Look what I got!!!

I was just going out to pick up the kids from school, and the mail
lady knocked on my door. Look what she brought...

I was so excited! I told her it must be from my secret pal, so she told me to open it upside down if I don't want to read the label and find out what's inside (customs form has to declare contents).
Then my husband looks at the box and says, "It's from..."
"DON"T tell me!", I shouted back. "I have to go pick up the kids still, and I want it to be a surprise! I'll open it when I get back!"
When I came back, I got out the camera, and wouldn't you know it? Murphy's law kicked into play - my batteries were fully drained. OH NO! I wanted to take photos, so I had to recharge my batteries.
Talk about a build up of suspense!!! Finally, the batteries were charged, and the kids and I could hardly wait to see what was inside the largest box I have ever gotten in the mail!

The gift bag inside was so cute! Little fuzzy animals everywhere! I wondered what was inside, and by now my little 4 year old was exploding with excitement.
What's in it?

Look at this! A lovely gift basket! Full of goodies! Who was it from???
Not the yarn fairy... (though if there was one, this would be her)
My secret pal for Defeat the Winter Doldrums is....

Brenda W.!!!!
A.K.A.
Mamere knits too much

I finally know her identity!
The funny thing is, I've been checking out various blogs from the Winter Doldrums swap and I had no idea it was her!
I read her blog a few times and she never gave herself away!
What a great secret pal!
Ok, I know you all want to see what's inside that huge goodie bag, so I'll show you:

Look at this beautiful dress!  I think it could also double as an angel. So pretty!

What an adorable Lady bug!  This one scores extra points with my kids, too!

Wow! Look at this! Isn't it amazing? I'm so spoiled! I'm not going to wash dishes with this one! It's going to have a place of honor on the counter, just underneath my coffee mug!
What a wonderful way to start my mornings, with a hot cup of coffee/tea so beautifully displayed!   The detailing is so lovely!  Brenda has a really nice photo of it on her blog (I just checked it out, and you can see more of the details on her blog).

This Cucumber & Aloe soap is handcrafted by Arcadia Aromatics, and the scent just tickles my nose!  So charming and fresh, it reminds me that spring is coming!

Then there was this; a pair of Clover Bamboo knitting needles just for me!!!  I know Brenda was reading my blog!

I can't tell you how much I've been wanting to try knitting with a pair of these!  Now to pick out which yarn to use with them first...

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

So by now, I'm jumping up and down and giggling with glee, and my kids are wondering if it's my birthday. It might as well be!
Underneath is the cute card she got me, letting me know her true identity! When I found out it was "mamere knits too much" I had to go and tell my husband!
I have a wonderful friend, who is also an honorable "mamere" to my youngest, as she was so kind to step in and be my birthing coach when my husband fell ill with food poisoning (That is a whole other story by itself, LOL).
So to my child, she has earned the endearing title of "mamere". It was an intriguing coincidence that my secret pal should have the same nickname.

Talk about having your cake and eating it, too! What a dream!
My secret pal really went to town!
I have not been able to find this cotton anywhere yet, and keep reading in everyone else's blogs about how fabulous this cotton is.
Now I see why! It's so delectable!
Not only was I overly spoiled with many skeins of Sugar 'n Cream cotton, in all these yummy colors, but Brenda was so sweet to send them in this pleasant basket to store my new stash in!
I am so spoiled! I'm going to so enjoy dipping into my new stash... now for that hard part; deciding what one to use first!  My new yarn basket is all settled in the living room, for everyone to see!  

Here's a closer shot, so you can see all the different flavors of Sugar 'n Cream that I was spoiled with!

I don't know why, but I am quite taken with this one in particular:
I'm sorry the picture just doesn't do it justice. It makes me feel calm and serene just holding it... something I likely need.
I'm going to love knitting with it! On the label it says it's called "Soft Ecru", and it's slightly lighter than the cream color.

So, altogether for a group shot of all my new goodies? Here it is!

What a great experience this has been! I've had such a great time spoiling my secret pal, Alaina,
and being spoiled myself by Brenda W. She's left me a few clues here and there in my emails, but I never did figure it was her.
I will keep an eye out for the next round!
Now I'm off to write a thank you note to Brenda, who has outdone herself!