May Day and Saying Thank You

Image - Karen @ The Graphics Fairy

MAY DAY

Did you dance around a Maypole when you were a child?

I have fond memories of special May Day

celebrations when I was in first and second grade.

I didn't dance the Maypole or receive the

customary basket of flowers on my door today,

but I did recently receive this card of beautiful blooms.

A thoughtful thank you

note from The Cherry Chick.

The past week also brought an

abundance of treasured gifts to my doorstep.

Priscilla @ Letter from the Northwest

Sent me a very special Easter gift.

You may recall that I shared a post here

of the hand painted eggs I have collected

through the years. In that post I gave a shout-out

to Priscilla and the incredible eggs

that she's hand painted over the years.

Look what she painted for me!

My very own pair of Breton figures.

But that's not all!

Priscilla also sent me a very special

egg painted with a Peter Rabbit figure.

Isn't this the sweetest, most adorable egg?

I've nestled it right in with a

few of my Peter Rabbit treasures.

A few short days later a Quimper tureen

filled with tulips was sitting on my door step.

A longtime friend and fellow Quimper collector

decided it needed to belong in my collection.

With a change of focus in her Quimper collection,

she generously sent it along to add

to a group of tureens here at HFTS.

That very day I opened a brown envelope to

find yet another surprise ~ the cutest "mug rug" ever.

Yep! My friend, Rett @ The Gazebo House

has been busy at the sewing machine again.

Those of you who know Rett have seen the

darling outfits she creates for Miss Caroline.

Recently it's friends around Blogville

who have benefited from Rett's amazing talent.

A "mug rug" in a darling Mary Engelbreit fabric,

quilted, and bound with red and white polka dots.

Rett couldn't bear to cut into the wonderful M. E. quote,

so she added another section to lengthen the "rug".

You might recall that my husband is "the chef".

Yes, I know. I'm spoiled to have a husband who does the cooking.

This is the reverse side.

The fabric is a collage

of Mary Engelbreit quotes.

Friends

Teapots and Cherries

Ain't Rett something?

As if all the above wasn't enough,

Friday's mail delivered this bouquet of springtime tulips.

Another sweet thank you note

~ Donna @ Conghaile Cottage ~

Tucked inside was a dainty

linen hanky and a little tea treat.

Perfect timing to enjoy with my

precious Mary Engelbreit "mug rug".

A "rug" that holds both my mug and a teapot!

The community of friendship and

generosity in Blogville is truly incredible.

I thank each of these friends

"from the bottom of my heart",

and

I'm most thankful for each of YOU who visit HFTS,

who encourage and support through your comments,

and who continually offer your friendship

and inspiration through your blogs.

Click the links below to join others sharing at the following memes.

Seasonal Sunday @ The Tablescaper

M. E. Monday @ The Cherry Chick

Three or More Tuesday @ The Gypsy's Corner

Egg~Stravaganza

Not egg-zactly your typical Easter egg!

My mother started me off on the

journey of these exquisite works of art.

I display my group of

eggs~traordinary treasures every Easter.

At first when there were just a few,

they nestled in miniature baskets or nests.

Mother gave me my first hand painted egg from her friend, Peggy, in 1980. China painting was a popular hobby at the time, and her friend painted on china eggs.

Each spring, Mother would send me one of Peggy's exquisite eggs. Eventually my basket expanded to include other eggs created by local artists and a few that were mass produced.

I've not added any new eggs in many years, but every Easter, without fail, the exquisite hand-painted eggs from years past take center stage here at HFTS.

The two eggs in front were painted by Peggy. Delicate pink roses, a pair of sweet blue birds ~ each of Peggy's paintings reflected her love of nature.

You can see the little bunny among the Texas bluebonnets is dated 1980. It was the first of these eggs that Mother gave to me. The egg to the right with the big eyed owl was painted by the grandmother of one of my students. It dates from the late 1970s.

These tiny quail eggs were for sale at a local florist in 1984 and were painted by Joni, a local artist. Joni later had a line of greeting cards that featured her art.

In the 1990s, a friend here in town began painting eggs and sold them at local boutiques. Nancy's eggs are the ones featured in the mosaic at the opening of this post. Her bundle of radishes that encircles the egg above was one of her early designs.

Nancy painted on wooden eggs, and you can see how her designs changed over time.

Nancy painted these eggs until 2000,

but unfortunately has since given up this hobby.

This trio of blue and white eggs are

from China and were also from the 1980s.

Spring 2001 you'll find the eggs have found a soft spot on a burlap covered tray. Come back next week to meet the bunnies that keep them company.

I recently discovered a very talented blogger who has painted many eggs through the years. Click here to meet Priscilla @ Letters From the Northwest.

Priscilla has several posts showcasing the different designs she has painted on eggs. The mosaic above is just a tiny sampling of Priscilla's talent and the assortment of designs that she has painted through the years. Visit Letters From the Northwest and scroll down through her archives. You'll be amazed!

Click the links below to join others

sharing this week at the following parties.

Open House Party @ No Minimalist Here

Home Sweet Home @ The Charm of Home

Feathered Nest Friday @ French Country Cottage

Show & Tell Friday @ My Romantic Home

A Few of My Favorite Things

@ Bargain Hunting & Chatting w/ Laurie

Pink Saturday @ How Sweet the Sound

Seasonal Sunday @ The Tablescaper

Three or More Tuesday @ The Gypsy's Corner

Pink Saturday Eggstravaganza

The egg is the symbol of fertility 

and rebirth of the earth in springtime.

With Easter just a week away and spring in the air, I decided a little eggstravaganza was appropriate for today. You can click on the mosaic to enlarge to see the details of these hand painted eggs. Many years ago my mother started me off on the road to this collection of hand decorated eggs that I bring out each Easter season. For many years, my mother would give her children and grandchildren one of these china eggs each Easter that one of her friends had hand painted. Then as I saw other hand painted eggs that caught my attention I would add to my little nest. Each of the eggs in the individual egg stands were painted by a local artist in the 1990s.

I'm linking to Pink Saturday with Beverly @ How Sweet the Sound , A Few of My Favorite Things with Laurie @ Bargain Hunting and Chatting with Laurie, Mosaic Monday @ Little Red House, and Three or More Tuesday @ The Gypsy Corner.