Help me celebrate my birthday!

*** Edited to add: Lookie, lookie. My felted fortune cookies are on the Craft Magazine blog. I'm almost famous!

I was awakened at 6 am by the Beatles "Its Your Birthday" courtesy of Thing 2. Oh it wasn't intentional. He just blasts the Beatles at all hours of the night and morning because they help him get back to sleep. Lucky me, right? But it was still a fun way to wake up even it he didn't plan it. By 7 am, the sun was rising over the mountains and I couldn't help but smile. It is quite a beautiful day to be alive.

So tonight at 9:16 pm, I'll be 37 years young. I gave myself a birthday treat of a Caramel macchiato and a cranberry orange scone from Starbucks and some applewood smoked bacon from Fresh Market. Yum! All my favorites and none of them good for me. Who cares, its my birthday and I can do what I want. Besides, this is the closest that I'll get for a celebration since we'll be schlepping Thing 1 and Thing 2 to Halloween socials all over the Valley tonight. The bummer about a Halloween birthday is that you don't really get to have a "regular" party. Oh well, I can think of worse things.

Wanna see something really scary?


Halloween 1979
Originally uploaded by indigomuse.

I know its a little fuzzy because its a picture of a picture but this is me and my brother on Halloween 1979. Doncha love my 'fro? I was Ms. America (for like the umteenth year in a row who knew that Vanessa Willams would beat me to being the first Black Ms. America.) and he was a dead sexy pirate. I laugh every time I look at it.

I've been showered with the blessings of friends for the last week. It actually started a month ago with Heaz taking me out to dinner when I was in the MD/DC area for work and surprising me with BUTTERCREAM ICING CUPCAKES! I was in heaven and have the pictures to prove it. You know you have the best friends in the world when they give you buttercream :) Thanks H! You really are the greatest.

The Things and I went to Halloscream at Busch Gardens two weeks ago and had a blast. In 30 years, I'd never been. The place was packed moreso than it is in the summer. And its all dressed up for Halloween. This is a pic of Thing 2 after one of the little shows Witchie Poo and Pumpkin too. He got to be a part of it and they're all saying the magic word he chose which was Lasagne.

Witchie Poo, Pumpkin and Thing 2
Originally uploaded by indigomuse.

Last Wed., my Fab Five knitting and spinning buddies took me to Petticoats and Petitfours for a delish lunch. And guess what it ended with? A tiny buttercream cake!

Buttercream Cupcake
Originally uploaded by indigomuse.

Yes, they love me and I know it. Right back at ya! These wonderful ladies saved me from some serious loneliness when I thought that I was the only knitter/spinner in this area. Y'all make me laugh til my sides ache the next day and fill my heart with such joy. Your friendship is the best gift I could have. Thanks!

My best bud Adri and family came up this weekend for some celebrating. This is what old people do to celebrate.


Sleeping beauties
Originally uploaded by indigomuse.

Yup, we eat and sleep while the kids tear the house down around us. But we're sleeping so we don't care. Adri made me an adorable apron and gave me some kitchen gadgets. I'm a sucker for gadgets.

Finally, a gratuitous knitting picture. Its a sneak peek of my final prototype of a project that I'm working on that will be sent off for test knitting soon. I'm loving these colors and the yarn in a major way. I can't wait until I can show you what I've been working on.

Double top secret knitting project
Originally uploaded by indigomuse.

Present Time, Present time, Open the Presents and See What's Inside

No presents yet but here's how you can help me celebrate my birthday. McGuyver and Ebayman (aka Mom and Dad) gave me lots o' moola for my birthday. I used to just spend the money on the kids and when they found out a few years ago, I got into mega trouble. So, now they want to SEE what I've bought as proof that I spent the money on myself. I've used the money for spinning, fiber, knitting and yarn for the last several (for example, I purchased my first Golding spindle and Arwen the spinning wheel in recent years). It is so hard for me to rationalize spending money on myself. Its that mom's guilt that plagues so many of us. It got me big time this weekend. So much so, I filled up a couple of online shopping carts and then cancelled before I placed the order :( I know that some of you out there who will remain nameless, have no problem spending money.

So, if you could spend a couple hundred dollars on something knitting or spinning related, what would you spend it on? Books, exotic yarns and fibers, kits, needles, something I haven't even thought of? Please include in your comments the specifics like names of yarns, fibers, gadgets, etc. and where you would buy it. I'll choose some prezzies for myself from your answers and the winners will get some goodies too.

The deadline for your answers is midnight Wednesday, Nov.1st EST.

I'm celebrating Samhain (pronounced Sow-win) this year in addition to Halloween, since I was made an honorary Celt by my friend Ellen's family last year. Supposedly, being born on Halloween means you're gifted with clairvoyance. Maybe I need to break out the Ouija board or do a little divination - LOL! Whatever you do to celebrate, have fun and be safe!