Yet another very successful swap, this time from Japan!

Yesterday I got a package from Lulu in Japan, and I absolutely loved it!
I'm learning so much about culture doing these swaps! I had asked for a Japanese craft book, since there's so much more selection IN Japan. I learned what Zakka actually was (cute things for your home), and now have some beautiful Japanese fabric to use. There were also some snacks, a mixed CD, CUTE postcards, a beautiful swirly pen, a lucky cat, a lucky cat on a pouch, Japanese socks, a button, and a fan!

Yeah, a lot for one package huh? :) Thanks so much for a great swap Laura! I definitely love it, and I'm so happy you like yours too!

If you want to see what I sent her, she's posted here!
I can't promise everyone else lollipops from Vegas, but I love the magazine Cafe, and yes it's Free!

beginning of August marks the end of summer

I found the cutest fabric store in Oakland called Poppy. Very cute. Went home on Friday and made the best bag ever!

I have fallen in love with the fabric store.

I went shopping with my friend Barbara to help with her swaps, and I have fallen in love with the fabric store (almost everyone she was swapping with wanted fabric!) I also add fabric to my list of things to swap! And I'd love to get some from people as well, mostly cute prints, and at least half yards.

A little bit of France came my way yesterday!

Some original artwork from Emma, a French postcard, candy (whose wrappers I think I can actually read! Yay, for my high school French!), and, of course, some Nici! Yes, that's a world cup souvenir keychain, and isn't the monkey cute? If you can see the artwork (my other photos aren't very clear), it is entitled, "Nous vous observons: anti-terrorism takes many strange forms." I can't wait for my labmates to come back from the field so that I can share it with them; they'll love it!

Thank you Emma for sharing a little bit of France with a Californian. I hope you like your package as much as I like the one you sent me!

These three packages have made me remember my romp through Europe a few years back: the beautiful art, delicious food, and amazingly rich cultures. . . .sigh, maybe in an other year or two, I'll be able to make it back again.

The English have red buses and red phone booths,
and I love them both.

The bear checks out the goods again:

Here's what I got from England!

There's some scrapbooking materials there, some bright Collinette yarn, a fun compilation of dance music, London souvenirs (which I have already put to great use), and Divine chocolate. Ideas for what to do with the yarn and papers are already swimming in my head! Thanks for a great swap Gillie! I hope you enjoy the Bath and Body Works stuff!