Oh. My. Goodness.

  
Yes, I'm a little slow on the post this icy Monday, but it's because I was hoping to be able to show you my finished piece, and unfortunately it ISN'T FINISHED.  I always underestimate the amount of time needed for the pesky little final details, like finding the words, figuring out where to put them, figuring out how to do it, and mounting.  So I've decided to face reality and move on to another topic.

Which brings me to the "Oh my goodness . . ."

Remember when I told you I had a new friend I didn't even know about that was sending me something splendid from a garage sale?  Turns out I didn't gush enough at the time (about the friend OR the something she was sending) because the parcel arrived on Saturday and I haven't stopped making delighted noises since.

Being the horoscope/fortune-cookie-fortune, all things vintage, and all things black-and-white junkie that I am, I could not have predicted the spectacular-ness of what appeared in my mailbox:

 

There are 50 of them, all different, and all equally COOL.  The 1920's illustrations are just fantastic, as are the words, and my brain churned all weekend about just what I could possibly create that would do them justice.

Needless to say, I'm absolutely tickled.

Thank you, new friend Julie!  This ranks in my top 5 favorite gifts I've ever received.  If they chopped me up, put me in a blender and made a deck of cards with the pulp, this is what it would look like.  I'm flummoxed and flabbergasted.  And FOREVER in your debt.  I'm going to have to work pretty hard to find an appropriate "thank you."

As for using the cards, I believe I have the idea . . . we'll see about whether or not I do them justice.

Right now I'm just keeping them within arm's reach where I can pick them up and look at them about once per hour and make "ooohhhhing" noises.

It would be completely accurate to say

that I'm thankful.  

Which is a pretty good way to start this week, even if my piece isn't quite finished.