Thirty-Five!!

For those of you who know me know that I LOVE my birthday. I love celebrating, I love being with my friends and family and I love opening presents!! (c'mon...who doesn't?) In years past it was ALWAYS gift cards to Bloomingdales. Well...becoming a Mother changes you to your core. It's a fact. It is earth shattering to your former self. For better or for worse...you are never the same. I know that my children have made me a better person...in a THOUSAND ways.

With that said...just because I choose not to shop at Bloomie's anymore doesn't mean that I don't love shopping!! I love that I'm slowly making a business from this most fun and rewarding 'hobby' of paper crafting and scrapbooking. And I LOVE finding new and exciting tools, stamps, papers, embellishments and alterables to further my new found 'career'!

Yesterday was my 35th birthday. And this year, being a big one, my husband has gone above and beyond the call of duty and is totally redoing my studio. He picked everything out with the help of my darling friend Nita and he's put it together, figured out the layout and how it'll work best for my needs, he's found beautiful and functional pieces from IKEA and I'm thinking we'll be done within the next week or so and then I will be able to move in and take lots of pictures to share!!

But until then I've got my new stash for you!! Yesterday was my husband's last day at his old job so he was out early. He worked up in Concord which is right near Westford where INK ABOUT IT is. He graciously agreed to meet me there after he got out of work and take the kiddies home so that I could shop...alone!! It's about an hour from my house so zipping over there on a regular basis is unfortunately not an option. So it needed to be an event. I had birthday money burning a GIGANTIC hole in my pocket and I knew that my next few weekends are booked. If I waited, I would have spent my money elsewhere and not gotten nearly as great stuff as I did! I know, I sound very materialistic but I DON'T CARE!! It's my birthday and that's what they're for! ;)

I finally have a set of 14 Copic markers that I'm DYING to use, a Scor-pal, a variety of adorable Amuse stamps, a new set of clear blocks, Hero Arts acrylic cards, acrylic albums, chipboard albums, gorgeous papers, watercolor crayons, a beautiful variety of embellishments from Primas to brads to felt flowers, Fun Flock in 3 colors, glue pens to replenish my stash, clear Sakura gel pens, library cards to embellish, ink pads, bone folders, crystals, and white gel pens. I mean I simply went nuts! But the stuff was so great and I'd been waiting a long time for some of it. I'm thrilled with what I got and can't wait to move it into my new space to use it!!

And my darling brother got me this!!

I also went out on Wed night with my girlfriends to a shwanky bar to have wine, snacks and wonderful conversation. We laughed and laughed and laughed until it was FINALLY time to go home. My fabulous Mommy friend Nita arranged for a sweet table at the bar for us and in all her wonderfulness wrote a toast for me. No one has ever done that and it was so funny and touching and meaningful and I will cherish it and her always. I was deeply touched that all of my friends/family came out during the week when we're all so busy to celebrate. It was a GREAT night and I have great pictures to prove it!

Last night, on my actual birthday, I spent it with my husband and brother eating awesome sushi for dinner and Ben and Jerry's for dessert.

It was the BEST birthday so far.

I hope that everyone is having a creative week and HAPPY FRIDAY!!