Dec 23, 2008

Ornament Exchange!

Back in 1996 I discovered the Internet!  My daughter Reid was only a few months old and I was looking for ways to connect with other women who had children the same age.

Through AOL I discovered various message boards supporting new moms and I was in heaven. Through one of the message boards I frequented I was invited to join an email group of women who all had kids born the summer of 1995.

As you can imagine, in the twelve years that our group has been together we have shared a lot. These ladies are like family and have become a very special part of my life.

For the past ten years we have been having an ornament exchange. Each year we are instructed to keep who we bought an ornament for a secret and we are not allowed to open our gift until our virtual exchange party.

Yes, even though we stretch from the west coast to the east coast, we all try to find the time to get together in an online chat room and virtual party away while we each take turns opening our ornaments!

It is so much fun and something I look forward to each year.  Unfortunately this year, I totally spaced out and forgot that the virtual opening was last night!  

But I wanted to share with you all the lovely ornament my friend Val sent me!  Isn't it purty?


Not only did Val send me an ornament, but I got the added bonus of receiving a fabric ATC (artist trading card) from her. 

You see Val is a quilting artist.  She has created some spectacular quilts over the years and is currently working on quilting all of the Presidents of the United States.  She just started making ATC's so I was quite honored to receive one from her.


Val missed the party last night as well, but she wasn't being absent minded like me, she is recovering from having cochlear implant surgery.

If you want to pop over to her blog and wish her a speedy recovery please click here: Life is a Patch Work Quilt.  


Click the pretty button for more wordful wednesday posts!

28 comments:

magpie said...

so pretty!! what a lovely thing, right? i've made some great friends on scrapbook.com and from blogging- so unexpected! merry, merry christmas!!

Liz {Learning To Juggle} said...

What a beautiful ornament!! Its amazing how close you can become to friends that you have never (and probably will never) meet IRL!!

Michelle said...

We have actually all met in real life! :)

Jen said...

how cool is that. What a great group of friends and a beautiful ornament!

And I am so glad to see you back in the blogging swing. :)

Unknown said...

How pretty but I love the ATC

hippos toes said...

What a treasured gift! That is a very special ornament. Merry Christmas to you and your family!

Brandy said...

That is awesome! Beautiful ornament and ATC. I hope you Christmas is filled to the brim with Love, Happiness and Memories.

Rhonda said...

Wow! That's beautiful! And that's too bad that you missed the party! I did that once with a dance recital. Sucks!

Merry Christmas!!

nikkicrumpet said...

That ornament is a piece of art!!! And the trading card is beautiful as well. What lovely gifts!

Claremont First Ward said...

What a wonderful ornament and quilt card! How great that you've met all of the women from your group! MErry Christmas!

Natalie said...

so great to have a support group like that! and that is a very pretty ornament!

Jenni said...

That is a beautiful ornamament!

Merry Christmas!

debi9kids said...

What a beautiful ornament!
And, she is very talented. VERY PRETTY!

Have a very merry christmas!

Rhonda said...

Wow, that ain't just an ordinary ornament either! gorgeous!

I'll so wish her a speedy recovery now.

Merry Christmas!

Honey Mommy said...

What a gorgeous ornament and ATC. I love meeting and making new friends online. How great that you have kept some friends for so long!

tiarastantrums said...

that is really gorgeous - and I love this - I wish I had done that years ago - I just never got into chat lines/rooms on line until blogging! (I'm really slow)

Just say Julie said...

That is such a beautiful ornament. I was a little too absent minded to ornament exchange this year, but I am putting it on my list for next year :)

Jenners said...

What a great story! The ornament is gorgeous! It looks like something that should be in an art museum! And what a gorgeous quilt!

Hope your holidays is wonderful and relaxing!

Unknown said...

What a great ornament and ATC! I love that quilted card especially!

Merry Christmas! Hope you're having a great one!

Casey's trio said...

What a great group to be a part of...crazy how the internet connects people!

K said...

summermoms rock.

:-)

k.

Valerie said...

Michelle,
How nice of you to mention this, and me, on your blog! I knew you would especially appreciate the ATC. Thanks also for the good thoughts and by others--I am recovering as well as can be expected!

sassy stephanie said...

Val has great taste. It is beautiful.

Hope you had a great Christmas!

Mammatalk said...

That's gorgeous and how fun that you still connect with online friends you have known that long!

Laura Marchant said...

What an awesome group for you! Seriously the internet and blogs are my only outlet some days.

Anonymous said...

So neat to have had friends (via the web) for so long! You're a lucky woman!
:-)

Anonymous said...

Beautiful ornament! Bloggy friends are the best! :)

WheresMyAngels said...

Wow, that is great that you have belonged to a group that long. How fun. Do you have In real life get togethers also?

I love the ornament but how cool is that card. Never heard of them before but really neat.

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