a need for "the feminine"

Cupcakes. Chinese food. Sewing. Laughter. This is how I spent my evening last friday night, to celebrate the birthday of a dear friend I have met here in Saginaw, Joylynn. After arriving at the hostess' home, I kept wondering the entire evening WHY I had not brought my camera because the photo opportunities were endless. Teagan, the hostess, had such a creatively decorated home with all sorts of vintage goodies. There were 6 of us there, including the birthday girl, and the evening went a little something like this....

*Peppermint tea and hors d'oeuvres. Yummy cucumber slices with a delish dip was a highlight. and "somehow" the pregnant girl was seated in front of it all...I kept eating and eating. :)

*Making a craft. Very cool streamers made out of old books, scissors, and a sewing machine. Brilliant, easy, and so fun.

*Chinese take-out, Joylynn's favorite. We all sat around the coffee table and ate family-style chinese food, telling stories of our honeymoons, and how our marriages have grown and changed since then.

*Gifts! Very fun to watch the delight and surprise on Joylynn's face as she opened each one. Especially the "oh-so-cool" chair that two friends are going to recover for her.

*Delectable and beautiful cupcakes. Now, I'm not talking...we spread icing and put sprinkles on top. I'm talking....fondant, icing cutters, shapes, candy, marshmallows, icing tips, the works. I have never had so much fun decorating cupcakes in my life! By the end of our decorating session, I think we were getting slap happy because our creations were becoming less and less "creative" and more and more "interesting". Here are a couple...

It was the first birthday party in a long time where I actually took home "party favors". We brought home our streamers and our cupcakes. The actual "take-away", however, was much greater than that. I think its probably been 10 or 15 years since I have been to an "all girls" birthday party. I had forgotten just how much fun it is. Maybe we aren't staying up till 2 am, talking about the new boy we have a crush on, or playing M.A.S.H. like we did when we were 13. But the desire to be with other women, share, laugh, talk is exactly the same. Friday night was like a well of fresh water for me, a reminder that as women, we really do need each other; the kind of connection that, no matter how great our husband is, cannot be replicated.....a need for "the feminine".