An Embarrassment of Goodies

Well, I'm all set for a proper FO post this week - as in, I'm posting in the morning. FOs? Well, they're coming folks. Really.

In the meantime, I received two great gifts this week. I'll start with the second one, because the first will take a little more copy. I don't know if you remember, but Vivian over at Bits and Pieces had an anniversary blog giveaway a few weeks back, and I was the happy winner. Well, my winning package o' stuff came this week. As you can see above, it was a bright, workzone-cone-like orange. Below, to the right, is the overview photo of the contents.

Vivian sent me (1) two skeins of yarn, one of which is rather ginormous (which she informs is from a cone and should bloom nicely after being worked up); (2) a Wild Fibers magazine from 2006 - I've not yet read this magazine, so I'm looking forward to checking it out; (3) a necklace of precious stones and freshwater pearls made by her mother!; and (4) a package of green tea because, as Vivian writes "... well, one can never go wrong with green tea, right?"

I love this package! The yarn feels either heavy fingering or light sport in weight and seems to be screaming for a treatment with an edging in a contrasting color. I need to mull over and generally meditate on the skein for a while for it to speak to me with any definitiveness.

And the necklace? I love, love, love this necklace!!!! I'm particularly enchanted by the pink/reddish section of beads. I wonder if they were added for good luck?

I must say, I am so thrilled with my Bits and Pieces bloggy anniversary package - thank you, thank you, thank you,Vivian. And you, too, Rascal. Paw up, buddy.

And the first wonderful gift? Kathryn over at Kathryn's Brain nominated my blog for a Lovely Blog Award. Now, I'm thinking great, a nomination. It's so great to be nominated. But this ain't no Oscar ceremony - the nomination means I actually get the dang award! Ok, minor duh moment.

So, I thank Kathryn for kindly giving me this award - I'm tickled pink. Now, the award comes with some conditions, which I am dutifully fulfilling:

A. I've thanked Kathryn. Very important to publicly thank the person making the nomination (once the recipient figures it all out);

B. Tell everyone 7 as-yet-unknown things about oneself. Ok, in no particular order:

1.  I've been skydiving in Pretoria (a total blast!);
2.  I've been on motorcycle rides in Capetown and Quebec City;
3.  I had a deep fear of crossing bridges (especially in a car) until I walked across the Golden Gate Bridge when I was 20;
4. During that walk, right at the midway point when I was having a major panic attack, a nice Asian couple, who spoke no English, asked me to take their picture. You should have seen the shocked looks on their respective faces when I started wildly gesturing and telling them that I was having a major panic attack and could they puhleaze ask some other poor soul to take the darn photo?
5. I have since walked again across the Golden Gate Bridge, and absolutely loved it, sans panic attack;
6. I love dry, crisp, cold rose wine on a hot summer day; and
7. I have never seen either The Wizard of Oz or Gone With the Wind, and have no immediate plan to change that fact.

C. Nominate 15 blogs, and leave messages on each blog telling each recipient of their
     nomination:

     Now, 15 does seem to be quite a few, but let's see how many I can genuinely nominate:

     1. Wisdom Begins in Wonder - Wife to Grumpy, mother to the Bears, mid-wife to
         alpacas, goats, geese, dogs, cats, and chickens, yarn spinner extraordinare and
         all-around nifty person, it's her blog that got me started down this Fee-Fi(ber)-
         F.O. Friday path of destruction;

     2. Woollove Functional Fiber Art - A true artist with fiber, Heather and I have traded
         projects (a wonderful felted messenger bag for a shawl) that I somehow feel I got
         the better end of the deal;

     3. Kismet's Companion - Vivianne, on the other side of the pond, writes (with the
         visual aid of the tarot deck) about life with Destructo Boy and Mini Diva (a/k/a
         her children). Oh, and she does knit a thing or two, and we've traded swap
         packages;
    
     4. Toad in a Boat - Melisa, in the Big Easy, is one of the most amazing artists. She's
         got mad drawing skillz, amazingly good color sense, and has, herself, designed a
         shawl or two;

     5. Truly Myrtle - I first read this breezily written blog during this year's Knitting and
         Crochet Blogging Week, and found myself hooked;

     6. Knitspiring Odyssey - Kepanie writes about knitting and all things ohana-like in the
        Bay area. I started following her blog after last year's Knitting and Crochet Blogging
        Week (does everyone see a theme here?);

     7. Good Enough - Leah, a Canadian library school graduate has a wee blog of
         knitting and (now married) life in Scotland;

     8. Beck Brow Alpacas - Want to know about alpaca breeding in the northern English
         countryside? Barbara's got it covered, in almost surreal detail (she's had quite a
         time with some of this year's cria). Her photos are always amazing, and she's
         got a dry sense of humor;

     9. Bits and Pieces - I've not missed a Friday of reading about Vivian's knitting and
         yarn-related exploits, as well as her funny Rascal photos. Always no nonsense,
         yet with a definite sense of humor, we also get to see all the charity crafting her
         mom does;

    10. Yarn Dharma - Keri has a very well-written crochet blog (well, it's mostly about
          crochet) - and blocks are definitely her thing. Everyone should check them out ...
          and then (kindly) nag her to get on the blogging stick; and

    11. The Knitty Gritty of Hooking Around - Nicole and I have been online and Ravelry
           friends for a few years now. I've seen her branch out from crochet into knitting
           and spinning, as well as welcome her second child (Angelo is a sweetie and
           has already been introduced to fiber).

As you can see, there's lots of good stuff going on in the blogosphere, including over at Andrea's blog this Fiber Arts Friday, so definitely check in there - you never know what new blogs you might want to start reading regularly.