13 December 2011

birthday number 41

an addition
I never took the forty paper stars down from last year, you know. just couldn't ever bring myself to do it. so look what I found hanging from the ceiling sunday morning. a sweet little addition, compliments of the husband.

41stbday-02
and look what I found on my desk. a mess of fresh cut paper snowflakes, compliments of ezra.

properly celebrated
you know what else? we went rollerskating.

cotton candy + rollerskating
and consumed the following: onion rings, cherry slushees, cotton candy. in that order.

downtown
then, downtown-- to cargo, to cargo.

cargo
cargo, where I filled my basket with metallic paper party hats and neon balloon horns and mustache straws. well, and then I put it all back, since we are saving our pennies and all. though not before I tried out a few of those balloon horns AND LET ME TELL YOU THOSE THINGS WERE LOUD. I did not know they would be so loud. this made ava laugh. and pretend not to know me.

sunday night
after cargo and just before dinner, the photobooth! naturally.

twenty bucks
money well spent, kids. money well spent.

takeout
alas, my birthday restaurant of choice was closed so we opted for takeout. boo, birthday restaurant of choice. boo.

floor picnic
BUT. a chinese takeout floor picnic? next to a crackly fire in the fireplace? with fizzy raspberry lemonades and paper straws? better than any dinner in any restaurant, any day or night of the week. sorry, birthday restaurant of choice. it's true. I still love you, but it's true.

why yes I do
and then, a question. do I like being 41? yes, I think maybe I do. for the most part. but not more than your fancy loopy letter Ys and your gold paper snowflakes, ezra. I'd take those over 41 anyday.

that's a lot of candles
hey, how about the cake. the red velvet cake, which I sort of botched this year. something went wrong with the frosting, I don't know. and then all those candles nearly melted the cake, nearly reduced it to a pile of goo. but whatever. I earned those candles, every last one of them. I refuse to skimp on candles. you shouldn't either.

happy
after cake came presents-- the vintage kind, the handmade kind. win win. win win win all over the place.

aftermath
finally, the aftermath. red velvet birthday cake for breakfast monday morning. double triple quadruple win. and birthday number 41=properly celebrated.

I really needed a day like this, friends. I cannot tell you how much I needed a day like this.

51 comments:

  1. Wow! Sounds like the best day ever! Glad you had a good first day of your 41st year - hope it's your best year yet!

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  2. oh my goodness. what an amazing birthday. you gave me a cute attack! happy birthday, p.y.t.! happy happy!

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  3. Happy Belated! It looks like you had a magnificent birthday!!!

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  4. oh, it sounds like a wonderful day.
    happy belated birthday!

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  5. Huzzah!!!

    (I bet my boy Toby was working the front desk when you stopped by the Ace. :^))

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  6. Wow, quite the celebration!! Happy 41!

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  7. Happy, happy birthday. You inspire me in every way! xoxo

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  8. Perfection. Family, food, stars, handmade stuff. Happy Birthday, friend up the coast. x

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  9. sounds positively perfect. happy happy birthday andrea!

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  10. I can't tell you how this made my day. You must be the coolest mom on the block. Happy Birthday! Lauren

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  11. happy birthday lady. you've been in my thoughts. lovely photos as always. xoa

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  12. happy happy happy birthday, andrea! I'm glad it was so sweet. I'm pretty sure you MUST have cotton candy on your birthday -- glad you agree.

    those paper snowflakes? love. can I hire ezra to decorate my living room? :)

    may 41 be the best yet. xoxo.

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  13. this makes me oh so happy andrea. happy birthday, friend!

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  14. Happy Birthday! A red velvet is never botched if it's still edible. I made myself red velvet cupcakes last year, inspired by you and memories of large, multi-layer cakes mom used to make for dad every year... it's a tradition worth continuing. = )

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  15. Happy Birthday! It sounds like you had the perfect day. :)

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  16. What beauty in your lovely, lovely birthday!

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  17. Happy Birthday, Andrea! This sounds like the best day ever. What a sweet family you have. And I love the paper stars!

    xo
    cortnie

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  18. oh gosh, WOW.

    i only let myself scroll in wee bits. everything about your birthday looked so perfect and wonderful.

    and, girrrrrrl! so gorgeous! you take some gorgeous photos, you really do.

    i'm so happy you had the day that you really needed. it was coming, that's for sure. you were due a good day. so great that it was your birthday.

    GIGANTIC WISHES FOR A GREAT 41st YEAR MY SWEET AND LOVELY FRIEND!!!!!!!! yes i totally shouted that. :)

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  19. chin's kitchen! i love chin's. classic. hope you had a wonderful birthday - it sure looked lovely!

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  20. happy birthday and i love your party pictures!

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  21. Sounds like a brilliant day, happy birthday to you! :) x

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  22. so many warm wishes being sent your way... the creativity, love and sweetness of your family is a beautiful, palpable thing. thank you for sharing it:-)
    all the best for this year and peace peace peace for your heart.

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  23. just awesome! So glad you had a great birthday!

    I love your paper snowflakes by the way. Such a perfect combo of colors and patterns.

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  24. That looks like a pretty splendid birthday. I hope you can carry that joy with you the whole year through! (especially during these hard times)

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  25. Awww happy birthday!! What a wonderful celebration. So much color. :)

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  26. Happy happy birthday Andrea! I'm so happy that you had such an amazing birthday!

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  27. i love the color of your life, it's fantastic. and happy birthday rad one!!! :)

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  28. i'm so happy your birthday was a success, you guys sure know how to celebrate. :) and those photobooth pics are the best. here's to a fantastic year!

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  29. I turn 41 in January - I think I might email this post to my Hubby as a hint! Happy 41 :D

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  30. A very happy belated birthday wish for you. Your day/night looks wonderful... filled with fun and love.
    I remember all the fun of being forty one... and remember you are every age you have ever been.

    Merry Christmas too :)

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  31. PS... your photos are AWESOME :)

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  32. I love your birthday story! Sounds like such a fun day! Rollerskating, cotton candy, and photobooth pictures...love it!!

    Happy Birthday!!

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  33. Beautiful. Simply beautiful. The screen just burst in happiness.

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  34. Happy Birthday to you!! You are amazing!!

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  35. This post is the next best thing to being there. I love you so!

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  36. your photographs are Gorgeous. with a capital G. happy belated birthday to Gorgeous 41 you. xoxo.

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  37. love the picture story! the skates and the red velvet +stripy straws my favs. hugs, leah

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  38. Sounds like a perfect birthday<3

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  39. Yay, that's awesome! I'm glad you never took down the paper stars from last year because THOSE were THE best birthday surprise ever! I loved them! So it's nice you had an updated version this year. What a lovely day!!

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  40. I love those photobooth strips. and I love the people in them. hope your birthday was magical. still praying for y'all everyday.

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  41. the photos are magical. like your sweet family! and ezra's cute note made smile so much. i love the little labeled family members drawn in the corner.
    sending mad love at you, lady. thinking of you so much and wishing you so much strength and a wide open heart.
    xo

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  42. Happy 41st birthday.

    I liked the multi-colored paper snowflakes photo. I also liked the gold snowflake, with the birthday letter.

    The fizzy raspberry sodas photos -- before and after -- are great.

    The photo of the red velvet cake glowing with candles is also fabulous.

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  43. you totally and utterly rock my world! xx

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  44. Happy birthday! I so admire how birthdays are so wonderfully celebrated in your household. I need you to write me a guidebook full of ideas!

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  45. i know that i am late to the comment party on this one - but it looks like you had the perfect birthday celebration. love the stars.

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  46. Oh those images make for a lovely day! You have a wonderful family. I especially love Ezra's pile of snow flakes. And I would totally leave those stars on the ceiling too, I am so happy you were able to make it back home for the holiday.oxooxox

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  47. Belated Happy Birthday wishes to you! What an incredible celebration you had! As someone who's made it to 42, I can tell you it just keeps getting better and better :)

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  48. Ah, what magnificient retelling of your wonderful birthday event. And I dig that you delight in uncomplicated experiences and make 'simplicity' fun...love Ezra's efforts too :)

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  49. happy 41! I turned 41 in October!
    Love all the photos, amazing!
    tara

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  50. What an amazing celebration; we should all be so lucky. Happy birthday!!

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