Lime 'n the Coconut

My Aunt Nan just celebrated a milestone birthday.  When I was growing up, she lived eight hours away, so it was always a treat to see her.  She was the "Cool Aunt" who did exotic things, like put pineapple in her cottage cheese, and toilet paper in her hair.  My sister Maggie and I would sit side-by-side and admire her from the doorway as she pedaled her Exercycle to Englebert Humperdinck.  She's a pretty lady with a big heart who takes very good care of herself, and others.

And, it shows.    

She has thankfully moved back to the area, which means I get to see her on a regular basis. Unfortunately, that also means she's away from her girls-- and their families-- whom she misses greatly.    So, Maggie and I thought a little birthday celebration might be in order.  After dinner out at a local restaurant, we went back to my Mom's for ice cream and cake.

Happy Birthday, Aunt Nan!  With wishes for many, many more.  

My gift for Aunt Nan was a tote bag she can take to the beach.  Each year, she and my Uncle Tom visit Emerald Isle with her girls and their families to sip margaritas and soak up the sun.  Uncle Tom (who has a nickname for everyone in the family) calls her "Spunky," hence the applique.

Spunky beach tote for Aunt Nan.

For the patchwork, I cut into my Lucy's Crab Shack layer cake, a perfect fit for this project with its "Carolina" text print and built-in "Exercycle."  I even fussy cut some of my Heather Ross Goldfish-in-Bags as a nod to "UT" (his nickname, from niece, "Big Bum").  

Maggie, the zany sister, went another way.  She got Aunt Nan a Maxine Hula Wobbler, complete with grass skirt and coconuts.  Aunt Nan took one look at Maxine's mantra and just about lost it.

The best gifts of the night, though, came from Little Man and Miss Em.  They each created handmade cards and gave her biiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiig, birthday hugs.

And, she drank 'em both up.