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Friday, June 2, 2023

From Germany With Love

Hello Friends! When last I posted, I told you I had to take a little break from the fairytale treehouse to do a bit of spring cleaning. I had NO IDEA I'd be absent the entire month of May!!! Somehow, with two weekends hosting the kids and a surprise garden makeover (organized by my awesome bestie), the month completely flew by! Finally, I am ready to dive back into minis! And the timing couldn't be more perfect with the arrival of some very special love from Germany!


Unless you are new to the mini blog world, of course you know our talented and creative friend from Germany, Birgit, and her inspiring blog BiWuBären on the Blog. We've been exchanging gifts now for a few years, and when I see a package postmarked Germany, I know I am in for a delightful early Christmas! This time my greatest expectations were blown right out of the water!


Look at all those pretty packages! I shouldn't be at all surprised that Birgit thought of and included gifts for the entire treehouse gang!


The first package with it's warning label was so intriguing! I had to open it first. 



Oh, Rozario!!! Our very own pet dragon!!! What a proper little fellow! He's so very handsome, but I wouldn't want to be on his bad side. He looks formidable, in spite of his pastel coloring!

But who is this "Rozalinda" mentioned in the note? Wait and see...


I always save the biggest gift for last, so the next box to be investigated was the sparkly blue one! The intrigue continued because inside the blue box, there were three more wee boxes with labels.


For Goldie, the budding cookbook writer, Birgit included three porridge cookbooks for her to experiment with. Birgit also included three (of course) bears which have been delightfully customized in graduating shades of lavender. Hopefully, they'll be a reminder to Goldie that she shouldn't go around sampling any one's porridge without permission! 


Goldie loves everything, and she's so touched that Birgit thought of her!


The next box Birgit included was for our resident craftsman, Wayne. Somehow, our intuitive friend from Germany knew that raccoons like to eat. What better gift to give an ever hungry raccoon than a charcuterie board filled with gourmet goodies? She also included a little buddy for Wayne so that he wouldn't always feel like the smallest guy in the room. I have a feeling he and Rozario are going to become inseparable friends!



Don't mind the drool. Wayne couldn't wait to dig in!


The last little box within the sparkly blue box contained a couple very special characters we all know from fairytales and mythology. These guys must have inspired a million ideas since they've been around! Thank you, dear Birgit, for your décor contribution to this celebration of imagination!


Pegasus and Aslan

Birgit always adds an extra layer of art to her gift giving, and that includes her talent for beautiful handmade cards. They are always so thoughtful about the recipient, and often include photos from her incredible garden. On this card, she added a photo of our favorite pink BiWuBear, Rosey, posing with her favorite flower. I think they are both equally beautiful!


The box for Alice is incredibly pretty! And included inside were a couple of my favorite traits about Birgit: Her humor and her creativity! First, of course, a rabbit. Luckily, this sweet bunny seems less likely to cause trouble than some other hares Alice knows. And Birgit came up with an amazing lantern terrarium filled to bursting with the tiniest, most detailed sunflowers ever known! Such a neat idea, Birgit!




Sorry cow, it is Alice who is over the moon!


I have to stop here before I go on to try and portray just how many butterflies were swarming in my tummy as I opened Birgit's last and biggest package. You see, several months ago, as I was trying to create the back story of how this fairytale treehouse came to be, I wondered how two lost little girls could possibly survive in a treehouse in the forest all by themselves. Then I knew - a fairy godmother! One who kind of kept an eye on everything but still let the girls stay a little bit wild. Thinking about her wings, I immediately thought of Fluby, the most famous flutterbeary that Birgit has ever created. A Fairy Beary Godmother would be the best and most perfect character to oversee the girls. I mentioned it in a comment on the blog and Birgit read it. She wrote right away to let me know that she loved the idea and would love to contribute such an important mentor to the girls. Unfortunately, her dominant hand has been injured for a while now. She can hardly tolerate needlework any longer. I assured her that I totally understood chronic pain and injury, and persuaded her that it was really only a pipe dream. 

Then, she did this... Meet Rozalinda!







 A couple weeks ago Birgit emailed to tell me that she had actually tried and succeeded creating a very special fairy beary godmother for us! What??? Birgit!!! OMG!!!

We have both been on pins and needles (lol) hoping the package would make it safely on it's journey half way across the world! 

And she's here, safe, and she's entirely beautiful and perfect and beyond anything I could ever hope for or imagine! I LOVE her! And the icing on the cake, the cherry on top is that my friend, injury and all, bore the pain to do this amazing thing for me. Birgit, ~Thank You~! My heart is full and your kindness inspires me and I hope you know how happy you have made me! I am going to treasure Rozalinda forever!!!

The whole gang is having a Welcome Rozalinda and Rozario party and we wish you were here!!!


Next week construction begins on very special housing for our new residents! For now, this love from Germany has me floating on clouds!

xo xo,

Jodi

32 comments:

  1. Wow, what an amazing and exciting gift to recieve! Your girls and Wayne must feel so special with their gifts - they really have been very thoughtfully gathered and made. It’s very sweet.

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    1. Thanks Shannon! Rozalinda is truly a dream come true and so is Birgit's friendship! 💜 I am so excited to share this story of kindness with many people for years to come!

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  2. Oh, Jodi!!! She's absolutely Perfect!!! And I have to admit.... I somehow knew that eventually one of the Fairy Bears would find their way to your Fairy Tale Tree House! (How could they ever manage without one???) I LOVE Rozalinda! She is Beautiful and Dreamy and Gentle and I am sure she will oversee the girls in the best possible Fairy Tale Fashion! :):) And Rozario is there to be her companion so she will not be alone in her Tree House Stump Den!!! I am so Happy for you (And for the rest of us who get to watch as you make these magical residences come to life!!!) And as you know, I can attest to the pure creative joy these little beings spread around! (Birgit is a Genius!!!) As for the rest of the gifts.... as you have already said, Birgit is amazing in her generosity and care and talent.... and she has sent you a wonderful batch of Love! :):):) And now I can't wait for your next post!!! :):)

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    1. Thanks Betsy! I am just so thankful to Birgit for making this dream come true! Nothing could be more special than having such an exceptional gift from Birgit's hands. Knowing that Rozalinda will love and foster the girls makes this project so much more meaningful. Including Rozario and all of the gifts was way beyond generous, and it drives home what an amazingly unique group of mini enthusiasts we have here in blogland and how lucky I am to be included! I know the story will inspire kindness in me and in many others, so Birgit's gift will reverberate goodness for a good, long time!

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  3. What wonderful gifts, which will make the tree house even more of a treasure--a family heirloom. Birgit thought of every thing and everyone. Rosario has to be a favorite, but then Rozalinda appeared. What an awesome pair. The narratives with each gift are a treasure, too. This post was worth the wait.

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    1. Thanks Ann! I can't express how much fun it is to open gifts from Birgit! She makes them a real event and that conveys just how much she cares and how huge her heart is! What an amazing example of friendship she is for all of us! I am so glad you enjoyed the post!

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  4. Dear Jodi
    You've been blessed with Birgit's kindness. The gifts are stunning, not to mention how thoughtful and perfect for your Fairy-tale Tree House. I love Rozalinda and am sure she'll make the girls happy and safe. Solly, and I are very happy that we now have, thanks to our beloved Birgit, a relative in common.
    Hugs, Drora .

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    1. Thanks Drora! So blessed! And it's the kind of blessing that keeps on going forever! I am so excited to get the project completed and then to share the story of how Rozalinda came to be! Birgit has really united all of us with her kindness and talents! It is wonderful to be included in the BiWuBear family!

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  5. Oh wow! What lovely gifts, and it was so delightful of you to share them! I enjoyed reading all the little notes, seeing the gorgeous packaging, and ooohing and aahhhing over each item. So much fun!

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    1. Thanks Michelle! I am glad you enjoyed experiencing Birgit's kindness, as well! It's inspiring, isn't it? She really goes all out to make giving special!

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  6. Oh Jodi,es más que perfecta la preciosa Rozalinda para tu maravillosa casa del árbol, no se puede tener un hada madrina mejor que ella!!!
    Desde luego que Birgit tiene un corazón muy bondadoso y a pesar de su dolor consiguió hacer un sueño realidad! He disfrutado tanto,tanto con todos los paquetes que me siento muy feliz por ti, por Birgit, por Alice y Goldie y por supuesto por Wayne , ahora la pandilla ha crecido también con Rozario ,seguro que serán una pandilla muy feliz y afortunada!
    Deseando leer tu próximo post con tus nuevos avances!
    Besos.

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    1. ¡Gracias Pilar! ¡Estoy tan contenta de que también hayas disfrutado de la generosidad edificante de Birgit! ¡Rozalinda es un tesoro y estoy muy emocionada de que aparezca en este divertido proyecto! ¡Ahora necesito arremangarme, despejar mi calendario y hacerle un hogar que se adapte a ella!

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  7. Preciosos regalos desde Alemania
    El dragón es un amor. será muy feliz con las chicas.
    Un saludo

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    1. ¡Gracias Mariana! ¡Rozario es un personaje tan mágico! ¡Él va a agregar otra faceta maravillosa a la historia que cuenta este proyecto!

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  8. Beautiful gifts from a dear friend. Birgit really thought of everyone. Rozalinda is wonderful and she will be fine in her new home.

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    1. Thanks Faby! Birgit's thoughtfulness sure doesn't end with the humans! Her kindness knows no bounds and her talent is jaw dropping! We are all so very lucky to have her in our world!

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  9. Wow Jodi, what amazing gifts from such a wonderful friend! What a thoughtful and lovely thing for Birgit to do - and with gifts for Wayne, Goldie and Alice too! I'm sure that all of you are thrilled!

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    1. Thanks Julia! I can still hardly believe this has happened! Birgit not only made a major dream come true, she enchanted the whole experience with love and generosity for everyone included in the treehouse! What an amazing gesture and an extraordinary human Birgit is!

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  10. Unos regalos preciosos. Nuestra amiga Birgit siempre tan atenta y generosa. espero ver pronto tus avances. besos

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    1. ¡Gracias ricardo! Tienes toda la razón: nuestra Birgit es un tesoro y sus contribuciones a nuestra comunidad inspiran tanto la creatividad como la amabilidad. ¡Todos somos mejores por conocerla!

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  11. In the meantime my nerves have come to ease again... but I'm still a bit grumpy about your mailman who is responsible for some additional grey hairs of mine. For a moment I wondered if I should ask Draco and Tschang what they would think about a magical trip to the U.S. Westcoast and roasting a certain mail employee. *LOL* But as you found some words of understanding for him I remembered that all of this had a happy ending... And I also think Rozario was already scared enough; even more as you had him read my post... I fear he would have been scared to his bones if the big dragons dropped by. Anyhow, I hope he's learned his lesson well. ;O)

    Reading this post made my day and I'm very happy that I've managed to achieve my goal: Sending some joy to you and the Tree House gang. It's so lovely to see Rozalinda and Rozario together with Wayne and the girls and I have no doubt they all will have loads of fun together, with many adventures, endless joy and of course a few porridge bowls every now and then. I'm already looking forward to see them again... and what special Jodi-made dream space is waiting for Roz and Rozario.

    Hugs
    Birgit - who shall greet from the gang around here... with a very special greeting to Rozario from Draco and Tschang... ;O)

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    1. I am so glad that your blood pressure has fallen back into the normal range - at our age too much excitement can be hard on our arteries! Both the mailman and Rozario are very relieved that you've decided to side with your better angels and leave well enough alone, lol! Someday a visit from Draco and Tschang would be lovely, though in the capacity of honored guests rather than "the muscle" or "on business". 😉

      It has been nonstop fun here since our new friends arrived, and we shall never stop thanking you for this wonderful, creativity inspiring gesture! I have been working diligently to make a home for them and am so excited to post Roz's Trunkhouse progress! I think you will like the ideas!

      The gang here sends hugs back to everyone and made sure I told you the only possibility of greater happiness is if we could all be celebrating together! 💗💗💗

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  12. I just met Rozalinda and Rozario at Birgit´s blog and I had to come and see for myself their safe and happy arriving. I understand why you are so happy, Rozalinda is the perfect Godmother! I am sure the girls are in the best hands and that they all will live happily ever after. The magic has just arrived and I can't wait to see more. I hope Rozario and Wayne become besties, and I wish all the fun for the whole gang.

    Jodi, your post today touched me, I could feel your happiness and gratitude and it was lovely. You and Birgit are such incredible humans and today you wrote together a lovely story for the miniature world. Thank you.

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    1. Thanks Alex! I am so happy to know that the love and happiness has spread to your heart, too! Kindness is extremely infectious! 💗

      It has been a while since you've made a blog post, and I don't get over to Instagram very often at all anymore (time fills up so fast!), but I hope you are working on things that fill you with joy and make you pop right up out of bed each morning!

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  13. Menuda sorpresa agradable recibir tantos regalos, todos ellos maravillosos. Seguro que nos esperan grandes aventuras con todos ellos!!

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    1. Thanks for your nice comment, Matxalen! I hope we'll be posting about the whole fairytale treehouse gang for a long time to come, and inspiring creativity in those who come by to visit!

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  14. Hello Jodi, How wonderful to receive such a gift, two new inhabitants for the magic treehouse! And they are wonderfully made by Birgit! No doubt the five of them will have great adventures together. And if nothing else, Rozario can always light the stove with his temperamental breath if a good porridge is to be made!

    Huibrecht

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    1. Thanks Huibrecht! I love how your mind is making practical use of Rozario's potentially scary talent! Those of us that watched Game Of Thrones know that having dragons around can be a tricky business! I am just so grateful to Birgit for so many things! She has lifted my heart and given me so much fun to look forward to! I think maybe we need to organize a love bomb of sorts for her. Hmmm...

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  15. Hola Jodi! Maravillosos regalos, realmente un tesoro. Solo con leerte puedo imaginar la alegria de tu corazón al abrir cada uno de ellos.

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    1. Gracias amary! ¡Tanta alegría! ¡Ha vuelto a incendiar mi inspiración para este proyecto! Me encanta hacer algo para alguien, ¡incluso dragones y ositos de peluche!

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