60th Birthday Surprise

When my Mom's 60th birthday rolled around, I knew it was my chance to give her a glimpse (albeit a small one) into how awesome I think she is...

My parent's bought a beach house last year- something they have been dreaming of doing since they met in high school... (cue the "awwws"). They have been renovating for the better part of 6 months, and in this past month, the month of her 60th, it turned the corner from construction zone to (almost done) beautiful home.

My sister and I talked at length about throwing her a surprise birthday party at the beach house - a "new chapter" kind of thing; however, my Mom was adamant about not wanting a party- she made that loud and clear...over and over again.

So, when the day actually rolled around, we wanted to honor her "no party" wish, but be sure that her day/weekend was extra special...I think we were successful.

The week before her birthday I sent the email below to all of her family and friends:

Almost everyone responded within a day or two- It was so much fun reading the responses. I am still laughing at the consistency - it is very obvious that I am not the only person who loves how much fun my mom is- she is a great drinking partner, makes everyone laugh, and is as selfless as they get!

I used Sharpie markers and a roll of white kraft paper to capture everyone's accolades, memories, and the like:

Without her knowing, I headed to the beach late Thursday night in anticipation of her arrival on Friday morning. It took until 2am to complete, but the look on her face when she walked into this:

Was priceless....

A birthday celebration would not be complete without a cake, right?

Given the significance of my parent’s new beach house,  I wanted  my mom’s birthday cake to be “beach-themed". Hours of Pinterest browsing lead to this… 

Ridiculous, right?! It was a 2+ hour challenge and turned out looking more like a cake for a 6 year old than one for a 60 year old.... at least it tasted good!

My DIY creations ended here, but I do want to give a big shout out to a woman named Susan Windsor. My sis and I came across Susan's shop on Etsy.com and knew right away that she would create the perfect, "sentimental gift that's not a surpise party" gift. A few weeks after my mom's birthday, this painting showed up at her door....

Happy Birthday Mom- You deserve the world and more. We love you!