One and Fun: Let's be Mermaids

Top: On 34th, Macy's

Cake: ShopRite

Bubble curtain: Hobby Lobby

Tablecloth: Michaels

Top: Rare Editions, Macy's

Mom's mermaid dip.  Does not contain real mermaids.

That's what it said on the tablecloths I bought for Charlotte's mermaid-themed first birthday party.  We celebrated last Saturday, and it was the first party that the husband and/or I had ever thrown.  So although it was only fifteen people, the prep was a little nerve-racking.  Still, in the end it all came together, and Char Bar had a (beach) ball.

Which is all a socially challenged parent can hope for.

Well, that and party décor that plays into a future fit and necklace.

Skirt: ModCloth

Bag: Cat & Jack, Target

She Sells Seashells Necklace

A little birdie told me to add this.

Sunglasses: A New Day, Target

All joking aside, I can't believe how much Charlotte's grown -- and how much I've grown with her.  My heart is full whenever I watch her feed herself or pull herself up or replace her own pacifier.  She's becoming her own little person, and I can't wait to see what she learns next. 

Because as someone wise once said, the party's just getting started.

From Yesterday to Today: A Very Y2K Birthday

Top: Current Mood, Dolls Kill

Shoes: Jessica Simpson, DSW

Bag: Delia's, Dolls Kill

Skirt: Tinseltown, Macy's

This Monday, my birthday, blew by in a blur of snow and a rash-induced doc's visit for Char Bar.  But that was okay because I had the good fortune to celebrate with my whole family on Saturday.  Also, because a handy dandy cream made that pesky rash go away.  

Anyway, although I turned 43, in one way it felt like 18.  I'm of course referring to the Y2K vibe of my outfit.  It certainly couldn't be anything else, given that some days I feel a hundred! 🤣  

I've had the top, which is Current Mood from Dolls Kill, for a few years, and the bright pop art graphics and fitted mesh remind me of tops I wore my last year of high school.  However, I snagged the skirt which, in my opinion, has even more of that '90s-meets-aughts-space-age feel, just this year from Macy's for -- wait for it -- $6.76.  I liked it so much that I ordered two more, one in black and one in gold.  I love when old trends come back again.  

Just like I love that the older I get, the younger -- and trendier -- I want to dress. 😏🎂

Thinking Pink and Growing Rainbows

Dress: Speechless, Kohl's

Shoes: Mix No. 6, DSW

Denim shirt: Marshalls; Bag: Ella & Elly, Zulily

As my baby bump burgeons, I'm phasing belts and jeans out of my daily wardrobe.  So I was psyched to unearth my old but trusty black A-line dress to wear to my belated b-day celebration, as well as a skirt and leggings for a doctor's appointment.  Rediscovering these long-forgotten garments has been fun, presenting me with a new kind of fashion challenge.  

Speaking of which, making this Kooky Candy Necklace was another everything-old-is-new-again experience.  Partly because I haven't been crafting much lately, partly because I used old rhinestones I found when decluttering my craft room. 

As its name suggests, Kooky Candy is big and weird and a little bit wonky -- but that's okay because it's mine.  

The other new accessory I'm sporting is this nifty '90s-style scrunchie, which I love but (obviously) didn't make:

Scrunchie: Classic Alpaca, West End Garage

I bought it after Christmas at the West End Garage in Cape May.  It's from a small business called Classic Alpaca, as evidenced by its critter-shaped packaging.  Which in and of itself is cute enough to tack up in my craft room.

There's always space for another civilian in the land of pink and rainbows.

Hold the Phone: Birthdays of Today and Tomorrow

Dress: So, Kohl's; Bag: Sugar Thrillz, Dolls Kill

Flowers from my parents; they're the best!

Today is my 42nd birthday.  I have a head cold, so the celebration is on hold, but I decided to dress up for pics anyway.  Still, yesterday I got the best gift of all.  I found out that the husband and I are having a baby girl!  Back in September, when I first saw the pregnancy test, I was shocked.  Although the husband and I hoped for years, we knew that having a family might not be in the cards for us.  And then, once we (okay, I) stopped stressing, it was!  So that's why I believe that everything happens for a reason and when it's supposed to.  

It's exciting -- and scary! -- but mostly exciting, and I can't wait to meet our little girl in June.  I hope that we'll have the same unbreakable bond that's always been between my mom and me.  

So, thanks for reading and sharing in my news.  I've always been and will always be grateful for the kindness of this lovely community.  

And now I think I'll retire to the couch.  Because this mama is tired. 😏🎀👶

Old Maid Brigade and a Birthday Unscathed: 90 is the New 70

Normally, I have little sympathy for Miss Tilly, Tinker's Cove's fussbudget of a former librarian in Leslie Meier's Lucy Stone series.  But that changed when I read Birthday Party Murder, which puts Miss Tilly in danger of being bumped off just before her ninetieth birthday.  Having just had a birthday, I appreciate the unfairness of such a situation.  Furthermore, Miss Tilly's new penchant for wearing kids' sneakers that light up when she walks shows that even the staunchest of sticklers can know whimsy.

So Miss Tilly, my apologies.  Way to outsmart that Hells Angel named Snake in time for your town-wide celebration.  And to everyone else, this isn't a spoiler. 

The guy that ended up getting knocked off was worm food before the party started.

Eating Out and Eating In, A Happy, Hearty Birthday Win

I hadn't celebrated my birthday at a restaurant since before the pandemic.  But this year I felt ready to venture back out into the land of breadbaskets.  So on Friday night, the husband and I went to the historic Smithville Inn.  When we walked up to the hostess stand, the manager asked if we were there for the sweet sixteen party.  "No," I informed him, excitedly. "We're here for my forty-first birthday."  

Apparently, being sequestered from society for so long has only made me blunter.

He smiled, amused, and the twentysomething hostess looked up from her Colleen Hoover novel (sidebar: who is this Colleen Hoover that's all over Insta, and should I start reading her?), smiling also.  Then she led us to a table for two, pointing out that it was "good for photo ops."  Either she'd seen us taking pictures outside or was proud of the enormous Christmas-turned-Valentine's wreath presiding over the table.  Which she very much should be!  It was a thing of beauty and completely in keeping with my more-is-more aesthetic.  I was only too happy to pose my punk rock-wannabe-self beside it.  (The hand-drawn heart, by the way, is camouflaging the husband's leftovers.  I had no leftovers, having scarfed down all of my shrimp-on-shrimp appetizer and entrée)  

Then on Saturday it was time for the family party at my parents', which also included my sister, brother-in-law, and their three kids.  I proudly donned my LC Lauren Conrad sequin dress, Betsey Johnson pumps and necklace, and my very own birthday cake and balloon barrettes.      

Birthday Cake Barrette Brooch

Necklace: Betsey Johnson, Gifted

Birthday Balloons Barrette Brooch

Speaking of cakes, my mom ordered my very favorite from Cacia's in Hammonton, a super sugary vanilla.  When they asked what color to make the roses, she said "all of them."  Everyone made everything so special that I was a little overcome.

Somehow, I managed to get my birthday crown over my enormous barrettes.  And yes, in case you're wondering, that's my wedding picture in the background.  Also, nutcrackers.  Because my birthday bridges the gloomy gap between Christmas and Valentine's Day.  I used to quip that just when you thought the holidays were over, here comes Tracy's birthday, implying that it was a nuisance.  But now I like my positive spin on my day as a bright spot. 

As well as my new philosophy to leave no shrimp behind.   

Forty-One and Still Having Fun

Forty-one years ago today, I was born on a Wednesday so cold that, to hear my mom tell it, homeless people were "freezing in the streets."  She and my dad were watching The Fall Guy in her hospital room just before my arrival.  Not that the delivery was as easy as Lee Majors would have you believe.  Apparently, I was all turned around up in there, forcing poor mom to go through umpteen hours of labor before finally having a C-section.    

Mom, if you're reading this, then I'm still sorry.

But that's all icy water under the bridge as I write to you today, a proud, middle-aged woman who continues to amuse herself with kindergarten crafts.  Behold this trio of mostly-finished birthday barrette brooches, some of which I plan to wear during the weekend's festivities.     

Because today is just the beginning of what will undoubtedly be an, ahem, "major-ly" fun celebration.

Taking a Bite Out of Birthdays: Happy Forty-First to the Husband

Yesterday was the husband's birthday.  The celebration started on Saturday, with a party at my parents'.  My mom decorated this adorable birthday tree and found the coolest candle for the cake.

Sunday was all about recovering from the carbs while re-watching parts of Step Brothers.  At night, we ventured out to the Luminocity Festival in Atlantic City to see these dynamite dinos:

Yes, it was a prehistoric playground intended for kids.  But we got a kick out of it.  And it was certainly more our speed than hitting the clubs like we would've fifteen years ago.  

A night in AC doesn't mean what it used to, but we're more than okay with that.  

Because truth be told, we've both always been a little more kindergartner than club kid.