Thank you Frances

Here is a pic of my wonderful package. I got it last week. Sooo many wonderful things in it. Here they are:



The sock yarn is great. I love Socks that rock, but it isn't easy to get here. And than a skein from the Sock Club is much greater. And the little one is sooooo cute. The brownies have been yummy. Thank you again.

So much fun...

I just wanted to say what a wonderful time I had participating in this swap. I know there was some talk of this being the last one and I just wanted to say that I will do anything to make sure it is not the last. If the present organizers let me know I am willing to help with the next one. Thanks to my partner for  making this so wonderful. Also, has everyone received something? I am willing to help angel the coffee part for at least a few people who may not have received their swaps. 

THANK YOU!!!!!

Last week I received the most amazing package... then life happened and the photos have been sitting on the card since then! Jodi
spoiled me rotten with both yarn and treats...first, the yarn... some for me, some that is "baby-friendly" and will become something most likely for Smush, or perhaps for the one on the way... we'll see what moves me! There's some Knitpicks Comfy, some gorgeous Malabrigo Silky in the color Caribeno, and some Mountaincolors handpainted yarn that is very very soft. I think the Malabrigo might have to become a hat for me...

and then there were the treats... lots of coffee from my fave coffee place in Chicago...The Coffee and Tea Exchange...yummy Trader Joes dark chocolate that has spicy peppers in it... so good! and some Dove chocolate that I've never tried, but since it's milk chocolate I better try it fast before hubby finds it! A brand new mug to drink the coffee in - it will make the first post-baby coffee even more special... and some matchstick herbs which I will try to grow w/ Smush... she likes watching the plants, so hopefully we will be lucky and get some yummy herbs as well...

Thank you again, Jodi, for totally spoiling me!

Package Recieved (a while ago actually...)

Between an extreme illness, no home internet access and confusion between my computer and cell phone...I have only now been able to synchronize the photos from the phone to the computer for your viewing enjoyment! So here it is, my swap package from Lisa!

This is what I saw when I opened the package, lots of color and texture. Boy was it fun to open all of those little packages!

This is what was in all of those little packages (and my bedspread :)

Here are a couple of my favorite little items:

A mug covered in sheep! Its a great big thing (holds 2 cups!) and I have been using it ever since I got it! (though not for coffee, as I gave that up for Lent)

A fun button! I am thinking some sort of shrug for the yarn and this button as the front closure. Right now I am thinking of a circular shrug with the green being the collar, then the red and yellow for the back part with an elephant and/or fleur de leis colorworking. Its not exactly what I want, but its getting really close!

Knittymama Rocks!

I was lucky enough to get swap host Knittymama for this round of the coffee swap - talk about getting spoiled! We both got our swap packages sent out a tad late and received ours on the same day too! I got home from a yucky Monday at work and found my package waiting for me yesterday. Here's a photo of all the goodies she sent me.More details on my blog. She really took the time to see what I liked and put together a wonderful package. Thank you again so much Becca!!!

My First Ever Knit Swap - A Blast!!!

Im so excited when I received my package from Heather. And she is so sweet to send me a lot of real yummy goodies. She is an angel that made my day by bringing me goodies that melted my heart. Here is the picture of her package.

She gave me the ff.
1. Coffee- Mind you so addicting..the roasted one is Superb darl
2. Chocolates- Nearly over..whaah!!! I love it! I am on a diet but I cant resist..tempting
3.buttons and beads- for a crafter like me I drool on such yummy items. What a sweet move!
4.magazine and printed patterns- this is my first Knit Mag,and Gee I got so much inspiration!!!

and of course, drum roll please!!!

5. Fabulous yarns- Heather thanks for giving me the best yarn..this is all that I could ask for...how did you know?LOL!!!

I cant wait to knit again..Thanks again my dear Heather!!
*************************************************************************************

P.S. Heather is the best swap partner! LOL!

A wonderful gift

Yeay, it really is fun to participate in the Knitters Coffee Swap 4 . I  have just recieved a wonderful gift from Samantha, which was filled with had a lot of good things and surprices:

• A beautiful card filled with kind words and nice greetings which really touched me
• 250 grams Columbian coffee beans, decaf
• 250 grams of fairtrade Peru Decaf coffee Beens, from Waitrose Organic (I love both coffees allready)
• A bag of locally hand-made chocolate confectionery (Yummy)
• A pack of locally hand-made chocolate truffles (My husbond has eaten it all)..
• A bag of home-made Cookies
• 3 pcs of gorgeous looking stitchmarkers
• A small notebook (for my secret knitting pattern sketches)
• A couple Clover circular needles No. 3,00 mm
• A great shawl pattern; Art Nouveau Triangular shawl of Violet Green
• 100 gr Plato Hand-Dyed 100% Merino 2ply blue (Blues for Joseph) (A great colour for me)
• And last but not least, a fun and great looking handmade bracelets of buttons. Both the color and style is well suited for me, so I will surely be wearing it very often
  

Thank you, thank you, thank you, thanks Samantha - I love your package, and have already started to knit the shawl.

If you want to, you can see detalied picktures of all the wonderful things i got from Samantha, Here.

Contest #1 prize

I got my prize for winning contest #1. It is a cute coffee bag and stitch markers (made by Sunneshine). Thank you for my prize and for hosting this swap!!!

Thanks CATHY!!!

It has taken me a day or two to get this posted, but Thursday when I got home after running errands, looky what I found waiting for me at the door!

I really think the post-it book is amazing. How did she know that half of my work spaces are covered in those sticky notes. I swear most of my life is either stuck to a wall in my house or on a desk somewhere!

Thank you so much Cathy!

How Lucky Am I?

My swap partner Shanda sent me the most amazing package! I've posted all the details on my blog.  Thank you so much Shanda, you made my day!

Thank You, Thank You, Thank You

Look what Knitnana gifted to me. I am so happy to have met her and am enjoying knitnana and her knitting wisdom. She sent me the most wonderful package! See my blog for all the details. Thank you Knitnana!

Santa Clause Came To Town

So ... I thought I was writing my post for this blog ... but I posted it on my blog instead. Please forgive my laziness for not retyping.

Nicole out did herself. Go take a peek ... Santa really did come to my town!

A package from Adrienne...

I huge thank you to Adrienne for a wonderful package. I couldn't have done better if I went to Virginia and picked the items out myself. I feel like I may have sent my partner on a bit of a scavenger hunt as I often can be pretty specific about what I like. We e-mailed back and forth a few times and I really hoped I wasn't being too picky. I told her that I liked Natural Fibers that are super baby soft like Merino Wool and Alpaca. I like chunkier fibers and skeins with various colors. I also mentioned that I loved the color combinations of coffee, cream, and chocolate. This yarn that she found from a local spinner in Virginia fits that description perfectly. This is one of those really special things as Lara Smoot the spinner does not even have a website. I will have to make something very special with this. I don't know how Adrienne found this, but she did and I am so grateful.
The coffee my partner sent for from a local roaster called Rosetta Coffee Company. The box smelled amazing when I opened it up, so I knew this was going to be good. I could hardly wait to have my first cup this morning and it definitely lived up to its scent.
My tasty goodies included cheese straws which look divine along with apple butter which I love. The fun part was that Adrienne sent me some Crab Salsa. Something I have never seen or heard of. I always love trying something new. I can't wait.
I don't think I actually mentioned it, but whenever I travel or visit somewhere new I always try and pick up a local cookbook. In Good Company is a beautiful cookbook filled with delicious and fairly simple looking recipes along with little tidbits about the local history. This book looks totally practical along with beautiful, which I love.
Thank you Adrienne for all the wonderful goodies. You put together a wonderful package perfectly tailored to my tastes. I really appreciate it. I also mentioned that I like bright colors as well, just look at the happy box that I opened!

Swap Goodies!

Thanks to Perri I got a lovely swap package in the mail!


She sent some Gevalia coffee beans, a packet of cocoa, which I will enjoy later tonight with the biscotti she sent, two nice patterns- one for a neck warmer, and one for a eyeglass/cell pouch, complete with a silk liner, two adorable mini skeins of Punta yarn, and one big, gorgeous blue skein of the same. She also sent a super soft skein of silk yarn; I'm definitely using that for myself! There was also a yummy smelling sheepy soap!

Thanks again, Perri, for a great swap package!

Thanks Liz!

I'm remiss in posting this so late, but I've been using everything that Liz sent me and I've lost track of time with posting.

Here's the loot:

Two skeins of Berocco Ultra Alpaca and some bamboo straight needles (I've fallen in love again with straight needles and the quietness of knitting with bamboo versus my addis) - the yarn is already destined to be a lace scarf. Fat quarters that have already been made into something as posted in my blog. Some Starbucks coffee that is nice and strong! My motto is the blacker and and greasier the bean, the better the cup! Speaking of cups, it's in there too! As well as some chocolate coffee beans that were taken by hubby as soon as the box was opened and two little stuffed bears for my boys. Thanks Liz for everything!

Wowzah!

Two days ago, a long Monday at work was brightened up considerably when I arrived home to this intriguing box!



(See the kitten? She was intrigued too!) Carrie decorated the box up one side and down the other; it was very cheerful and spring-y!

Opening it -- Wowzah!

So many treats....I've had to beat my daughters off with a stick. Look at all this!


Raspberry and Orange Creme Sticks (mmm, perfect with dark roast coffee); Nikki's English Toffee Chocolate Confection (English Toffee is one of my all-time favorite flavors); cute little Reese's Whipps (Reese's being the other all-time favorite flavor!! How did Carrie know?!); a Daelman's jumbo caramel wafer, yum; and Lady Walton's Creamy Dark Chocolate-Filled Wafer Cookies. And the coffee to drink it with: Italian Roast, WorldMarket House Blend (I don't have a World Market close, but my sister-in-law loves the one near her), and oh, boy, Vanilla Macadamia Nut Kona!!

Then the non-edible treats: a Creative Knitting I don't have, a little cookbook with ideas for dried fruits, fun stickers, cool reproductions of vintage cigar box labels (the top one says, simply, Hand Made!), and these gorgeous stitch markers:



Aren't they lovely?

Then, the very most lovely part of the box, perhaps: just look at this yarn.



Not only is it gorgeous, and soft, and one of my favorite colors, and a yarn I don't have:
it's a yarn I hadn't even heard of! And as a yarn aficionado, that's not so common. A treasure! (This is Noro Maiko, 35% wool, 30% kid mohair, 35% silk; nicely soft, looks like fingering to sport weight; should make a lovely lacy scarf, I think!)

Thanks so very much, Carrie!!

Carrie's package went out late, as she knows; my trip in the middle of things kind of messed up my mailing schedule (I didn't account for the post-trip work craziness, mostly), but should arrive tomorrow, I think!

From the Land of Sunshine!

Thank you so much, Corinne, for a lovely, thoughtful swap package - what a great partner you have been! All the details on here on my blog.

Gorgeousness from Virginia

Thank you, Julie!!! I really wish you could smell the coffee that Julie sent which I opened this morning. It smells and tastes incredible!! The coffee is named after a favourite teacher in the town.

What a wonderful package: beautiful handpainted Cascade sock yarn which I've never tried before; Junior Mints (there may not be very many left now); Mini Eggs which we're going to taste test with the British ones; beloved wonderful Bugles; a gorgeous mug from Washington and Lee University which I drank my coffee out of this morning.


It all came in this amazing coffee bag which Julie had made herself out of recycled coffee bags - complete with little stitch markers.

Thank you so much Julie! Also, thanks to Eva who is our swap partner in Norway (hopefully she will get hers soon since I mailed it about 10 days ago!) Thanks also to our hostesses for organizing the swap. I'm so lucky!!!!

I LOVE TO SWAP

Look at all the cool stuff I got. My swap partner must really like me. First let's start that Pixie sent me a snack plate with a cup and it is red stripes with a heart.The plate where you put the cup has a solid red heart and the cup has a solid white heart. This came on a day where I really needed to know that someone loves me.There were three individual coffee's from safeway, then there was a 1 Lb bag of coffee from Good Earth (Sedona Blend) and the best being a 1 lb bag of coffe from Siver Canyon. Yeah, I got coffee from the local coffery. I got goodies to eat, and don't forget the yarn. As you can all see there are three types of yarn, one of them Kool-Aid dyed by my own partner. Thanks, for the pin. This was a wonderful swap

Thank you Pheelya!

Today I received my lovely swap package from Dorothy(Pheelya)!

Not only was it filled with chocolate (DH has already kidnapped), coffee (Kona-my favorite), and other knitterly goodies, but it also introduced me to yarn from Wool in the Woods! I loved it!!
Thanks Dorothy!

It will be hard to stay focused on my Clapotis and not knit with my new yarn.

A wonderful parcel from Rachel arrived on my doorstep over the weekend! Not only did she sew this darling coffee-themed project bag for me, she filled it with thoughtful goodies.Two new-to-me organic coffees, yummy Ghirardelli chocolates, cute M&M themed stationary and tin, travel hand lotions (perfect for my knitting bag), little blue stitch markers...
And a skein of my absolute favorite yarn -- Malabrigo in a gorgeous shade of blue. Plus a skein of tweedy red Takhi tweed that's destined to become one of Ysolda's Icing Swirl Hats.

Funny thing... Rachel used to live just a few blocks from where I live now (in the Lakeview neighborhood of Chicago). Small world! Rachel, your package is winging its way toward you in NY.

~ Contest #2 Winners ~

And the winners are ~

Carrie Penny & Emicat

Woohoo ~ ladies send me your mailing addresses to asimplifiedlife at hotmail dot com.

Thanks to everyone who played ~ I found some newbies too.

WAS I SPOILED

My package arrived on Friday.

I waited and waited all morning and until after lunch thinking a package from someone should be coming today since there are several packages I have been waiting for and packages have been arriving around 11AM - 12PM. BUT, alas, I finally had to get in the shower and get ready to go out since I had a lot of Avon deliveries to do. Of course, when I got out of the shower there in the mailbox was a card saying the mail truck had been by with a package and I would have to go to my local postal outlet to pick it up. Figures right. I got dressed and took the card with me when I went out so I could pick up my package on my way home. I finished in time to get to my doctor's appt before I went home and then didn't even get to see him. BUT on my way home I did get to the postal outlet and take my package home. By the time I finally got home I had to get changed as I was going out with my friend for a ladies night out at her church and there was my package sitting there wanting to be opened. I had to leave it until I returned several hours later. This day was frustrating.

All I can say is WOW WOW WOW. Was I ever spoiled. It certainly was worth the extra wait. My partner Amy did such a wonderful job of gathering goodies just for me. Take a look at the entire haul.
AND so you can see it clearer here are more photos.

I mentioned I like local items. Those treats I can't get here where I live and that is what I received.

There were lots of candies from Texas. The chocolate bar is gone. HMMM smacking my lips in delight.
There was Texan seeds for my garden in my new townhouse this year.
There was Texan cookies (already had one HMMM YUMMY!) and cake (Southern Pecan). Of course, there was coffee, whole beans as I have a grinder. Amy sent me a package of Texan Pecan Roast and Taste of San Antonio. I don't know which to try first. I have a small amount left of what I am using before I open a new bag. So sometime this week I will open one.

I also received some Soak and a bar of soap. The soap came from The Loopy Ewe and it contains lemongrass, lavender, patchouli, and amber. It smell wonderful.
Check out this soap and do you see what I see. A little sweater in the middle of the soap that looks like a ewe? Now tell me do you use this soap or put it out for decoration?
Yes I did get yarns. My heart stopped when I saw what I received. On my list is SRT and Fresh From the Cauldron and I received a skein of each.

Here is my STR in color LOVE.
Here is my Fresh From the Cauldron Twilight Esme Cullen colorway.

There was even a little notebook form the Loopy Ewe to keep track of my socks knitted, sock yarns, sock patterns I like and sizes of friends feet. I think I will have to consider getting some of these to give as gifts also
Even Solara received pressies.
All I can say is Thank-you very much for such a wonderful great smelling swap package. I love swapping. It is so much fun to give someone wonderful treats and receive them also. Thanks again for another great Knitters Coffee Swap.

My Wonderful Package!

After a grueling week at work, I came home on Friday to find my swap package on my front porch! I'm ecstatic to say that my partner spoiled me far too much! Just check out this loot!!



Here's what I got

• Knitscene Winter 08/Spring 09 (I almost bought this magazine on Monday!)
• The Sculptress (she apparently found my weakness for mystery novels)
• A French Press travel mug (now I can make GOOD coffee and work!)
• two different coffees that just smelled heavenly when I open the box - I tried the Cuzco this morning - YUM!
• a pouch of kitty treats for Frisco (which he absolutely loves!
• Avon goodies (hand lotion, hand sanitizer - perfect purse size, bubble bath, nail files)
• a keychain flashlight
• a little coffie cup candle holer (so cute)
• And of course and beautiful skein of Araucania Rance is gorgeous Victorian pink and green.

I couldn't resist, here are a few pictures of Frisco eating her treats! As you can see he was impatient for his treat as I wat trying to take pictures that he tried to pull my hand down to this mouth!




Thank you so much Penny!! Frisco thanks you too!!

Swap package arrived!

Yesterday, from my partner Rose!
She went for a tropical theme, after my comment about wanting to be on a beach, sipping something, with a rum boy to attend to my needs! The yarn's a great color, and the tea lights smell great, and yum yum little chocolates, and the mug is good... Haven't gotten into the coffee yet! Hope she doesn't mind waiting for my package (and I hope she likes it), I came home only after mailing her package out.