The Mad Hatter Made My Day

And to tell you the truth, he couldn't have picked a better day to show up. It's been a hard and sad past few days ... I've been feeling a little drained; raw, really ... and my ISP is having some serious server problems and is holding all my incoming and outgoing emails hostage until tomorrow afternoon at the earliest ...

at one of my darkest moments there's a knock at the door and the Mad Hatter is right there:

wrapped in its own brilliantly colorful festiveness

... and I smiled my first real smile in days ... and that was before I opened the package to find:

a party happening inside!

... Remember Vanessa's most excellent Mad Hatter Tea Party? ...

Well, somehow the luck fairies were on my side ... I was drawn as the winner over at

ART TEA LIFE

(check out her contribution to the party HERE - I promise you are in for a treat)

Take a closer look ... that looks like more than a tea cup, tea and cookies ... hmmm

Oh my! This is the gift that most loverly Crabapple had offered:

Isn't the tea cup simple precious?!? This is my very first pretty little tea cup - and with a saucer, too. The pattern is so sweet - pretty little roses, a bit of gold trim and a beautiful soft blue kissed edging ... so very lovely. I will definitely feel like a princess when I'm sipping my tea from this perfect little piece ... and I will forever be reminded of the woman that gifted it to me.

It would have been enough all on its own, but lets not forget the tea - tea posies, infact! When brewed the posies bloom into lovely little flowers (my husband and I agreed that we'll be saving this for a special moment to share ... let's hope it's sooner than later ... and that I have my camera at the ready to share what an incredible site it makes) and cookies! Melt-in-your-mouth buttery black and white shortbread-like dreamy little bits of decadence (uh, can you tell we didn't save them for that special moment mentioned above?) ... and there you have it, right?

WRONG!

She also included a tin of Jasmine Hard Candies from France (which I had never had the pleasure of trying before, but will certainly be keeping my eyes open for ...) check out the sweet tin they come in:

but wait! There's even more! Five little beauties to be used in ART (perhaps while I'm drinking some lovely TEA and simply enjoying my LIFE) and a white uni-ball Signo pen (little does she know that I have been dreaming of the day that I break down and buy one for myself ... because if you know me, then you know in reality I wouldn't buy just one which requires the saving of a few pennies for a day of shopping for "tools"). Imagine my delight!

Bet you thought that was it, didn't you? It's already too much ... and yet ... there is one more:

Do you see it at the bottom center of this picture?

Here's a close up (notice the Jasmine Hard Candy tin, too):

Not quite close enough? Here, try this:

or this:

Could they be any more adorable? AND they are the same blue as the blue that kisses the edges of the tea cup and saucer.

This was SO much more than I ever could have expected ... with each little treasure I discovered I felt myself pause and appreciate the generous heart of the woman that took the time to assemble such a kind offering. She had no idea where my head (and heart) would be when I received the package and couldn't have possibly known the impact her thoughtfulness would have. She helped me remember that even in our darkest hours there is ALWAYS a ray of light that will shine on us, warm our hearts and remind us to live and to love ...

... S, this is one instance when being late was actually perfect timing. My heart will forever hold a spot especially for you.

Thank you.