First of all, Happy St Patrick's Day! I went to an Irish pub and got my fill of Irish music, dancers, kilts (not Irish), and potato-laden food. Fun was had. Not quite the street festivals and pub gigs from my days in the competitive Irish dancing circuit, but nevertheless enjoyable.

Thank you so much to all who participated in my March giveaway! I am so pleased to announce my three winners:

1. 5x7 print of The Governess and grab bag of vintage sewing lovelies:

Aik

2. 5x7 print of An African Tea Party:

Lilly

3. 5x7 print of Corey:

Nora

I will be contacting all of you in the next 24 hours with more information. Congrats to you all, and thanks again to everyone who participated. Watch this space for my next giveaway coming soon!

It is raining today. The clouds are low and the skies are grey. Life from within my tiny little flat is fairly uneventful. I got Patrick off to work and then I spent the day getting my tax information sorted out. I think taxes are a bore, don't you? I would much rather have donned my herringbone patterned Thomas Pink wellies and taken a beautiful long walk in the rain, perhaps through one of the lovely old Victorian neighbourhoods nearby. But unfortunately, some things must be done.The kitties did their best to keep me company. I did discover that they like Sarah Brightman. As soon as I turned on her "Symphony" album (my choice for bleak, rainy days), the purring began. When I paused the music, the purring stopped. When I turned the music back on, the purring started up again. So, the kitties like opera. Who would've guessed two little abandoned urchins picked up off the cold, wet streets on a December's day would turn out to be so cultured?

Anyways, I think that today is the perfect day to feature a fellow Etsian. I've been meaning to tell you about a seller from Thailand, TippyThai. I came across her work a few weeks ago, and fell in love with the simple, clean, feminine lines of her handbags, as well as the beautiful natural fiber fabrics she uses. She was very professional and friendly, and worked with me to create the perfect tote for my sketchbooks. I cannot tell you how much I love my bag. It is what I deem a 'Mary Poppins' bag - by this I mean it holds everything without looking the least bit heavy or bulky.

Enough of my gushing. Here is a shot of my own sweet bag.


So, what are you waiting for? Make haste to Tippy's shop - her bags are an absolute must have for the spring/summer season!

March Giveaway - Thrice as Nice

I do believe it is time to give away some goodies! This month I will choose three lovely lucky winners. Our grand prize winner will receive this:

Because I am feeling very Victorian this spring, and want to share all of that lovely, lacy goodness with you! The prize pack consists of a 5x7 print of The Governess as well as a sweet little grab bag of vintage sewing goodies such as scraps of pretty old lace and some cute little buttons. Customise a t-shirt with the buttons, or add a little curiosity to your dress with some lace!

Second runner up will receive this:

An African Tea Party - 5x7 Print

(also available in the shop)

Because everyone needs an excuse for a tea party. With cute kids. And puppies. And very, very large hats. In a tent whilst on safari, of course.

Our third runner up will receive this:

Corey - 5x7 Print

(again, also available in the shop)

Because springtime is exactly the time when you need to get rid of those woollen stockings and go running around barefoot.

All of these little 5x7 art prints are perfect for framing, creating pretty bulletin board collages, and slipping into gifts, so hopefully you will find something nice to do with them!

So, you say, how do I enter? All you have to do is go to my shop at kirby.etsy.com and come back and post a comment telling me what item you think best represents springtime. You can score a second entry if you become a follower of my blog. (see the widget in the upper righthand corner of the page)

I will accept entries until March 16th. Good luck!

A Magical Snow Day

We had a rare snow day here in the south today. Patrick and I grabbed our coats and mittens (and my little red pixie hat) and made for the door. We walked for a time in the swirling white (or, wet...) until we found ourselves in a beautiful old civil war era cemetery. There is something very magical about snow in an old graveyard. The beautiful contrast of the gnarly Cyprus trees (oh, they are wonderful...straight out of a faerie tale) and the cold stone graves, set against a grey and white sky.

The Grave of Mary Annie Gartrell (1853-1906)

There is a story about this one. Her sister, Lucy, and she were inseparable. When Mary died, Lucy erected this beautiful monument in her memory. But she never stopped grieving for her lost sister. For 48 years after Mary's death, Lucy would make the long trek from Atlanta, sometimes on foot, at least twice a week to visit the grave. There is a local ghost story that says she can still be seen, wearing black mourning clothes, trudging along the long, winding pathway up to the grave site. Civil war towns always have lots of ghost stories, but this one is definitely the most popular with the locals, and probably the saddest.

After getting thoroughly soaked in the wet, sloshy snow, we came home to find out that Patrick's workplace was closed for the day, so we had an instant holiday! I like days like this. Perhaps they are not so good financially, but they are pleasant if you haven't had a full Sunday with your husband since before you were married. Patrick is reading about gardening, thinking ahead to spring. Amelie is snoozing between Patrick and me, trying to stay warm. Klaus is bundled away instead is little kitty condo. And I am snuggled up with the pale pink wrap my grandmother gave me, scheming for my next blog giveaway. I will be posting about that shortly. This one is going to have not one, not two, but three lucky winners! Imagine that! But in the meantime, I must think about to dinner. Perhaps we shall venture out again to buy vegetables for a Thai feast. We shall defy the soup-making convention that goes with snowy days. (actually, I love soup, but I don't think we have the patience to wait that long!)