I swear, my friends know me so well. People have always told me that I'm "easy to buy gifts for" (not that their love & friendship isn't more than enough) . . . and these pictures of some of the wonderful things I got in the mail for my birthday last week prove it!
(Please forgive the iPhone-quality pics. With a broken camera, it's all I got).
From darling Faiza, who most would agree is one of the most delightful people around. She sent a lovely golden scarf, a "party in a box" (so cute!), a babysitting notebook (how thoughtful!), some candy, and a card with an adorable monster on it. I feel so lucky to have gotten to know Faiza--she inspires me to be patient and gracious, and I'm so thankful for that.
Pretty sure that any of you can guess who this is from . . . my sweet girl, Micaela. I don't think I've ever known a better gift-giver; Micaela sent a custom-ordered embroidery of Leo, the constellation of my birth sign, a wire hanging of our favorite word ("adore"), a vintage floral tin (which I love btw) with a pretty doily inside (crocheted by Mama Lechuga), a beautiful black & gold ring with a Leo the lion symbol, a Gypsy candle, and a collection of poems (all along with some school supplies for the first day of school). I am so full of gratitude for this precious gift and this precious girl! What's most amazing about all these sweet presents is that they show how incredibly well she knows me. Micaela and I are so much alike. I love you pretty girl!
close up of Leo ring!
One of a few funny gifts from my little mama. She sent me a weighted hula hoop, hoping that it would help with my terrible back. She included a note reminding me of my championship hula hooping skills as a kid, proven by my victory at a hula hooping contest at the ever-classy Panama City Beach, Florida circa 1988. AWESOME.
My dear friend Heather, whom I've known for years and miss terribly (she lives in Chile now), sent this gorgeous Chilean scarf, some bright red earrings, a beautiful hand-made card, and some candy which isn't pictured because I devoured it immediately upon receipt. I love the bright colors in this scarf and can't wait to wear it! Lucky for me, San Francisco is scarf-weather about 10 months out of the year. :)
Flowers at work on my birthday from my daddy and stepmama! They also sent an gift card which I think I'm gonna put toward a Brazilian blowout . . . yessssss. These flowers made me so happy, since my actual birthday was the dang first day of school.
From another champion gift-giver, my bff Tiffany. Tiff has good reason to know me well, as we've been friends since we were 14. See those earrings? Those are pictures of Anais Nin, one of my very favorite writers, and with whom I am generally captivated. I couldn't love these earrings any more! She also sent supplies for my card-making and a funny little hanging pillow that says Please remove your Jimmy Choos . . . though why on earth would anyone want to remove Jimmy Choos?? Thank you Tiff for these amazing and so very "Claire" gifts!
One of my other best friends, Amy, sent two canisters of cupcake mix from the most delicious cupcake store in southern California. I can't wait to make the red velvet cuppies . . . YUM! I wish I could share them with Amy, cause I miss her so much. :(
My Lane--my other half--sent me this necklace with a note that says "to wear to remember true love." Sometimes Lane and I feel like the only remaining single women on the planet, so we have to remind each other that we're not gonna end up sharing a double room in a nursing home as spinsters 4 life--ha!
Oh, Tim Riggins. How I love you so. Cari and JJ (and Milo and Jude) gave me some fantastic gifts this year, the best of which was this Tim Riggins jersey. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I am now the proud owner (wearing it now!) of an authentic RIGGINS #33 jersey, which I might never take off. It makes me feel just a little bit closer to him. And perhaps make me just a little bit more of an obsessive stalker freak. Good thing I don't have his address.
Thank you so much for all the love, gifts, cards, calls, texts, comments, and everything else that made me feel so loved this year on my birthday. Here goes the last year of my 20s . . . hoping for something remarkable!