I'm 40! The freakin' bounty!

Okay, so I turned the big 40 today! I'm so happy to be above ground! And as my wise cousin, Tonya, pointed out, with our Welch ancestry, I won't be middle aged until I'm 50.

This is the best birthday ever! It's cool and rainy and I've had tons cards and gifts and facebook birthday wishes. And to top it all off, I get to spend this rainy fabulous day snuggled in tight with my hubby Mr. Daddy Man and our little munchkin Eli, aka Jiggy Man.

Oh...I forgot to mention that I will be shoving chocolate chip cookies by Critty, pretzel m&ms and farmers market cheese bread in my face all the day long, unless I decide to depart to pick up a movie, in which case I may as well take my party size bag-o-sweet and salty goodness with me. And honestly, I'm sure I'll tote the cookies. I mean they are in a tin and travel well.

So anyways, I woke up this morning to a fat pile of gifts and cards from some of my favorite peeps in the universe! It's almost like the big bang occurred again and poof! A new world of cookies, candy, kraut, preserves, butterflies, soap, owls, kitchenware and flower power was created. Ahhhh. Happiness!

Oh...I almost forgot the unending pleasures of spider plants and cheese bread and, of course, PEACE! I got the little spider plant w/baby this morning at the farmers market. And just look at this flower tin of loveliness, courtesy of Wanda at Black Dog Emporium in Lexington, NC. My favorite antique shop! The Peace notebook is from me to me, and already contains some top secret notations on future blog material.

How can one go wrong? It's virtually impossible with my new flower power popcorn bowl/window flower/wall sconce shade/glass piece of joy. Just look how pretty it looks next to my spider plant.

So clearly Mr. Daddy Man knows the way to my heart is food and hand made soap. He managed to get me every single thing I could have possible dreamed of wanting. Except one thing..an owl! But his dad bought me one, so we're all good. Check his wise ass out! "Eat the apple, not the m&ms!"

Just zoom in on the kraut--I'm telling you, it's the best in the whole wide world--and the fig and scuperdine preserves Daddy Man got me at Black Dog! These are Heather of Black Dog's grandma's recipes. The stuff of legends.

There were funny and teary cards and kitchenware! I LOVE kitchenware too much. Eli recently destroyed both my red bowls (made in the USA!), so he replaced them for my birthday and threw in a snazzy red cutting board and spoon. Go Eli!

And finally, last but certainly not least, is my amazingly blue and fabulous butterfly. It glows like a fire opal! This butterfly (also found at Black Dog...if you are interested) is mounted by the sweetest little old man, Bill Parke. He does all the work himself and don't worry! The butterflies are not slaughtered. They live their full lives and then are collected after they die. I've wanted one forever and now I have one to enjoy, unless Eli steals it from me. He's making plans already. I can see it in his eyes.

Well, I will go now, snuggle in tight to my Mr. and Eli, and wallow in my 40s bounty! The goal is to finish off all the cookies, bread and candy today, for tomorrow is a new day. Diet day.

XOXO

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