My Friend Shirlee....

.....is one of a very special kind.  She has a mad talent with her needle and thread....but the gifts of her heart are treasures beyond compare.

A bit ago, as most of you know, I celebrated my birthday (in grand style, I might add, thanks to so many of my incredible blogging friends)....One of those friends was Shirlee (a/k/a The Easily Influenced Stitcher), who honored me so wonderfully.

See, not only did she thoughtfully think long and hard about what things I hold near and dear to my heart, but she actually worked long and hard to make me a gift that she was sure I would truly like and that was "me."  And she was so spot-on in her assessment of my "me-ness," that, lo and behold, in a post of mine (a few days before my birthday), she saw that I already had the piece she had chosen so carefully for me and was working so diligently to complete:

(A Pineberry Lane design made by Pam from basketsnprims.)

Now, at this point, I would have thrown in the towel.  After all, it's the thought that counts, right? But (and despite the fact that I said collections are best in 3's and the bowl would look awesome with another), Miss Shirlee went back to work with her magical threads and golden needle and made me this awesome needlekeep:

It's a Stacy Nash design called Pine Tree Farm Pinkeeps.  I absolutely, positively, ADORE it!! I haven't met many SN designs I don't love, but this one couldn't be more perfect for me - colorwise, motif-wise, or otherwise..... 

Sweet, huh?  Yeah - I know.  But on TOP of that, that incorrigible Shirlee also sent me this precious chick pinkeep made by Mona from My Old Crow Primitives.

This was truly special to me as Shirlee knew that I love Mona's work and Shirlee gave up a very special gift because she knew how much I love Mona's handwork and all things little yellow chick-ish and pinkeep-ish.

Now THAT is a heart of pure, precious, gold.

Oh - and she also sent me this adorable little pincushion (fashioned in a bottle cap), also made by Mona:

And....some candy cigs (kind of an inside joke....Shirlee and I were reminiscing about candies of yesteryear and I didn't know they even still made these things!):

Thank you so very much my dear, sweet, friend.  You are a dear heart - for sure and for certain.  The gifts themselves are amazing treasures - but the gift of your thoughtfulness behind them will be a treasure my heart will hold forever.