Birthday Girl

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Yes, today is my birthday.

Birthday Girl Averie

I really didn’t intend to post about it because as a mom, I’d rather talk about my child’s birthday festivities, but you all forced my hand.

I want to thank everyone who has wished me a Happy Birthday on my personal Facebook page, my blog Facebook Page, on Twitter, on my last post in the comments, in text messages, in voicemails, and on email.  Whew.  I have never felt so loved!

Once again, I am blown away by all my wonderful friends and your kind words and well wishes.  Thank you!

Ironically, and this is such a cruel twist, I feel like total crap today.  I am sick. I have a super sore throat, I have a fever, my body aches, I am tired but can’t sleep.

Scott took these pictures and said, “But you don’t look sick.”  Trust me, I am.   Fake it til you make it, right?

Birthday Girl And fake that this picture is in focus, right?

So what’s a sick birthday girl to do?

Just tell myself I am not sick, carry on as usual, and try to make the best of the day which is what I’ve done!

I went on a photo shoot bonanza at the farmer’s market today.

Here are a few of the images I captured that I have edited (of the 150 I took in about 45 minutes) that are early favorites.   

vegetables

vegetables

sunflowersI hope you like looking at produce and plants because I have a whole post of pictures coming up in the next day or two from my birthday photo shoot bonanza.  And I don’t mean this photo shoot.

Scott didn’t buy me any presents.  I buy my own. After the farmer’s market as I was walking home, I stopped in a thrift store and went “all out” and for $5 bucks scored two pink bowls and two plates.  Last weekend it was a new computer but this weekend I kept it very thrifty.

two pink bowls and two platesI love little thrills and cute ‘n cheap dishes.   It makes picture making time so much more fun with a few new props.

I didn’t make myself a birthday cake.

I ate No Bake Nutella & Peanut Butter Graham Bars with Chocolate FrostingThey are so easy to make and you too will enter a sugar coma and nut butter heaven all at once when you try these.

No Bake Nutella & Peanut Butter Graham Bars with Chocolate FrostingAnd honestly, one of the best presents of the day was having FoodGakwer and Tasteologie like my images.  Photography is so important to me now and if I am judged well by the Food Photography Gods, then it’s a happy day for me.

Questions:

1. Have you ever been sick on your birthday or any other important day or holiday?

Growing up I would invariably get sick over holidays or when school was on break.  It’s like I would take my final exams and my body said, ok, the stress of that big event is over now you can relax.  And then my body would let out a big sigh and proceed to get sick.

I think after the running-on-adrenaline phase is over or the stress of a big event has passed, our bodies relax, including our immune systems, and that’s when sickness happens.

Not to mention, it’s no surprise, now that we’re home from Aruba and Skylar is back in preschool, she is bringing home tons of germs from all the other (sick) kids so it’s like going through my own childhood all over again with being exposed to every imaginable germ and virus out there! 

Kids are little germ incubators.  But I love her anyway.

Skylar

Honestly, as a mom, being sick with a cold, fever, a headache, or anything else is just like any other day.  You just smile, carry on, hug your kid, and pray to God the razor blades in your throat go away soon.  No rest for the weary.  I couldn’t imagine just laying around.  Not when there’s pictures to make and snacks to fix!

Chugging vanilla iced coffees has felt good on my throat, though!

vanilla iced coffee

2. Best birthday memory or celebration you’ve ever had?

25th birthday comes to mind.  We were living on the beach in North Carolina and I did a sunset yoga class on the beach with a dozen or so awesome free spirits, we carried on with a vegan potluck, Scott had me a hot pink cake made in the shape of a high heel, we drank all night long, went skinny dipping in the ocean, and watched the sun rise the next morning.  Fun times!

Today’s festivities are just a wee bit different.   Plus, I have to work later.

3. Best thing you’ve ate or done over the weekend?

The farmer’s market and taking pictures rocked for me.  Sickness and all.

Ok and the Nutella & PB Bars rocked too.

And if you’re just catching up on posts since Friday, here are mine:

Have a wonderful week and although I can’t thank everyone personally for all the birthday wishes, each and every email notification that I opened brought a huge smile to my face.  Thank you so much!

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Comments

  1. Happy (belated) birthday! Glad you were able to do some fun things like photographing at the Farmers Market! I always warn friends when they take me to markets that I will be the slowest shopper ever…because I’ll be too busy taking pictures. =) If you’re ever in Detroit (especially during the summer), you should visit Eastern Market. A friend took me there a couple of years ago, and it was photography heaven! So many beautiful colors and textures and sights.

    Okay, so I got sidetracked – hope your birthday was a lovely one, and that the year ahead is full of great blessings for you! =)

  2. Happy Birthday!!! And those Nutella and PB bars look way better than birthday cake any day! :)

  3. You definitely don’t look sick, but maybe that has something to do with your wicked Aruba tan? Hope you are feeling better now.

    When I was 12 I came down with the flu during my birthday party (the weekend after my actual birthday). That was no fun, and put a damper on the celebrations :( Last year I had a huge & horrible headache the whole day of my brother’s wedding. Still helped decorate, helped with the flowers, shuttled my SIL’s family to & from the house & hotel, socialized during pictures and the reception, cat-called my brother during speeches, helped my SIL use the bathroom in her wedding dress, moved all the presents back to the house, did some dancing, and then went home to collapse in bed. Phew! Thankfully, no one had a clue ;)

    My husband & I share the same birthday (4 years apart) so we always do something we both enjoy. Since it is close to Father’s Day, we usually have whole family celebrations too. Always nice.

    Best thing I ate this weekend: your No Bake Coconut & Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bites. Yum!

  4. Happy belated birthday! Sorry, I didn’t even crack open my laptop yesterday. Sorry you are sick–I hope things are better today :)

  5. Happy belated birthday! I hope it got better. I’m really hoping you feel much better today!!

    I have definitely been super sick on my birthday before. The worst was one year when I was in high school and I got VERY sick over Christmas break. I was sick the entire two weeks and was fine by the time to go back to school. I have never been as sick as I was that year again, thankfully!

  6. Happy Birthday Averie !! Scott’s right, you don’t look sick. ;)

    I’ve def been sick on my birthday as it’s in the winter time… More than being sick, my birthday always used to get forgotten back in the day bc it happened over ‘winter break’. …and being that it’s actually New Years Eve, even my parents forget (have forgotten) at times. lol. One of my most memorable Bday’s was the year I turned 21 and went out clubbin’. You can bet i got a lot of shots bought for me. Fun night!

  7. HAPPY BIRTHDAY! I’m like you, I like to celebrate my kids birthdays rather than mine. My birthday was on Thursday (6/9) and my husband and kids totally surprised me with an impromptu birthday celebration. It was impromptu because it’s very rare that my kids are all together at the same time. Hope you feel better and you definitely don’t look sick :-)

  8. happy b-day! and even though you are sick, you look gorgeous! i love all your photography as well…this is what daunts and prevents me from writing my own blog…so i admire your talent!

  9. Happy birthday! Or late birthday, I think I’m a day late. I really hope you feel better. I’m not feeling so well either, but it doesn’t sound as bad as what you have :( Love the farmers market pictures. I can’t wait till there are piles of produce at mine. I’m still debating on taking my camera. I’m always afraid people will think I’m weird, especially since they all recognize me and the kids from coming last year and this year so far. Maybe it would be a good intro to tell them I have a blog. Haha.. I’ll have to think that over for the next month or two to get up the courage to do that, LOL.

  10. Happpppppppppppppppppppppppy Birthday to you!!! You look gorgeous in those pictures, hard to believe you are sick!!

    Those new dishes are so cute! I was just thrift store shopping too, for cute dishes but didn’t find anything – boo!

    Hope you are feeling better!

  11. A very happy birthday Averie! I hope there are many years to come, where you don’t feel sick ;) Get better soon, and take your time to rest a bit!

    I also become sick during exams, or shortly after… Indeed, stress must be waking all the germs nearby..

    Relax and take care!

  12. That sucks you are sick on your birthday, that should be illegal or something! ;)
    I had no idea your natural hair was so dark! I just had mine highlighted Friday, I wait way too long between sessions but I’m cheap like that. Ha! I went really light this time, which means roots even earlier, but I just love really blond hair in the summer with a tan!
    Hope you feel better soon.