A gift received + a huge gift well spent

I hardly participate to any contest or blog give-away, or pay-it-forward, mostly because of all the bad experiences I had in the past with this, but for this one I got a marvelous gift in the mail !

it's a calendar, with beautiful draws all including a rabbit

You know how much I love rodents, especially rabbits. I've been animal fostering for a long time now, and currently have 5 rabbits (3 still in transit, and 2 ending their life here)

I'm harvesting in my garden a large part of their food, and I'm usually keeping track of what is harvested on a paper, each couple of days or so... Papers going with the others in a box, to remember what I got in my garden, when, and I weight it all to even keep a better track of it... I'm not totally organized for this. So, this calendar is going to be the perfect place to write down all my "crops" - I can even go back in time and write down everything since the beginning of the year :-)

Thank you so much to

https://ladureviedulapinurbain.blogspot.com/

For those with rabbits, I encourage you to go and visit the blog, but also the website, there are TONS of good advices, ideas, etc. And it's a great place to be sure, before you get a rabbit, to know exactly what rabbits needs are. If you rescue one, you can find there a lot of infos about food, care, etc

https://www.ladureviedulapinurbain.com/

I won this in march, for my birthday, it was another very sad day for me, and winning this was like a little light in the long dark tunnel I'm crossing. But sadly my message got lost on its way to the blog owner. I was a bit anxious, but said nothing because we all have a bunch of things to deal with, it could have been lost, etc. But I've read a message saying as the calendar wasn't claimed for, it was offered to someone else. I was a bit sad (because of what happened with another blog give-away, I tell you just further about it).... but at least it was not lost, and another girl could enjoy it. I just mentioned it to the blog owner, because maybe some other messages wheren't delivered. I never know if it's only on my side, or other, or both.

She was more than kind and told me to send my address back, and today I got this great gift in the mail. I was SO touched...

*again, please excuse all the "dark" spots, it's my camera which is totally down*

Then as I said, I participated to a give-away on a creative blog. The owner said "opened to everybody, everywhere". It was to get some ribbons and trims, charms/buttons/trinkets, and a cute little rabbit related frame. I was really excited, because I thought it would be the perfect help for my long last cross stitch finishes. I have a couple of cross stitched rabbits that would have perfectly match this.

The purpose was to make a bunch of advertising for the blog of this person. I'm not going to mention it, because I've already made too much for it's getting attention. The person posting or relinking the most was supposed to get the gift. It was obviously me. But nothing happened. I asked, she first said she didn't get the message. But it was posted in public. Then she said she sent it and it got lost... and finally she admitted she decided to give the box of goodies to someone else, prefering to see the things stay in her country. In fact, her friend who didn't make any effort got it.
I'm not going to tell a word about my feelings about it.
Just I decided I'll no more participate.

A nice stitcher from another country have read the whole story. She knows how precarious and sad my life is. I've sent this woman a gift box some years ago, when I could still afford, with threads, antic iron and a hand made stuffed doll. She wrote to me she was still reading my personal and craft blogs, even if she is not writing comments because she needs someone to type for her. And she said it's not fair at all, she was more upset than me (I was just deeply sad), and she sent me a gift by paypal for I can get something to cheer me up. I know she is not in a nice situation too, so it was even more touching.

She said she would be really sad and mad at me if I refuse the gift, mostly because she remember all the time I was more than generous with a bunch of people who turned their back when I was ill and then poor enough, still falling into a never ending nightmare, and she was totally upset I got no birthday gift, again, except those François gave to me. She said it's the time for me to get something back, as small as it is, from a community she no more feels like being part of.
It is NOT small in any way. It's HUGE. Both by the amount and the love she put in it.
And you'll see I made a very good use with the money
So, first, Charlene, let me thank you from the bottom of my heart.

I asked François, forwarded him the money (I no more have a bank account), and he gave me the cash. Then he drove me to town.

First I got a saw, and blades to go with.
This is going to be a great help when I'll cut the metal under the house, t get rid of it or use it when I can

While I was there, I got some discounted food, and filled a part of my totally empty freezer. Marvelous !

I also got wall paint, for the top balcony (less exposed), big barrel for 14€ or so.

Then I went to the do-it-yourself and bought some ...coating ??? for my balcony walls (!)

You know I'm a pragmatic girl

(you'll see the pics and use on the other blog)

Then I bought a shirt, with a pretty necklace (10€), really not the style I'm usually wearing but I loved it, it was discounted, and the very unusual bright greenish yellow colour was light popping in the middle of a very "flat" coloured area... haha.

And finally went to Noz and Action.  

a portable bag sealer because my big one is showing signs of a soon death, and this tiny one is taking no space (3€ or so)

books were 80% discounted, so I got this one for 5€ !

a bunch of scissors (I'm always in troubles with mine, many were good for the bin), I chose several colours to have one for each use (paper, fabric, ribbons/wool, etc). I can't remember the price, but those are from Action and something like 50 or 60cts

big fabric one, 2€ something

glue from Action and trinkets from Noz (glue I can't remember, 2€ something and trinkets 59cts, 1 bought 1 free)

stamps, one is having a block included... same, I don't remember the price of the bloc one (less than 2€, maybe 0.79 ??), but the top and right ones are 0.49€

2 embossing folders (ridiculous price, can't remember) with stamps

ribbons !

and this one from Noz was cheap too, maybe 1.50€, with block again. There were several others, but not appealing me as much as this one.

Guess what ? I still have 12€ that I plan to spend on seeds and maybe a sylvanian thing.
It's better than a late birthday. It's better than Christmas.
It's real pure kindness and there are NO word to tell how much excited/happy/touched I am

Last Christmas gift sent

Not a big one, I'm afraid. But I've been feeling so bad and down those past days... I really couldn't do a single other thing. I'm so ill that my DBF offered I just stay in bed and forget any celebration until I feel better - what I would have gladly accept, but it's also his birthday so I'm trying to insure a minimal service, no matter what...huh

So, here is my little sending to Mariko

I pictured the different parts of the box because someone asked me if my boxes are "fake" ones, or having a real content. Yes, a real content AND you can open the boxes (or bags) and use the miniatures inside (garlands, xmas lights, balls, or candy canes, marshmallows, etc). It's up to the person who receive those to use them as "decorating" or "useful"

and a set of Maple Town buttons :-)

Card again, and a birthday gift

A birthday card for my friend Mariko, and as I couldn't spend money or go anywhere to find her a gift, I decided to offer her my Kiki, it's a totally vintage one, and I even enclosed a rocking horse. It's a small size one.

He is not in very good shape, but the poor little one had some "hard" times. For those who don't know my story, my parents were monsters. Sometimes I got Xmas gifts, or birthday ones, but most of the time they took  the gifts back, and sell them to get something for their own pleasure. I managed to save some toys/memories : I burried them in boxes all around the building we were living in. When I left home to live with my ex husband, I tried to find back all the boxes. I couldn't find a couple of them, but got most of the others. We can tell vintage toys were sturdy : they made it through a 10 years burrial LOL
I hope this little buddy will find a new happy life with Mariko, who already adopted his big brother (or sister)

Petit colis expédié (broderie)

Tout fini, donc tout posté :-)

avec une mini poche, doublée

 Le tout rangé dans un petit sachet cadeau qui m'avait tellement plu que je l'avais acheté. Il y a au moins 5 ans. Je savais bien qu'un jour il serait parfait !

sachet cadeau qui a une particularité : en fonction de comment on l'incline, le panda cligne d'un oeil, ou de l'autre :-D

et puis quelques vieilleries, dont des kikis qui ont mon âge... canonique !

Broderie Hello Kitty

Pas forcément le genre de choses que je brode d'habitude, toujours est-il que je me suis beaucoup amusée ! C'est pour offrir, c'est pas fini, mais je montre déjà un petit bout

chocolat, le petit chat de Sanrio, brodé sur une toile que normalement je déteste utiliser, de l'aïda (oui, moi, j'ai brodé sur de l'aïda !) mais celle-ci est spéciale, j'adore le rendu elle est imprimée de petits motifs, c'est vraiment mignon... Je n'en trouve plus depuis longtemps, hélas, alors je l'utilise au compte-goutte, pour les gens que j'aime uniquement

et pour qu'il ne voyage pas seul (ok, il sera accompagné d'autres petites choses) je lui ai aussi brodé un petit Hello Kitty puisqu'elle aime. Et là, je ne sais pas ce qui m'a pris, j'ai décidé de faire un truc que je ne fais plus depuis des lustres : je l'ai brodé en version miniature, pour que ça rentre sur la petite trousse rose qui va bien que j'avais.
On parle de miniature, et comme vous le savez je ne vois plus rien, je suis vraiment limite aveugle... Donc lunettes loupes +3 1/2 et loupe éclairante de bureau x4... et c'était limite !
pour vous donner une idée, ça consiste à faire une par une des croix minuscules, pour que sur 1cm carré il en rentre 11 en hauteur et en largeur...121 croix sur 1cm carré... voilà.... je suis cinglée, je sais...

Bon, masochiste oui, mais pas jusqu'au bout, je n'ai pas rempli les zones blanches, hein, cette mini chose m'a déjà pris une journée entière de travail... 

Le pire... j'ose à peine le dire...depuis que j'ai fait mon avc ben... j'aime toujours l'idée de broder. L'idée. Mais le faire....c'est presque une torture !
Toujours est-il que je suis bien contente de ma mini bidouille, y'a plus qu'à "finissionner" tout ça (mon blog, mon vocabulaire) et l'expédier. Contente je suis !