Designer Party

Good Monday morning!

Wow! What a weekend. I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter. Our family has much to be thankful for this holiday.

I had hoped Roxie's cake would turn out well... and it did. It made the coveted Showcase Pic slot. She did a very good job. The flowers on the cake are gum drops rolled out flat and then cut in the shape of flowers and leaves. You're supposed to have a tiny flower cookie cutter, but we don't, so she did it by hand. It took a while, but the outcome was worth it. (I didn't do one single flower.) We copied the cake from the front of All You magazine (March 20 edition).

The Gallery Pics are just some Easter things from our weekend. Every year my Mom makes the Easter Bunny cake. Sometimes she makes it for the 4th of July, too, but she uses red and blue jelly beans. I keep thinking he'll turn up for Thanksgiving and Christmas, but he hasn't made it to those holidays yet. She makes him with white cake/white icing (ears), coconut cake (face), and chocolate cake (bow tie) to satisfy everyone's cravings in the cake department. She did a very good job with him this year.

The Easter Baskets haven't changed over the years, but the contents certainly have. The boys have wanted a NFL Draft magazine the last couple of years. (Austin runs off a copy of the picture for me to take Easter shopping.) They all wanted I-Tunes cards. (Roxie received the next Trixie Beldon book in her series instead of the Draft magazine.) They each get gum and a favorite candy. These are not huge baskets, but they are well-loved baskets.

After church Sunday morning, we spent about ten minutes taking the obligatory Easter pictures. You will notice we don't all match. Mike and the kids "blend," but after working on the Amazing Race - Easter Style, I ran out of time in the "Mom blending department." I may not blend, but I am clean, I have on all my underwear, make-up and matching shoes. That's a good day for me.

I've never told you why my pictures are a little grainy from time to time. I have a really nice "film" camera, and an inexpensive little digital camera I use for the blog and other items. If I want a really nice picture, I use my "film" camera. However, I can't put those pictures on my blog. I am due to have a really nice "digital" camera sometime during the year 2010. (Mike would have gotten me one sooner, but the life of my good camera is ten years... and I wanted to use it ten years before I went totally digital.) That is why my pictures are grainy sometimes. If you stick with me long enough (until the year 2010), you will notice a vast improvement in the photography around here.

The last picture, of course, is of Roxie and Grandma and the cake. We hated to cut it, but it's cake... so we did!

Amazing Race - Easter Style! was so much fun. The older guys really got into it, and I wasn't worried about the younger set enjoying themselves. The people at Auntie Annie's Pretzel stand were very cooperative, and they had a good time handing over the clues when the groups came by. The older guys were about 15 minutes ahead of the younger set during the first 30 minutes of the race, but just like the show, they got stuck in some long lines, they couldn't find a couple of items, etc., and at the end they lost by about five minutes. I wish I could say Roxie, Katie and Zac were good winners but... let's just say they take after Belinda, the Great!

We had such a good time, Mike and I talked in the big gold van on the way home from the Galleria and planned next year's Easter Adventure... Survivor - Easter Islands! That's right. And it's going to be good, too. Instead of being "Out Play, Out Last, Out Wit," Mikie came up with "Out Hide, Out Hippity, Out Hoppity." (Actually, he only came up with "Out Hide, Out Hop." Until he can finish it with another appropriate "H" word, my version stays.) We've even thought of all the challenges. And get this... The immunity necklace is going to be made of pink and yellow Peeps. Of course, I'll have all the details ONE YEAR FROM NOW.

We had a wonderful dinner at my Mom's after the Race, and then it was back home for a little more cooking for yesterday's dinner with Mike's family. We went to the 8:00 Easter service so we would have time to come home and finish cooking, pack and head to the Faulkner's. (A very good service, by the way.)

This was great-nephew Matthew's second Easter, but he was more aware of the concept. He's still not quite ready for the egg hunt, but he loves pulling the plastic eggs apart and putting them back together. He was very content doing that for awhile. He was beautiful and pleasant and sweet (and that was just with a 15 minute nap during church). Next year, I imagine we'll be hiding and finding eggs for much of the afternoon... and that's fine with me. (The kid recognizes the pictures and says the following words: green, clock, light, tree, etc., but we're not having a lot of luck in the "Belinda, the Great" department. I know. I know. It's still early, and he's obviously brilliant. I'm just a little impatient.)

Barry Manilow

I mentioned Mr. Manilow on Friday. I love Barry Manilow. I am, and will always be, a Fanilow. I've attended more concerts than I can remember. I attended those concerts wearing my light blue silk "Barry Manilow Blouse." (It didn't say "Barry Manilow" on the blouse. It was just an exceptionally pretty blouse, and in my mind, if he ever pulled me up on stage, I would look good wearing it beside him. I only wore it to Barry Manilow concerts.) I, at one time, had all of his albums (before kids). I had all of his piano music, and when I was alone, I would play and play and play my favorite Barry Manilow songs. When I was a member of a theme supper club for a few years, when it was my turn to host, we had Copacabana Night. I looked into becoming Jewish, but without a firm commitment from him, it was too much work. I say all of the above to let you know... I am not just a fan... I AM THE FANILOW!

I was walking with my friend, Cam, last week and she asked me if I had heard that a particular woman we both know had once sang back-up for Barry Manilow. "What? Are you kidding me? I never knew that!" I was shocked. Someone I knew and saw from time to time had actually stood on a stage with the incomparable Mr. Manilow.

Why had I never heard this? I think (no, I know) if I had ever sang backup for ANYONE (even the Wiggles), I would introduce myself in this way, "How do you do? My name is Belinda, and I once sang back-up for Barry Manilow." It would be said immediately and FIRST. (I would then show them the "I sang back-up for Barry Manilow" tattoo on my right arm!)

Well, not that I didn't believe my friend, but I felt it necessary to call the woman and hear it from her own two lips. The conversation went something like this:

"Hello?"

"Hi. This is Belinda. I heard a rumor about you, and..."

Lots of laughter here from her side of the phone. "Girl, I can't believe you didn't know that."

"Know that? If I had known that, I would have a picture of you on my 'Famous People I've Met So Far' page in my scrapbook! I would have asked you for his address so I could send him a Happy Hanukkah card! I would have been impressing people all the years I've known you by spouting that fact whenever there was a slight lull in the conversation. You are my hero right now."

"Well, it wasn't a big deal," she said modestly.

Obviously, her idea of a big deal and my idea of a big deal differ significantly. "It's the biggest deal EVER." I also found out I was in attendance at that specific concert.

"I also sang with Michael Bolton and Sandi Patti when they came to Birmingham."

Okay. Now she was just bragging. "Get out!" I shouted. "You are my best friend EVER."

She started getting a little quiet. I think I scared her. So I tried to bring it down a notch before I asked, "I have a blog, and I would love to have our picture made together and post it. It would be one of the highlights of my life." (That's me... being pathetic AGAIN.)

Well, we are planning to have our picture taken together for the blog AND the Famous People page of my scrapbook in a few weeks at our daughters' dance recital. I'm going to try to find my Barry Manilow light blue silk blouse. There's no doubt in my mind it won't fit, but I'm going to pin it to the top of whatever I'm wearing that day. Watch for the picture (SHOWCASE FOR SURE!) the first week of June.

I don't want this woman to be bothered beforehand (or someone else to get her picture before I do), so her name will be revealed along with her picture June 1. Until then, I will protect her identity.

Designer Party

My friend, Lana, asked me if I had any ideas for a special 13th birthday party for a girl. The main criteria was family/friends/fun/fabulous, but also everything needed to go SMOOTHLY. Hmmm. Girls can be tricky. Thirteen year-old girls can be even trickier. I went over party after party idea, adapted a few of them, and then at 5:00 a.m., the morning I was supposed to get back with Lana, I had an idea. I didn't know if it was a good idea, but it was different.

Since it was a "new" party (meaning never been tried), I gave her the skeleton version and she ran with it! It was great (and not because of my idea... because of what Lana did with my idea)! She sent me pictures on e-mail, so sometime today, I will try to add those to the blog so you can see some of the things she did.

Okay. All that explanation, and still no party. My idea was to simply let Kelsey "design" her own party. Lana had the idea of taking Kelsey to Party City and letting her pick out all of the paper products for her family party to be held on Friday night. When they arrived at the store, Lana handed Kelsey a timer set for 13 minutes. She had 13 minutes to pick out all of her colored plates, napkins, etc.

To continue with the "design" theme, Kelsey would be given envelopes. In the first envelope, she would have a choice of three friends. She could pick one special friend to share her Saturday. (This envelope had to be given to her about five days early to ensure the friend would be free for Saturday).

Her next envelope was given to her toward the end of the week. This envelope contained three menu choices for her family party to be held Friday night. She chose the menu.

The next envelope held three activities for Saturday. She was to pick one to enjoy with her friend. (Examples: Eat at Logan's and have manicures; Eat at Habaneros and go to the movies; Go to the mall and shop, shop, shop.)

She received another envelope Sunday afternoon. That envelope held the names of her family. (Mom, Dad, or Mom, Dad and Brother). She had to pick one of those options. The last envelope contained activities she would choose doing with one or more of the family members. (Shopping with Mom, Out to eat with Dad, Game Night or Movie Night with Mom, Dad and Brother). She chose one.

Lana was flexible with a capital "F." When she saw that Kelsey needed more time in the party store picking out the paper goods, the timer was removed. When Kelsey and her friend were having so much fun on Saturday, she extended the time they had together and the activities. I think Lana spreading it out made it more special, also.

Another thing Lana added to the party were gift ideas. She took the theme of "13," and on the homemade invitation to family asked them to think of ways to use the number (especially in monetary gifts). She knew Kelsey really wanted shopping money... and lots of it, but she also knew people like buying gifts. You know, being thoughtful about such a special birthday present. The family came through with flying colors. I'll share one of the gifts with you. A set of the grandparents wrapped 13 pennies, 13 nickels, 13 dimes and 13 quarters in individual little bundles. Then they tightly rolled $1 bills and tied them together so when you pulled one of them out of the package or envelope, it was followed by another and another and another $1 bill (13 in all).

Lana went all out, and made it a very memorable 13th birthday for her teenager.

NOTE: Lana also found the neatest package of different sized envelopes (all different colors and designs) at the Dollar Tree. She didn't even have to hand decorate the envelopes, but they were all beautiful and ready to be given.

In my mind, this party would work with just about any age or any sex. No one knows your child like you do, so the choices you put in each envelope will custom-fit them and only them.

Wish me luck transferring the pictures from e-mail to blog. It's probably the easiest thing in the world to do... for most people!

Tomorrow's Recipe is a make-ahead breakfast dish that makes it's own syrup. Nuff said. Wednesday's Seasonal Tradition is a spring must. Thursday's Date and Friday's Book will not disappoint either (I hope), so check back during your busy week.

Have a good Monday. We're supposed to be in for some very stormy weather today. Stay safe, and I'll talk to you tomorrow.