Where are my manners?

A while ago, I won a fantastic prize in a very kind "Birthday-amazing-giveaway-arama" from Sarah over at paper-and-string. I'm sorry it has taken me a while to post about this, but I have always been meaning to post some pics and say a big "thank-you!" for such a kind giveaway.

Firstly, I was planning to post a picture of the beautifully-wrapped parcel that arrived. I did take a picture of it. I know I did. Unfortunately, being the big eejit I am, I don't seem to have saved the picture anywhere - nowhere that I can find, anyway. So, I'm sorry to say, you will just have to imagine how beautiful it was - but take it from me, it was very beautiful indeed. To give you an idea, here is a picture of a beautifully-wrapped item I bought from paper-and-string, longer ago:

Anyway, when I eagerly ripped into the exciting parcel, here is what I found:

I love this pouch - it's so beautifully made, with lovely fabrics (check out the pretty lining!) AND it has a fantastic frog face on the front! Hooray!

I spent ages dithering about what to use it for (as there are always heaps of uses a girl can find for a little pouchy thing), but in the end, I think I have decided to send it to my Mum. I hope it is ok etiquette-wise to give away a giveaway, but if you read this, Sarah - rest assured that it's not becasue I don't want it; far from it, the selfish part of me does really want to keep it all for myself! It's just that my Mum is quite unwell and in hospital at the moment, and I have been trying to find things to take or send that might cheer her up a bit. She's a big fan of frogs, so I think she would like this a lot.

I don't want to harp on about Mum being ill - partly because it makes my stomach tie in knots just thinking about it, and partly because it isn't a cheerful thing and I'd like this blog to be a cheerful place. So I will just say that I apologise if the blog has been a bit mundane recently, or if I don't post at all - occasionally I have been all out of cheerful.

Anyhoo, to end on a cheery note (and for those of you who were wondering): yes, yesterday's post displayed my shiny new kettle in all its glory! It's not actually new, but an old one from my student days - it has been recovered from my parents' house and press-ganged back into active service (after I had chased out the spiders and given it a good rinse.) So, I say it's a 'shiny new' kettle, when 'tis actually neither new nor shiny. However, it works - which is metaphorically a truly shiny thing :o)

I'm off to put it through its paces now. But to Lauren (and anyone else who wishes to take up the challenge) I say this: the tea-mountain is only shrinking very slowly, so please keep the comedy tea-bag uses coming ;o)

VCx