Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Keepers from What We Keep...

(AKA Tina's Been Reading My Mail)


Saturday was a really good day. I had an unexpected visit from my eldest son, Ethan. We enjoyed catching up and having a nice dinner together. (For me, it was veggies at a Thai place. I didn't even have a bite of sticky rice or cream cheese and crab filled wontons.)

When we got home late in the evening, I had a surprise - a package from one of my favorite blog friends - Tina at What We Keep.



What We Keep is one of the blogs I receive via email - a fellow Texas girl. Tina has an affinity for textiles and needlework. She has a sharp wit, great style, and an occasional funny tale about her dog, Bruce. She is a friendly and thoughtful blogger. 

She does custom giveaways! Sometimes, they're almost like a game - and you select your favorite style or something. I saw her goodie bag on a giveaway last fall, and it just blew me away.

I must say, I'm not one to enter every giveaway I see. Sometimes I just don't due to the amount of steps you have to take to enter - facebook, twitter, comment, visit a web site, yada yada yada. 


But when I saw these bags for wine bottles - lovely burlap with images of vintage corkscrews printed on them, I immediately entered. I also joined the "Nothing Will Happen Club." Simple. Just a comment, and I was in like Flynn. (Click here to see her post.)

Fast forward to Saturday night. I ripped into my package like a seven year old on Christmas morning. I should've taken photos, because she had packaged it so beautifully. I was touched by the details, and all the EXTRA goodies that weren't even mentioned in the giveaway!


Like this whimsical little bird - with a tag that said, "Thought of spring, Makes me sing.


Check out her monogrammed ribbon, that wrapped a couple of surprise gifts. Even the ends were trimmed in the cutest way possible!


What was inside the tissue and ribbon just made me smile.
Two lovely white on white pieces - a square tablecloth topper...


...with lots of lovely embroidery and handwork details like tiny little cut-outs, and a decorative edge.


A custom monogrammed creamy white on snow white cotton hand towel with my initial and name.


Wow. 


Just beautiful. And they were pinned together with this pretty little stick pin. I love beads, and have collected them since I was a child.


She'd even tossed in a some of lavender buds. 
Lavender is one of my top two favorite smells in the world. (The other is Bergamot.)

When I say Tina's been reading my mail...I just have to say - I knew I liked the bottle stopper and wine bags, but the extra little surprises could not have been more perfect for me if I'd been able to pick them out myself. 

One of the items she'd shown in her giveaway post was this great antique glass doorknob-turned a wine bottle stopper. I love glass doorknobs, and wish I had them in my house! This one even has a bit of white paint on it, doubtless from some home renovation decades ago. I love it that it is still there! It makes me wonder where this knob was, who painted, etc. I love things like that - things with a past.


I put it in one of my demijohns just so I could show you.


And there's more!


This is a chalkboard LABEL to put on something. She even included day of the week labels and "Menu" in case I wanted to use it for something like that. This will be my first experience using this sort of thing. I look forward to using it!

If you haven't yet visited Tina at What We Keep, do it. She's got the sweetest post today - a piece of needlework from her grandmother and some very heartwarming memories to share.

Word for the Day:
And he made an hanging for the tabernacle door of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, of needlework;

Possibly Linking With

Sunday

Creative Bloggers Party Hop
Sunday Show-off Link Party
Thrifty Treasures
Monday

Metamorphosis Monday
Revival Monday
Masterpiece Monday
The More the Merrier Monday
Manic Monday
Just a party with my peeps!
Make it Pretty Monday
Tuesday

Vintage Inspiration Tuesday
Nifty Thrifty Tuesday
Cowgirl Up!
Cowgirl Up!
All Star Block Party
Be Inspired
Wednesday

Blissfully White Wednesday
Primp Your Stuff Wed
Restored it Wednesday
Wow Us Wednesday
Penny Pinching Party
What’s it Wednesday

Thursday

Under $100 Link Party
Transformation Thursday

Thursday Open House Party
Share Awesomeness Thursday
Time Travel Thursday
Treasure Hunt Thursday
Home and Garden Thursday
Share Your Cup Thursday
Friday

Feathered Nest Friday
Furniture Feature Friday
Friday Redoux Link Party
Frugal Friday
Inspiration Friday
Vintage Inspiration Friday
Free For All Friday
Rustic Restorations Weekend
Fabulously Creative Friday
Frugalicious Friday
Delicately Constructed Friday
Flaunt it Friday
Weekend
Saturday

Saturday Nite Special
Get Schooled Saturday
Show and Tell Saturday




12 comments:

farmhouse-story said...

tina knows how to throw a give away! love her blog, bruce, and her thoughtful gifts...lucky you, revi! i've said that before, so it must be true!

Tina@WhatWeKeep said...

You are such a kind and lovely woman, Tamala. Truly a kindred spirit.
I love how you used the knob on the demijohn! They really have so many uses as dispay items. Like you, I love thinking about about their 'story'...where they've been and whose hands they've touched. I'm happy that you will enjoy your keeps.
You warm my heart, sweet T!

Ivy and Elephants said...

I'll have to check out her blog, she sounds like a sweetheart. Your gifts are amazing, Love the bottle stopper!
Thanks so much for sharing.
Hugs,
Patti

Liz @ Quirky Vistas said...

Goodies galore. What a sweet and thoughtful gift. That stick pin and the tablecloth topper are something else too. What a nice surprise to come home to!
Liz @ Quirky Vistas

Kay San Nicolas @ Gallery Fifty Eight said...

I so love beads too. I went crazy buying them when I vacationed in Hong Kong a couple of years of ago. I found you at Time Traveled Thursday and your gifts are just awesome.

Daniela @Frugal Aint Cheap said...

that is so awesome! Glad you WON!!!

srpprcrftr said...

Congrats on your win, what an exquisite giveaway. Could make a person feel like they'd won a sweep stakes. Everything you received was a super win.
I have to go find my glass door knobs now. What a unique use for the door knob and the glass insulator on your jug. Is that a demi-john? I'm not familiar with what one is but I've sure learned about many things from so many bloggers.
I bought my door knobs in MT and mostly KY close to Elizabethtown in a little out of the way antique shop. I have a few enamel ones, brass ones, the glass ones. At same time I found some of knobs I also found glass drawer knobs and pulls. I've used the drawer knobs and pulls on a few pieces of furniture. I have a waterfall armoire that was in bad shape when I bought it so painted it white with mint green and lavender on the details. My hubs put shelves where clothes used to hang to make better use of the piece.I used one of the bigger glass pulls on the door.

Marsha said...

Wow! You received some wonderful goodies.

Sandy said...

What a lovely assortment of items
in that package.. and the glass
door knobs take me back to my
big ol farm house in Illinois.
Every door had them and when I
moved to Florida I should have
taken them..lol
Nice post
Sandy

Tammy said...

Wow! Thank you for sharing in this week's Rustic Restorations Weekend!

Have a Daily Cup of Mrs. Olson said...

Congrats Revi. This truly was a personalized gift chosen for you. What a sweet blog friend! Thanks for sharing with SYC.
hugs,
Jann

Kathy said...

Really marvelous treats you've won! Love the sweet birdie! I do appreciate you sharing with Home and Garden Thursday,
Kathy