The Perfect Present!

by Anna Campbell

I LOVE getting presents!

Yeah, I guess that makes me really unusual.

But I also love buying people presents. I love matching up the perfect gift with the right person.

Recently I was in Brisbane, which counts as the big smoke for me now I've moved to the Sunshine Coast, and I had a stack of birthday presents to buy. I was happy as a pig in mud. And even if I do say so myself, I think I picked up some beautiful, completely apt gifts for my friends.

Friends, even if you don't agree, don't tell me!

As many of you know, this year also marked a significant birthday for me (oh, thirty is such a lovely age, snork!). I collected a swag of lovely presents including some beautiful bouquets. Actually for me, flowers are a perfect present. I always love them.

One of my absolute favorites is the subject of today's blog. Recently I had wonderful Bandita Anna Sugden and her delightful husband to stay at my place in Australia. I've had a Bandita drought this year because I didn't make it to America for RWA Nationals so it was such a thrill to host our English Bandita and feed her to the koalas at Australia Zoo (Steve Irwin's place) which isn't far away.

By the way, no koalas were harmed in the devouring of my English visitors!


Actually, given koalas are herbivores, no English visitors were harmed either. I only put that in for a bit of dramatic tension. And speaking of dramatic tension, how shocking is this picture of Anna and me fighting off a vicious, blood-sucking kangaroo in the jungles of south-east Queensland? Scary, huh? I bet you have nightmares tonight!

Anna and Keith arrived bearing gifts, including one of the loveliest presents I've ever received. It's a commemorative teacup from Queen Victoria's 60th jubilee in 1897 - hey, how cool they did royal souvenirs back then! For a history geek like me, they couldn't have come up with anything nicer!

The teacup is really pretty - transfer printed with the British coat of arms of the lion and the unicorn and lovely roses, thistles and clover to symbolize England, Scotland and Ireland as the United Kingdom. Isn't it lovely?

Something that blows my mind is that this fragile piece of china is 114 years old and it's in perfect condition. I suspect it's been sitting in someone's granny's china cabinet as a treasured object since it was made.

Right now it lives in my bedroom and it never fails to make me smile. Think of how the world has changed since 1897 and yet this little piece of beauty is as fresh as the day it was made. That's one of the reasons I love old things - they give you such a window on the past.

Thank you, Anna Bandita and her lovely husband. You couldn't have come up with a better present! I hope you realized when you gave it to me quite how much I adored the cup and saucer.

So when was the last time someone gave you the perfect present? Or you gave someone else the perfect present?

Seeing we're in a gift-giving mood, I'm awarding one lucky commenter their choice from my backlist today. If you need help choosing a book, check out the books page on my website: http://annacampbell.info/books.html Good luck!

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Don't forget we're kicking off Trick or Treat in the Lair with a BIG announcement on October 14, with a special treat to follow on Halloween. The Golden Rooster is poking into the corners to find out what's going on. He even asked Ermingarde the Dragon what was coming(from a safe distance, of course). But Ermingarde doesn't know, either.

A Frivolous Foray

by Christine Wells

I've had a bad week. I've been in the doldrums, a state which not even the ministrations of that magical man with the hands, Sven the Swedish Masseur has been able to alleviate. (Although, I might try his infamous cocktails with the rude names once I've finished this blog.*g*)

Anyway, to cheer myself up today with your help, I thought I'd indulge in some virtual shopaholicism (no time for the real thing, so virtual it must be).

Now, I was going to make a list of items in shops I'd like to buy but that was taking frivolity a little too far and it would probably be a little dull, also. I mean, who doesn't want a Prada handbag or a pair of Manolos, right? So I decided to stick with things that other people own.

I've made a list of 5 THINGS I COVET.

1. Of all the things in the world, I covet most the Stewart family seal, which is now in the possession of one of my cousins. My maternal grandmother's family were Scottish Stewarts and this exquisite piece of jewelry has been passed down and crossed oceans to Australia. I've only laid eyes on the seal once, and immediately, burningly wanted to have it. It is gold and has a crystal inset with an intaglio of a unicorn. Anyone who knows me understands my love for antiques and this one is even more special because a seal is one of those objects every Regency gentleman had dangling from his waistcoat. I WANT. But, sadly, I will only ever admire from afar.

2. Georgette Heyer's research notes. Anyone who has read Heyer's excellent Regency romances and knows a little about the writer herself will understand why I would love to get my hands on this treasure trove of meticulously detailed research.

3. Candice Hern's Regency antique collections. Have a look at Candice's website and you'll see the exquisite pieces she has collected. Candice was kind enough to bring some of her collection to San Francisco last year for us all to drool over. She was lucky to escape the Beau Monde conference without getting mugged--ever so politely, as we Regency enthusiasts are wont to be!

4. Audrey Hepburn's costume wardrobe. Givenchy used to design those wonderfully elegant creations for my favourite actress of all time. It's amazing how most of these garments have not dated at all. That classic elegance just slays me every time.

5. Audrey Hepburn's figure. So I could fit into her costume wardrobe, of course!

Over to you. What do you do when you need cheering up?

What 5 things do you covet? I've raided my prize cupboard for some goodies and will send a few coveted bits and pieces to one random commenter.