Thank you Marija! xx

Today I received the most wonderful email that not only made

me glow with happiness all day, but also made me sit down

and think about how important the blog world is to me, and all

of us who take time to research, write and share our inner most

thoughts, desires and treasured finds here in this virtual world.

The email was from Marija who writes a wonderful blog called 

'Holding Court' (..when she is not a busy interior designer and

mother of two in Chicago..). Well she is always a mother of two,

but you understand what I mean.. Though this kind spirited girl

angel has only blogged at 'Holding Court' since mid-January
2010, she already has over 100 loyal followers, and she always gets
a large number of loving comments on her brilliant posts. If this
alone does not prove that she is someone special, then read on..

"Just a quick email to let you know how much I've appreciated 

your thoughtful comments....on my blog as well as others.  

I also love your blog.  It's real and interesting and you don't try

to be something you're not.  And I mean that in the best way possible.  

There are bloggers trying to post a certain way, comment a certain 

way, make friends with certain bloggers and all along, they're losing 

themselves.  Or at least not showing themselves.  I hope that doesn't 

sound preachy.  Just wanted you to know I respect what you're 
putting out there.  I knew we were kindred spirits when I read your
Aubrey Road  post and then the comment you left on my post about
my daughter's  9th birthday.  I'm glad we've met. Gave you a
mention in my most recent post.  Check it out. Hope you approve :) 
Marija"

You can understand that this stopped me in my tracks and had me

truly teary for a good while before I could even go across to her blog

and read the post she wrote about me. She calls it "a mention", but

it is so much more than that! It's a genuine, sweet and truly kind post

that says so many nice things about me that I had to get a big box
of double layered tissues. I felt/feel so loved and appreciated!

 (NB! All images are borrowed from 'Holding Court' - please go there for the original sources.)

If you are not familiar with Marija's blog, please do yourselves a

favour and jump across right now. It is so well written! She totally

has a way with words! (..and please note that she learned English

at the age of 5. Her mother tongue is Croatian!) A clever reader once

so rightly said "Marija, you are like a flash of brilliance". She
truly is a flash of brilliance - in fact she is one of my fave reads!

She has me completely wrapped from the heading to the final
full stop, and I could not be more certain that you all will feel
exactly the same when you start reading 'Holding Court'!

 (NB! All images are borrowed from 'Holding Court' - please go there for the original sources.)

Here are links to some of her brilliant posts.. I am showing you only

one from each month, but I do not kid you when I say I could just as

well have streamed her whole blog through to here. ALL her posts 
are good, and I find myself purring with excitement every time
they pop up in my inbox. Without further ado, here are a few
that I particularly enjoyed, from January to the now..

(NB! All images are borrowed from 'Holding Court' - please go there for the original sources.)

January 2010 - 'First Impressions'

In this post she writes so beautifully about one of her closes

friends in the world - actually the lucky woman she refers to

is more like a sister to her, though not by blood. By heart!

February 2010 - 'I'm Marija. This is my blog.'

I love that she started blogging and the way she does it!

I also loved this post (also Feb) about passing on special
treasures.. I totally support the monogrammed world!

In (Feb and) March I read wonderful posts labelled 'Hearsay',
where Marija introduces a compilation of the best things she
saw/read in the past week.. So full of divine links and finds!

This picture made me sure I had died and gone to heaven!

'Hearsay volume 3' 

'Hearsay volume 2'

Then came April when I cried (yes again..) over the beautiful
post she wrote about her daughter Olivija on her 9th birthday
  'Rite of passage'

And here would be one of the photos of her stunning daughter,

but I don't believe in posting pictures of other people's children

on my blog just because I feel like it so the spot is left blank...

I also think you should take the time to read 'Happy Talk' -
a post about the sad and unnecessary negativity in blogland,
and of course you must read her fantastic post named 'Inspiration'
that got me writing this long response of in heartfelt gratitude for
having been more than just "mentioned".. xx

Cory, Nigel and Olivija! I hope you know how lucky you are to

to share your lives and house with this woman! She is a rare find!

Thank you again Marija - you really did make my day!

AFI your friend,

xx Charlotta

P.S. .. and for God's sake don't forget to read THIS post where

Marija shares a wonderful list of personal suff as part of an award

that she so truly deserves! And yes that is her house! And she managed

the entire build from pre-build bulldozer to lantern on front steps!!!