A Gift and a Giveaway

                                  

Valentines Day is only 2 days away.

Are you ready???

Me neither but that’s ok it will be wonderful because I will be spending it

with my friends at Evi’s houses.

You may remember me talking about it

Here.

I missed it last year because of jury duty and Laura wasn’t able to be there either.

Laura has been in Florida but is coming home earlier then planned so….

YAY she’ll be there too.

With the holiday of Love just around the corner

I wanted to share with you one of my dearest friends

 Julie of Being Ruby.

We met quite early in our blogging life. I immediately liked her and

we have grown closer throughout the years….gosh how long has it been?

Feels like I’ve known her all my life.

That’s a good feeling.

To think, we have never met face to face or talked on the phone but there isn’t a

day that I don’t think of her.

We may write everyday, sometimes not for weeks or months but she knows how much she means to me.

That’s when you know you have a good friend….you can catch up right where you left off  like

no time has passed.

Last month I received from Julie this sweetest little box.

It must have been made for someone dear.

It looks handmade.

A picture of a little girl holding an umbrella, though maybe more to

shade oneself from the sun then protect from the rain.

It comes from a brocante in France.

Inside a small delicate piece of lace and sewing needle.

I started playing around with some of my own sewing goods.

A small spool of thread, buttons, and sequined applique that

I bought at the flea market not too long ago.

On the other side of the cover a lovely print of a

 dove and  French saying.

I still speak some French but

my French reading shhhhheee….

how you say...?

not so good.

so Google came in to help.

WHITE DOVE, UNDER YOUR WING BRING TO THOSE

WHO HAVE MORE

FAITH, HOPE,

CHARITY AND SUBLIME VIRTUES.

isn’t that wonderful?

I wonder if it’s a common saying in France?

maybe we in the US should borrow it.

Thank you Julie I will treasure it forever!!!!

So in the same spirit of giving and to thank all of you that

come here and leave comments of encouragement and love,

I would like to have another giveaway.

The last one was so much fun.

                                                                            


                                                                

Yes the next issue of Jeanne d’Arc Living.

All you need to do is

1. leave a comment for one chance.

2. blog about it for another chance

3. become a follower on linky since google friends connect will be ending sooner and let me know for another chance.
(anyone who has already commented and have followed the old way will still be counted)

Just because I’m lazy  let me know how many times to enter you and

you only need to comment once.

Winner will be picked on Sunday  2:00 pm February 19th.

Bonne Chance!!!!

and Happy Valentines Day!

Carole

Icing on the cake

You remember our get together from the last post…..

Well after a wonderful meal that Evi lovingly prepared for us out came the presents.

Shoot, I was going to show you the delicious food …..

but we were all so wrapped up in the excitement we just started eating.

I know, how could I?

but I did.

Trust me it was both beautiful and scrumptious. 

I think I gained 5 lbs!

We toasted to our friendship just as the first presents were being unwrapped.

Pretty presentation don’t you think?

Laura loved her present so much she decided to wear it.

Wave to the folks!!  She’s cute even with a grain sack over her head.

I think we’d had a lot of wine by then : )

You can go to Laura’s post HERE and view more photos.

We received  surprise gifts from our friend Mary Pernula. You should have heard us all squealing.

You mean that sweet girl sent us all a gift knowing we were all getting together?

What a doll!

She wrote the nicest note that Paula read us. I wish I had photographed it.

I was so touched I almost cried.

got a little misty eyed

Mary made us all these adorable altered vintage bottle decorations….

different for each one of us.

This is one is mine!!!

I have it hanging in the living room by the window.

Every year now I will be able to enjoy it and think of you Mary.

I might turn the paper around and keep it up all year.

Thank you so much Mary!!! I love it.

When I was home the next day I went in the living room and played with my new gifts.

I will treasure these forever!

These lovely gifts are the icing on the cake of what is

 most important of all ....our friendship.

I know you'd all agree.

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend.

Thank you for stopping by.

A Special Sweet Gift

                                               

                   

                                                           

                                      MAYNARD’s Pure Confectionery

                                                  sounds so much better then Maynard Greenhouse.

                                                 This tin was given to us by a friendly customer that who had bought it at an antique

                                               store.

                            

                                                            

                                      And it’s from England!!!!!!

                                        I had heard of the company but wasn’t sure if it

                                       was still in business or  much else about the company.

                             A little research found this:

                                           Maynards was founded in 1896 by Charles Riley Maynard.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      A family business, he and his brother Tom manufactured the sweets in their kitchen whilst Tom's wife,

                                        Sarah Ann worked in the shop. Although the company was founded in 1896, Charles had been making his sweets since 1880.

                                                Maynards Wine Gums were introduced in 1909 by son Charles Gordon Maynard.

                                           Maynards has since been bought by Cadbury and now sells over £50m of sweets annually in the UK.

                                                            ^{( source found at wikipedia)}

                             ^{See now you know too….}

                                                                                                                                                                                    

                                                                   

                                      Then I received this gorgeous white and glittered package all nicely bowed with lace and a

                                      medallion (that I forgot to photograph).

                                 from my friend Laura

                                                             

                                                And here’s what I received !!!!!!! I was so thrilled. I remembered Laura saying that she

                                              had found something special at the flea market back in the Summer

                                           when she went with Marcy from the blog Brocantess.

                                            I had seen Marcy this Fall at Brimfield and she mentioned that I would love it.

                                 Deanna had been there too when Laura bought the chocolate mold but was sworn  to secrecy

                                        If you want to see Laura post about her fleamarket adventure that day you

                                  can view it HERE

                                    

                                   I just absolutely LOVE it.

                                  My heart skipped a beat when I saw it.

                                   I kind of had a feeling that it was something related to our name or

                                greenhouses but I never suspected THIS!!!

                                     The gentleman that was selling them had been collecting old molds

                                   his whole life and was downsizing his collection.

                               Lucky me and lucky that Laura was there to scoop it up.

                              Anyone who knows Laura and follows her blog

                             is aware she has a knack for finding the best things.

                                                        

                                        I can’t wait to make my own Chocolate bars

                          with our name on it.

                                   I planned on getting some done last night but sleepy eyes took over and I

                        fell asleep on the couch again.

                                                                                                            

                                         The markings are so cool on the mold. I looked up Plattinol and all I could

                                           find was that it was a preferred finish for chocolate molds so it would have

                                 a smooth shiny finish.

                                                          

                          Thank you Laura……I will treasure it forever and

                            George being the chocoholic that he is going to enjoy the EATING!

me too!

                                                                                                     

                  Still so much to do before Christmas day……

             still have not finished decorating the tree….

                   This is the plastic bin that I just opened last night

                                                            

                                      I wasn’t sure what the color scheme was going to be this year?

                        After opening the box it was already decided.

                    It’s BLUE!!!

                             Not a good packing job. The better ornaments are on the bottom.

                           I should take a page from Suzans book….be better organized!

                        Maybe next year!

                      I want to wish you all a Joyous and Peaceful

                       Christmas Day!

                                              You all have made my life so much better…..I have made such wonderful friends,

                                  that if not for blogging I would never have had the chance to know.

                  Thank you soooooo much for that!!!

                                                                              “ Our hearts grow tender with childhood memories and love of kindred,
                                                                                    and we are better throughout the year for having, in spirit,
                                                                                                  become a child again at Christmas-time.” 
                                                                                                                      ~Laura Ingalls Wilder

      LOVE and PEACE

     CAROLE