Friday, January 21, 2011

Amy of Oxfordshire


This is the view that I see when I pull into the parking lot of the park I walk in every morning. It has been an unusually cold and snowy winter this year in New York, as it seems to be in many other parts of the country and in Europe.


When I finally received a box in the mail with this Royal Mail stamp last week I was very excited, as I knew this was a package that was sent to me in November by Melanie, from the blog Jellybeanangel 2, as a Christmas gift! We had feared that this package may have been lost due to all the bad weather that the post office in England and the USA had to deal with between then and now.


Inside the box I found Melanie's Christmas card, some interesting literature about Samlesbury Hall in England which I had seen photos on Melanie's blog, and assorted canceled postage stamps that Melanie knows that I enjoy collecting.

The best surprise was unwrapped to show.......



........this beautiful doll called "Amy," that was hand made by Melanie! She is holding a heart button that Melanie bought at Waterperry Gardens in her home town of Oxfordshire in the United Kingdom.


Melanie had displayed Amy, and other dolls that she made, in a post on her blog in the fall, and I exclaimed over how pretty I thought Amy's multicolored curls looked! She was my favorite of all the dolls, and I am so touched that in friendship Melanie sent her to me as a gift, as I know how special Amy was to her!

I am always in awe of all the beautiful hand crafted things that Melanie makes, from sewing projects, quilts, knits, crochet, applique art, or stained glass. There are always multiple hand made creations on her blog, plus often wonderful photos of walking tours of the beautiful English countryside, or a visit to a castle or another historical area, that she takes with her family.  Reading Melanie's blog over the years I've greatly admired all of her talents, energy and enthusiasm!


 Melanie, and now Amy -- you both brighten my day! Thank you so much!


I'm adding this link to Beverly's  Pink Saturday on her blog How Sweet the Sound.Please visit Beverly today to see links to everyone's beautiful blog posts full of pink!



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38 comments:

Michelle said...

What a wonderful gift to receive! So glad that it didn't get lost, though it was long overdue.

Betsy Banks Adams said...

How special, Pat... I know you will keep Amy of Oxfordshire in a special place so that when you see her, you will think of Melanie... What a nice gift.
Hugs,
Betsy

Sarah said...

Pat, what a precious doll Amy is, and what a thoughtful friend! Melanie is very creative and talented. The rainbow hair is delightful. ;-)
I smiled about the delay of the package. I just received one from France that had been mailed in early Dec. The packages I sent to France early in Dec. has just been delivered. Guess things have been sitting in a warehouse. ;-)
I enjoy stamps too. I consider them little works of art.
~ Sarah

Anonymous said...

Special friendships...aren't they the best! I love color so I LOVE Amy...she's a gem! I must visit Melanie's blog and enjoy all the wonderfulness you've seen and read! Thanks for sharing this Pat...the photos of Amy are WOW!

Janie said...

So beautiful..the best part of the news at night (channel 7) is the scenes they show of NYC on the weather...so gorgeous..
If anyone ever read the Little House on The Prairie books, the one in the series called The Long Winter, is about 1188, and they compare this year (so far) with that same pattern..
Hope everyone out there is warm...

Claudia said...

Amy has had her share of travels. I am sure she will love Brooklyn. What a sweet post - this must have brightened your snowy day. It certainly brightened mine!

Lynn said...

What a wonderful gift! I was stationed in England for 3 years takes a while for the postman to arrive (to or from)! Makes me smile-enjoy:@)

Unknown said...

That is an adorable doll! How special that she gave it to you! I can't think of a nicer person to send a gift too though!

Now I'm off to visit her blog!

:) Diane

Grace said...

What a fabulous "New Year" gift. lol The mail all over is so horrible. I love the stamp and your dollie she is precious. Happy Pink Saturday. Sweetie Restaraunt week is coming up..I am so excited. Grace xoox

Donnie said...

What a wonderful package and that doll is gorgeous. What a special friend.

Ginny Hartzler said...

That is the cutest, most whimsical doll I have ever seen! She has a really charming blog, I love it!

Anonymous said...

How terrific! I know you were so thrilled to receive that amazing gift.....even though it took awhile!

Your area of daily walks is a lovely place! I have been doing more exercising at the gym of late...can hardly wait til the snow goes away...I'm ready to start jogging again! :)

Have a warm and safe and snug weekend! L, Dana

Sue said...

Hi Pat and Happy New Year a little late....I couldn't get out of Jersey...everytime we planned on leaving another storm would come thru....I made no many Hampton Inn reservations they must have thought I was a nut...
What an adorable little doll you recieved from your Blog friend...Isn't it fun to get goodies from our blog friends...I got a great hand painted sign all the way from Italy and another friend from Michigan sent me a wonderful pillow she made with Boo on it....I need to do a post also to showcase these wonderful ladies talents.... Oh, and tell your Mayor that he really should use Yolanda Vega to translate his press conferences for him...He sounds ridiculous speaking bad Spanish.....

The Quintessential Magpie said...

What a sweet gift, Pat, and I can't think of anyone sweeter to receive it than you. She's delightful!

XO,

Sheila :-)

Sheila said...

Amy is inspirational. I love her homespun hair. I've made cloth dolls before and now i know what to use for hair the next time I make one. I have a fair bit of homespun left from my spinning days and have been trying to knit it into toques this winter. I'll look forward to checking out Melanie's web page.

Kris said...

How nice!!!!

steviewren said...

What a nice blog friends! I'm glad your Christmas present made it through the winter weather and arrived on your door this week.

RNSANE said...

Lovely new blog header, Pat, and your beautiful, Amy, with the multicolored locks is a very precious gift that, though delayed, made it safely across the pond.

I hope you are bundled up nice and warm when you're out on these morning walks!!!

Catherine said...

Oh what fun! Thank you for sharing Amy and that wonderful picture of your park.

Trotter said...

Hi Pat! Too snowy for my taste...
Great that the package arrived; and the doll is cute...

Egypt 2010 ended up on Blogtrotter Two in magnificent glory for Ramses II at Abu Simbel! Enjoy and have an exceptional weekend!

H said...

I do love Amy! She is so bright and colourful; especially the twisted curls! I admire people who have the crafting skill to make such delights.

diane b said...

If the park where I walk in the mornings was covered in snow I would be going back to bed. Melanie's Amy is cute.

Snap said...

Isn't mail call wonderful and aren't bloggers some of the most generous and talented folks you know?!!!!!! Amy is just adorable with her rainbow hair. You are a lucky girl!!!

Old Kitty said...

What a lovely snowy scene!!!!! Winter has truly gone crazy globally this year!!!

OH but look at adorable Amy!!! What a wonderful doll!!! Melanie is mega talented with her arts and crafts!!!

Yay that you finally got her package - such treasures inside - especially Amy!!! Enjoy! take care
x

Anonymous said...

:-) So glad she eventually arrived. Merry Christmas and an Happy New Year. I know she will have a special home with you.

Tanna said...

That doll is precious! Glad it made it to its destination finally! Friends are life's treasures.

Kathleen said...

First, I admire you walking in this cold! It is still in the teens here and windy. So it must be similar there, my Brooklyn friend.
The doll is just beautiful!

Ciao Chow Linda said...

What a thoughtful blogger friend and adorable, hand-crafted doll. I love the photo of the park too, and admire you for taking a walk each day in this cold weather.

La said...

Amy is beautiful. What a special gift from Melanie.

I believe my maternal grandfather's family came from Oxfordshire.

Have a wonderful weekend, Pat. La

Sara at Come Away With Me said...

The amazing beauty of blog friendships strikes again! Amy of Oxfordshire is a very charming doll indeed with those multicolored curls.

SavoringTime in the Kitchen said...

What a wonderful gift from England! I'm sure Amy has a special place in your heart and will find a special place in your home as well.

Anonymous said...

Hi Pat -- how blessed you are to have a muse such as Amy. I can see her sitting on my shelf, making me smile and urging me to create with her colorful curls and her whimsical hat I am sure to do just that, but most of all on those blah kind of days when I wear my heart on my sleeve, I remember Amy took her's out and offered it to me --- Blessings Terri www.morningdewdrops.typepad.com

From the Kitchen said...

Oh, I'm so glad that Amy arrived in good order! It must have been quite a trip but she looks bright and perky and ready to brighten your days. I do love that sort of art and the talents of those who create it. Aren't blogging friends wonderful?!

Best,
Bonnie

Lisa@GrandmasBriefs said...

Oh my -- looks like a frigid walk in the park!

Wonderful gift to receive, even late. Blogging buddies are the best!

(By the way, your Google PageRank is a four. Pretty darn good! You rock and you didn't even know it!)

Kristen said...

What a special surprise. That doll is so much fun.

Carol said...

Amy is fantastic and so is Melanie to send you such a lovely gift! What a very special gift!

Kat said...

She is lovely! What a beautiful little doll. I wonder what adventures she went through in her almost 3 month trip :) Love the first photo, it's just beautiful. But I'll admit, I would be admiring from inside, next to a fire! Kat

Beverly said...

Happy Pink Saturday, Pat. Is all of your snow gone?

I can see why you love your Amy. She is beautiful and charming.

I sure would like a slice of the apple cheese tart.