Birthday MONTH: Day 25 & 26

Hey there...

(pout pout)

I know some of you were wondering where I was yesterday.

I was curled up on the couch sulking because the SAINTS lost (& lost BAD to the Cleveland Browns, no less!) augh!

But I'm over it and today IS a GOOD DAY!  :)

Are you ready to open the BIG BIRTHDAY BOX from my sister Karen????

You know...the box that's been sitting in my library since October 1st?

STOP!

Just wait a second Nellie...

Before we start, I'd like to share "something" that I just found out today...

I was "told" that one of you, or maybe SOME of you (YOU know who you are!) may "think" that I've already opened all of my birthday presents, photographed them and now I'm "pretending" to open them one at a time throughout my Birthday MONTH...

SHAME ON YOU ;)

I cannot BELIEVE you don't believe me!!!!  ;)

Let's see now. I have to find a way to prove it to you that I give EACH gift special attention and special recognition. How can I "show" you that I savor EACH detail?

I STILL have gifts to open! I swear!  :)))

I know it's DAY 26 and it's kind of late to be convincing you, but if this doesn't do it, I don't know what will...

Here are a couple of boxes that are STILL waiting for me to open and I'll prove it to you with my iPhone!

from Pam...

Look at the date on my iPhone...it's TODAY! the 26th!

I took the photo at 4:11 pm and whadoyaknow...the box is NOT opened!!!!

Here's another box from Lisa...no broken seal on it either!!!!

I'm no David Copperfield...I can't unwrap 'em then wrap 'em back! I swear to ya!!!!

;)

I'll be the first to admit that whenever someone tells me "I'm crazy" for not tearing into a box as quickly as I get my hands on it...I do believe them. I AM crazy but I DO wait. I wait for that perfect time to enjoy EVERYTHING without being disturbed or distracted. I savor each thought...it's just who I am   :)

(i forgive ya for not believing me)

So NOW are you ready to dig into the BIG BOX???

Let's begin...

Just for the record, the time is:  4:13p.m. October 26th

:)

Just a little warning about my sister Karen:

I want you to know that...

SHE LOVES ME VERY VERY MUCH!!!! 

She spoils me constantly. Not just for my birthday. Not just for Christmas. But I'm always receiving little surprises from her throughout the year and when I least expect it.

Her reason? 'cause "she loves me"  :)))

And...she loves Thad a.k.a. The Man too.

She sent him three birthday gifts in MY birthday box. (too bad he had to wait a whole month before he could open his gifts!) 

His birthday WAS 9-28!  poor thing!!!

According to Karen's note above...let's start with the black and white bag...

Inside was THREE gifts and a sweet card...

In the bigger box of the three was a BIRTHDAY APRON and a SWEET embroidered hand towel...

Last year for my birthday, she gave me the "Happy Birthday" hand towel so now I have the matching set!!! I leave it out the whole month of October!!!! :)

I love this little hand towel...isn't it sa-weet???

Next up is combination of the two smaller presents...

A bracelet with the coolest charms and two funny note pads ("pep talk" and "sweet nothings") too cute!

We still have all of these to open from Karen...I told you she loves me!!!!

(sorry the photos are not that great today. it was SO cloudy and I didn't have enough natural light coming through :(

Another card was tucked inside one of the brown bag gifts...my sister Karen is such a sweetheart! I love the punched lace at the bottom of the card...it's even inked!!!! Love it!!!!

Are you feeling the L.O.V.E ???

STOP!

it's "package opening proof" time...

;)  are you believing me yet??? 

This little cutie was in the second brown bag...

Aren't they just THE SWEETEST COUPLE????

Now we are down to three more gifts...

The beautiful lady on the card above looks just like our Mother. She loved to dress up and wear beautiful hats like that. Mom wore a similar dress and hat just like this one at Dickens on the Strand one Christmas holiday many years ago. Mom was in all her glory being able to dress and play the part of a beautiful Victorian woman...oh those were the days. I love the memories!!!

Are you getting the idea of how much my sister loves me?

She really REALLY does...

And this card says it all. I was full of tears...happy tears!

Just in case you can't read it, I'll share it with you...

The card itself reads:

Once upon at time you were born...and there was much rejoicing, for in one instant the world had become a more beautiful and magical place...

Happy Birthday

And Karen wrote inside:

Jodie~

You may be 40 but I remember when you were born. And I remember how I couldn't help but pick you up, hold you close to me, kiss you and smile, and think of my precious sister. That's when you stole my heart forever.

I love you Jodie, I have loved you and will always,

xoxo Karen

(sniff sniff)

I warned you just how much she loves me! Didn't I?  ;)

Let's open the Charming Charlie bag...I LOVE that place!!!

Our Auntie Belva took the three of us (my sister Karen, my sister Penny and me) to CC's one day and it was SO awesome. (The store was awesome but even more awesome was the time us girls spent with her!!! She's the coolest Aunt ever!)

Like I said, I love the memories!!!! :)

Get a load of this loot!

Sister sent me a necklace...

some hair pins...

some earrings...

 some bracelets...

and some more bracelets...with BLING!!!!  :)

I know someone who is VERY jealous of me right about now...she's my idol of everything BLING!!!!   

:)))

STOP!

it's "package opening proof" time...AGAIN!!!

Are you believing me yet??????

:)

oh...just in case you forgot how much my sister Karen LOVES me, here's a reminder...

Let's open it up and see what reminds her of ME...

It's a book box and the lady is beautiful!  {sigh}

...but doesn't she look pregnant? eeewwww.

oh dear, please don't wish that on me at 40!!!!

Inside the book box was a black (even though it looks blue) shirt encrusted with fleur de lis BLING!

Perfect to wear with my new Charming Charlie BLING!

Wouldn't I look great wearing all of this to a SAINTS game?

(hopefully not to LOSE & come home and sulk again...hmpf!)

It's okay. I'm a die-hard Saints fan. They'll be the death of me.

There was one more little gift that sister Karen tucked way down in the bottom of the bag...

It's a cute set of Fall dishtowels with a card attached on top. This was from a set of cards that I purchased from one of my "bestest" girlfriends, Jamie. I bought a pack for sister Karen and sent them to her for her birthday.

It totally made me smile when I saw it!

...and reassured me that she loves me!!!!  :)))

STOP!

it's time to confirm the END of "package opening proof" time. It's a good thing 'cause it was really getting dark outside!!!!

So to you, my friends...

There are at least THREE things that you should have learned about me after reading this post...

1.) My sister Karen LOVES ME a lot!!!

2.) I DO WAIT to open my gifts!!!

&

3.) Don't ever send a birthday present for The Man in one of MY birthday boxes. Chances are...he WILL NOT get it on time!!!! 

;)

However, he does like the idea of having a POST Birthday MONTH all for himself!!!!

(He was BAD!)

and he's going to be very very bad with his crawfish pajama pants...

and his "HOT" Fender guitar shirt...

I'm a good sport...

I'll share my birthday MONTH with The Man.

I'll be back later...we're going "be BAD"

.

.

.

(just kidding...we're 40/43 ... how "bad" can we be?)

{too late...it's past our bedtime}

;)