a little bit of delight

Last week, during my trip home, I had the misfortune of needing a filling on a chipped tooth (popcorn kernels are dangerous, people!).  So when I arrived back at my mom and dad's with no feeling in the right side of my mouth and saw this, I think I was at the very least twice as delighted as I could possibly have been otherwise.

There they were, on the front porch, waiting for me.  I can't believe they arrived the day I was in town, since it's the first time I've been in town on a non-mail-holiday in quite awhile.  In two days, I saw my best friend and conspired with her now-fiance in setting up her engagement (teehee!), saw friends I had not seen since my wedding and earlier (along with the very adorable three year old daughter of a friend, who I last saw as a baby), went to the dentist, doctor, and fabric store (only enjoying the last one), and drove back to small town land.  It was mostly lovely and all very very busy.

Oh, but you are bored with the recitation of my schedule last weekend?  You want to know what came in the box?  What splendiferous items did I choose with my certificate?

Here you go.

a vintage olive green briefcase & a fire king casserole bowl with an adorable flower pattern

a circa-1980s craft book with surprisingly good taste & a better homes and gardens recipe book

a packet of illustrations from some old books

and isn't it packaged so prettily?

There was one more little item inside, but it's a little hush-hush until it's united with its lucky recipient.  Until then, I'm simply trying to keep cozy on a very grey day in small town land and missing the lovely sunlight in my parents' house--and the warmth from yesterday.

{p.s. A million bajillion thanks, yet again, to Alex Keller and Dottie Angel.  I've come to the conclusion that crafters (and, it seems, craft bloggers) are generally lovely people.}