Not So Flashy

This came from my friend Helen the other day, but this morning was the first chance I've had to open it. I like to do things a lot more ceremoniously ever since I started blogging. But she told me I needed to open it right now because there were things in there for the tree. It is the cutest little bag all stuffed with tiny treasures in every pocket.. and garnished with generous handfuls of ribbons and sparkle. I love that little magnet there that says "clean your room". Helen knows me pretty good. She also sent me this link about taking pictures of Christmas trees...

So that picture above was taken this morning.. and I am just thrilled to figure out how to take pictures of the tree so that the lights are twinkly and everything looks glowy. I set my my old Olympus camera on "automatic" but then turned off the flash. There is a lamp on in the room and the light on the ceiling fan.. that's it. But I think the trick is using a tripod.

Anyways, last week (before I knew about the no-flash thing).. I opened something from Ulla who lives in Finland. I adore Ulla.. and we had such a wonderful time this past summer putting the Summer Stash Quilt Challenge together. Her box was so pretty.. it came in the mail just like this:
There was a present for Hitty! so they all gathered round to see what it could be..

Some fabric for dresses! And believe me.. this is not just any old ordinary fabric. I about flipped when I saw that vintage novelty organdy.. that itself would have been way more than enough to send me for Christmas. Ulla told me it was from a piece that her mother made pinafores for her as a little girl. I can't think of ANYthing more precious. And I have never seen anything like it before.

But then of course there were goodies for me. This little sewing kit and angel all handmade by Ulla...

Pin cushion, zipper case to keep things, and a needle book.. complete with a needle that looks exactly like my favorite needle I have here and use all the time. Now I have two!

And these adorable die cuts from Germany.. aren't these terrific?
An Ulla-made card.. AND one of those amazing Finnish straw wreaths..

Last year I only put vintage glass balls on my Christmas tree.. but getting this new wreath made me dig out some of my other straw ornaments that I had purchased a few years ago from Ten Thousand Villages (but I don't see these angels on their site anymore)..
Each one is playing a different musical instrument.

Look how pretty that wreath is..

So now I'm going to go dig into that bag of stuff Helen sent and find places to hang more ornaments on my tree.

Lots of things to share with you yet.. I'll try and get back here tomorrow. But now I'm off to see what all of you are doing....