Happy Birthday Teresa!

My wonderful friend, Teresa, turned 50 in May. She is one of the dearest people you would ever meet, with a generous heart and loving spirit. Some of her kids are older than mine, and the nicest kids you could find, so she is great to ask for parenting advice.

She also has a wonderful husband who decided to throw her a fabulous surprise party. I'm talking about an over-the-top, talk of the town, pull out all the stops kind of party. The other husbands were joking that "he took all of my ideas for YOUR birthday, Honey. Oh well!"

Amazing food, live band on the patio, and fireworks off the dock. It was breathtaking.

But what do you get a friend like that who, in the words of her sister, has it all? The only thing I have or do that she doesn't is my crafty, creative side. I didn't have enough warning for a whole quilt (and I didn't want to start a trend that I might not be able to keep up!), so I decided to make an oversized fabric postcard.

Here's what I ended up with:
I love the background fabric. I used lots of bright scraps because Teresa always looks for the bright side of even the darkest situation. I had fun playing with Rene's fancy stitches, because Teresa is usually casual but is stunning when the occasion calls for it. I added a little bling because of her sparkling personality and flashing smile.

I know it's not much, but I hope she loves all the memories that go with it of a special birthday with so many friends and family members.

Happy 50th Birthday, Teresa!