Turnabout is very fair play!

15 years ago

I got home early last night and checked the mail. There was a small package. Could it be? No, it was something my son had ordered. Oh darn, thought I, now I'll have to wait until after the holiday. Shoot.

I got in my car and headed over to my mom's for our Thanksgiving warm-up meal and to see my brother who came in from CA.

On the way out of my street I nearly collided head on with the UPS truck. I thought, could it be? Well, I can't go back and look now or mom will yell at me for being late.

Go to mom's. Come home. Open the front door. It WAS! My swap box!, and the return address was very familiar. It was from Chancesmom -- aka Janet. I had sent a box to her in a previous swap, so I knew her address.

Time to rip and tear. First I found this pretty silver box with a bow:

And inside was this amazing bracelet made of stone, ceramic and wood beads. It has a clever magnetic clasp that is simply perfect because I don't need help getting it on. Wait until you hear this: Janet made this little treasure herself! You can bet I will be sporting it at the holiday meal tonight.

Does this show it better? The colors are amazing, swirly blue stones and intricate design on the large ceramic beads:

Next was the textile item. It's a wonderful cookbook with the very apt title of "Cooking That Goes Straight to Your Hips" -- oops, that's wrong! It's called "Cooking from The Hip" and has chapters titled Fast, Easy, Fun, Phenomenal and Good to Know. The first three chapters are perfect for my kind of cooking and the fourth will make good reading. The last really does have helpful tips. Here 'tis:

Janet also sneaked it a freebie from the liquor store, so it was really packing material not an official item. I can't believe a store could give this away. It has some great recipes that are full of wine and liquor!

Next I pulled out the pottery item and I have to say that I've never seen anything quite like this. It is a stoneware dipping plate made by a local potter named Alan Moon. In the picture, look for the little "picks" that are part of the plate. They are to grate part of a clove of garlic. Then you add olive oil and balsamic, mix, and dip your nice crusty bread in it! I LOVE it and will use it often. I am just tickled with how it matches the colors of my kitchen backsplash.

And here they are, all together:

Janet also sent a lovely note on notepaper from a local artist. It shows a white birch on the front and I happen to have one in my yard. The words inside were lovelier by far and she was kind enough to recall some of the items I had sent to her. Thank you, Janet. You really put a smile on my face.

Pam

Comments (20)

compumom
15 years ago
Whoohoo, how much fun to have a Thanksgiving surprise package!
The bracelet is lovely and the cookbook, magazine and dipping plate with the cool grater are all fun items! Enjoy!
annie1992
15 years ago
The bracelet IS lovely, and cookbooks are always nice, but that plate with the built in garlic grater, now THAT's unique.

What a very nice swap box you got!

Annie
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Years ago when I first started making jewelry I took it to a flea market where I had sold handmade dolls and other things for a year or two. As we all know our talents do improve with experience. One day two older ladies approached my table, stood there looking, and one says loudly to the other..."This stuff doesn't sell" I wanted to say..."Lady, you should have kept on walking" Where you sell and who you sell to makes a world of difference. I try not to give my work away but I do try to keep my prices within reasonable reach to most people. For this same reason I choose materials that can reflect that. Much of my work is valuable because of the talent and time I have invested in them. Iif you want sterling expect to pay for sterling. A co-worker once said..."You are making a killing on this stuff" This was after I had sold her a necklace and earrings set for $8.00!!! We just have to understand that you cannot please everyone. My theory is..."If you like it....buy it......if not keep walking. I love my crafts or else I would not do them.
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Comments (60)
"I didnt say she posted the positive side, I said she posted a biased view, and the entire article had some other points. For example, where the article said SM was a bit of a misnomer, and it might be better for a SM to forget the mother in the name, and be more like an aunt." It did have other points you are right, but what is wrong with putting the ones on there that will lift the group. Also, I completely disagree with the act as an aunt role idea. I do not pretend to be the BM of my son, but at my home I AM the mom and I refuse to go back and forth between roles. This is easier in my family since my SS was young and excepting of me when DH and I got together. The aunt role would work better (IMO) for someone coming in later in the child's life. IMO I am a parent to my SS regardless of step or bio and I will act as such. "I do regard my DD as a victim of divorce. I am not aware of any study that doesnt put children of divorce at a disadvantage to children in intact families. And she certainly didnt cause the divorce". I did not say they are not victims. However, it is not a good idea, IMO, to go around considering yourself or your kids as victims, at least not to them, or they will always pitty themselves instead of learning from the situation that they have been put in. I agree that it is not fair to them and is definitely not an ideal situation to be in. I did say that with the way you and others act about second marriages it is almost like you are disregarding the fact that other children are born out of these second marriages and that they could be put in this situation to. Do you not understand that by constantly telling everyone that statistically they are more likely to fail than succeed in a second marriage it comes off as you almost hope we do, our kids bedamned. Also, I completely agree that kids of divorce are at a disadvantage to kids in a intact family. Unless, that intact family is an unhappy one in which they are better of in a divorce situation. "I think the point about second marriages failing is taken out of context. Its more about Dad should have more a role, as child may end up with serial SMs." You are generalizing here. Dads are not the only ones who do this. In fact, in my own person experience my DH and I have been together for quite a while and I was the first and only serious relationship he had after his divorce. His ex wife has been involved in a serious relationship off and on since right after they seperated. Between her and her long-time bf's fall outs she has had many bfs who my son has had to stay with, be babysat by, and all sorts of other situations where there were serial SDs.
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artsyshell
15 years ago
What a fabulous swap package you got! The bracelet is beautiful. I love Cat Cora, and cookbooks, so it's gotta be good. The plate though is perfect. Love how you can grate the garlic right on it, and then add the dipping ingredients. Janet you did great! Pam, enjoy all your wonderful gifts.

Shelley
ann_t
15 years ago
Janet, you are an artist. That bracelet is so pretty. I love the stones that you used. Especially the stones with the turquoise. And that plate is really unique. I don't think I have seen one like that.

Ann
KatieC
15 years ago
Love that plate...very clever. I've never seen Cat Cora's book, that's a great title. Nice package Janet, the bracelet is awesome.
Terri_PacNW
15 years ago
That plate is so nifty..what a 'grate' idea..LOL

That bracelet is beautiful!
riverrat1
15 years ago
Oh Janet, you send such nice things.

Pam, Enjoy your gifts! They are all wonderful.
mustangs81
15 years ago
I agree, that plate is so unique. And that's what makes swaps so special--all of the seemingly unending supply of unique items everyone seems to find.

Love the bracelet.
chase_gw
15 years ago
Janet that bracelet is lovely, you're a woman of many talents! Like Ann I have never seen a dish like that , very cool!

Pam, you sure did receive a nice parcel, enjoy!

PS: I sent Nancy the LCBO magazine too ! LOL
chancesmom
15 years ago
Phew, glad it is all OK Pam. When you left me that little message last night, I knew it had been delivered and was so worried that the plate was broken. That was the first time we (my sister helps me) tried the magnetic clip on the bracelet, hope it works for you. We have friends who have that plate and have used it many times with great success. That magazine is available about 8 times a year at the liquor store and it is great!

So glad you are enjoying it all Pam.
mer4205
15 years ago
That is a grate idea for use as a dipping plate....lovely package! -maria
bri29
15 years ago
That plate is pretty cool! I've never seen anything like that with the little grating section. I can't wait to hear how it works! And the bracelet? Simply lovely. Such craftiness! Enjoy your lovely gift!

Bri
doucanoe
15 years ago
Wow, that is a great package! Janet, you are so talented, that bracelet is gorgeous!

Love the plate, too. Very Clever!

Linda
craftyrn
15 years ago
Oh wow! What a unique way to fill a category Janet! The bracelet is so nice-- love the way you put the wood into the design.

Cookbook sounds like a fun read.

That dipping plate-- what a great idea--
jimtex
15 years ago
Great package Janet. The plate and bracelet are awesome. I don't know anything about the cookbook but Cooking From The Hip sounds like how I go about it. I'm going to check it out.
dedtired
Original Author
15 years ago
I want to mention that I wore the bracelet to Thanksgiving dinner and also to an engagement party that a neighbor had last night. I had several compliments on it! I said it was one of a kind and imported from Canada.

Today is a miserable gray rainy raw kind of day. I am supposed to bake cookies. My girlfriend's club put together cookie trays for the elderly and I said I'd contribute. My new cookbook has a recipe for Lemonade Cookies. It sounds wonderful and I have all the ingredients here, so I think I will try them.

Thanks again, Janet, and give Chance a hug from me (Dave, too).
Bizzo
15 years ago
It's all Aweome. The bracelet is really neat- Janet, a very nice job!! The idea of the magnetic clasp is great, too. I love the colors and the idea of a dipping plate, and the cookbook sounds Fun (oh, yeah at least one whole chapter of fun!!)
lakeguy35
15 years ago
I see we have yet another talented member here...very cool bracelet Janet! Love the pottery too. I hope you share a recipe or two out of that cookbook Pam.

David
Lars
15 years ago
I'd like to see the plate in use. Where was it made? It's a very novel idea, I think.

I like the idea of magnetic clasps, and I think the bracelet is gorgeous! However, I've never heard of Cat Cora - is she Canadian?

Great package, Janet!

Lars
jessyf
15 years ago
First thing I thought of when you talked of the 'picks' is ginger and Asian. Wonder where that would go! I've never heard of Cat Cora, I like learning about new cooking folks. Stunning bracelet!

Turnabout is very fair play!

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