on the third day of novakkah

Was sharing your worst birthday memory cathartic?  Sometimes it's interesting to relive the less than stellar times of our lives.  Aside from that one incident of inoppotune timing on my mom's part, my birthdays have been pretty happy occasions.

 
My gift to myself today was a little fisheye adaptor for my camera.  I think fisheye shots are fun, but I am not going to part with a couple hundred dollars for a lens that is basically just for fun (at least, that is what it would be for for me), but for an adaptor?  Sure, why not, and you know, Novakkah, frivolity reigns.

 
Craftwise, at the moment, I am working on knitting some lace (I am quilting too, but more on that later).  I like knitting lace, especially when the weather starts to warm up.  I am not sure what you are working on, but if you want to work on a lace project as well, then today's party favor might be of interest to you.

 
I have, for your consideration, this skein of pretty teal blue/peacock (call it want you want) merino lace from Skacel.  There's 1,375 yards to play around with, so you are sure to come up with something fabulous.

 
To be considered for the gifting, all you need to do is tell me about the best birthday present you have ever received.  This one's easy for me, it's my DSLR camera.  A couple of years ago Special K got me a Nikon D80 and I love it.  I keep meaning to work on my photography skills, and this summer is going to be it.  I am conscientiously going to work on photography this summer--as opposed to just taking pictures (so I guess you could say that is a gift to myself, kind of). So, what's yours?

 
I will take comments for this post and the rest of the Novakkah posts (including the last two), until 11:59 E.S.T. (or 2359, if you are so inclined), Wednesday, the 12th.  Please leave your responses on the appropriate post.  One entry per post.  I will show you the gift each day and tell you what you need to do to try your hand at getting it.  Giftees will be selected on the 13th and gifts sent out on either the 14th or 15th (or whenever giftees send me their addresses). 

Comments

[Elizabeth]

For my fourth birthday, I got this enormous and beautiful doll that I named Wendy. I came down the stairs in the morning and she was seated at the table, in my brother's high chair. I think thats a definite birthday highlight. A close runner up was my Schacht Ladybug last year!

Happy Novakkah!

[Diana]

My Mom threw my wedding shower on my 25th birthday! I got a lot of cool presents that day! Who doesn't love to get showered with gifts?!

[Annika]

Okay, I am not positive that this was a birthday; it could have been Christmas. But I *think* it was my seventh birthday. A few (weeks, months, I don't knows) before my birthday, we'd walked past a shop that had a framed print of three horses on display. I LOVED horses, like more than anything except maybe The Wizard Of Oz, and I wanted that print! Now, in my memory I am pretty sure I didn't do anything more than maybe 'Ooh' over it, though of course it's possible that I was, ahem, more overt than that. All I know is that one of my parents must have gone back, because when my birthday (unless it was Christmas) rolled around, the picture was waiting for me when I woke up.

[Marin]

The best birthday present I ever received was an electric guitar, which was the only thing I was allowed to buy with my Bat Mitzvah gift money (the rest was invested to eventually contribute towards paying my college tuition).

I loved that guitar. I was an awkward, nerdy 13-year-old girl with braces, and that guitar made me feel so bad-ass whenever I played it. Playing that guitar helped me survive middle school.

Happy Novakkah! Your boys are hilarious through a fish-eye lens!

[Bertha]

My best birthday gift was probably my first 10 speed bike that I think I got around age 11 or 12? It was pink. And had hand breaks. It was awesome.

[Specs]

My best birthday present was definitely the open hole flute I got when I was 14. I'd been playing a crummy, tarnished student flute for years, and it was ok...but didn't make the best sound. So, since it was serviceable, I had NO idea that my parents were planning to drop a pretty considerable chunk of change on a beautiful new (professional!) flute. I love that thing so, so much and I still play it.

A close second would be the year that my boyfriend surprised me with Guitar Hero. Sweet.

[chancy]

I don't remember the year, but one year during high school my oldest friend, Katie--who I've known since before kindergarten--got me a pair of Lion King silk boxers that I'd been eyeing. I don't know why this is the best present memory, but it is...I wore those suckers as PJ bottoms until they were so thread bare that they started splitting at all the seams.

[Susan]

My best birthday present was received when I turned 13 or 14 - not sure which. My mother gave me a ring which had been given to her by her older sister when that sister joined the convent. Now, my mother had 7 older sisters, but she was particularly close to this one. My Mom was either 13 or 14 when it was given to her, and so she picked that age to give it to me. It was the first piece of "true" jewelry I ever owned - something with a REAL stone in it, not just costume jewelry. It's still in my jewelry box, but it doesn't fit anymore. I don't have a daughter to give it to, but will soon give it to either my god-daughter or will hold out for giving it to a grand-daughter.

[Robyn]

The best birthday gift I ever received is my 2nd son Mackenzie. My water broke on my birthday and he was born the next day. Talk about a way to spend your birthday!! Knowing you are about to meet your little one!

[Kathy]

I don't think I've ever had any stand out birthday gifts. Christmas was/is really the "big" gift holiday. Hmmmm... well, a really nice one would be two years ago when R took me up to go horse back riding along the ocean. Over the years, I'd mentioned several times that i wanted to go horse back riding, usually when we drove by this particular horse ranch. He had me convinced that we were going to an event at a nearby winery. It was very windy but we were dressed warmly. We rode the horses through scrub grass and then along the beach for several miles. He rode Ginger and I rode Smoky.

[jill]

My ex-boyfriend (now husband) knew I had a cracked bedroom window. I was renting an old, Spanish style house with a lot of windows and a terrible heating system. Even though we were no longer together, he came over while I was at work and replaced the glass in the window pane. When I came home and found my window fixed, I called my then boyfriend to ask him if he had done it. He said no. I called my ex-boyfriend who fessed up that he was worried that I was too cold and wished me a Merry Christmas. Guess who I've been married to for eighteen years?? ;-)

[Spinnergirl]

My husband and I were dating, a whirlwind romance. My parents were visiting me, it was to be the first time that they met him. He unexpectedly came over with a present for my birthday. A Beautiful Waterford Crystal Vase,it was signed by the artist, and huge about 18" tall. He left and was coming back later for dinner. Ten minutes after he left there was a knock at the door, it was the florist. I opened the box and inside were a dozen red long stem roses. Not only did I melt, but so did my Mom. I love this vase, and this man. We have used this beautiful vase for over 20 years for all kinds of flowers. It is one of my most prized possisions.

[lauren]

Three years ago, on my 26th birthday, my mother gave me grandmother's first diamond ring, that my mother had always worn since my grandmother died. It fits perfectly and I never take it off. I treasure it.

[kristin]

My best birthday gift was probably the ring my parents gave me for my 13th birthday. My birthstone is garnet, so the ring has a garnet heart with two little diamond leaves (representing them). It's way too small for me now, but I treasure it.

[Violet]

My first thought was the rigid heddle loom my sweetie got for me last year...but then I remembered my first 2-wheel bike I got when I was about 7 or so. It was purple and pink and had tons of little compartments for stashing whatever needed stashed (the commercials for similar bikes showed girls taking their jewelry and lip gloss for a spin...but I think I only ever stashed fruit snacks and legos...) Regardless, it was an awesome bike and a total surprise!

[Mandy]

Best birthday gifts are the homemade cards I get from my kids each year. And the "big hugs."

[kingshearte]

My parents have this absolutely amazing picture of me when I was about two (maybe even younger) with my great-grandfather. At that time, he'd had a stroke, was in a wheelchair, couldn't speak, and I don't know how interactive he really was at that time, but in this picture, I'm looking up at him, and he's looking down at me, and we're clearly sharing a moment, which my dad managed to capture. I always said that when I moved out, I needed to have a copy of that picture. Sure enough, my first birthday away from home, my parents sent me a box of presents, and the first one was this photo, mounted. I cried and cried, and am still hopelessly in love with that picture.

[Ronnie]

The best birthday present I ever received was the hand made doll house my Dad built for me when I was in my early 40s. It was special because he made it for me and second, it has become an heirloom. I plan on passing this doll house to my beautiful grand-daughter, whose turns 3 next Monday (10th).

[Liz Chatwell]

When I turned 13, my parents threw me a surprise party at a friend's home. This was WAY out of character for them and a HUGE surprise to ME!! So fun!!

[Jessey]

My best gift was probably the kitten my parents got me when I was fifteen - he turned out to be twenty pounds of shedding orneriness, but I still lurve him, and he helped me through the craptasticness of being a teenager.

[Kat]

Best as a child would have to be my first bike. Best gift as an adult would have to be my new pans (both from my parents.) I really can't choose between them, but I think maybe the bike.

[Alice]

I'm in the same boat as you, two birthdays ago I got a DSLR and it's been the best b-day present to date. Since then I've been getting all sorts of cool camera accessories and new lenses for Christmas and my birthday too, so it's like the gift that keeps on giving.

[Yarndude]

Oh dear, my best birthday present ever? I can't say I've received an abundance of presents over the past couple of years, but one of the best presents I did get was my pet snake, Brittany. She was a gift from my sister/brother-in-law four years ago and I still think she was just an awesome gift!

[Karen S]

I think perhaps the best gift I ever got was a great big doll house around my 7th birthday... I played with it until it was in pieces ;) When looking at gifts given when I was older/more adult, the best ones that come to mind has been experiences like travels or opera tickets and such... but they can't match the sheer unbridled joy of a 7 year old girl with a pink doll house!

[jj]

Well, I haven't actually gotten it yet. My fiancee is making me a skein winder. It will be the best present once he's done.