O people! My plan for a life of crime has been thwarted, my hydrangea cravings quenched...and o, this morning, I am walking on air!

I'm floating on a blissfully scented cush of air like an apple green helium balloon, tied with pretty posies and streamers and my belly is filled with the most delicous exotic coconutty goodness imagineable and it's all thanks to two super magical, wonderful women in the little bitty burg of Lilyfield, Manitoba.

Remember eons ago, in the frozen midst of January, when I mentioned my great desire for a Lilyfield Cake? Remember that one? Well, little did I know then how very fortuitous that wee mention would turn out to be. Some months later, in April I believe, one of the Lilyfield lovelies, Heather, (the company is owned and operated by two absolutely amazing women, Heather and Deidre) discovered that entry doing a google search on "lilyfield cakes". She popped a note in my guestbook thanking me for the mention and I followed up that note with an e-mail telling her how fabulously inventive I thought Lilyfield Cakes are. That started a parade of e-mails back and forth which revealed so many astonishing coincidences and parallels between our lives, that I've since lost count.

When I popped in my little fotolog illustration, heather wrote to me mentioning that they had been looking for someone to illustrate a children's story about a baby bengal tiger with no feet that Deidre's son, Ben, had written. She sent me the story and I was enchanted and long and short of it is that that's the book that I've been working on. (Don't you worry, I'll be sharing more about the book soon).

Well this morning, lo and behold, the UPS guy left a box on my doorstep and o, the magic it concealed! My very own Lilyfield Cake, specially designed for me! I don't even know where to begin! It was without a doubt the most rapturously beautiful and perfectly complete present I have ever, ever received! It is absolutely everything I imagined a Lilyfield cake to be and more!

I mean, the bubble wrap alone... perfect. The big delightful infinitely popable kind! Bonus! And even the colour of the raffia tie... I almost painted my living room that colour exactly! And then the wonderful scent from the top of the box once I got the cellophane unwrapped... heavenly. I wasn't expecting that!

And the box...! It's absolutely my favourite shade of green! Exactly! Honestly. It's almost exactly the colour of my kitchen, office and guest room walls! And the blossoms... It is topped with great, gorgeous silk hydrangea blossoms in delicate shades of creamy green, just like the blooms I was planning to steal from the drive thru! And they sent it BEFORE they read my entry yesterday! Kismet!

And then the contents... oh my word! The hot pink paper, the silver foil seal, the card, and the bracelet... I mean, I'm deliriously happy with just the little round box, but the charm bracelet inside is so fine and delicate with a sterling silver little flutterby dangling from it! And I was just thinking about how marvellous butterflies are this very morning when I saw four of its real life cousins nestled on a bush on my walk... charming.

And then... oh, the posies! A darling bundle of hot pink Gerbera daisies and satiny white mums and delicate greens, bound with a diaphonous moss green ribbon. Gerbera daisies are the happiest flowers, don't you think? Like little floral cartoons. They're so fresh and smell so divine... I actually expected there to be dew still glistening on the petals. I unwound the bundle and arranged them in one of the double handled china soup bowls my grandmother gave me long ago and they look so beautiful perched on my china cabinet. I really have to take a picture so you can see yourselves how enchanting they look.

And then the cake... I couldn't resist. The moment I got the flowers arranged, I cut myself a piece. O, heaven! So dense and flavourful and delicate and yet, almost chewy! Scrumptious! I immediately called Jack's office to describe it all and as I was describing the cake, he started protesting that I had to stop because he was salivating into the phone!

The wolf is very grateful too... as a result of the big whacking wedge of cake I enjoyed for breakfast, she got to eat my morning muffin. She will NOT be getting any Lilyfield cake, no matter how prettily she pleas, as that's all for me. And if he's really, really nice, maybe Jack can have a slice or two. maybe.

I can't find the words to describe it adequately... just...just...just magical. I hardly feel worthy of such a spectacular creation. Just perfect.

If you're looking for a special gift to send to someone, especially a girly someone, I really can't recommend Lilyfield and Company enough. Really and truly. And I have it on good authority that Lilyfield is expanding their product line to include the most charming handbags, candy, and these delicious looking candied apples available very, very soon, so keep checking back to their site.

And Scott, my darling brother, if you're reading this, don't tell Mom. I'm planning on sending her one for her birthday. She'll love it!

And Heather and Deidre, thank you so so much! I'll treasure it always.

And all of you... well, if your day is just a fraction as wonderful as mine has been... and i hope it is at least that... maybe I'll bump into you as I'm floating around in the atmosphere, beaming broadly.

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