Happy Birthday to me!

Boy, I sure am missing having parties at my house... *sigh* I was hoping things would be getting back to a safe normal-- but I think that is still a ways away~

To help me celebrate my birthday this year, I got myself a life size pirate skeleton to sit in my den. When I bought this fella, he was naked and bald. Now he is fully clothed and has a little bit of hair to call his own. Doesn't he look handsome?

The shirt I got for the skeleton to wear is actually a vampire shirt but I felt it looked very piratey. (The shirt is called, "Very cool Vampire" if anyone wants to look as dapper as this fella this Halloween. I got it from "California Costumes")I also got the sign that reads "Captains Quarters"... I was going to put it on my bedroom door but I just plunked it down by all the other pirate stuff for now. I was playing in this area de-cluttering it, if you can believe that! One mans junk is another mans pirate treasure! I've still got a lot of dusting to do--- blah--- I'd rather do anything than dust! So what did I do? I cleaned out my fish tank.......my 36 gallon bow front fish tank. I love that tank. That took me ALL. DAY. LONG. Sheesh, I would have been better off dusting! I've never done a water change or a deep clean of the tank and felt it was time. It wasn't stinky or anything--- basically, I was needing an excuse to redecorate it *wink* I only have two fish left in this big tank, a dwarf Otocinclus Catfish and a tiger barb. I also have a tiny ghost shrimp. But that doesn't count because you only see it once a week if your lucky.Here is a close up. Very pretty if I do say so myself :-) I purchased a new filter that is super quiet and a new heater for the tank too. I'm going to let it settle for a few weeks to build up some good bacteria before I add some new fish.Once the tank was clean, I got busy making outfits for two smaller skeletons I picked up along with the larger one. One is battery operated and says a bunch of funny things like, "I'd go inside with you, but I don't have the guts" I also added a red velvet jacket to the daddy skeleton that I got long ago from the same company as the shirt he is wearing. I think the family looks adorable. I've got another pirate in the garage that moves and talks... I may bring that in and make it into the mommy. I've also got a skeleton kitty and puppy... yes, I'll be bringing those into the scene too. 

Yesterday, I was gifted two Pirates of the Caribbean flags that are attached to swords and the little sign the skeleton girl is holding that reads "Swab the deck or walk the plank" What perfect gifts!!! Such generous souls out there!

I hung one sword/flag on the edge of a huge antique framed map that is over my fire place. 

I'm needing to figure out where to place the other one, but for now it sits on the coffee table.

I also bought myself an antique doll this past week. What a cutie pie! I wasn't planning on buying her even though she was only priced at $10... nope, wasn't going to get her. I don't need her, nope.... let someone else get the great deal, and was walking away... then it happened. The blasted... "Oh, you can take it for $5" Gawh, OK. So, here she is. Her name? Her name is "Lucky Eight"She looks like an antique Horseman doll--she is 22" long and is partially made from composition and cloth and has sleepy eyes/closed mouth. I haven't looked at the back of her neck for any markings. One day I'm sure I'll get curious enough to research her, but for now, she just makes me smile. I have a small collection of antique dolls, whats one more.*wink* That mentality of "whats one more" is going to catch up with me one day lol 

This week has been a good start to my birthday month. Like I do every year, I've got a list of stores I'm going to hit up to buy myself things I'm wanting. I mean, I shop all.the.time... but this is special because I've got an actual list of things I'm going to get instead of just buying what catches my eye... I crack myself up LOL