Mail Call Monday 6/28

More Packages!!!!!!!! This is about as exciting as when it's FQ Bingo time in the spring and I get several packages in the mail each day. :)

Oh and lookie what was under the package in the back...

it appears to be the newest catalog from Connecting Threads! Always a treat to look thru b/c with all the quilts is almost like getting a quilting magazine! and it's FREE! ;)

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The first package I opened up was from debbieWI. And take a look at what was sitting on top inside her baggie.....

My very first BRICKS to receive from a-n-y-o-n-e! ;) In the past I've collected noodles, and nickels and looks like 2010 will be remembered for my first time to collect Bricks... or uham, I'm aware that over on the HGTV board they are calling them CANDY BARS, but I can't let myself use that in my vocabulary around here or I'll have 3 little kidos whining and begging for Momma to share with them, something that they think I have... :P so yeah - I'll call them Bricks! Thanks Debbie!

also included in her package was her $4 for return postage ;) and now... take a look at all of her cuties! Aren't they mouth watering!!?!? :)

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The second package I opened was from a blog reader, Miss Judy who is aka "Golden Dog Quilting" ;) She read about my swap and had emailed me to join... only I missed seeing it b/c it was in my junk mail email folder! aaak! Thankfully I did see it when I skimmed thru that folder like I always so before deleting all the stuff in it from time to time! and good thing b/c shortly after adding her email address to my address book so that it won't go to the junk folder anymore... she emailed and notified me that she was done sewing and ready to mail! ;)

Was she BUSY at work or what!?! ;) Every single block is a one of a kind BEAUTY! I know that b/c I looked at everyone of them! :D

First off I noticed that she used the swirl method that I shared a video of for pressing the back seams to lay very flat.... I hope everyone is finding it easy to do. I'm so glad I learned that - I use it all the time! even in other projects.

So take a look with me at the fun blocks that I found in this jackpot! ;)

Hot flames, and jars of jam. and Fireworks around the American Flag...

(Can you guess the song)

DUNT!

Dunt. Dunt. DUNT!

............................

Dunt. Dunt. DUNT!

dunt, dunt..........................DUNT!

Ok either you think I'm a big (dunt dunt DORK) or you're totally singing in your head "Eye of the Tiger" with me! :P If you can't hear it yet in your head then click my youTube video :P oh and love that Bicycle in the block in the right above too ;)

I even love that horses back quarters... :P I'm telling ya - they were all GRRrrrr-ATE!

oh and here is one more photo I remembered to take... perfect example of including equal amount of postage in STAMPS for the return envelope. :)

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The last package I opened, from DJBrown appeared to be the smallest.... but inside it was stuffed to the gills and was LOADED! ;)

As in LOADED with over 200 4-patch blocks!!! I'd say she mastered the skill of packing didn't she? ;) Which reminds me I have 3 or4 suitcases I need to start packing soon.... almost time for our trip to KY for the 4th. ;)

and beside that gallon sized, folded just so so ziplock... was just enough room for 2 little white envelopes to slide between the baggie and the box... ;)

Love how she "re-used" this CD envelope... How did you know I love to know ahead what gift I'm getting *giggle*giggle* this little window is perfect for sneak peaks!?! :P

and this my swapper friends is .... THE FIRST 4 patch I've seen or held in my hands that has.... SHIRTINGS! :) and they are even more great than I thought they would be! ;) True BONNIE HUNTER style! ;)

and the stripes in the block to the left above were not the only ones... DJBrown included 11 leftovers for me!!!! several with shirtings! la,la,love them! Thank you very much! ;)

I even found a lady wearing a big hat... and several more shirt fabrics... I know all of you will want some of these precious jems for sure! 100% Bonnie Hunter style! :) Have I mentioned lately that I'm la,la,lovin this swap!!!? ;)

Hope everyone is enjoying the photos I've shared so far... we leave for KY Thursday evening so I won't be sharing any more swap packages after that... at least not while I'm on vacation. ;)

If you're a swapper and have mailed - no worry. Our mail lady will be holding our mail while we are gone. ;)

Love from Texas!

Could not sleep until I tracked these down!

Well it seems that while trying to keep track of my swap packages, sort them, count them, double check them... and take photos as they arrived - somehow last week I messed up and forgot to do something IMPORTANT!

A week ago I not only forgot to mark one of the packages as "Rec'd" on my spreadsheet but I also FORGOT to email her and notify her that they had arrived! :/ OOOoops!

Poor Eleanor S!

How did that happen? and how much longer until I would have noticed??? The reason I found out was b/c last week I emailed about 16 of the swappers who I hadn't heard from in a while a little "checking in on you" message - in which they all sent rapid replies and gave me updates :) Yeaaa - thank you for the updates swappers! Looks like we're still at 100% participation form all 40 of us! ;)

....and one of them included in this list was Eleanor - to which she replied...

Hi Bonnie, Your are not that old to have a memory problem (I might be!), but last Thursday I e-mailed you that my 4-patches were mailed. Said that on Tues they quoted me $2.07, but then on Thurs when I actually mailed them it turned out to be $2.44. At this point I'm concerned they have not gotten to you since they were supposed to go First Class. Been watching your blog for the past few days to see if they had arrived. Anyhow, they are in transit.... (10/10).

Stay cool in Texas. Love from New York, where it is not too cool today.Eleanor

Well after I read that reply I just knew I could not go to bed until I FOUND these! They should have been here by now right? I have been known to have a package sitting on the front porch before... not usually but sometimes. Checked, no.

I've also more frequently had a stray package left by my mail lady in the garage - usually on or near the bookshelf by the back door which is overloaded with STUFF & JUNK and can soooo EASILY get looked past if she lays a package anywhere near that. (why can't they just leave it on the door mat where I'll be sure and see it or step over it :P)

Nope not in the garage. Ok, well perhaps I've laid it down in the dining room floor area where I put mail when it comes and I don't have time RIGHT THEN to open and go through it.... Checked that area - nope. no unopened packages... came back to the computer to double check my spreadsheet again... what city/state is she from again - my memory does not exist without my spreadsheet aka brain... so take that info back with me to the dining room - open up my big ole bag that has in it all the swap packages that I've received so far... look at each envelope... and wouldn't ya know it... THE LAST one I take out of the bag is the ONE!

and it's been opened already - which means I've already "processed it" and gone thru it... and took photos of them... so why in the world did I not get it blogged about? and emailed sent to her back last week? I dunno. So sorry Eleanor S, please grace me with forgiveness and don't whack me 3 strikes with a wet noodle! :P

You can see that when it arrived I took photos - actually lots of extra photos to show ya my trick... which may or may not work for ya... If you plan to send along a check to cover return postage then you can package them this way like in the photos above and below... but if you need to have stamps applied at the PO then it will most likely not work since you'd have to have it out to stick the stamps to...

but for those who want to send the couple dollars cash or write a check, I find that folding the return envelope in half and putting into the baggie works great! Then on one side start putting them in there one at a time staggering them...

after you put about 5 sets in on the first side - FLIP the baggie over and repeat on the other side of your return envelope... :) perfect for sending in 10 sets. However if you are swapping more it works great to go back and make a 2nd row of them and this time you can leave them all right side up.. or sometimes I've seen them right side down on the 2nd row... (((these photos do not show a 2nd row like I just described b/c she only swapped 10 but maybe you get the idea)))

Either way, there's really no "wrong" way to do it - just lots of different ways that help make it easier for each of us... you can easily see the sets and double check count them to make sure they're all on the way South ;)

Ta Da! All packaged up and air squeezed out and zipped up!

Ready to put into your mailing envelope.

Again so sorry Eleanor S that I didn't notify you promptly but your package and post card were both Received Saturday 6/19/10

Love from Texas!

A Postcard for Nora! Arrived last weekend

I think David sometimes misses those long ago days when he would be the first one home from work each day and was the mail checker... so on the weekends he gets excited to be the one to get to check it. ;) Even on the occasions we go out for breakfast at IHOP he'll even drive up to the mailbox when we get home ... knowing that the mail lady hasn't ran yet... but just in case :P

(These were taken last Saturday - See post above on why I didn't post them last weekend)

Nora also got a little something too! One of my swappers Eleanor S not only mailed in her swap blocks but remembered that Nora collects postcards! ;)

What a beautiful area! and such BLUE waters! ;)

Thank you Miss Eleanor!

Love from Texas!