Tuesday, April 22, 2008

My family knows me so well.

I really had a great birthday yesterday, and I got gifts from my family that were perfect for me! It all started with these simple, casual shoes I bought for myself (blush). They're Dr. Scholl's, super comfy and really cheap! $28 at Walmart. Thanks, Carrie the Gremlin Wrangler, for telling me about them.

Then, my mother-in-law gave me this fun beach/overnight bag below with matching towel. It also had a matching make-up bag and wallet and hat! I liked the colors...not something I would have bought myself, but very fun to receive!

Then there is this beautiful bag from L.L. Bean with my name on it! (Ok, I ordered it for myself and had the kids give it to me) I have a little bit of a tote bag addiction...and I love all the pockets on this one.
My mother-in-law knows how much I love to read, so she gave me this wonderful gift certificate to Barnes and Noble for an exorbitant amount! And, she knows how much I love Harry Potter, so the card theme is obviously...you got it, Harry Potter!
My mother, my stepfather, and my father all chipped in together and bought me...drum roll please...a new camera and Photoshop Elements!!! I am beyond excited. I am estatic!! I am high on life and ready to take some REAL photos. I can't wait to get started!!! The new camera is an updated version of one I have and love, but the newer, improved model. I've never had Photoshop before, and I think it's high time I start cleaning up and having fun with my photos. My mom is a photography nut as well and has all the software...so she understands my obsession with it as well. I'm working on converting my children over to the shutterbug side now as well.
My parents are so wonderful, all three of 'em. My mother also cooked a yummy dinner and cake, feeding my whole fam, which is no small feat.

And, then, my hubby and boys gave me the final gift right before bed tonight...a new all-in-one photo pinter, scanner and copier. Yippee!! I've never had one of these babies before. Can't wait to start scanning in lots of fun, older pictures!!


I am beyond happy, can't wait to start playing with my new toys. It's been a great birthday! I also made it back into the fitness center (which I somehow avoided for the last month or so). It felt great to work out again. Those endorphins really kick in!

Giggle from Giggles (formerly known as VBF from Motivationless) gave me this sweet, adorable award recently, and I wanted to thank her!! She's my new awesome friend from Australia, a real live wire with lots of fun energy. We discovered our shared passion for the TV show LOST. Here is my award:


And, I want to pass this award along to everyone who took the time to stop and say Happy Birthday to me yesterday in the comment section. You guys were all so sweet to stop and say hello and help make my day even more special! Thanks!! And, enjoy this award...you know who you are.

32 comments:

Lara said...

a little bit late, but HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

CrystalChick said...

Ooh, yay, I was there. Award #2 I'll snag and post asap.
WONDERFUL gifts. What girl can't use a new bag?! The gc is to one of my fav stores! And when you figure out all the bells and whistles on that camera, do tell as it's the one my hubby bought me last year. I don't have Elements, I have the full on Photoshop monster program... a friend 'loaned' it to me. It soooo complicated. Elements will be much easier to use. It was mentioned alot in the workshop I attended. Your photos are really nice already though, I doubt you'll have to do much to them.
Glad you had a nice time on your birthday. :)
Happy Earth Day, Rhea!
Peace, Mary

Utter Basketcase said...

Pssssst... it's me (vbf)

I've changed my name! *GiGGLes*


HAPPY BIRTHADY FOR YESTERDAY! GORGEOUS!! :-) xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Sorry! I was flat out all day yesterday finishing RAT GiRL... that I ran out of time to do my daily reading!!!

Can't believe I missed your Birthday ffs! :-(


How cool is that BAG with your name?????

That rocks!!!!! :-)

ANd you're very welcome for the award! :-)

oooooooooooooo RAT GiRL is finshed!!!

COME HAVE A LOOK!! :-)

Anonymous said...

Wow! Glad you had a great day. :-)

carrie said...

Hey it's my shoes!! Crazy.

And a camera and elements! You made out good!

Indy said...

Wow! Lots of thoughtful gifts. Hope you had a wonderful birthday!

Valarie Lea said...

You racked up!!! I am so excited for you, and I can't wait to see what you do with all your pictures. :) Its so fun having new toys.

GBK Gwyneth said...

Wow, Rhea, those are some great gifts!!! have fun with them all!

Keys to the Magic Travel said...

You do a birthday right! You explain to your husband about getting a housekeeper...and I'll explain to mine that I need presents on my birthday.

So are you going to start posting Photoshop tutorials? I need them. I have the monster version...and cannot figure it out. And I am not going to read the manual. There was a flyer that came home with Madalyn's school stuff for a continuing education class in photoshop...for Middle schoolers. Hello?! Can I take it too?!

Anonymous said...

You did all RIGHT for your birthday! I'm jealous! LOL I LOVE the LL Bean bag...oh and the sneaks...oh and for SURE the camera! LOL

Barb said...

Looks like you had a great birthday! I'm so glad! You asked me on my blog about swap packages. Well, a group of people, usually bloggers, all get together and make a package for someone else in the group and then we swap (through the mail)! Swaps usually have a theme- some of the swaps I have done in the past are: garden, favorite things, handmade items, etc. Sometimes they're organized through blogs or emails, but I have seen some on Flickr, too. Hope that helps!

~**Dawn**~ said...

::drools over camera::

Kiera said...

Yay a camera!! and photoshop? You really are the queen of your castle huh?!

Utter Basketcase said...

Are you okay my lady? *hugs* xx

Anonymous said...

holy cow, you raked it in. Happy Birthday! I have been awol, life is crazy. 8&^%$!!

Rhea said...

Lara - Thank you! Do you have a profile and/or a webpage?

Crystal Chick - Thanks! I love books and photography...two of my hugest passions! I'm excited about learning Elements and the new camera.

Giggle - I enjoyed rat girt. I love the new name, but it's going to take me a while to get used to it.

Kim - Thanks, the day was great yesterday!!

Carrie - You're the one who inspired me to get the shoes. They're very comfy.

Indy - Thanks, it was super wonderful!!

Rhea said...

Valarie - It was toture getting all these new toys last night and then I had to work all day today and couldn't play with them. I will be playing tonight though...

Gwyneth - I feel so lucky! My hubby really went out of his way to find a good printer/scanner and my parents totally suprised me with the camera and photoshop elements. I feel beyond blessed right now.

Kat - A housekeeper would have made the birthday PERFECT, but I'll take what I can get right now. lol Just let me at your husband, I'll talk him into gift giving. I'll share tutorials as soon as I figure it out...I don't think I could handle the Photoshop monster program, it's intimidating looking!

Rhea said...

April - I love LL Bean's totes. I had one just like this that was destroyed somehow a while back.

Barb - Thanks for explaining the swap package thing. Interesting!

Dawn - I've started taking pictures with the new camera, and they're much clearer and crisp than my old one.

Kiera - I guess sometimes I'm queen of my castle...not always though.

Uburburber - Sorry life's been crazy, everything ok? Thanks for the happy birthday!

Skeller said...

Looks like it was a great day - isn't it nice to be known and loved?!? And congrats on the new camera and ps!! My friend Leslie says that every single digital image is unfinished - they all need a little sharpening and contrast boost. I take everything she says and try to put it into practice :-).
Happy day after ....

tearese said...

your camera looks almost identical to mine, but mine is a panasonic. That all in one looks way nicer than the Lexmark we have. Nice! Looks like you had a great birthday.

Jeff B said...

Look out planet. Rhea has a new camera and she's not affraid to use it!

Glad you had a great birthday too.

Lady in red said...

belated happy birthday........family are the very best when it comes to birthdays.....my boys did me proud the other week

Andrea said...

Wow! What a great day! Let me know your Photoshop secrets. We have it....I just don't have the patience to play around with it now.

Rhea said...

skeller/Susan - You have amazing photos, so I'll listen to your advice any day! It is nice to have family who loves you. :o)

Tearese - Thanks! I am going to start installing software and playing with my new toys today! I haven't had a spare moment until now.

Jeff - You're right, new camera and not afraid to use it. Watch out! I want to come photograph you and your dumbo ears that I hear about...and maybe Ron's troll collection. (Read your brother's blog and Ron's blog today if you have no idea what I'm talking about!)

Lady in Red - Thank you! Happy be-lated birthday to you too, it sounds like!

Rhea said...

skeller/Susan - You have amazing photos, so I'll listen to your advice any day! It is nice to have family who loves you. :o)

Tearese - Thanks! I am going to start installing software and playing with my new toys today! I haven't had a spare moment until now.

Jeff - You're right, new camera and not afraid to use it. Watch out! I want to come photograph you and your dumbo ears that I hear about...and maybe Ron's troll collection. (Read your brother's blog and Ron's blog today if you have no idea what I'm talking about!)

Lady in Red - Thank you! Happy be-lated birthday to you too, it sounds like!

Emily said...

I'm so glad you had a good birthday! You got some pretty awesome gifts, too! A new camera... photoshop elements... photo printer/scanner/copier... SWEET!

Rhea said...

Emily - Thank you! I think I got awesome gifts...I'm totally over the moon happy about them. I've been spending today installing the software for everything, setting things up. I have some manuals the size of a college biology book, I swear. Sheesh.

Unknown said...

Love the LL Bean bag, also a huge HP fan and I just got Photoshop Elements too...it's alot to learn!

Hope you had a great day :-)

Anita Marion Loughrey said...

Happy Birthday. They are just the best presents ever. I would have loved them myself.

When I get my piccie of my tattoo done i will let you know. But, looks like maybe you're the person to do it now.

Do you think I could get away with a trip to Texas to have a photo taken?

Hmmm!

Anyway, thanks for commenting on my blog.

Best wishes,
Anita

Rhea said...

Britgal Sarah - Sounds like we like a lot of the same things. Of course, who doesn't love LL Bean bags, Harry Potter and Photoshop! lol I can't imagine someone NOT liking any of those things. hehe

Anita - Thank you for the happy birthday! I could fly to you to take a picture of your tattoo...as long as all expenses are covered! lol Can't wait to see your tattoo pic. :o) Thanks for coming by.

Misty DawnS said...

Oh Wow! Now that's my kind of birthday! I'm a technology/photography addict!

Glad you had such a great day.

Rhea said...

Misty Dawn - Thanks! I had an awesome birthday, and I'm finally starting to play with my new toys. It's a lot of new technology to learn in one sitting.

Have you noticed how hard it can be to keep up with the latest technology? It took me forever to get into iPods...but I want to keep up with everything. :o)