Surprise!

Jeff surprised me with a birthday party on Saturday. My birthday was several weeks ago and I specifically said "No surprise party!" But he decided to ignore that and with some help from the family put together a lovely dinner at a fabulous local restaurant. Thanks sweetie! I also want to thank everyone that was there and special thanks to everyone who helped.

My sister surprised me with the lovely collage pictured above. She included photos from infancy up to my wedding. It was fun to see some of these blasts from the past!

I decided to embarrass myself and show you a few close-ups. Above is a photo of me doing the hula - and yes that is a Playboy bunny on my shirt! I remember my grandparents giving it to me - it even has my name on the bottom!

This is a photo of me and my cousin Grace. I'm sure she is going to love seeing this!

My sister-in-law had this lovely plate made and had everyone sign it. This will be a sweet remembrance.

Veering off in a different direction, I read about the above book in Home Companion . My sister and I decided to order a copy - oh yum! So many great recipes and beautiful photography and layout. I'm going to take Christmas Eve dessert from this book, but I will post that recipe closer to the holiday!

The fabulous Natasha surprised me with some of her yummy faux cupcakes. This is the tag and some wonderful millinery she sent along.

And here are the cupcakes! Aren't they gorgeous?! I will be participating in Natasha's prom on Tuesday. Hope to see you at the big dance!

Glitter 101

I had the honor and privilege of taking part in Laurie Davis's Glitter 101 Workshop this past weekend. It was held at the wonderful Zoe & Floyd gallery in CT and right next door was a darling shop selling gorgeous glittered and sugared confections!

At this workshop we made Laurie's signature Glittered Pear ornaments and Paper Mache Walnut Boxes. This is how the pears start - just plain 'ol plastic.

That is until we get our hands on them and glitter them up! Laurie is fabulous. She gave all kinds of great background on glitter - where it comes from, how it is made, the differences in textures - all kinds of things I never knew!

This is the finished product with a beautiful bow and a hand-forged metal hook - yes! I delved into the world of metal forging! You can see a photo of me trying to figure out what the heck I am doing on Laurie's blog. I have to get a better photo of the finished pear - they are gorgeous and glittery!

Here is the Glitter Fairy herself dolling out luscious gold paint.

Here is the finished walnut box - yes, I need to get a better photo!

Here I am with my finished projects.

Laurie and me. I can't begin to say enough wonderful things about her! A truly beautiful and kind soul.

These last two photos are some of Laurie's wonderful creations. She is so talented. The glittered pedestals you see are made from paper plates! She demonstrated how to make these on Martha - she has appeared on Martha's show three times! Check out Laurie's blog for links and more info.

Happy Veterans' Day

A Happy Veterans' Day to all of our servicemen and servicewomen. I had the honor of being in NYC yesterday and we happened upon the Veterans' Day Parade. An unexpected surprise. Here are some photos of the parade - I have more on my Flickr if you are interested - I didn't want to overwhelm here! Above is a tractor trailer painted with POW and US flags. It was quite a site in person.
This is a sampling of veterans from the different branches of service. They were flag bearers in the parade. We got a bit teary eyed when they walked by. So many of the parade participants were happy to have us there supporting them. Many held signs saying "thanks for coming." I say a bit Thank You to each and every one of them for protecting and fighting for our freedom.

Some vintage Army vehicles. We believed these were circa WWII.

There were TONS of motorcycles - you wouldn't believe the noise!

A vintage car added some flair - love the colors!

Horses are one of my favorites!

Vintage police cars - vintage truly is everywhere!

More motorcycles. These were bearing POW and US flags.

Another unexpected honor came when the Ground Zero flag made its way down Fifth Avenue.

Had to get in a shot of one of the most beloved landmarks, the Empire State Building.

These are some quick shots of the Macy's windows. They are all decked out for Christmas already! We walked through Herald Square - site of the famous Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade which will be taking place next week. I'll be watching that parade by the warm fire in my living room!