T Stands For Gratitude

 

Today we are once again

meeting in my dining room.  I want to begin by apologizing for the incredibly long post I am about to create.

Let's begin with a gift I gave myself.

The Kit Kats are mostly for me.  The other candy will go in after-Christmas plates of goodies I'm going to make.  That is, if I ever find the motivation.  But now it's time to share the wonderful gifts I received.

First up is this adorable handmade envelope. I wish I'd known about how to make this before I spent all that money on 250 envelopes last year.

Ah!  But inside was even more incredible.  I'm sure by now many of you have guessed this handmade tip-in was created by Dianne B Carey.  I am in LOVE, Dianne.

Thanks so much for this beauty, and I am sorry the lighting is so poor.  I absolutely adore this, Dianne.

Can you believe it took from December 7 until the day after Christmas for this card to travel across town?  Neither can I, but it's true.

This beautiful card came from Sharon, who many of you know as Foxy Stamping Sharon.  Isn't it gorgeous?

Here is the inside, 

and one of the gorgeous die cuts she referred to in the message.  This is incredibly thoughtful, Sharon, and I am most grateful for it.

Possibly one of my biggest surprises came when I opened this card.

It came from my dear friend Julia at Stamping Ground.  Those of you familiar with WOYWW know she's the brains, heart, and soul behind this weekly phenomenon.  All I can say is thank you beyond belief, Julia.  I wish I'd made a few cards, now.  Look at the shine and sparkle of the paper she used, as well as the embossing.

Next up was another big surprise to me.  This incredibly beautiful card came from Karen at Creative Seconds.  Isn't it fabulous?  I think it is.

Not only did she write a lovely note, she also included three Christmas related items, including the rocking horse gift card, which I definitely intend to keep forever.  Thank you beyond belief, dear Karen.  I appreciate the card and the gifts.

I have a friend Stephanie who doesn't have a blog. We were in many swaps together over the years, including the 7 Continent Swap.  Each year she normally sends me a handmade card with a handmade calendar.  I was surprised to see she sent a purchased card this year.  However, it IS 2020, and things have certainly been upside down this year.  It was too cute NOT to show it, though.

I got this incredible and simply stunning tip-in last week from my dear friend Linda Findley.  Linda is famous for her vintage images and stamping, as well as making altered books.  Needless to say, 

I was blown away by this incredible tip-in, dear friend.  It is truly stunning.  Thank you again.

My friend RO! sent this cute, adorable Christmas card.  She told me all she wanted from me for Christmas was one of my handmade cards.  

Sadly, all she got from me was one of those large Yankee candles in a jar that burns for about a gazillion hours.  I will restate that I made NO cards this year.  However, RO! sent this really clever and adorable card to me.

 

I received this card from KPTS, my local PBS station.  It's my one indulgence.  I love PBS and support them every year.  I used to support more organizations, but this is the only one I've supported for the past 3 of the 5 years I've been supporting them.  I'll put a pitch in here.  Everyone should support their local Public Broadcasting Station.  There is no advertising.  All donations pay for the programs, which can cost a bundle depending on the popularity of the show.  I get a card every year, but this is the first year I've received a sticker.  Maybe it's because they are changing their name.

 

The next gift came from my dear friend Chris of Pear Shaped Crafting.

I hate to admit this Chris, but I have not sent you a thing this year.  In fact, I haven't sent any tip-ins to anyone overseas, although they are made and ready to be addressed and stamped.

Look at all the goodies she sent me,

including the Dina Wakely washi tape, an adorable tag,

wonderful book pages, a fussy cut flower, a phone tag, 

and this incredible AALL and Create stamp set.  I feel so ashamed, and so very grateful for not only these wonderful gifts, but also your friendship, dear friend.  Thank you beyond words, dear.

And look at the darling card she made me.  Don't you just love it?

On the inside, it is from both Chris and her husband, whose name I blurred to protect the innocent(?).

My foodie friend Sally is extremely hard to buy for.  She can buy whatever she wants, but I have to think outside the box.

For Christmas, I got her an annual membership to the local zoo.  Now she can go (and take me, if she so chooses) any time she wants to.  We both got the above gifts of a bag and a calendar.  And I got a photo of her after they took all her information.

I realize these are out of order, but I just got them in today's mail and am busy trying to finish this post before T time.

I suspect you read these wonderful gifts were from Linda K at heARTfully inspired by Linda.  What shocked me was this just arrived in today's mail.  She sent it on December 14.  The ATC is both clever and textured.  So much texture, I can't wait to take time to remove it from its container and feel it.  The card, which Linda is famous for making at Christmas, is definitely frame worthy. 

Thank you for these incredible gifts, dear Linda.  I am SO grateful and wish I had done more this year.

Also arriving in today's mail, is this darling card from Canada.  By now, if you are a repeat visitor to my blog, you know who this is from.

Yes, it's from my dear friend, Cindy from Pink Bird Studio.

I would say Cindy has a far better excuse than I for being out of the loop.  Thank you ever so much, dear friend.  I did manage to send Cindy a tip-in, but I know she hasn't received it yet.  In fact, only one person has let me know they've received mine since I sent them so late.

Now lets go back to the two boxes that were sitting on the table in the first photo.  They are both from my dear friend RO!

The first box was the larger of the two and it had practically nothing but lots and lots and lots and lots and lots of kraft paper and this adorable tree hanger/hook.

It even comes with its own screw for hanging permanently.  It's adorable, RO!  I should have shown the front, but I was running out of time.

The smaller box, also from RO!, is a set of salt and pepper

Christmas trees.  Aren't they adorable?  Thank you SO much, dear friend.  Yes, I am so grateful.

But wait.  We can't stop there.  After all, it's T Tuesday.

My friend Scott stopped by The Spice Merchant and bought me a half lb. of French Roast coffee and these three teas for me to try.

I've had Very Cherry before and I love the taste of it.  I'm looking forward to having some Fancy Tropicana.

And I've already tried the Noel Evening Tea.  It tastes like Christmas (or at least Christmas eve) to me.

And to make a long post even longer, note the poinsettia is doing OK, but the leaves on the greenery are really suffering.

I'm sure by now, most of you know the rules.  Please share your own drink related post.  It can be gifts you received, photos, a place you visited, movies, postcards, mail art, junk mail, catalogs, books, sketches, mixed media, drawings, paintings, tags, scrapbooking, or other art that is digital, hybrid, or traditional, as long as it in some way relates back to a drink, any drink.  Regardless, please share below and Bleubeard and I, along with the rest of the T gang will be by to visit.   Please link only your T post and not your blog in general.  Bleubeard would like to remind you that old photos are acceptable because they may be taken any time, not just on Tuesday and not just this year. 

 

It's also time for you to dig up your Second on the 2nd. It can be any post that has been published in the past. It goes live this Saturday.