End of Year Prezzies

This was a very low-key Christmas.
I think I told you this, right?
Hubby and Baby Girl spent over two weeks in Ecuador (where hubby is from) over Christmas and New Year's.
It was a great experience for them, but since the Baby Boy and I were the only two here, and he was working a good bit of the time, I barely even got any decorations out, and decided to forego the usual Christmas/holiday hoopla.
Well, I'm pretty damn lazy too, so not having to do all this wasn't that much of a stretch for me either.
Best intentions, I have, but not necessarily great on the follow through.
I did receive, however, two very nice and unexpected gifts.
My friend, Mel, you know, she of the wonderful Stranded in Oz, sent me a copy of Yarn magazine.
(these are her socks on the cover, and that's her cardigan on the cover of issue 28 if you click on the link.)
One thing I discovered when I was in the UK quite a few years ago, and obviously the Aussies do it too, is that they are very good about attaching little gifts to the front of their magazines. Cross stitch mags regularly have needles, and knitting mags have, of course, needles!
Wasn't this so sweet?
She's a champ, I have to tell you, and her Glinda sock yarns are to dye for. Tee hee.

Check out her website.
Really gorgeous stuff, and the shipping is not exorbitantly expensive.
Next up - My cousin, Mary Lou, went on a trip to Iceland over the summer. She's always traveling, and having great adventures. On this latest trip she brought me back a skein of yarn! We don't see each other that often, although we do live relatively close, so I didn't get this until Christmas time which I think was the best time of year to get it!
It's Lett Lopi yarn in a deep heather blue - lovely, lovely color, don't you think?

That was really so very nice of her to do this - and so completely unexpected that I was gobsmacked.

I still need to tell her thank you.

D'oh.

Okay, I know, the iPad pictures don't come out all that well, but hey, at least you have something somewhat colorful to look at instead of reading my weird words throughout the entire post.

Sometimes the smallest, most unexpected RAOKs are really the very, very best.

Thanks to Mel and Mary Lou (sounds like a singing duo) for these wonderful gifts.

Nice way to start the year.