Exciting Mail Day!

I'm sure I'm on some government watch list somewhere now, since I'm getting packages from Russia.  LOL

This is "The Frog Princess" from Owl Forest Embroidery.  I discovered them on Instagram, then checked out a few blogs and videos, and decided I HAD to have one of their kits.  My initial review upon receiving my kit (I haven't started stitching yet!):

1. Prices, even with shipping from Russia to the USA, were incredibly reasonable.  No, they are not "cheap," but at the time of my order (mid-February), the total cost including shipping converted to about $45.  Of course, this is dependent on the current exchange rate.  And if you want to spend less AND get some instant gratification, they also sell some of their patterns as pdf files ("The Frog Princess" is NOT available that way, though).
2. The kit includes fabric, floss, a coordinating needle minder, and the pattern.  The pattern is full-color with symbols, and the floss cards are labeled with the corresponding symbols.  (Plus: no need to sort and separate flosses; minus: you can't stitch it exactly as charted a second time.)  There is also a second chart, with elements of the full design separated - you could re-mix them, make smalls, whatever you like.
3. The packaging is just adorable.  It arrived in the sweetest little box...it probably sounds silly that I'm so smitten by a hunk of cardboard, but I just love it!  Too many years of seeing American cross stitch kits packaged in plastic envelopes, I guess?  And everything is sorted and labeled in such a way that even someone with no ability to read Russian/Cyrillic can figure out what to do.  And maybe that's the best thing about needlework, in the end....lovely colors and little x's need no translation.  <3

The other thing I'm really excited about with this is that it is a non-western fairy tale.  No offense to the Joan Elliott and Mirabilia lovers out there - because those fancy ladies and fairies ARE beautiful! - but this is just so DIFFERENT.  And yet the same....