Spring Has Sprung!.... or at least slightly sprouted

It is a gorgeous day here in BC. It was the first day since last summer that I ventured outside to relax on my balcony with my sweet kitty. Still a little too chilly to start planting or BBQ but fabulous none the least.

My baby soaking up the last bit of sun before it sets for the night.

As I sat at my rickety little table my eyes kept drifting to my sad empty pots and all-too-clean gardening gloves. It kept calling my name, begging me to make something beautiful out of the sad scene but I have to resist until the weather is appropriate!

It's been a few days since my last post about my birthday so I thought I would do a quick post and recap on that because I am one lucky lady. We did our celebrating on the weekend with "whatever I choose to do," I was told. After agreeing on the typical dinner and movie plan I decided after all my catalogue drooling it was finally time I see Pottery Barn and Restoration Hardware in all it's glory. I felt like I was meeting a celebrity when we first walked in. I had to pause and take it all in for a moment. I went through both stores as giddy as a titmouse (whenever possible I like to throw in the word titmouse) even though I knew I wouldn't be able to afford anything from either of them right now. The average cost of just the mugs were $20ish which I couldn't justify on our tight budget. After some (albeit minor) arm twisting by my fella, I succumb to temptation and purchased one small thing that I now cherish. My girlfriend, who also spends very little money on herself, gave into the dark (yet beautifully decorated) side too and purchased one of those shiny fandangled $20 mugs. We both left feeling a little dirty..... and we liked it!

Below are a few shots of the birthday gifts I got and mine and my girlfriend's splurge purchases, if you can call them that, from Restoration Hardware and Pottery Barn.

Here it is! A bottle of Ginger Pear room spray. I know you're all probably thinking 'big whoop, its a bottle of smelly water,' but this was quite the event in my house. I gave it a test run last night before bed time and it smelled so fresh and delicious. I am a sucker for ginger and the pear gives it a crisp summery smell. Well worth the price tag I'd say.

And here is my partner in crime's purchase. An adorable little spring mug with a bird and a nest of eggs. She can't stop raving about it so I'm sure she would also say, 'money well spent.'

My wonderful mother in law gave me this little doozie for my birthday. It's a ceramic knife from "nood." She's an awesome cook and we actually got her this exact gift for Christmas so once she used it she decided I must also reap it's benefits. All mine are atrocious so it was met with a very warm welcome on my part. My knives felt like I would be better off cutting food with a soup spoon. Ceramic knives never go dull and never rust so who can complain?

My cards felt so tailored made to my likings. Sex and the City, Kitties and Audrey Hepburn.

Speaking of cards, my girlfriend gave me this DIY card making kit from Martha Stewart's line and I am psyched to try it out. I love craft's as you will see from the next shot.

This is another Martha Stewart craft tool called a circle cutter. It's a life saver for scrapbooking and card making. It cuts perfect circles with ease and ranges from 1 inch to 5 1/2 inch circles. I feel like an annoying sales lady.... but it is a cool tool to have.

So that was my birthday excitement this year. Do you do anything special for your birthday or have any cute memories? Feel free to share as always!