Sweet 16 plans

So I introduced my daughter to the coolness that is Steampunk, and she's hooked.

Now she wants her Sweet 16 party to be a Steampunk theme.

As her birthday falls just before Christmas, and since she's due to be wit her dad for that holiday this year, we have decided the best time for her party is to be New Year's Eve. Cool, eh? Well, we are going to invite our friends too (so those of you who read this, this is your warning...start planning now!)

Yes, it will be a costume party. STEAMPUNK.

What is it? Well, it's this cool sci-fi/literary cross over phenomenon in which fashion is Victorian influenced, but futuristic, in that the world progressed via the steam engine, NOT electronically. Atoms weren't discoverd. Einstein's theory doesn't exist. You're familiar with it already, you just don't realize it. Think "Around the World in 80 Days" or even the movie "Wild Wild West" (Will Smith/Kevin Kline).

Another Year in my Life

Today is my birthday.
I feel sad.
Another year has passed in which I have not done the things I'd hoped to do.
I have not been able to go visit my mother in the nursing home in Florida.
I have not lost the weight I gained.
I have not reached a point of feeling financially stable.
I have not returned to being creative.

I guess I need to look at a few positives...

I have a small circle of great friends.
I reconnected with some friends whom I had lost & I love them dearly & hope to see them more in the future.
I have my wonderful children & husband.
I do have a job that I like most of the time.

Birthdays. Hmmm...if only it was as simple as blowing out a candle & making a wish.

Delays & Distractions

I've been meaning to write. I really have! But life keeps getting in the way.
I still plan to post photos from the ball. *sigh* I just never have time these days, and I don't know why? I work all day & then I deal with kids & by the time they go to bed, it's time for ME to go to bed. I just want a day to myself. Just me. But then I'd want to just read or something all day rather than actually being productive. Ah, the fate of adulthood!

I'm frustrated that Blogger isn't letting me change the color of my individual posts anymore. Jerks. I like color options!!

Today I had my first ad for my job printed! It's fun & colourful & hopefully will generate interest in our classes I work so hard to provide to the community.

I realized this week that I have to cancel my plans to go to Michigan because I forgot about a wedding we have to attend. I've been so wrapped up in getting a prom dress for the Kidlet, I don't know if I even have anything appropriate to wear anymore? I do, but it might be too "winter". Oh well...people will just have to deal.

This weekend is my hubby's 30th birthday. Next Tuesday is my birthday (NO, I'm NOT discussing my age ever again!)So we're throwing a little get together on Sunday with a murdery mystery party that I've actually worked really hard to rework since losing a few guests. I hope everyone enjoys themselves?

Ok...enough babble, back to work.

One Very Clever or Three Dull Things

I've been dreadfully slack in writing, mostly because I don't feel that my life has been particularly remarkable. True, we've spent the past few weekends down in Chicago, which have been lovely. We're now members of the Chicago Historical Museum, we've seen Frank Lloyd Wright's Robie House, and ate at my favourite English pub. But all in all, life has been a series of day in, day out routine.

This weekend is hubby's birthday and I don't have anything good to give him. I'm hoping we can go out to dinner, perhaps. On Monday I face the birthday I've been dreading for a few years now. Let's just suffice to say it ends in zero. You can figure out the rest.

And so, for lack of anything better to say, here's a meme from Christine, whom I'm very excited to meet once she moves to Madison! Feel free to join in.

What I was doing 10 years ago: I remember it clearly, actually. I was turning another zero birthday & my dear friends had all chipped in to buy me a plane ticket back to England. Though I'm excited about my impending girl's weekend, I can't help but wish Europe was on the agenda instead.

Five things on my To Do list for today...1. I've done most of my work for the day, so what remains? Let's see... 2. pick up my son 3. buy birthday cards for hubby 4. put laundry away 5. make dinner. See, I told you life was dull.

Things I would do if I were a billionaire: Travel the world. Set up college funds for my kids. Buy new cars for each of us (preferably hybrids). Build a new house hubby would design. Visit my mom.

Some placesI have lived: 1. Flint, MI 2. London, England 3. Adrian, MI 4. Racine, WI

Jobs that I've had: 1. Renaissance Faire Director. 2. Marketing Assistant. 3. Radio DJ 4. Newspaper reporter 5. Stay at home mom

Five people I want to know more about: anyone who wishes to share!!

Happy Birthday!

No, not mine, but my best friend, Kim. Her family is off doing other things today, so I wanted to send her birthday greetings out into the blogosphere so the world could wish her happiness!

She truly is the best sort of friend. The kind who is there for you when you are down & can give her sound advice, and then kick your butt to get moving. We've been friends since freshman year of college & have no clue of how we met. We have endless tales that could blackmail or embarrass the other...if we weren't so honest about them, that is! We still giggle over the boys in The Band, though we love our husbands to death. In one another's eyes we haven't aged, nor will be ever, I suspect. Our children are cool because of us and they'll tell you so. Life is definately better for having her in it. We share the same name. (Which is particularly wierd when people ask if we're sisters...yeah, right, like our parents could only come up with one name?) But she is like a sister to me. And for that I'm blessed.

Happy Birthday KIM! (Stop by her blog & wish her a happy birthday too, ok?)

You Say It's Your Birthday

...Well it's my birthday too!

Happy Birthday to me! And to my husband (his was yesterday...mine is tomorrow)!

We're heading down to Chicago for the day, with the kidlet, to see the plasticine body exhibit at the Museum of Science & Industry before joining friends for a birthday dinner at my new favourite British pub. Yeah!

Here's a slice of birthday cake from us!

Essence of the Holiday

Ok, so the epitome of Christmas truly lies with those people who make you feel special and loved, and I have to say that I am so amazingly fortunate to have THE Greatest Friend EVER! My best friend, Kim, totally surprised me yesterday by sending me not one, but two different loaves of Stollen for Christmas. This German frosted fruit bread has been my family's traditional Christmas morning breakfast for my whole life, (specifically from Zehnder's in Frankenmuth, MI) so the fact that she not only remembered this obscure little fact about my life, she (who lives in Ohio) made the effort to have the loaves shipped to me in Wisconsin! It was truly one of the coolest things anyone has ever done. I've been like a little kid, bouncing around all giddy since opening the box. Kim...you Rock!!

Today is my daughter's 13th birthday. I can hardly fathom that fact. As I sit here, 7 months pregnant, I can't help but remember everything about being pregnant with her. It wan't a difficult pregnancy, with the exception of the unbearable heartburn. (I'm convinced I, personally, funded the Tums corporation that year.) She was overdue, the doctor's put me through a week of cervical gels, 3 day of triple doses of pitocin, and still her stubbornness kept me from ever going into labour! At 1:30pm, 13 years ago today, she was delivered by a very easy and uncomplicated C-section. She had a full beautiful head of black hair (I could put it into a little ponytail it was so long) and perfect skin. She was so cute the nurses all wanted to keep her with them (which was a blessing when I needed to get some sleep). That first day she could already raise her head up.

Her stubborness hasn't changed, nor has her ability to learn & charm. She now stands several inches taller than me, has a new cute, sassy haircut, and all the teenage attitude. But she's also still very loving, cuddles up on the couch whenever she can, is an avid reader, loves to perform, and still makes me laugh. She may drive me crazy at times, like any kid her age, but my love for her has only continued to grow. My birthday wish for her is to feel confident in her own skin, to know she is truly loved, and that she'll always work hard for her own successes. I can't believe my little girl is now a teenager. Time truly does fly by faster than we can appreciate it.