…more happy mail.

Don’t tell Nikki that I’m blogging this, will you?! She is all sweet & humble & nice & did NOT (she emphasised that) want anything in return for sending myself & another lucky winner copies of Mixtape she was giving away on her blog. She did NOT want us to feel obliged to blog about it.

But.

I can’t help it.

I blog about everything exciting (& lots of stuff that isn’t…)! I got loads of awesome mail today & Nikki’s parcel was the first to arrive, with unexpected goodies to boot (to blatantly steal from one of her recent posts ‘Just Because’).

Thank you Nikki (…don’t hurt me!).

Rocket arrived – so much for waiting for Punk’s birthday… she has come to realise that sometimes one of the millions of parcels that keep arriving here has something in it for her, so she cannot be distracted when it comes time to open the mail. Girl & Elephant spy each other across the kitchen table. Girl demands Elephant. Elephant & Girl hug. A firm friendship is born. He is super gorgeous Jodie – I love his cute elephant toes!

I also got my Crafty Mamas November swap parcel (it’s still November… isn’t it…?!) from Mandy, it was a Christmas decoration swap & she spoiled me with a festive table runner featuring ‘that fat guy that breaks & enters’, BEAUTIFUL lacy baubles & another super special golden ornament, as well as a massive box of chocolate…!

I can’t promise that’s the end of my gloating about the goodies my postie is sick of bringing me, but I promise I’ll give it a rest for a while… I actually have some crafty stuff to share tomorrow!

Oh. So. Lucky.

I am.

I really am.

I was contemplating skipping a post today - I've been up since 4.30am, I'm tired, grumpy & feeling rather unproductive... but what was waiting for me when I opened the door to go & empty the vacuum cleaner....?!

Why, piles & piles of lovely vintage fabric all the way from the USA, of course!

Bethany ran a giveaway on her blog last month & lucky for me & unlucky for them, one of the winners never got back to her with an address & I was picked in the second chance draw - woohoo! There is nothing better to cheer up an exhausted, frazzled Vic on a dreary Monday morning!

My three favourites;

I also have to send out huge thanks to Claire for her super duper package - she spoilt us so much - not only did I receive a super funky red apron, but lots of other goodies too, including a Punky Pirate doll for... you guessed it, my very own Punky Pirate.

Then I got a lovely package wrapped up in brown paper from Kylie.... (including some fantastic yellow buttons...!!)

Annnnnnnnnd, just so you can feel fully justified in hating me, I got this sweet wee Nilla Nilla lip balm in the mail from Curious Oyster, it is ALL THAT, let me tell you. Made in Melbourne & adorned with a cheeky cheesecake pinup... oh how I love vintage pinups!

Gosh the blogosphere has been good to me so far! And don't think I don't appreciate it, and every little thing that happens to come my way in the mail, because I absolutely do! I feel ever so lucky but not only that, I feel very welcomed into this blogging community. It makes it all a little bit more real to be able to touch, wear or adore something I have only seen on a computer screen & to think that someone has had the generosity of heart to send it out to me.

I am slowly gearing up for my 150th post giveaway (since I totally missed the 100th....) & am going to make it a big one. It's the least I can do, good bloggy karma & all....!

Happy Birthday... Friend.

I turn to you when I have trouble finding what I need elsewhere.

You always have something to cheer me up.

You get me money when I need it.

You help me clean out some of my inevitable-brought on by an opshopping addiction- clutter.

You bring me souvenirs from across the globe.

I can't help but get excited when I see a congratulatory email from you in my inbox.

...

You are eBay... and you're 10!

Can you believe that eBay is 10?! I certainly can't.

I remember boasting to people about some goodie or other recently purchased on this magical auction site, and them wondering what on earth I was on about. "e.... what now?" "Which Bay...?!" "Who are you & why do you think I care about your roller skates?"

Now it is officially a household name, almost a beloved family member in this house - hardly a day goes by when it isn't mentioned in some context "Sell it on eBay!" (...usually uttered by the boy in response to "Look what I bought!"), "Look what I bought on eBay!" (...usually uttered by me to The Punk because I don't want to advertise to The Boy that I've been buying things on eBay), "How much are they on eBay?", "I saw one on eBay", etc etc.

I prefer to find things I love for myself, at oppies & garage sales & auctions & the like, I love the story that goes with the item, but when there is something I really, really, really want, sometimes eBay is the best & only way to go. These pictures are all things I have "won" one eBay (even the fact that you "win" an auction instead of "buy" a product has pleasant connotations...) & wouldn't be without.

I've sold a few things on eBay too - had fantasies of becoming "that woman" you see on telly & hear on the radio who makes millions from her eBay business by buying things for $2 & selling them for $200 - but that just isn't me. If I find something fantastic I want to keep it - and if I don't like it, I don't even notice it, let alone want to buy it. That & I don't have the patience to endlessly measure, describe & list things I have no interest in (because if I were selling it, I wouldn't be interested in it...!).

Anywho - like I said, it's eBay's birthday & I'm posting about it 'cause you can win stuff! Yeah! Winning stuff (and not having to pay for it later lol) is grand, is it not?

Today you can win a party! I'm not entering because I still don't know anyone here & sitting amongst $1500 worth of food & party supplies on my ownsome would be, quite frankly, depressing. ;)

Father's Day is on hold....

...until The Boy gets home this afternoon. He works every weekend, so we knew he wouldn't be here today, but it's still kind of sad.


The upside is however, is that I have had ample time to get things done for his return as today's honoured guest.


His one (reasonable) request was for me to make him a Lemon Meringue Pie. I have never made said pie, or any dessert pie as far as I can remember. My most successful attempts at baking have all been in the vegan arena, not, for example, in baking requiring copious amounts of eggs. Having said that, and also being aware of the notorious reputation this pie has for it's difficulty... I was quietly confident.


I have a tendency to be blissfully unaware of things that can go wrong with undertakings I have never attempted. I have the odd problem of being more nervous about things I should know I can do or have done many times. Take labour, for instance. No matter how many times I was asked if I was nervous about giving birth, or even warned about it, I thought to myself; "Piffle! Birth is a natural part of life! As if it COULD hurt THAT much!". I went to calm birth classes where I learnt to visualise my happy place & breath deeply.


Needless to say, I was quite surprised by the actual event.


Lucky for me, making Lemon Meringue Pie & giving birth are not at all alike, and it seems my confidence this time was not unfounded... it looks damn good! I went just a *little* bit snap happy when I got it out of the oven, as proud as punch as I was, but here is just one of the photos....




Looking at the pie all nice & puffy like it is, I entertained the idea that I was a super wifey after all, and then I realised;

a) I'm not, officially, a 'wifey' at all and
b) Super-wifies are probably still not in their PJs (sorry FLYLady!) while whipping this & boiling that... (underwear on the outside of their clothes maybe, but not PJs...)


All that remains is the taste test, cross your fingers for me! It has to live up to that fabled childhood pie, you know the one, the dreaded pie that "Mum used to make..."!


Have also wrapped everything in Le Punk's gorgeous hand painted wrapping:

(See that big fat red package? Shhhhh.... don't tell anyone, but that is 'Drop Dead Beautiful' Jackie Collins' latest adventures of Lucky Santelago.... he LOVES those books! *guffaw*)

All that AND I managed to win a prize... ;)

I have been drooling over this book online & was super lucky & managed to win a copy! Thank you to Justine over here!

I actually feel quite blessed to have won this book, as I do to have won the purse & tote - I have only entered giveaways which I really, really, would like to win. I don't enter just because I can, or because I love the thrill of winning, but because someone is giving me the chance to own something I quietly, or not so quietly, covet, and, in all honesty, I wouldn't own otherwise.

The truth of the situation is I really couldn't afford to buy this gorgeous book, that stylish purse or original tote, but they are coming to me all the same... that is just amazing to me! I feel so incredibly lucky - and as I wrote in my email to Justine @ mixtape earlier, I have never thought myself a particularly lucky person. I am having to re-evaluate my luck status!

I hope everyone is having a gorgeous Fathers Day with the special Daddy in their lives.

xoxox