Birthday Booty

My beloved ones were ridiculously giving this 32nd birthday. A thank-you post is most certainly in order for all of the delightful goodies they were way too generous to give little ole me (with an emphasis on old).

I'm not the camping type, but these North Face tent mules c/o mum and diddy are going to do wonders for Constantine Balanchine's last pee outing of the night. Knowing my feet will be warm with little effort makes the final frigid endeavour a little less dreaded.

A certain someone couldn't help but give me these noise reducing Sennheiser earbuds one week early, and I'm oh-so grateful for it. They've already vastly improved my commute, since I can now actually hear the music over the roar of the el without everyone else hearing it too. I kinda feel like I'm in my own movie (dark comedy of late), and they genuinely curb the commuter-angst that's been getting a tad outta control.

Speaking of pricklies, D gave me this cute hedgehog pencil case, which I'll be using for sunglasses.

Along with some amazing jewelry (including origami earrings!) from The Mexican Shop in Evanston, I finally own a pair of earrings made by one of my most favorite local jewelers, Leaves of Glass (cool name, huh?). They're called "Voice of the Beehive," and they're gorgeous and so versatile. Thank you gg thank you!

In fact, I think they will look lovely with the modish Dunderdon dress D should not have been so kind as to get me (though I admit I'm so glad he did). Particularly when he'd already given me the cool new camera that's working far better than the Lumix I dropped a year or so ago (oh the endless shame). I shall proudly tote her cameraness around in this perfect Lesportsac camera case c/o gg. I already took the above photo of the birds nest coral that gg was also so very sweet to get me. It channels birds and the sea and is just so darn pretty I can't stop looking at it. I'm pretty much in love.

On top of all that, there was the fun... Friday brought Bouillabaisse at Duchamp, ginger drinks and yummy treats at Hot Chocolate, and Steely Dan got the bird at Bluebird. Come Saturday, I was introduced to the awesome yet affordable crablegs served by The Half Shell. Holy gem! It looks like a basement dive bar. And yet it serves first rate seafood. You don't get much more up my alley. Unless you're... well... Anyhow, what.a.find. I will be back. Later this week.

Believe it or not, there was even more, but I'll end the virtual thank you here. I felt deeply unworthy, and yet so lucky and loved, truly. So thankyouthankyouthankyouohsoveryverymuch and thank you again and again. You are the bestest of the bestest. And so are you. And you too. Really, you are.