The Birthday Post! Photo Shoot!

BIRTHDAY!!!  YAY!

For my birthday, my Fab MIL brought me my present"s" early.  Two gift cards to specialty shops to shop for some nice, non-housewife clothes.

Hubby kept the kids so I could go and shop.  Made out like a bandit!  That was super fun!

Meanwhile, Wonder-Mom busted pie finishing up the furniture she gave me for the playroom (gave me, painted, redecorated and revamped into the perfect 'barn' look for the playroom).

My birthday present"s" from her.  [I'm seeing a pattern of plurals :-D ]

She made the pillows to match the color scheme and steamed the rug the night before we brought all this out.  YES, she gave me the rug too.  Someone had given it to her and in her 'decorating' frame of mind, she knew it would be great for the kids to lounge on while watching movies.

Here's a somewhat better view.  Media center in back, craft space with table and stools (her hubby made those, also the day before she came out.  They are perfectly awesome little benches.).  And, to the right, the puppet theater.

Can you say, AWESOME???  The Puppet theater she made from an old, solid door.  she made the curtains to match the rest of the color scheme. Then, as an added plus (I did not know this until I saw it completed) she added the two side panels and painted them with chalkboard paint.  

Now the kids can announce their show times, or play store and list what is on special that day, or just color with chalk!

"What do you want to do with the table? "  She asked me.

She'd just made this fabo hinged board for her little son with a boxed type pattern.  I thought this would be neat for the little table she pulled out from storage to accessorize our room.

We came up with the quilted idea.  Each square is 'stitched' with a different pattern in a silver stitch.

See the patchwork quilt?  Quilted with Love.  ;-) Here's "Baby Segie" on the barn bench. There are also some fab curtains for the 'barn' window that bring all the colors and fabric textures together. All I have left to do is make a couple of tube pillows from an old pair of Farmer, Jr's jeans and two denim tie backs for the curtains.

While waiting for Daddy and everyone to come in, Hubby, Farmer, Jr, and Lil'Gal gave me my birthday present"s" from them. I was really surprised! I received a windmill charm, a camera charm, and a Texas charm with a heart cut out for my charm bracelet.

ON my birthday Daddy gave me a trip to the mani-pedi place.  Sweet D met me there and we were pampered together.  (Daddy also stayed back and kept the kids since Hubby was working. Three children and an 18 month old toddler) :-)

Sweet D had much better pictures of our toe art, but I couldn't get them to save from the text messages so I could email them to download here... We'll work on that.

Oh, the shoes?  Fit-Flop I got to order for free to review.  The review will be coming and I tell you -- these things ROCK.  I've worn them non-stop -- and I don't really like to flip'a flop.

After our mani-pedis, Sweet D took me to lunch at Outback.  

I got this blue cheese crumble candied pecan something or other salad and it was the BEST salad I've had in ages -- better than mine!  It totally hit the place, as the collegiate said when he was a kid. (Oh, and those are Mexican Martinis, I believe that we are drinking) :-D

AAAAaaand, she also gave me a charm for my charm bracelet!  I'm so super set!  It was a pair of cowboy boots -- to remind us of the good'ol days when we would literally two-step the nights away! Farmer, Jr. entertained all the ladies with 'tractor' rides:

Hubby and Daddy offered to take us all out to eat for my birthday but I opted to stay in and in true fashion, entertain. I marinated and grilled fabulous pork ribs, made a big'ol pot of beans (Daddy loves my beans. Everyone loves my beans. And, I'm not trying to be vain...). I made pico, my famous hot sauce and we had some salad to boot. YUM! Kids tore it all up! They even ate green beans for a veggie, in honor of me! Maybe they were just really hungry; or, maybe it's because they all wanted cake.

Guess who blew out ALL of her candles?? I pulled this sucker out to cut the cake more quickly and evenly as it was a round cake. It make it easy to cut the cake into evenly sized 'pie shaped' pieces.  My other cake server was currently in the dishwasher.  Sweet D about had a panic attack! LOL!

Excuse all the mess and cr@p.  Typically, I would have been picking it up constantly but it was my birthday, and I was enjoying multiple glasses of wine (over time)....

(If you look to your left you will see a glimpse of Macxine and the brand new speakers Daddy got me to go with her -- Macx and I were jammin' that evening!)

Here's my Daddy! He's helping clean up the kitchen so I can go outside and just chill and visit. Everyone gathered around and I ended up telling ticket/get out of ticket stories; how did we get on that?

[Pssst, I let it slip about the one my FIL got me out of.  So, Hubby now knows.  But, he wasn't so concerned since we didn't end up paying for it -- Whew!]

Mr. Cuddles, feeling much better now that his two, top front teeth grew back in -- was ready to join the fun.  FYI, he loves to play in the 'salad' yard.  Mr. Cuddles just loved Daddy -- I think it's that burley-man deep voice.  I don't know.  Of course, Daddy often reminds me of Grizzly Adams with that touch for animals.

Well, I have several more pictures of Daddy, Aims and I and the kids on an outing the day before they left.  But, I'm afraid blogger might not let me post many more to this post.  Also, I've been attached to the LT for quite awhile uploading and resizing pictures and all.  Time to go check on our Blue-Boy.

FYI, he had to go to the vet today.  He's down to barely 74 lbs, 12 years of age, and just not eating well at all.  So, we are spoiling him and feeding the dickens (when he will eat) to fatten him back up and rebuild his energy.

Happy Saturday!  I'll be on later with the winner of the EXPO giveaway -- sorry, it took me so long!

The Birthday Post! Photo Shoot!