Drumroll, Please: 2012 Theme Recap

When the Nelson Sisters get together to celebrate a birthday - my turn this time - you know there's bound to be quite a bit of merriment, adventure and fun! This time, one of us ended up getting kissed by a random man in a restaurant (our waiter, in fact) and one of us ended up walking into the men's restroom by accident.

(I am not telling you any more than this regarding this.)

Above: a gift from Emily's mom pretty much captured the two of us as peas in two pods toting my Pink behind us which I had to publish with this post. Thank you, Laurie!!! But, I digress.

We took the train into Chicago and our first stop was to the movie theatre to see a 10:20 AM pre matinee of THE ARTIST.

That's the earliest we'd ever gone to a theatre and it was a surprise to see how many others had this early bird idea.

This movie is good!

Seeing as we do theme gifts, I was really wondering how the movie fit into the overall plan.

Then, Diann suggested I take this picture below as my next clue for the guessing the theme. Apparently we were going to the building behind the Wrigley Building for lunch. Because I don't want weird comments, I am not going to write down the name here, but will give you the clue that "The Donald" started it and it rhymes with "bump."

And read the next sign if you still haven't a clue: This restaurant was amazing! Not over-the-top-glitzy as you might expect, but contemporary and cozy on the 16th floor with a spectacular view from our by-the-window seats.

The food was delicious and beautifully presented.

Our waiter, Geoffrey, was most accommodating and even sang "Happy Birthday" to me in French.

My chocolate birthday confection was personalized!

After dining in the restaurant named "Sixteen" we headed back to her place to uncover that the theme title for 2012 was....

STORIES!

Diann had gone through Dad's old slides and included stories from my life growing up that I might not have known about. Stories about houses we lived in, trips we took, toys I had,

fashions I wore. Stories. Sweet stories, funny stories, tug-your-heartstrings kind of stories.

Including the picture of my first little suitcase - incidentally pink - with an elephant on it and which my father rescued from a Colorado mountain stream when I was a girl about 5 years old.

Plus the story of my Grandma Ethel's grocery store china with a pitcher found on EBay so that I have a daily reminder of that ancestor. Grandma baked the best orange-glazed rolls and took us to swim at an indoor pool nearby.

Perhaps you are wondering how the movie The Artist and the restaurant (Sixteen) fit into the theme?

Diann found pictures of me in the slide boxes from when I was 16 myself. Sitting at the beach with a green swimsuit on, sitting on a tree stump while taking a break from a mountain hike...these really brought up memories of the me from long ago.

She also recalled that, at an early age, I showed signs of being a budding artist with all the pictures I drew for her, and again on my college graduation day as I received my diploma with an Art Major to boot.

I received an album full of pictures and stories that will forever fill my heart with the person I was becoming the person I am some five decades later.

I am blessed beyond belief.

Thanks, sis, for being there my whole life through! You've been the best theme of all times!