When I was younger I had a pen pal (maybe more than one ... I can't remember).   It was always fun to imagine people a world away who knew my name. I think I found them through some weird ad in the back of a magazine like Tiger Beat.  Anyway, Aranya is the modern equivalent of a pen pal.  Andrew and Aranya crossed paths on IM and they've kept in touch for years.

Aranya lives in Chiang Mai, Thailand and works as a nurse.  She is such a sweetheart.  I once complemented the plush dog-shaped purse she was wearing in a vacation photo and she sent me one of my very own.  There is a zipper along the spine, so all your stuff is like the dog's guts.  His little feet are hilarious, too.  OK, words don't do the purse justice, so here's a middle-of-the-night bathroom photo.  Even the strap is plush!

This year for her birthday, Andrew commissioned a wristlet.  He picked out the color and style, and I think it turned out way cute.  The fabric zipper pull was a brilliant suggestion from MaryBlanca, who purchased my second wristlet.  I sent her a key fob made of a fabric strap to match her wristlet.  She emailed me to let me know she'd attached it to the zipper.  Now why didn't I think of that?!  The brown zipper is the first thing I've used from my Green Kitchen stash.

Also included in her birthday package was the elephant I made for her in January 2006.  Oh, goodness, was it really that long ago?  I didn't include the monkey ... the google eyes are just too goofy. How funny are those early blog photos?  They're making my eyes hurt. :)