant and my “difficult” clients. I got extra poochie snuggles from Casey. The only thing keeping today from being completely perfect was Monkey had to leave Sunday afternoon to fly down south, but otherwise, I’m finally out of the big blue funk that had me in its clutches for months. Bah, winter! Bah! (it’s supposed to snow again this week; I should keep the nose-thumbing in check for a few more weeks…).
And! It turned into a glorious red letter day when I checked my post today. Ms Liquid Sky Arts Kathleen stunned me with the most extraordinary surprise birthday gift (there is really an extra bit of bonus to stretching out celebrations; Kathleen, you are so onto something!). Thank you for making this fab day even more fab. Seriously fab.
Check out the exquisiteness all the way from socal:
Amazing decoupaged cigar box with lovely baubles and keys and trinkets on the lock. I love this monkey image. It’s very Alice. So magical!
Kathleen filled the gorgeous cigar box with postcards of her sister’s paintings, a Chinese koi diecut (is it a sticker? it’s so ornate!), and the most stupendous little mix CD. I’ve been listening to this CD all afternoon. It is FAB and I will be stunning Monkey with some cool new tunes courtesy of Kathleen when he returns this weekend. Yay!
Happily enough, the card Kathleen sent me was Roger Laborde Monkeys, much like the placemats I still had out on the dining table from the weekend:
Fun! Thanks so much, Kathleen! You made a nice day even nicer. 
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Other Bits & Bobs
The following are some randoms burbling forth from the past few days…
- Lizzie has started a new blog. If you love (destructive) pugs and (bitter little) girls, this is the place to be.
- Useful cards to keep on hand just in case? Found via the comments in this post at Cheeky Professor. Fun and tempting, but I am just not ballsy enough…
- Issue One of Subter has launched!! My friend Colleen and I have a few contributions nestled in there. And! Katie is still looking for new art for Issue 2, so if you’re itching to create and share, get in touch with her!
- I’ve become smitten with more foodie blogs. My latest: Who Wants Seconds. I’m still in lurker mode over there, but Moira did send me a really kind email via The Walrus a few days back. That pretty much rocks.
- I never would’ve admitted it before (because it really wasn’t true), but I’ve come to find that I am addicted to chickflicks as soon as Monkey leaves town for work. Now, I think he would indulge me one or two chickflicks if I really wanted to watch them with him, but the desire to watch them doesn’t actually hit me until he departs. And then I am all about surfing through the HBOs and Starz and Showtimes to find a good chickflick. I’ve seriously caught up on a load of them in the last few weeks. I was thoroughly enjoying these soaring-love-story-make-your-heart-weep-with-happy movies. The recent haul:
- 50 First Dates. I didn’t have high expectations but really, really loved this movie. Watched it again tonight! Love the soundtrack and Rob Schneider’s icky character.
- Two Weeks Notice. It’s all about the Hugh.
- Alex & Emma. Love Luke Wilson. Love Kate Hudson. Loved this film.
- Bridget Jones’s Diary. I could watch this movie a million times.
- Love Actually. I have watched this movie a million times.
- What a Girl Wants. Looked so atrocious in previews, but was enjoyed by one gnome. Once.
- Girl with the Pearl Earring. Not really a chickflick, but Cillian Murphy is so pretty. And I really like Scarlett Johansson. She is cool.
- The Matchmaker. I think this is one of the first DVD’s I’d ever ordered from Amazon way way back. I caught this on TV the other night and still adore it.
I’ll be scanning the movie channels for more sappy chick flicks all week (I think I spied 13 Going on 30 sometime this week). I also think it is highly likely that I’ll be hanging out sans Monkey come Valentine’s Day because of his stinky travel schedule. Anyone have any recommendations for more chick flicks I must see?
Giao Williams 
I ALWAYS rent chick flicks on those weekends when I’m with the in-laws sans hubby.
Glad that you had fun with your parents too! And the blue funk is gone! Yay! I’m a Bridget Jones’s Diary fan too!
Such a beautiful gift from Kathleen! 🙂 She and her sister are quite the talented pair!And how serendipitous that the card matches your placemats! Hee hee! How cute!And chick flix? Hmmmm…..I usually like to go old school with faves like Pretty in Pink, 16 Candles, St. Elmo’s Fire…..oh and Uncle Buck. Not necessarily chick flix, but fun movies. And when in doubt, Love, Actually always proves a winner.
Beautiful things one and all! I’m so glad to hear that your funk has lifted.
I too was very impressed with 50 First Dates. Didn’t have much hope for it but my husband who is so not into chick flicks suggested we go. And I am glad I did. It rocked. I adored Love Actually. I cried the first 10 minutes of the movie. Tee Hee. Two Weeks Notice also another good Hugh Grant flick. He and Sandra Bullock are great together. Bridget Jones I like a lot better than its sequal. And The Matchmaker was charming.
Oh my gosh…that is so funny about the placemats! I was looking all over for a gnome card, but turns out the monkey card was just perfect! It seems to be an alarming trend with me that everything is always late, I think I’m on “Italian time”. But then again…it’s so wonderful to send a true surprise. 🙂 Yay! (Oh…and the monkey on the box is a Daniel Merriam print. Same artist that I derived my other online handle from: telestic_tea. hee hee…his paintings are totally my cup of tea!) I’m in such a chick flick mood these days too ….been catching up on old Sex in the City’s from season 3. It’s been so long they are like new again, which makes me all kinds of happy!
I always love your posts! So much to see! My chick flick pick is Sense and Sensibility my all-time favorite!
Ohhh! Such pretty things on display! I also love Moira’s site. Her food photos are mouth watering! As for chick flicks I love Chocolat with Johnny Depp.
ahhh…how cute, my friend!
yippie for walrus orders!! i am looking forward to getting my goodies! i took another bath last night and thought about you. thats sounds much more strange that i intended… i guess i should say i thought about my fairy dust on that is on the way!
i totally watch chickflicks when the hubby is away, or more acurately when i am away for work. if you love the british ones (which it sounds like you do) notting hill and sliding doors are a must! oldies but goodies, some kind of wonderful (when eric stoltz was young and dreamy…) and for totally guilty girlie pleasure, clueless!!
so glad your funk is gone and spring is in the air in gnome land!
O.K., first of all, you are so sweet! I feel so flattered and amazed that you like my blog, since *you* are so incredibly talented it blows me away. I’m glad you’re out of your funk and looking forward to springtime.Second of all, Fifty First Dates and The Matchmaker are two of my all-time favourite movies! It happens to be that my husband likes them, too- so that’s nice. And Girl With The Pearl Earring…it is SO gorgeous…the cinematography is SO amazing…I loved the book as well, and I thought the movie was a faithful adaptation. Have you ever seen Sliding Doors with Gwyneth Paltrow? That’s a great chick flick!Thirdly, I got tagged for the music meme that’s going right now. I blogged about it a little while ago, but one of the girls I tagged had already done it. It’s weird, because I was going to put you on my list, but changed it to her name at the last minute…isn’t that funny?This is the part where I say, “Tag…you’re it!”http://whowantsseconds.typepad.com/who_wants_seconds/2005/02/music_in_my_kit.html#commentsCheers,Moira
I just adore your site and you are incredibly handy with your illios!!!! They are adorable and my fav is by far the girl and her wellies!!!! I think it is neat that we are both married to brits that are seven years older than us! Enjoy your week!! Island Girl
ooh yah! i loved 13 going on 30!!:)
I love the new banner?! Where do you cram all that creativity? :)The movies you mentioned are awesome- rent Emma too! I love that one.You get the best mail too. I’d like to borrow your mailbox for a little while.The StD’s look SOOOO AWESOME! We are both so excited about them and can’t wait to get them printed. YOU ROCK!!
That Kathleen! What a nice friend she is…those birthday goodies look quite wonderful indeed. And I agree…birthday celebrations should be extended into birthday months 🙂 Fifty First Dates was just the sweetest movie! The ending…oh, the ending! It made me cry and cry. And of course Hugh Grant films…irresistable.
Thank you, thank you, also for all your sweet sweet comments on my site. What a trying week it has been, but it has been made easier by the thoughtfulness of others. Your kindness has brought me much comfort.
Love those “chick flicks” even though almost all the guys I know love them as well!
If you haven’t yet, try Sabrina – either version is great, Ever After – the costumes are breathtaking, Simply Irresistible – it’s magical, Return to Me – heartwrenching but worth it, and the requisite10 Things I Hate About you – how can you dismiss a serenade?!
Beautiful gifts! Wonderful links! (isn’t Moira fantastic?!) and that illo is just perfect for Valentine’s Day. I’m envious that you had warm weather….grrr….cold cold go away….pussicat wants to play!
Oh Kathleen is so good in belated birthday surprises, I love this! And 13 going on 30 that’s a good tip, I could watch that now it’s so cute :o)
Hey girl, nice long post and gifts from your friend! Have a good one and take care in the snow!
What a cute new banner! And happy (belated) birthday!