June 22, 2010

Wanna be penpals?

country mailbox

I've written before about the wonderful memories I have of waking up on my great-grandparents' farm and eating breakfasts that I still dream about, but there were tons of other fun times that didn't revolve around food. I always looked so forward to the time of day when the mail ran because I would watch for the mailman and then run out to the mailbox to retrieve whatever goodies he had brought. Of course there was nothing for me, but it was fun just to open the mailbox and find a stack of letters inside.

This feeling of glee over checking the mail isn't always one that I experience as an adult, what with all the bills, credit card applications and just plain junk that I receive. But today was a different story. When I unlocked the little door on my mailbox, imagine my excitement to find 2 packages in there that I wasn't expecting. Maybe this is trivial to some folks, but just knowing that two different people had thought of me and taken the time to put something in the mail put a gigantic smile on my face.


party potpourri jr league cookbook.bmp

My first package was from one of my besties and contained the sweetest note along with this gorgeous book, compiled by the Memphis Junior League. I can already tell it will be a valuable asset to my collection and cannot wait to prop my feet up and start reading it.

My next package came all the way from New York and was a gracious gift from Mr. Stan Williams, aka The Elegant Thrifter. If you haven't been to his blog, you should go there immediately! His book The Find is a fabulous volume and his gift was a personalized book plate wishing me "Happy Thrifting" (I'm thinking I'll probably frame it instead of sticking it in the book). If his brilliant ability to turn thrift store finds into amazing treasures wasn't enough for me to like him, he also has a crazy love for all things Dolly Parton (a big-haired southern girl after my own heart).

So now I want to know…what’s the best package you’ve ever gotten in the mail? Was it an unexpected gift or the product of a blog swap? Maybe it was just a sweet note from a friend that lifted your spirits. I’d love to hear about what it was! And if you are in need of a cheerful note, email your address to southernbellesimpleblog@gmail.com and I’ll be happy to send you one! Sometimes a little cheer in the mail can do a world of good! It definitely did for me.