Happy Birthday Gail!!!

I LOVE my art group!!! We meet weekly (or at least try to) and I feel so utterly blessed to have these wonderful, creative, funny women in my life. They have added such joy and warmth to my days. We always say that it was a miracle that we found each other.....because we're all very different...but when we come together...WATCH OUT!!! I respect these women so much...their strength, their compassion, their loyalty, their values.....I think of us as a beautiful quilt that has come together in friendship....we sparkle and shine. Believe me.....we've got something very special going on!!! We call ourselves the Tiaras and we are all perfect princesses!!!

Yesterday we celebrated Gail's birthday. Julie organized the party out at her house....and OH MY GOSH....what a beautiful day!!! Julie and her husband, Jon, live out in GlenHaven which is a little piece of heaven that is about 20 minutes from Bellingham. Their house is beautiful! Every where I looked I could see Julie. It's a wonderful home....cozy and warm. She and Jon had worked their tails off preparing for our visit.....and every detail was very special!!

Gail is one of the twinkling stars in our group.....she is beautiful, talented, loving, an amazing parent, an awesome wife and daughter and a wonderful friend. It was so nice taking a day to just celebrate her. We were all there (except Karen, who had to work....and she was horribly missed!!!) eager to see Julie's house and eager to bestow Gail with the attention and love that was bubbling out of all of us. It was really fun!!!

Since Gail is our official Cowgurl of the group (she is hopelessly in love with Toby Keith and loves everything cowperson!!!) Julie had chosen the theme of cowgurl!!! She had everything decorated so darling....everything related to cowboys & cowgurls in some way.....the table favors, the centerpiece, the things around us!!! It was darling!!! During the party we made cowgurl dolls for Gail....we love to play and this was the perfect thing to do. Julie had made yummy nachos with lots of fun toppings and then we had cake and coffee during our art project! It was the perfect day....PERFECT!!!

I knew that Gail loved the work of Tracie Huskamp. Before Artfest I got in touch with Tracie and asked her if we could buy one of her beautiful banners as a birthday gift for Gail......of course Tracie (in her loving Tracie way) was thrilled and on vendor night Betsey and I went and picked one out!!! We gave that to Gail yesterday and she loved it!!! She got tears in her eyes when she saw it!!! I love it when surprises turn out so perfectly.

Happy Birthday...my sweet friend Gail!!! You have added the most beautiful, magical fairy dust to my life.

(I haven't learned yet how to get the pictures within the text of my writing....sorry that they are all at first!!! I also have no idea how to turn that one photo around....so you'll have to look at it sideways.....Obviously...I'm a beginner!!!)