Hello stampers and happy Monday to you. Today I am going to share with you a gorgeous swap card featuring a brand new set called Tasteful Touches. I think this will be set that I reach for again and again. The paper that goes with this stamp set, In Good Taste is stunning! Before we delve into the card I want to share a little bit about what has happened since I last blogged here.

The Past Week

If you follow me here on my blog or on my Facebook page, you may know that I was supposed to fly to Holland on Tuesday to be reunited with my love, Gerard. We haven’t seen each other since January 29! My trip has been canceled and postponed twice, but this time I really thought it was a go. KLM sent me reminder emails that my flight was on time, I could check in a day early and get my boarding pass sent to me electronically. When I got to the airport I went to the kiosk with my passport and this enabled me to print my luggage tag but not my boarding pass. I needed to speak to an attendant. Well. The attendant when seeing my Canadian passport said that it was impossible for me to fly. The only way to get in was with some sort of official letter stating a legitimate exception. This I did not have. There were maybe ten other people checking in and no line ups for anything. A very weird feeling!

Changing My Mindset

Of course it was a terrible disappointment to not be able to fly, but I knew that in order to make the best of my time, I needed to switch my mindset. My son had given me a ride to the airport after a visit to my parents, and he and his fiancée were going to go up to Owen Sound for a few days of hiking and biking. They were using my vehicle, so that meant I was staying with my parents for three days. That turned out to be such a blessing. Thursday was their 62nd anniversary and I was able to make it special for them. I picked up egg McMuffins for them for breakfast, a Too Tall lemon cake from M & M and then fish and chips from a little take out place in Elora for lunch. In the afternoon we went for a visit to the old farmstead and we enjoyed a lovely lawn visit with my brothers overlooking the hills and the valley where the cows used to graze and where we tobogganed and skated as children.

While we were sitting here a bald eagle flew right overhead, so low that I heard it before I saw it. At first I thought it was a drone!! How majestic and another highlight of a very special day.

There used to be a deck under the big window, but it had deteriorated and my brother just finished removing it. The back of the house is now a work in progress. The small door leads to the basement where my mom made hot cocoa for about 100 elementary school kids every year on the last day of school before the Christmas break. The whole school would come for a tobogganing party! There was also a coal bin down there as they used to burn coal to heat the house. I used the coal for my snowmen. So many good memories.

Pap and Mom enjoying their morning coffee and cake on the front porch. Pap is on oxygen now even though he doesn’t think he needs it. We are just so thankful that they can still be together in their own home.

Unexpected Blessing

When you go through difficult times, it can be really helpful to change the spotlight. By focusing my energy and attention on my parents, it gave meaning and purpose to not being able to travel. When they had their afternoon nap I was able to deep clean and declutter the kitchen. When you are 88 and 93 the daily vicissitudes of life are enough and there is no time or energy to do the extra things. Mom was so happy to see her kitchen restored to a neat and tidy space. I should have taken a picture!

Beautiful Weather

Together we were also able to take advantage of the beautiful weather and get a ton of dahlia bulbs planted. This is the one thing in their garden that they still do and they were both so happy to have this job done. It also gave us a chance to come together as a family to work together, my sister, my nephew, mom and me. Social distancing outside, each with our own gardening tool and some of us with gloves!

Mom was also so pleased with her tulips. She doesn’t believe in fences, that way the neighbours and the passersby can also enjoy the garden! These too are tasteful touches.

Tasteful Touches Card

Today’s card is a gorgeous swap card that I received from my team member Jessica Bégin. She used Tasteful Touches from the In Good Taste Suite. What a great suite this is! The paper is to die for, I know you are all going to want it as well as this stamp set. Let’s take a look at her card.

Jessica also decorated her envelope. I love the pop of colour with the washi tape and the saying is perfect for this COVID-19 time. The feathers were stamped in Basic Gray on the patterned paper “In Good Taste”. Do you see the details in the dies? They are also a part of this bundle. The saying on the envelope comes from Well Said. Don’t you just love the look of texture in this paper?!

If you want to see another post about patterned paper, check this one out. This paper is also retiring, so if you love it, get more of it now or at least before June 3.

More On Wednesday

I am trying to pace myself, so I will show you more of this suite on Wednesday. There will be some pictures of the stamp set and of the paper so you can see how awesome it is. Remember, you don’t have to wait to get these great products, they are part of the preorder that all demonstrators can take advantage of. That means YOU can put it in your starter kit as well. Here is the link to do just that, message me and I will send you the pdf of what is all included in the new catalog preorder.

Thanks so much for joining me today, I am looking forward to doing videos with you again every day this week. More #kitsforkids will be distributed as well and I think I will start another online auction of retired stamps. No need for boredom at 81 Delaware! Have a super day.

HInt: you can see the new products if you click on the images below in the product list.

Product List