Diamonds & Daisies

Went out to dinner for my rockin' BIRTHDAY on Thursday night. Yes, another year older my friends. Remember in the 60s people used to say, don't trust anyone over 40, well I threw that one out the window many years ago!

So out to dinner to celebrate the ol' birthday to a real Indian restaurant, Gourmet India. Can you believe I have never been to an authentic Indian restaurant? I have never had samosa or even naan. I enjoyed the food immensely with some Taj Mahal beer but I really couldn't tell you what we ate except that we did eat family style and I know we had chicken tikka masala, tandoori chicken and samosa for sure. I did enjoy what seemed like creamed spinach with chunks of cheese and something the waiter called "vege balls," I found that amusing and it actually tasted great!

This is the honest truth of how much we enjoyed our meal!

Back to the condo for some birthday cake, a German chocolate cake that sent me into sugar overload...


...and a present! Five beautifully handmade and scented bars of soap. They are wonderful and from a shop called Clarity Soap & Candles which is not far from me in South Park. Visit the link and you'll find some cute and interesting shops in the area. You'll remember Rebecca's, I took you there last year for a latte and muffin.


And just in time for my birthday, you'll never believe this, I won a contest thrown by Barb at The French Elements.

The prize package included four Chanel products, an eye shadow brush, mascara guaranteed to give intense volume and curl, a wonderful facial cleanser and exfoliating gel so I can sparkle and shine!

Look! A fabulous burlap embroidered pillow with Joyeux Noel stitched under the Eifel Tower just in time for Christmas. The little pig was something I bought so long ago just because I thought it was cute. Barb made the pillow and if you visit with her you will find directions to her online shop as well.

The Chanel products were wrapped in this adorable tea towel stitched with the ever leaning Tower of Pisa. It's adorable!

I am ALSO sooo lucky to have won a great book from Tammy's contest over at Mug of Moxie. The book is Another Pan and is a paranormal take on Peter, the Lost Boys and the Darling Family. Things are slightly different than the original story! I am on page 125 of 392 and loving it.

I've been lucky recently on my thrift shop finds and wanted to show off two new tea pots that I have added to my collection. The flower shop with apartment above on the left was purchased for $3.50 and the pot on the right was just $1 from a yard sale. The platter in the background is part of my rabbit collection.

At two separate yard sales I found these scarves each priced at $2. The one on the left was crocheted by the person throwing the sale. She said she paid about $10-15 in supplies and that's not even including the hours she spent making it. She said it was hard to give up but she needed to make way for other things.

Here are some recent book acquisitions from scouring book sales at various libraries. No book was over $1. I'd like to point out a Georgette Heyer book that I will be reading soon. The author was recommended by Vix at Vintage Vixen and a few of her friends.

Finally, you guys, I have to sign off now because I just noticed that Lara Croft: Cradle of Life is on TV and you know I have to support my boyfriend Gerry Butler. Here's a shot of him taken from the movie.

Oh, and visit this link to view Gerry's fab New York loft featured in Architectural Digest, you'll love it...I do! Hope you don't mind BUT I must DASH now!