That's my kinda souvenir

I just love that those people close to me are finally *really* getting it. They've been duly broken in to my crafty inclinations. My desire for and appreciation of crafty, hand-made items has really sunk in. And when it comes to gifts, well .... my close friends and family are starting to deliver.

My parents got back from a two-week trip to Spain last night. More than anything, I am just so glad to have them home. We are incredibly lucky to not only get along with my folks amazingly well (they are, quite honestly, our best friends) but we also have the luxury of having them in the same city. They are a very regular part of our daily lives, and having them gone for so long was really making us all wonky.

So, yes, I'm very glad they are home and I'm looking forward to hanging out with them more this weekend and hearing about the trip. In the meantime, though, I'm just gonna sit here and drool over the little bit of crafty goodness my mom brought back for me.

On one of our quick international phone calls, she mentioned that she found a neat bracelet that she thought Leslie and I would get a kick out of, but I had kind of forgotten about it. When I saw a little package from her on the counter tonight (my husband took my daughter to see my mom, because they are BFFs and my daughter was DYING to see her) I didn't think much of it ... until I opened it ... and I was floored by this totally rad fabric-covered button cuff bracelet.

Get a load of the awesome rows of buttons! There are FORTY-EIGHT of those little puppies, and the underside of the bracelet reveals how intricately they are wired together. I have no idea what the story is behind this beauty, but I'm really curious. I'm anxious to hear where mom got it and if she knew anything about who made it. Mostly, though, I just love that something even remotely crafty caught her eye, and she knew I would adore it. It wasn't even so much that she found a cute bracelet and thought it would be nice for me. She actually looked at it, was able to recognize that it fell into my crafty aesthetic and knew that I would appreciate how it was made. That's one kick-ass way to say, "Wish you were here." I love you, mom!