Sunshine on a Gray Day

Today is my birthday. I write that not to garner wishes, but as a simple statement of fact, just like I'd say "I have brown eyes." I'm on the upper edge of my thirties, but I still feel like I could be somewhere between 12 and 19 (I've never felt comfortable in bars so I don't think my 'feels like' age would be legal drinking age, hahaha). It was rainy and cold and dreary today, so the pics are from last weekend when we had a beautiful sunny day. 

I have always liked my birthday, but only in that spend-it-with-your-loved-ones way. I don't like being the center of attention, so I don't think a large party would suit me. But a nice day spent with your loves is just right.

I received some beautiful presents. A fabulous set of watercolor markers that are crazy fun--you can use them either as regular markers with a brush tip, OR you can do a few brush strokes and apply water to achieve a watercolor paint effect. So nifty. No matter how hard I try I cannot paint--what I see in my brain refuses to come through my fingertips. But I can do okay with coloring and doodling, so these markers are great for that.

I also received this very cool looking quilting set that I can't wait to try out and show you. The set comes with a presser foot, and a variety of plastic templates. The point is to help you achieve nifty quilting results on a domestic machine. I only ever grid quilt, so I'm looking forward to trying this out (it's kind of a free motion assist for those of us not inclined to free motion successfully).

I spent the first part of the year in a relationship that we both recently agreed just wasn't working. This afternoon, he dropped off a gift to me, catching me by surprise. It was a beautiful assortment of teas. Other than my one cup of coffee in the morning, I drink tea and water all day long, so this is a delightful gift.

My brother, sister-in-law and nephew gave me a beautiful mug and some tea that smells so delicious it's insane, along with some other goodies from a boutique shop in the mall that I love.

And then my sisters, brother-in-law and nephew gave me something that was a total surprise that they've had since before Christmas. I could not imagine what was in the envelope they handed me, and at first I thought they gave me concert tickets (I don't do concerts--I've never been to one, and don't mind if I never go). But then I realized that they bought me tickets to a Garrison Keillor show on his final tour (he's retiring after forty plus years). For those of you with a blank stare on your faces, Garrison Keillor hosts a radio variety show on NPR with an old-timey feel called Prairie Home Companion. If you've heard of Lake Wobegon then you probably have some idea of who he is. Anyway, it absolutely shocked me that they kept the secret for so long, and that they knew who he was enough to know that I'd love this gift.

Aside from perfect presents, even the food was divine. My dad made some hot caprese bruschetta (not sure if that's a thing but that's what I'm calling it). My mother made ravioli for dinner. And then there was German butter cake and homemade ice cream for dessert. All the food things I love. To finish it off, we all sat around the table creating various pictures with those aforementioned watercolor markers. All-in crafty sessions almost never happen, so I loved it.

So that was my day. Combined with a very productive Saturday, and a Friday night couch-vegging session, it was a perfect weekend. I've now topped it off with some tea, and I'm headed to bed to do some reading--I want to finish the book I'm currently reading before I dive into another one of my birthday presents. I've been waiting for months to continue the story, and I'm thiiiiiis close to it. So good night!