Sweet Birthday Gifts From Italy!

I am blown away by the generosity of miniaturists, and that's no more true than on birthdays. My birthday is around Easter each year, but this year the gifts have started flooding in already. I'll be completely overwhelmed if I don't start showing some of these beautiful miniatures now. Flossy and Sophie want to show you the gorgeous handmade birthday gifts they received from Fabiola of Miominimondo blog. First, Flossy is modeling the pinwheel Faby made:

And now you can see the whole table-ful of gifts Faby sent:

Aren't they all so sweet?

Did you notice the red ball of string at the bottom of the kite? Too cute! Thank you so much for all of your thoughtful and beautiful birthday gifts, Faby! I appreciate your friendship so much!

Next, another beautiful package of gifts came from Italy. Can you guess who made them?

Yes, they were all made by MelyMel of MelyMel Piccoli Sogni blog. Everything is so beautiful and romantic. See the exquisite cinnamon bread on a shabby chic tray that Mely made:

And her magnificent handmade clay roses with rose-adorned tart and shabby box of bread in the background:

And this gorgeous teapot with cake stand in the background--wow!

Plus, Mely also sent all of these beautiful craft supplies:

Thank you so much, Mely! Your gifts are so beautiful and so thoughtful, and your friendship means so much!

Alright, since this post is already long and photo-heavy, I will stop here. Thank you to two dear friends in Italy! You've made my birthday month so special! Until next time, keep having fun! xoxo Jennifer

Amazing Minis From Special Friend

Another special package arrived recently, all the way from Italy! A special friend sent them, and they couldn't be more sweet!

The package was from our dear friend MelyMel of MelyMel PiccoliSogni blog. Flossy the bunny has her hands full today, still caring for the orphan baby bunny that Sophie the bear found in the carrot patch. Still, she wanted to show these special gifts:

Look at the strawberry dessert, so delicious!

And the amazing can full of miniature Pringles!

The teapot is extraordinary, even showing footprints in the snow!

And the food bags have mini food inside! Oh joy!

Thank you so much for these gorgeous, precious, thoughtful gifts, sweet friend. Now Flossy must put the baby bunny down for a nap. ;-) Until next time, keep it fun! xoxo Jennifer

Gifts and Giveaway From MelyMel!

There are some people in blogland who are extra special because of their sweetness. Dear Mely of MelyMel Piccoli Sogni blog is one of those special people. She recently sent me a huge package of miniatures all made by hand. Each gift is a tiny masterpiece, as the love with which she made each one is palpable.

Flossy is very excited to show you a few of the minis that Mely sent. First, can you tell that Flossy is sitting in a chair, and do you see that there is another one next to her? Mely made both of these sweet chairs so that Flossy and any guest, such as Sophie, could sometimes sit in the kitchen while baking or visiting. What thoughtful gifts! Flossy and Sophie's aching paws thank you, dear friend!

Of course, everything on the table was made by Mely too, including the darling cupcake box on the lower rack, but this isn't everything she sent. She also sent these prizes that I won in her recent giveaway:

Prizes won in Mely's giveaway, including hand crocheted bedding.

Mely's shabby chic chairs with woven seats and coordinating frames.

Teapots, cake, canisters, candy, popcorn machine and sewing box.

More hand crocheted bedding, a bread box,
pretty soaps, and delicious food.

Look at this amazing homemade Italian food!

The rest of the gifts were for Christmas and birthday gift exchanges that we had arranged. Christmas, you say? Yes, unfortunately Mely's first package for Christmas never arrived, so she insisted on making everything over again and sending a new package, despite my repeated protests. There are no words to describe my gratitude.

Thank you so much, Mely! You've brightened my year with your thoughtful and beautiful gifts. I'm lucky to have such a sweet friend in you. For all my friends in blogland, please do yourself a favor and visit Mely's blog today. You'll be so glad you did. Until next time, keep it fun! xoxo Jennifer

Magnificent Gifts From MelyMel!

I was so inspired by the sweet and wonderful gifts I received from Mely of MelyMel Piccoli Sogni blog that I've been secretly renovating the Victorian dollhouse I recently purchased into a two-story Cupcake Cottage! What could have inspired me to spackle, sand, and paint the walls, among other things? Just look at this....

Isn't this bedding magnificent? Mely made the bedspread and pillow shams from linen and the sheet and underpillow from cambric. Cotton lace finishes her work. I was and still am in awe of its beauty. I'd be crazy not to start decorating a space for this masterpiece immediately, wouldn't you agree?

You can see more detailed photos of this gorgeous bedding on her blog post. But wait--there's more! See these beautiful handmade clay toiletry bottles? Mely made these too:

And that wasn't everything she sent. She also included all of these handmade shabby plates, a teapot, a gorgeous handmade cherry pie, and a beautiful woven bag, all made by her!

And a precious picnic basket with handmade shabby-style bird plates. I love birds! This is the perfect picnic basket for me!

I think you can see why many tears of joy were shed when I received Mely's sweet package. How do you thank someone for such precious gifts? All I know is that I am indebted to her forever because of her kindness. Thank you so much for all of these gorgeous miniatures, my dear friend! Mely's blog is so worth visiting. The innocence and sweetness there are contagious.

Dad's Dollhouse is finished. I should show you that project before I unveil Cupcake Cottage in her new incarnation. So, there is still much to show you, including fun purchases, prizes I've won, miniatures that I've made recently, and a new giveaway soon. Until next time, keep having fun! xoxo Jennifer

Precious Gift from MelyMel!

I recently received a blog award from Mely of MelyMel Piccoli Sogni blog. I feel so flattered, especially since I love her blog, which is so sweet and adorable. She has a precious miniature cottage dollhouse, and sometimes she does little photo stories that are so funny and cute. No words can properly describe it, so here's a recent picture from her blog to give you a taste of what I mean:

Isn't this adorable?!

If you ever feel down or need some cheering up, visit Mely's blog, and you will feel happy and have a new lease on life. I guarantee it! :-D If you haven't seen it, please go look now. Thank you, Mely! Here's the award:

As always, I'd like to share this award with all of my readers. You make this blog fun! It takes a community to make a blog. You're my community, so thank you! This Friday I will reveal giveaway prize #6 in my Birthday Bash Giveaway. The giveaway is another way of saying thank you to all of you. You can join any of the giveaways through May 3, 2012! Until Friday.... xoxo Jennifer