Butterflies, Chocolate & Wine...Perfect Birthday Gifts

Birthdays are not at the top of my "favorite" list anymore.

Once your 21st birthday passes and it's legal to do everything fun (that's not illegal for everyone), are birthdays really necessary?

However, I have some great friends and family who know me so well and gave me some perfect gifts. I'm not going to list them all here, but I LOVED them all and a big thank you to all!

Earlier in the week, my East Coast pal, Patti, sent me this beautiful framed butterfly that will find a home with my others shown in this earlier post.

I love this type (can't think of the correct term...don't you hate that?) of butterfly because even though it doesn't have the brilliant colors as most, the illusion of a pair of eyes is just breathtaking.

That takes care of the butterflies. Now comes chocolate!

My good friend, Bathtub Mama, is spending the weekend with me. As a birthday treat, she made me a pan of Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate Brownies. If you've never had these, you must try them. They will change your life. OK, probably too dramatic, but they will become your favorite boxed brownie the instant they hit your mouth. And since they are "dark chocolate," I'm sure they have some health benefit to them!

Bathtub Mama wanted to add candles to these, but I already had a knife in them before she could find the candles and matches.

The next gift incorporates chocolate AND wine and was given to me by another good friend - I'll call her "S."

S loves shopping at Trader Joe's and loves buying wine with pretty labels. Combine these two and you have the perfect birthday gift...

Yes, you read correctly...Chocolate Wine!

I don't think I'll mind this birthday quite so much once I open this!