How beautiful is this?

I just had to share this wonderful gift!

The weather gods were against us this year so my close friend and I shared Christmas just last week! In a way, it was better than close to Christmas because opening gifts this time of year is an awful lot of fun!

She made me this most magical mermaid box--from a vintage cigar box!

 

Her workmanship is so fine, it is hard to imagine any human could put together such a sturdy well crafted item!  Inside is a matching mermaid charm in a sea shell box.

It is a dark day here and out house has poor light in the winter, but I think you can get the idea.  Sunshine wold make it sparkle though---

The amazing thing is that  the decorated edge of the cigar box is is the same color as the contemporary paper she used.  It is really difficult to know where one paper ends and the other begins.

She has made other beautiful boxes for me in the past and I use them to keep my jewelry.  They upstairs where I cannot see them most pf the time.  This one is so pretty in the middle of winter I have to keep it close by for a while. It screams sunshine and good weather.


It is Valentine's Day.  It isn't snowing.  That is a good thing because sometimes it is.  Hope you are having a very good day and maybe some chocolate or flowers will come your way.  Ot maybe a bluebird of happiness?

With too much time spent on social media and not enough time spent on blogs... I am feeling nostalgic for more words and less reactions. Anybody agree out there?

As always,

enjoy the day!

Who am I?

This little doll turned up in a shop for $5 and just had to come home with me. She is bisque, in perfect condition and cute as a button.  She is also from 1998 and #2109 of 5000.  I cannot read who made her.  I thought she was a brand new doll.

She is little...just 6.5 inches tall. She is pristine and her accessories are so cute from her glasses to her peace sign to her embroidered jeans.  She looks a little like Ginny and she certainly is a cutie! If you recognize her, let me know in a comment.

We were in MA at the Crompton Collective and Birch Tree Bread Co. and enjoyed ourselves over the weekend though it was wicked cold and blustery.  This table made it feel like spring was coming though...and lunch was wonderful, too.

Bread pudding with chocolate sauce and fresh whipped cream...very yummy. Roasted squash salad with blue cheese and cranberries and cranberry vinaigrette...dee-lish!

We are bracing ourselves here in Southern New England for  foot of snow and possibly more tomorrow.  Since we have already had spring and early summer weather here, you can well imagine what this trip back into winter feels like. UNNECESSARY! 

A foot of snow can drift to several feet and high winds are expected. Hoping for the best! We have a fireplace so we don't worry about what happens if the power goes out--though it hasn't in years.

What did you do this weekend?  What did you make?  What delicious food did you consume or make?  What are you doing today?

Happy Monday!

Enjoy the day!

What is in the pretty flowered box?

What's in this pretty flowered box?  

It has a little heart on the closure!

Could it be?   A mushroom/toadstool doll?   

From Lenci?   Oh, that pretty face!

A mushroom doll just had to come and live here 

where  mushrooms and toadstools 

are in abundance!

Though it is pristine and looks new, it was actually sold through  home shopping channel in the late 1990s.  They sold in limited editions of 500, signed.   

 "A  Lenci limited edition “Funghetto” handmade doll."

  

The doll came with its COA and the box is pristine as well.  The price was incredibly low so it was nice surprise to receive a doll in such excellent condition.  Not a doll for everyone, but certainly one for me. 

The doll hunt continues...

as always

enjoy the day!