My parents went to ...

Remember those t-shirts that say "My parents went to (fill in the city) and all I got was this t-shirt" ??

Well...my parents went to Australia and Hawaii and "all" I got was a boatload of gifts!!!! And since their luggage was delayed coming home I still haven't seen the books and things they bought themselves.

They also took lots of pictures for me (Australian lighthouses and Hawaiian quilts and such) which I have yet to see.

On the left is an iridescent purple bracelet of freshwater pearls and a foam plumeria hair clip from Waikiki. I mistakenly clipped the plumeria to my left side before Dad told me that meant I was married. You can bet I moved that sucker lickety-split! The cookie cutter includes a recipe for Kahlua spice cookies and Kahlua frosting - Yum!

I love the feel of tea towels and use them almost exclusively now a days. This black and white version of Aussie animals is very graphic and endearing. I hate to get it dirty from daily use...but don't want to "save" it in a drawer either.

I bet you are saying that this doesn't look very appetizing. OK the eggs and ham do but what is that purple thing??!! Trust me it WAS yummy. Mom & Dad went to a luau where they were served these rolls made with poi.  Not only was it purple, one of my fav colors, but it tastes like the Hawaiian bread sold in grocery stores. I tried nibbling but it didn't last long...

This bone chine tea cup/infuser is from Sydney. Mom said she had a hard time picking which design to get me but the lavender was a perfect choice and it's very delicate given it's size. I just picked some of mom's lavender flowers to make lemon/lavender tea cookies - both the plant and the cookies are a favorite of mine. Maybe it's time to start my own lavendar garden.

And if you have a new tea cup, you need some new tea!!!  The kiwi tea was from the New Zealand Airport (Just one of their many stop overs - why they needed 11 flight segments is beyond me!) and the rest are from Australia, altho a few say made in New Zealand. I've tried the kiwi twice and it's just divine. Today I am trying the Mi-Chai. The irish breakfast and Lan-choo are loose teas, the rest are bags. Mom sealed the boxes in a plastic bag for the flight home, opening the bag smelled like candy!

Thanks Mom & Dad!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!