Yeah, it came early! They told me Monday at the FedEx office! Good news!

Oooh the suspense of knowing what's in your box is almost as bad as the suspense of waiting to open mine.

I'm looking forward to your next post.

Lee

It was so nice to come home this afternoon to my swap box.
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This is indeed a delightful box! Eileen you done real good! LOL!

My entire family was with me as I was opening the box, OOOHHHing and AHHHHHing everything, we had a blast. Somehow Eileen knew that my DH and I enjoy having a variety of cheeses on a board for lunch at least a couple of times a month. Well, the board I used to use is very worn. Look at my new one! The board comes from Copia in Napa Valley. I love this board and my favorite kitchen towels are waffle weave. Aren't they wonderful? I may designate these towels as "show towels" only.
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All I know about wine is that I like to drink it!. Now I have no excuses, for this "Guide to Wine" by Fiona Sims travel book will gracefully guide me through everything I ever wanted to know about wine. I have flipped through and this book seems to be an easy read for a beginner like me. The little black booklet in the picture is a pouring spout. It's a disk that you roll up and insert in the wine bottle opening before you pour any. It keeps wine from dripping. This also comes from Copia in Napa Valley. So neat! I've never seen this before. The Sauvignon Blanc was a recommendation from the wine buyer at Eileen's gourmet grocery store. This will be so good with one of the cheese boards we share at lunch time. Well we may have to have this particular cheese board in the evening so we can drink the wine. My DH doesnt drink so it's all mine! The La Famiglia Di Robert Mondavi (Barbera) comes from EileenÂs private collection. This is a very special wine of hearty fare that has abundant layers of ripe plums, blackberries and spice. I know this because I read the back label and my book has given me some pointers on taste.
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This next picture has some of the savory and sweets of my box. The silver tin is a savory herb rub from Copia in Napa Valley. The jar contains a dessert topping of Ollieberries with Cabernet Sauvignon. The boxes have wine biscuits, one is Cabernet, the other Chardonnay. The plastic containers have the most wonderful tasting almonds (they are half gone;o). One is Raspberry Honey and the other is Orange Honey. These are to die for! Eileen says she sends these to friends all over the country and everyone appreciates them. Well add me to that list of people that love these. The tall bottle in the center is a late harvest Riesling vinegar. This sounds divine and I can't wait to try some. And to round out the theme of my package I have a grape pot holder, grape themed coaster and a tea towel in purple and green! So sweet and cute.

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To finish off this fabulous package I now have a Cabernet Wine candle. I could smell this as soon as I opened the box. Wow! This candle has a nice pleasant smell. It's burning as I type this. The small blue pot is full of one of my favorite scents. Lavender! I'm not sure, but I think it is a body oil rub. I have rubbed this all over me! It's divine! DH passed by and asked me what smelled so good. I had to ask him if it was me or my new candle!
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The card is always my favorite part of a swap box. Eileen, Thank you for the note and I truly feel you are a friend. It seems like you really know me because everything you sent I love. Thank you.

This is everything all together!

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Thank you again Eileen. This was a fun swap!

Eileen, you did a great job and it appears that your theme was "Wine Heaven". (grin)

Riverrat, enjoy your package, although I have a feeling you've already started to enjoy it. :-)

Annie

Great package, Eileen and a great theme! I love the cheese board and the wine spout thingee is a great idea. Never saw that before! Riverrat, you'll the Reisling vinegar, it's so good! Enjoy it all, Riverrat, such fantastic treats!

Carol

Karen, I'm drooling...what a fabulous swap package. If you had been last, it would have been worth waiting for! (But, I'm glad you weren't last...saved a lot of whining! LOL)
Eileen, Oh, you did a very fine job!

Jayne

I'm getting powerfull images of a swap I received from California from someone named Eileen. Is it possible that Barnmom and her are one and the same, LOL. Whether or not that's true that's a wonderfull package Karen. Hide the almonds or they will be a sweet memory in short order!!

Really, Really nice, I love it all. Can't comment on my favorite thing because it's all so nice.

Nancy

Some really neat and unusual items there, BarnMom! I'm dying over those flavored honeys.

You could have a forum party and share those bottles of wine, Karen! You really shouldn't drink them all by yourself, you know! LOL

Enjoy your Wine Heaven!
Teresa

James, having been another lucky recipient of Eileen's swap largesse I can tell you definitively that she and Barnmom are one and the same!

Karen, those orange almonds are incredible!!! They didn't last more than a few days around here ... and that was using restraint.

Great package!!!

Wow. I'm speechless...what an absolutely BEAUTIFUL package! Enjoy!

Adrienne

Well done Eileen, such a wonderful trip to wine country in a box. I love the vinegar, and the cutting board, and the almonds and all the wine, and well everything. Enjoy it all Karen.

-Robin

What a great package. It makes me want to return to visit the wine country again. Seems like more than two years since we've been there.

It's a lovely package for Karen and Charles and their family to enjoy. Good going Eileen.

Lee

Very nicely done Eileen. I especially love the cheese board and of course the California wines. Karen, I know you are really going to enjoy all the wonderful things Eileen sent you.

Ann

Now that's a great package. I love the cheese board and tea towels, well I love everything! Anything from Napa Valley has got to be good and this package makes me want to go back.

Good job, Eileen.

Karen, enjoy your wonderful package!

Karen, enjoy your wonderful package! A slice of Napa Valley, and a lovely cheese board and tea towels. We frequent the wineries in the New York Finger Lakes, but I feel another trip to Napa Valley coming on. Good job, Eileen.

That is a gorgeous, classy package - I don't even know which to mention - I love it ALL! The darned potholder keeps jumping out at me, though - LOL! It's all beautiful and you did a great job with the photos, too, Karen.

I hope that stuff was a body oil - makes me think of when I bought some coconut oil and read that it's good for your skin - I rubbed it on me, and Sammy followed me around all day trying to lick my legs...seems I got the wrong kind and should have only used it for cooking...hee hee.

Stacy

Lovely! I love the theme.

Karen, you'll really enjoy all these goodies!

Thank goodness you made it safely to Fed ex! its an awesome box.

Now that's a classy swap box!~ Great job!

I'm so glad that everything arrived intact and that it pleases you. I always have such fun shopping for swaps. When I realized that so much of it color coordinated I was delighted!

BarnMom

All that wine & grape stuff --- I'm swooning!! Wowee wow is all I can say. Karen, just let me know if you need any help consuming the wine, I'll be over in a jiffy! Wonderful package barnmom!!!

Now that is one great "theme"--- cheese , wine & nibblers--perfect! But just what is an Ollieberry Eileen? Karen-I think you're right-those towels are too pretty to use!

Diane

Olalieberries are a cross between youngberries and loganberries. They are similar to blackberries or boysenberries. I have only seen them along the California Central Coast, but they may make appearances elsewhere.

Barnmom, you sent it to the wrong address. Your box should have been sent to ME. Bad AnnT!!!