Caffeinated, Spoiled... and a bit short?

I have been both! My spoiler for this Amazing Autumn Coffee Swap was Chan, which was by no means a surprise to me as we had asked to spoil each other in this round.

The amazing package arrived on Thursday, but I was late getting home that evening as I had a work industry banquet to attend. Which meant that after feeding the dogs, doing birthday gifts with Matt and getting situated, I finally got to open this right before bed... (side note, I made all of these pics public so you can click on them to enlarge if you'd like)

I can't believe there aren't any doggie noses in that pic as Lola and Teutul were both stuck to me like glue all the while I was opening. Yes, there was something in there for them, but more so I think they could smell Chan's girls and were very intrigued! Anywho, the box above turned in to all this wonderfulness...

Chan sure knows how to spoil me! She sent me 2 coffees, a local favorite of mine (New England Coffee in the blueberry flavor) and a local coffee to her (The Righteous Bean in a breakfast blend), as well as coffee candies. There were four chocolate bars of various kinds, Ice Breakers in the pomegrante flavor I love and NutriDent treats for the kids in a convenient 4 pack! There were coffee "things" - a kitchen towel and pot holder, as well as a coffee brush to use for getting the ground coffee out of your grinder. I'd never seen one of these before and can assure you that Matt will much appreciate me using this as opposed to my finger from now on! There were useful "things" - a cute pack of Christmas theme doggy tissues (so cute I almost can't blow my snot on them) and a pair of Bryspun Rosewood needles which I just adore and can't wait to use (they are soooooooooooo smooth)!!! Chan even found the coolest knitting themed mug at Starbucks! I'm not sure how I hadn't seen this all over blogland yet, but how cool is this mug??!! I heart it!

Yarn... like the coffee, I wasn't spoiled with just one, but two! A skein of mmmm Malabrigo Sock yarn (which I've been dying to try) and a skein of Creatively Dyed Beaches in a beautiful blue/red/purple colorway. I just adore these both and can't wait to have time to knit for me with them!

There was a handmade item requirement to this swap and Chan not only knit me something very relevant (dog paws!) but she designed it as well!

How cool??!! Its a dog paw book mark (I just have to go get that spray starch... which I was at Target today and totally forgot... sorry Chan!) that I absolutely love and will use a tun! She also sent me a stitch saver keyring (which I'd been whining about needing) that she ordered and had personalized just for muah. So cool... and no one can steal it at knitting night!!!! Well, unless their name is Nic.... Chan also made the adorable notecard you see in the above photo - she truly is multi talented!

Thank you Chan... I absolutely LOVE it all and

it was a perfect swap box!

The kids wanted you to know they thoroughly enjoyed their treats...

As previously mentioned, I had a work industry banquet on Thursday night. I served as Events & Education Chair for 2008 and had the stressful pleasure of planning the event... and am quite pleased that it went well, if I do say so myself. We hired a comedian this year... Frank Santorelli, who has done stand-up on all the late night shows, as well as done some acting (Georgie the bartender on The Sopranos... a delivery guy in How I Met The Parents... etc.). He was super nice... and big. Jane and I got our pic with him...

I look weird (like those half closed "drunk" eyes - but I wasn't, I swear!)... but we all kinda have weird looks... however no one looks short but me...