Spring Swap Goodies

I wanted to show you the wonderful boxes that I got from my swap partners!  In the picture above is the amazing box that I received from Stevie. It is so lush and layered -- love those pink fabric roses! Here are the wonderful goodies that were inside:

These two special handmade goodies were extras -- aren't they divine?  What a great treat this was!  Visit Stevie's blog to see more of her art.

The other lovely box I received was from Julia, all the way from Russia!

I love the gorgeous rose on the box, and the sweet paper that she used to line the inside of the box.  Here's what was inside:

You can visit Julia's creative blog here. 

Thanks, ladies, for such a wonderful swap! I can't wait to start creating with these wonderful goodies!

Spring Petite Inspiration Swap Boxes

Here are the boxes that I sent my swap partners.  This was a fun swap, hosted by Heather.  Thanks, Heather, for another great swap!

I started these boxes by spray painting them a creamy ivory color.  Then I covered them in a new favorite paper that looks like a sweet vintage wallpaper.  I adhered a doily to the top of each, then attached velvet strawberries and velvet leaves.  I added lace on the edges of box and tied a bow on the bouquet of strawberries.  The final touch was a small blue brad on the end of the box.

Then I filled up the box with flowers, leaves, glittered clothespins, a bag of vintage lace, a tag of pink and blue trims, a Victorian calling card, and a piece of special organza trim.

I  hope that my swap partners love their boxes! 

Swap Box Sneak Peek, and Some Thoughts on Justice

I participated in another fun petite box swap, this one with a spring theme.  I had a lot of fun with this one, and I'm happy with how my boxes turned out.  I'm just showing a little sneak peek today, because I don't want to ruin the surprise for my swap partners.  I'll post all the pictures later in the week!

In other news, I just want to say how grateful I am today to our men and women in the armed forces and the intelligence community for all that they do for us every day, and in particular, for pursuing justice to the end, even after almost a decade.  Like most of us, I will never forget that day -- never forget the fear and the grief -- and while nothing will bring back those that have been lost, at least this is a certain measure of justice.