Nope, we didn’t discover we’re having twins. There’s definitely just one little baby on the way (we actually found out the sex the day before Christmas Eve and will reveal it soon, so stay tuned). What we did find were two unexpected and delightful holiday surprises waiting in our PO Box when we checked it one last time before heading to John’s family’s house on the 24th.
One parcel came from a kind reader who included a note saying she enjoys our blog and had noticed my fondness for ceramic animals. I could hardly contain myself as I opened the package to see which little white creature would join my growing collection. I literally squealed when I discovered a small ceramic peacock inside a beautifully simple snow globe. I’d been admiring that exact piece from West Elm for months, so imagine my surprise when it turned up out of the blue from sweet Katie in Texas. What a thoughtful and unexpected gift. Here’s my regal little peacock in all her white ceramic glory:
After a brief snowstorm, she found a home on our living room side table and instantly dressed up the space:
It felt great to have something decorative to share, especially since most of the gifts we received from family were baby items, leaving our home-decor stock a bit light for the holidays. But remember, there were two surprises. The other envelope in our PO Box was large and flat and included a sweet card from another reader, Steph — also from Texas, coincidentally — wishing us happy holidays. Inside we found a lovely surprise:
A custom portrait of our furbaby, Burger. We absolutely fell in love with it. The sender knew how much we enjoy displaying portraits of our four-legged friend and thought this would be a great addition to our existing collection:
Isn’t it a charming tribute to our favorite pup? We kept staring at it in admiration — so pretty, so accurate, and so generous. That’s how this little holiday house post came to be: the kindness of readers turned into two heartfelt gifts. We truly consider our readers friends, and moments like this are a perfect example of why.
Thanks again to Katie and Steph — two heartfelt thank-you notes are already on their way in the mail.
How about you? Did you receive any home-related gifts this holiday season? Any surprising presents like a new car, twins, or a leopard-print snuggie? Tell us what showed up under your tree.