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(This Disney World birthday post was copied from my Substack blog.)
This week, I celebrated my birthday. Of course, that meant going to Disney for a romantic evening with my husband. We went to our favorite park, Epcot, and it was a lovely, surprisingly cool-ish night. Not too crowded, either. Yaayy for romance and yaayy for autumn approaching!
Yes, I got a birthday pin. It has my real name on it: Eibhlin, which is pronounced the same as “Eileen” in English, but in the Irish language (Gaeilge) it’s said sort-of like “Eifflin.” (I say my name the English way.)
On the pin, the Disney Cast Member put Mickey-style dots over each letter “I” in my name. I love that!
Saturday night’s Disney visit was wonderful! My smile was a mile wide when the La Calle lead singer saw me… and wished me a happy birthday! (That happened around the 4:15 moment in the video.)
Presents…!
My husband’s birthday gifts to me included splurging at Barnes & Noble. Of course, I returned home with a bunch of “ooh, shiny!” magazines and books. I’m giddy with delight!
In that stack…
Take the Leap is an inspiring book. Mostly, it’s a series of short (~4 pages), true stories of people who weren’t happy with their careers and – sometimes in roundabout ways – found where their real passion is… and followed it, with success. (It’s more “here’s what worked for this person,” instead of generic how-to insights. For me, it’s encouraging to read.)
Also in that stack of treats from B&N:
- The latest issue of Bella Grace, which has lots of autumn-y images in cozy, cottage-y styles.
- Also the September issue of Town & Country magazine, which seems to have shifted focus to eccentric, affluent people and what they did to gain a following. (I was inspired by some of their stories.)
- And finally Vintage Country magazine, which – to be honest – I bought simply to see the artwork in the photos.
Hidden in that stack is my book, Sewing and Collecting Vintage Fashions. Now that my long-ago book contract has finally concluded (whew!), publishing rights are mine again. So, in 2025, I plan to revisit this topic, update my book (the resources info is very outdated), and bring fresh energy to it. This will be SUCH fun!
Meanwhile…
During September & October, I’m still winding-down a geeky pen name that’s been ridiculously misunderstood. (Don’t ask. It’s not quite been the bane of my existence, but I should have walked away from this years ago.)
By Halloween, I’ll be able to get back to fun, creative, artsy projects. Whew!
So far, 2024 has been epic and a whirlwind, bouncing between Florida and Maine and back again. Every moment of it has been an adventure! I’m not sure how 2025 will look – or even which country we’ll be in – but I know it will include more art, more treats to share with you, and lots of laughter.
Interesting Links
This website offers free junk journal pages (for personal use) and other interesting freebies.
I kind of LOVE these stencils – used with easy-to-wash-off paint or fake snow or something – to leave “evidence” that Santa visited homes, especially homes with little kids. (That’s an affiliate link, btw, but I’d share this cool idea anyway.)
I’m also awe-struck that an MIT team has been working on an AI bot that will help debunk conspiracy theories. This bot can be effective with people who take conspiracy theories far too seriously. That’s kind of overdue!
And, of course…
I’ve recently resumed sharing freebies with friends. The first is this hippie-style coloring page. (I mentioned it earlier, here.)
To download your own copy, click here or on the thumbnail image below. (It’ll be a letter-sized PDF that you can print and color… for personal use only, of course.)
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