snail mail

(or Three Cheers for Katie!)

My dear crafting buddy had a birthday recently. Early on in our friendship, we established a pattern of giving each other Skunkboy Creatures to mark special occasions. Eight days before her birthday, I realized I'd forgotten to get the traditional critter for the little stockpile of gifts I was collecting. I hurried on over and chose a new fabric friend for the collection. Katie knows that this is a thing we have, and she got the package in the mail with lightning speed, bless her. When it arrived, it was so adorably wrapped (tissue paper and pom pom string and a Skunkboy sticker) that I didn't want to undo it and just left it as it was.

When we celebrated Shana's birthday, I gave her her presents over lunch at a restaurant and when she opened her Skunkboy package, we got a wonderful surprise! Here is the gift I chose:


And here's what we saw when Shana opened the package:

Both of us nearly fell over laughing. And then when I was done laughing, I had a little swoon of gratitude for this charming gesture, for Katie's warmth and generosity and superb crafting skills, and for the opportunity to connect with wonderful artists who will go that extra step for someone they've never met. I'm truly grateful, and Shana is delighted with her extra special birthday snail. Thank you, Katie; we love you!