Oh No! Say It Isn't So! I (finally) Turned The Big FOUR-O!

Wow!

A beautiful black & white extravaganza!

I wasn't really dreading turning 40... but I WAS kinda dreading the party celebrating it.

The day after Christmas is a tough day to ask people to do something. I didn't want to put my friends out (ESPECIALLY the ones planning it!!!)

So I buried my head in the sand and blissfully carried on my December preparations & celebrations in denial while my amazing husband, friends, and Mom planned away.

I DID have the job of shopping for a red dress & shoes... I secured the dress early... the shoes were a booger and Miss M and I finally found them on my birthday - the day of the party (phew! couldn't have done it without her!!!).

It was BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!!!... Could NOT have been prettier! The black & white, the tulle, the flowers, the lights & lanterns, the apothecary jars filled with treats, the candles, and the CAKE (nore on that later)... It was a real grown-up party (I guess that means I really am a grown-up now that I am 40?).

It was gorgeous and I could've gone home happy after just seeing the decorations... but NO... there was a party to follow. People came and ate and seemed to have a good time. I even had a good time (D said to him, I never even look like I feel or am uncomfortable - I should go into ACTING, for sure!!! :) It was fun though and I felt very loved... again... especially by D, Shel, Suez, & Tyra.

THANK YOU ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And now on to the pictures thanks to official Momarazzi photographer extraordinaire, Shelly!

Me & my LOVE - definitely the "Host with the Most"!!!

Oh Baby!

Me & my party planner sistas - look at their amazing decorating talent!

Me & my personal shopper

The delectable, all edible work of art, by MASTER baker (for love, not money), could-have-her- own-Ace-of-Cakes-show: Tyra

Cake topper - spectacular individually handmade gumpaste flowers & sparkly fondant balls (by Sophia) & fondant rolled by Leon (truly a family affair)

Me & Ty

Mom & Dad

The gorgeous yard - check out the lights & lanterns

Me resting my wimpy feet with Suez & Charmane

Eating tacos (appreciate the all WHITE flowers - with one red rose tucked in - so creative!)

Serving tacos - Mmmmmmm

The toast (look at the beautiful decorations!!!)

B&W toast at a B&W party

Antols

Gurzis

The whole Maslyn clan

Forced family fun (haha)

Tired from a LONG night (& day!!!)

Thanks all!!!!!!!!!!

What a FUN, happy birthday for me!

xo

St. John Vacation - Days 1,2,3

We sat on the plane at the gate in Miami for 3 hours before take-off and didn't get into STT (St. Thomas) until 2AM... good thing we had a room for the night on STT!  

We got into the humidity of the early morning sweating, got to our tiny, air conditioned room at the Green Iguana, and promptly passed out.  

We woke up at 9AM and called out rental car company.  We checked out of the Green Iguana (the managers are originally from san diego, they are retired and move all around the world, living and working for a year or so in each place... pretty cool!).  

We rented our car, grocery shopped at the local Cost U Less (like costco) and headed over the the car ferry.  

We were pretty impressed with ourselves.  

Our house manager (Eric) met us as we exited the ferry and guided us through a curvy maze of roads to our house - Tre Scalini.

The view is just as delicious as the photos... ahhhhh!

You can hear crickets and birds and frogs chirping all night l

ong... it feels like we are in a tree house!

No air conditioning, but the weather is very mild at this time of year, so we're OK.

Weird: the bedroom (and bathroom) is only accesses by leaving the main body of the house (a "great room") and going out on the deck and then going into the bedroom.  

Same AMAZING view!

Zipped out to Cinnamon Beach (where the kids' handstand photo was taken last year) for a couple hours..  A little rainy & buggy because it was later in the day.

My real man and I picked up some quiche & salad and ate in for dinner.

Watched "Lars & the Real Girl" (sweet and tragically funny) on DVD in our bed and fell asleep by 9:30PM.

Up at 8:30AM.

Went to Starfish market for sammies to put in our cooler along with waters and sodas.

Explored a bit (francis bay & school ruins)... the green, wind-y tunnels of trees with drizzly rain is SO like Hawai'i.

We ultimately landed at Maho Bay for the day.

A little slice of heaven (with chickens)!

If we went to that beach every single day (which we won't), I would be just fine!

Snorkeled.

Thought of poor Tyra who would have been TRAUMATIZED by the THOUSANDS UPON THOUSANDS of teeny tiny fish that surrounded us.

Also HUGE fish (grouper?) and long skinny fish (tarpin?) and sea urchins.

We read and basked and swam and relaxed.

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

Swung by the market again on the way home... we are going to eat in again tonight.

Daddy (D) will head out to a meeting in town for an hour or so while Mommy (me) BLOGS - ha!

Then we will eat and watch another movie and do it all again tomorrow.

We have real, quality problems I tell you!