Birthday Gratitude!

Happy Sunday!  I hope you are having a wonderful weekend!

Thank you for all of the thoughtful birthday greetings!  I am so touched!  It was such a thrill to read them all!

Not many people know this by my Gran's birthday was the same day as mine.  I was born on her 50th birthday and since we lived together from the time I was 8 we always celebrated together.  She died in September 2008 so it is still a little bit fresh for me - we were very, very close (to the resentment of my mother) so my birthday now always starts with a little bit of sadness.  So, like women do, I had a little cry, got it out and got on with it!

I have all of my photos from my birthday sorted out and I cant wait to share my day!

There was a little blue box after all!!  I asked the Suburban Prince when he was there and he said 'In December - the day we got your bracelet I told the SA to wrap this up too.'  Sneaky Prince!

'This' is the silk and cashmere scarf I was admiring but left behind because even *I* know the fine line between spoiled and greedy.

I couldn't find a photo of it on the T&Co site but I did find this one on google...no this isn't me but it is the same scarf! 

This is what I wore for our afternoon in the city.  I had such a hard time photographing this!  The blouse is the faux necklace silk shell from Banana Republic and the jacket came from Zellers (Yes my Canadian friends, they do actually have nice clothes there!).

Our first stop was Holt Renfrew so I could pick up my new baby.  I bought the small one because I figured any time I would carry so much stuff that I needed the bigger ones, I would not be likely to use a LV bag (for instance going to the beach or something rugged like that).  I prefer to have a small purse and a totebag for my bigger things so this will be perfect!  I can use it when I need to take my ereader, makeup, scarves etc!

From Holts we walked over to the Windsor Arms Hotel for our tea!  This is one of the rooms they serve tea in.  They have gorgeous purple velvet loveseats in the corners for cozy teas with the one I love!

These are our treats!  Scones, sandwiches and little sweets.  We also had berries with whipped cream and sparklin wine.  We ate two of the sandwiches before I remembered I wanted to take a picture!  I was craving more macaroons and managed to convince the front desk to tell me where I could get some!  They sent me to a little chocolate shop in Yorkville and recommended the lavender/cassis ones!

Someone ate the coconut macaroon before I could take the photo but let me tell you, it was yummy!  I also got one in orange/chocolate, one in chocolate and three in lavender/cassis.  I actually had a dream about eating them last night!

We went to the Four Seasons hotel in Yorkville to 'take care of a little business' (my code for visiting the ladies' room) before getting in the car for the journey home - if you ever need to make a pitstop in Toronto, go to the Four Seasons - they ladies' room is very nice!  We arrived just as the Little Prince was getting his jammies on so we got to snuggle with him before he went to bed!

I can't believe I just blogged about a washroom...again!

On Friday I was taken to lunch by two friends - I picked the local tea room (big surprise!) and we had a lovely time eating sandwiches and sipping tea.  Oh, and gossiping, of course!

One of the girls gave me this cute gift!  Four pink tea light holders, a green mug, mint tea, hand cream and lip balm.

Rolled up inside the mug was this.  Yup, it is what you think it is!

A close up!  I can actually hear angels singing every time I look at it!

A few weeks ago I arrived at my friend's office for our lunch date and she was dressed in jeans and a button down shirt.  This is not her usual style and I commented that she looked like she had shopped in my closet that morning.  She laughed and said she did think of me when she was getting dressed and almost put on her Hermes scarf but thought that would be taking the theft of my look just a touch too far.

You know in movies when someone says something and the needle on the record makes that screeching noise and then there is silence?  That's exactly how it happened!

I had to know how she came to have an Hermes scarf, not that she doesn't deserve one but since she is a stuggling single mom I was shocked she would spend the money on such a thing!  She told me when she worked for Conde Nast they all got them as gifts from Lucky magazine.  WOW!  She said it really isn't her style and it has been sitting in her drawer for 4 years because every time she goes to wear it she just cant make it work.  I asked her what colour it is....can you believe this is one of my besties and she failed to mention she had been habouring a PINK AND GREEN Hermes scarf in her home for 4 years!? 

As we had this conversation I was sitting there sipping my coffee looking like an ad for the reprint of TOPH!  Head to toe pink and green!  I kept looking down at my outfit and aheming.  She laughed and said 'Funny enough, I do know someone who is having a birthday soon who does loves pink and green!'....Squeeee!

She rolled it up to look like a tulip inside the mug and I squealed when I saw it!  The enormity of this is not lost on me...I know she could've easily sold the scarf to pay for school supplies for her kids so at the end of the summer I am going to give her a gift card for Walmart so she can take her kids shopping.

On Saturday my parents came to visit for what was supposed to be a couple of hours but then things got ackward when 5pm rolled around and I needed to sort out dinner for the Suburban Prince and the Little Prince.  I had no idea my parents were going to stay so long so I hadn't planned on anything for dinner (my men folk were going to eat the leftovers from the night before) and of course, my mother simply can't gracefully exit a situation without trying to make me feel bad.  I had to come right out and ask them what they were going to do about dinner.  My mother said 'Oh, we'll have anything'.....ummmmmm hm.  I told her I wasn't planning on making a dinner so I don't have anything prepared. 

Now, before you think I am a horrible person, my mother has ushered us out of her house at 5pm anytime we have visited just so she doesn't have to make us anything to eat.  I grew up thinking we were poor because there was never enough food - I went to bed hungry more than a few times (even though they always had holidays and new cars) so now when my mother plays this little game I have no time for it.  In the end we ordered from Swiss Chalet - they went to get it and I didn't bother suggesting we split the bill - if we are invited to their house for dinner and we end up going out we always end up having to pay for everyone.  The Suburban Prince and I are very generous people and would think nothing of picking up the bill when out with other people, but the dynamic with my parents is very weird so I hate when they pull this sort of thing.  Their 'couple of hours' turned into an all afternoon visit complete with dinner and all of the dishes and cleaning left for me.  Really all I had wanted that day was a quite dinner with my guys.  The Suburban Prince went to work and I put the Little Prince to bed then settled on the couch with a movie.  Ahhhh peace at last!

Today I am having a jammie day!  I have been so busy this past week and I have been craving a day at home so I am going to play with the Little Prince and watch tv all day!

Have a fabulous day!