thankful thursday

things i am thankful for this week:

**the surprise early 40th bday celebration i had last weekend ~

it was orchestrated by amy & kami, and i was so very excited for three reasons:

1. i've never had an all out birthday party complete with party favors galore. SCORE!

2. i've never, ever had balloons on my birthday. legit. and just take a look at those silver bad boys! (however, i would like to state for the record that i've received them when i've birthed a baby. and they were spectacular.)

3. any time a portion of the evening can be fully dedicated to me makes it my FAVORITE TIME OF NIGHT.

i felt so loved and extremely special. and an evening with these girls was just what the doctor. ordered:


what i did not love about the evening was the fact that i didn't get photos of the other ladies surrounding me. so i've re-created a very life-like scenario, depicting them in their natural habitat:


{l to right: shannon, melissa, arianne, & tiburon}


i received many wonderful birthday surprizeys. they were all wonderful and lovingly-thought out and i was so grateful.

one that gets special recognition, however, was the spectacular piece of jewelry gifted to me by my beloved vanessa:



i'm never taking it off.

{want it? need it? have to have it? find it HERE.}







** speaking of surprises, i am so very psyched about the fact that my man is taking me away next week to celebrate the 40 years i've been on this planet. & it's somewhere warm & tropical.....

he has kept it a secret. and i am DYING to find out.

what a great present, no? russ is pretty advanced when it comes to the gifting arena. i'm a lucky girl.




**the fact that i made it through another confession booth without too much trauma. and minimal therapy.

everybody played so nice that i'm committed for may 2010.

i thought that, by typing that, i sounded really epic. but, then again, i am somewhat easily amused.

{image that made me L.O.L. (!!) courtesy tiburon}






**this commercial that reminded me that clowns serve a purpose.