Unboxing

definition:  the activity of taking new products out of their packaging, especially on videos on the internet.

I watched an 'unboxing video' with Rosie last year. Someone  opening a box with a £6 LOL doll in it. Making the sort of enthusiastic noises I might make if I was sent a box with a £6000 Bernina sewing machine. Except this woman was in her thirties, which made it very weird. I could cope with Ro or Jess ooh-ing and aah-ing over a doll but not someone old enough to be their mother doing it. And as for setting up a video camera to record the whole experience for the general public to share...

But, dear friends, I would like you to share my unboxing of the latest CoverStory package received from Kirsten yesterday. Please supply your own sound effects as indicated. Rustling of tissue paper

Firstly the inner box. The Graze ones we started with years ago are wearing out. Here is a new, very pretty box from Bloom and Wild, [oooh!] and inside the Travelling Notebook with all the annotations of what we have stitched and why [hmmm! helpful]

Then the postcard - always full of personal details, some sadness  😥🙏 and some joy [Hallelujah!]

Don't you just love Shepard's Winnie-the-Pooh and Christopher Robin illustration? [sweet...] so much more English than the Disney bear. The flat gift...

A pack of wildflower seeds [so charming]

Bladder Campion [wheee!]

Birdsfoot Trefoil

Self-Heal [sounds good]

Lady's Bedstraw - used to colour Double Gloucester Cheese[yum]

Sneeze-wort [atishoo!]

Red Clover

Betony - it's good for back pain, said Culpeper's Herbal[👍]

Hedge Bedstraw

drumroll Finally this month's stitching [wow!!]

A gloriously dense piece of coton perlé work. Lush green grasses, interspersed with bright pink tulips in detached chain stitch, colourful French Knot crocuses, and bright daffodils stitched from Karen Turner's video tutorial . A celebration of spring flowers.
That's lovely said Bob

It's gorgeous said I  

[applause and cheering] 👏👏👏

Thank you Kirsten for this delightful piece. I don't foresee a new career for me in making "Unboxing Videos" though [sighs of relief from everybody]

Would You Believe It?

 Were you caught out?

Cadbury's Creme Eggs in sachets, Heinz Dubai Baked Beans with pistachio flavouring, 

Birds Eye Waff-holes [using the potato pieces leftover from the waffles] 

Dole pineapple flavoured eggs, and Terry's mint chocolate toothpaste were all advertised yesterday.

Krisy Kreme announced the withdrawal of their original glazed donut, while Waitrose said they would only sell Easter eggs to adults, not children.

Subway were offering their best rolls liquidised into protein rich drinks...

Oh and Hyundai have autonomous Mobilet portable toilets which will appear when you need them. At your own convenience presumably. I think they should have called them Deliverloo

All very classy work by the marketing guys. I wonder how many people were fooled. Apparently there were fewer pranks in the media this year - it seems people are getting more wary of fake news.

I learned two new words yesterday [genuine, not AF pranks] Thank you Catriona and Sue, for Huntigowk [Scottish term for April Fool's Day] and Pittakionophobia [fear of sticky labels]

Turning Turtle

Following on from yesterday's post, more about Kemp's Ridley. In the Gulf of Mexico is a pretty little island, Isla Porfol.

The turtles swim in the clear blue waters and are cherished by the locals. 

On this day every year, they celebrate El Dia de la Tortuga . [The Day Of The Turtle] with a massive carnival. Dancing, singing and feasting.

But remember, if they were not Mexican but French, the people of Isla Porfol might call today the Day of the Fish...