Friendships and the Gifts we give Ourselves - Part 1

Well hellooooooooo! How was your Thanksgiving? Yummy and good I hope! Mine? Well let me tell ya. It was FABULOUS!!!

While many people have lots of friends on Facebook, it just doesn't come close in comparison to the friends you meet through blogging. These friends are true kindred spirits. Needless to say, when I learned that a blogging friend, not to mention one of my most favorite artists was going to be at a show only 3 1/2 hours away, I knew I had to make the trip to meet her!

So on Saturday morning, David and I hopped into the Bunnymobile (what I call my Honda CRV) and made the trip to Virginia Beach. I could hardly wait to get there and meet...

Jeri Landers of Hopalong Hollow!!! OH...MY....GOSH!!!!  Not only am I a huge fan of her art, but I simply adore her blog as well. Jeri is a critter lover and such a wonderful storyteller. She weaves her stories and her art together in the most charming way!

My first order of business, after I got done hugging her, was to purchase her book. There are certain gifts that I like to purchase for myself and, as many of you know, art is one of them.

This is the inside cover. Jeri creates the most incredible paper cuttings. She showed me how she starts out her sketch on parchment paper and then how she begins cutting out all the little tiny details. Beautiful!

Here Jeri is getting ready to sign my book while her wonderful husband, James, packs up all my other goodies. More on those in a minute.

You see the look on my face as she's signing my book? I'm totally about to burst with excitement. Meanwhile, David's thinking to himself,  I hope she doesn't do the happy bunny dance in front of all these people and embarrass me! It was totally hard, but I maintained composure until I got to the car and then jumped around and did the bunny happy dance. hee,hee,hee.

Here's what she wrote.

Of course, there we lots of other goodies too! It was so hard to choose! I knew I wanted a few of her cards, so I selected these.

Then I just had to have this print! I'm going to get a frame for it today as I have the perfect spot to hang it.

Look at all the wonderful details!

Finally, I simply had to have one of her original paper cuttings! It was sooooooo hard to choose, but I decided that Tea Time would be mine. I love how the trees look and the quilt hanging on the line. Isn't the frame cool too? It's made from leaves!

Then, wouldn't ya know it, but the fire alarm went off and the entire building had to be evacuated!! Hundreds of people and not to mention over 400 artisans had to clear the building until the fire department said it was OK to go back in. All was fine and I hopped back in to do more shopping.

While we waited outside, I gathered to have a picture made with Jeri and another dear blogging friend, Sharon of Corgi's in my Garden. Sharon loves Jeri's work and blog and she too made a long drive just to meet her! I met Sharon in person this past Spring when she happened to be visiting my little town.

Sharon, Jeri and Me. Amazing that these are two people I would never have met if it weren't for blogging. I drove back home with a smile on my face and thought about friendships and the gifts we give ourselves. Oh how I love blog land!

So hop over and visit Jeri at the Hollow. Tell her the bunnies and I say hi! Then be sure and join me back here on Wednesday for Part 2 of this story and a fun little contest. Why yes, there will be a prize!

xx, Michelle and the Bunnies