Build a bear....

What is it about stuffing a teeny tiny heart into a bear that makes it personal....is it picking out the type of bear, picking the outfit, personalizing a sound?? Nope....it's consumerism taking over, and I bought into it once. My first boyfriend (if you'd call him that) decided to join the Navy and left to start training. I sent him letters, photos and gifts nearly every day to keep his spirits up through the process and one such gift was you guessed it--a BEAR, but not exactly a build-a-bear. He had gotten one of those for his ex so I did not want to go down that road. I got a Vermont Teddy--simple, classic and tasteful--I ordered a sailor uniform to personalize it and saved it for his return. Well a lot of water went over that bridge and we were not dating/talking by the time he returned and I was left with a Navy teddy. The teddy sat (laughing at me) in the corner of my bedroom as a reminder of my lack of a boy. But as it turns out one man's bear can in fact be another man's bear. The next guy I dated a few months later played baseball. I ordered a baseball uniform for the bear, chunked the sailor get up and passed the animal along. Happy Valentine's ha! (Sorry people, regift, but the one and only time I've done so)

Let them eat cake.

Well, folks, I had my cake and ate it too. My day of birth was absolutely wonderful I was completely surprised by copious amounts of flowers, a tasty lunch and an even better dinner with many wonderful friends. I cannot thank everyone enough--this was definitely my most special day.

Cheerio!

Almost another year older and hopefully wiser...I am reflecting on the last year and hoping that the next 365 will be a heck of a lot better...I had some breakups and breakdowns, some fun trips, some work triumphs and some work trials, but at the end of this quarter century crisis I can say I grew a lot. Happy day to me.

It's not my party...

...but I'll celebrate if I want to. Sure my birthday is a few weeks away, but I am celebrating a friend's this week and having just as much fun as if it were my own. After a less than fab day at the office I was looking forward to a birthday dinner for a friend last night. It did turn into quite a comedy of errors {and successes!}. The birthday girl started inviting work friends to a different birthday dinner since she had no idea there was one already planned, thankfully most of them asked me if I was coming....but then I had to tell them that the boyfriend had already planned a surprise dinner. I was uninviting people left and right, even inviting someone last minute-thanks, CW. But a few moments later we were all secretly en route to the destination to taste the delicious vittles that awaited us. Let me just say I am not a foodie, but I know a thing or three about food and this meal was absolutely amazing..here let me give you the Reader's Digest version: flambeed wedge with spinach, cream and bacon; bruscetta with boursin and ratatouille; tuna nicoise salad; Pekin duck with blackberry compote, candied pistachio dust and butternut squash; and steak with crispy asparagus and forme d'ambert mash completed with a peach clafouti with whipped cream and pecan dust....yummy to my tummy. I swear I am still drooling and dreaming about the meal.

Happy Birthday!

Tomorrow to a friend! He's already picked out some great gifts for graduation and the birthday....I drooled on my computer. The Louis Porte Valeurs organizer and the Keepall (so aptly named)...talk about one heck of a gym bag. ......Trust me, I already told him if he gets bored with these pieces...I'm here for him and will gladly take them off his hands. JK MA
Who needs cake when you have a little big Louis?

Mossy grove....

Loving this idea for a party theme. How great would it be to deliver a stack of gifts in a birdcage?
Via Design Sponge.

Good things....

...come in small packages. I found this floral gift the other day and had to share!

Basket case...

Check out this lovely edible bouquet. How is it made....well it is cupcakes, they are inserted into the arrangement, then decorated. So cute.

Belated birthday...

I decided to share some of my gifts from mom and dad...

1.Peace of my heart necklace2. Not a birthday gift, but a favorite cameo broach/pendant {vintage}, intaglio bracelet {anthro}, and watch necklace. After opening Lucky on Sunday I wanted a watch necklace...and guess what? My mom pulled out a vintage one. Everything comes back in style in one form or the other.3. A new custom wrap watch and my olive anthro two-faced standby.4. A silver charm bracelet to go with the gold and a "happy birthday" charm to go on the gold.5. An owl necklace. I know, only would wear this. My dad looked at me like I was crazy when I was uber excited to get this. He probably remembers it from the 70s.6. Some silver bangles on my geode coaster from DC.

Movie Night....

An afternoon at the dentist left me with clean pearly whites and thoughts of recipes. The dental hygienists were trying to rustle up a recipe for strawberry cream cheese cupcakes, so naturally after waking from my nap I was forced inspired to google cupcake/cake recipes and found these cuties. Simply top vanilla cupcakes with a vanilla icing and mini marshmallows (using the classic white and yellow out of this mixed bag. Stuff a pair of these cakes into retro popcorn holders and there you go a perfectly sweet flip on the classic salty treat.

Yours truly.....

In honor of becoming another year older, and hopefully another year wiser, I wanted to share some photos of me as a wee lass.

Happy Birthday!

...to me....thanks to my parents for the wonderful gifts and to everyone who wished me a happy day! Hope you all have a wonderful day as well!

Let them eat cake!

Since I can't have my cake and eat it too, I'm usually left sans cake on my big day....but wait a second....it turns out I can have my cake! A perfect flower cake! Thank you!
....and here is another flower cake I found online....the funny thing is I almost posted this pic this morning before I received my very own cake......perfect timing....

Birthday weekend....

......here I come.....

Come on get happy.....

Perfectly pretty pictures for a perfect day.
*via Creature Comforts