Oh What a Wonderful Birthday!

I must be the luckiest girl out there....I had the most wonderful birthday and wanted to share some snippets of my special day with all my friends out there in blogland!

My birthday was on Saturday and I had a nice long weekend to relax and enjoy it - such a treat. Vacation days are the best, no doubt. 

A peaceful, relaxing day at home by the fire and a wonderful dinner out that evening with Sweetie and some friends....the perfect day, indeed!

I was blessed with gifts from so many loved ones - both two and four legged...

I spread them all out on the dining room table to take a few photos. So much loveliness one one table!

I tell you.....they really know what I like, that's for sure!

The puppies (via my Sweetie) gave me these lovely placemats and dish towels in honor of our friend Mr. Bear - aren't they just so cute? Sweetie's got another big project up his sleeve....a combo birthday and house-a-versary gift....stay tuned for more on that!

I got a sweet card from the pups....another one from my sweetie's kitty cat, Lucy...and my dear friend Kathleen gifted me with this gorgeous stone candle holder, the blown glass perfume bottle in front of it, a Friends Forever candle, and a gorgeous bubble bath hand made glycerine soap that somehow missed the photo shoot. So lovely - she surely knows my taste!

Three lovely candles....and let me tell you, I can NEVER have too many candles - they are one of my favorite things!! By the way, that Shampure one from Aveda smells like a spa in a box....it's simply awesome - thanks, Bette!

A flowering Shamrock from sweet Diane...how perfect is that? There was a loaf of Irish Soda Bread with this gift also but it's already gone....mmmmmmm!

Some beautiful cards from loved ones.....my sweetini got me the martini card - isn't he clever? 

Wonderful, loving cards from Mom & Dad and my younger daughter....sniff, sniff, so sweet. 

Oh, did you notice the bottle of Tito's in the background - oh yeah, my friends know me well!

My daughter also bought me this beautiful grafted Weeping Pussy Willow - isn't this just gorgeous? I will have to find a very special place in the garden for this lovely tree!

Right now it's making me smile right by the kitchen window - can you see the reflection of me taking the photo?

That little tree makes me smile both coming and going - I love the way it looks through the kitchen window next to all the colored glass bottles. What a happy little window!

You know what else makes me smile? 

Covering my loved ones in kisses when they give me a gift. 

My Lily girl doesn't seem to mind but the Monkey looked a little worried that I was coming back to give her more kisses....

But wait, I think I missed a spot!

Sweetie got his share of kisses, also, for making my birthday so very special every year. 

There's no shortage of love in this house - isn't that just what makes the world go round? 

I am so blessed.