September 01, 2011

First ever Etsy purchase!

I've finally done it! Made my first ever Etsy purchase.

Here's how it looked when it arrived:
Wind in the Willows 005

Wind in the Willows 006-1
How cute is this tissue paper? I already love getting packages in the mail, but having something arrive so delightfully wrapped was just magical.
Wind in the Willows 025
Thank you, Becky, for being awesome. (And for using an ink that matches my nail polish)

And what was inside?
Wind in the Willows 009
The Wind in the Willows! What else?!
Wind in the Willows 015
I already have quite a few copies of the book, but this one is a short, illustrated children's book that simply foll0ws the first chapter. I've been considering getting a half-sleeve tattoo with something Wind-in-the-Willows-y, and these illustrations are just absolutely perfect.
Wind in the Willows 018-1
Rat is so cute in his little beatnik 60's sweater! He's also my favorite character, just fyi.
Wind in the Willows 019-1

Wind in the Willows 023-1
Along a similar vein, I've begun a journey to collect as many versions of this book as possible. And once I get some free time, I'm going to create a tab on here to catalog the ones I've found. If you haven't yet read it, you really need to get on it. I'll leave you with what A.A. Milne has to say about it, and that, my dear friend, will be that.

"One does not argue about The Wind in the Willows. The young man gives it to the girl with whom he is in love, and if she does not like it, asks her to return his letters. The elder man tries it on his nephew, and alters his will accordingly. The book is a test of character. We can't criticize it, because it is criticizing us. As I wrote once: It is a Household Book; a book which everybody in the household loves, and quotes continually; a book which is read aloud to every new guest and is regarded as the touchstone of his worth. When you sit down to it, don't be so ridiculous as to suppose that you are sitting in judgment on my taste, or on the art of Kenneth Grahame. You are merely sitting in judgment on yourself. You may be worthy: I don't know. But it is you who are on trial."