When I told Cary at Kenro how much I liked the Esterbrook Camden Composition Fountain Pen in Lime that I reviewed a couple weeks ago he agreed to give me one to give away for our anniversary. Actually, he said “You can give it away for the anniversary.” And I moaned, “But it’s my birthday!” So, Cary said, “Okay, you can keep it and I’ll send the winner another one.”
So, the winner will get a brand new Camden Composition in Lime with the nib of their choice (that’s still in stock).
TO ENTER: Leave a comment below and tell me a GOOD birthday story. You can wish me a happy birthday too but you won’t get preferential treatment by the random number generator for doing it. Play along and type in something. It makes reading through entries more interesting for me, okay? One entry per person.
If you have never entered a giveaway or commented on the site before, your comment must be manually approved by our highly-trained staff of monkeys before it will appear on the site. Our monkeys are underpaid and under-caffeinated so don’t stress if your comment does not appear right away. Give the monkeys some time.
FINE PRINT: All entries must be submitted by 10pm CST on Sunday, June 14, 2020. All entries must be submitted at wellappointeddesk.com, not Twitter, Tumblr or Facebook, okay? Winner will be announced on Monday. Winner will be selected by random number generator from entries that played by the rules (see above). Please include your actual email address in the comment form so that I can contact you if you win. I will not save email addresses or sell them to anyone — pinky swear. If winner does not respond within 5 days, I will draw a new giveaway winner. Shipping is handled by Kenro directly so your address will be shared with them. If you are trying to hide from Cary or Bryan, then don’t enter. US and APO/AFO only, sorry.
This pen reminds me of limeade.
Happy Birthday! My favorite birthday story is the year I threw a surprise party for my son, and 2 weeks later I got my own surprise party for my birthday. We were both shocked!
Happy birthday! 29?
My coworkers surprised me by hanging a bedsheet spray painted with the words “Happy 21st Bday, Snickers” on an overpass they knew I’d drive under on my way to work. It was a loooong time ago, so it’s probably illegal now, but it was very special to me at the time. Thinking of that nickname makes me smile now, too!
Happy Birthday Ana!!!
For a significant birthday, my family surprised me by meeting me @ Union Station, with further Amtrak tickets to a beach city that was a 3 hour train ride away, along the coast, WITH my favorite pastrami sandwiches, wine, snacks, and dessert. I love public transportation; it was a great time with my family on the train ride, good conversation, and the end location was right along the beach in Santa Barbara. Beautiful weather allowed us to walk along the coast and downtown at sunset, converse, sip and saunter. It was a very memorable 1 night away that I’ll never forget – what a great surprise from my loving family who really considered what I wanted to do to celebrate my big day!
Happy Birthday again! LOL. I can’t recall a good birthday story that’s of interest to anyone, but I will mention one year, my husband took me to the CIA (Culinary Institute of Art) for a fabulous (and I mean fabulous – mouthwatering fabulous!) meal prepared by students of the institute. It was just yummy! Will that suffice? LOL.
As to this pen. O, I want one. I’ve been a fan of those composition notebooks before there were more variations available. I don’t use it as much since they’re not exactly the fountain pen friendly type, but I’ve saved a few with notes or whatever I wrote in it.
Thanks for reading (and the giveaway!)
Happy Birthday, Ana!
I had lived in Florida for nearly a year, and had yet to see an alligator (and I actually wanted to). I visited a wildlife preserve I had never been to, and was lucky to see (from a good distance!) a huge gator sunning itself on the banks of one of the preserve’s lakes. The preserve was beautiful, the weather was glorious, and I finally saw a real, live alligator. It was a very happy birthday!
OMG, I love this pen! Happy Birthday–what a great gesture from Kenro!
I already gave a birthday story in previous giveaway comment, and I’m having trouble thinking of another one, so i’ll just leave it at wishing you a happy birthday.
For my 20-something (24th? 26th?) bday, my sister planned a surprise party. Friends were to gather for dessert at a great little bake shop in our neighborhood. She called ahead to make sure the place would be open that night/time , then she invited about 10 friends.
I wasn’t feeling well and didn’t want to go out, but my sis convinced me to go out for a slice of peanut butter pie at this bake shop. We walked up—and found a bunch of my friends milling around outside.
Turns out that the bake shop wasn’t open that night, but was closed for an anniversary party of the store, just for employees. The person who’d told her that, yes the store would be open, hadn’t worked there long enough to be invited and didn’t know about it!!
I learned in the mid 1980’s that long hair, large quantities of Aquanet hairspray, and lit birthday candles, do not help create the perfect birthday wish when blowing out the candles on the cake.
I love this.
My favorite birthday was a gift to myself that consisted of two days in Vegas seeing shows followed by a grand canyon tour.
Happy Birthday! I don’t really celebrate my birthday, so I don’t really have any cool stories to share.
I was born on October 8th as was my Grandfather and my great-grandfather. It seems to be a family day do be born!
Happy birthday!!
On my birthday many years ago I got asked out by someone I liked. xD
Happy birthday to my favorite blog.
Happy Birthday! My best birthday was 2016 my wife took me on a dream trip to France. I’m an artist and we visited all the art museums as well as a train ride to Chartres to see the Chartres Cathedral exactly on my birthday. It was grand beyond measure.
My best birthday story is when I turned 39 and remained at 39 until I hit 49! It was the big lie.
Best birthday story I can think of is when I found my present early. It was the one thing I had always wanted: a super Nintendo. Then I had wait in excruciating anticipation until my birthday 2 weeks later, and had to pretend to be surprised. I think I did pretty well for a third grader.
I don’t have a good bday story as such but my favorite nephew shares a birthday with my husband and that makes me smile. happy 10th birthday!
My favorite birthday story is from my daughter’s 4th birthday. I brought out a fancy bunny cake that I had made, which had some chocolate frosting and some vanilla. Immediately all the kids started clamoring for their choice. Then one little girl stated clearly “You get what you get!” She got first choice.
Happy happy birthday Ana!! Years ago, Hubby surprised me with a big birthday dinner at a Greek restaurant, it was a fantastic night spent eating, drinking and dancing on tables. A great time!
I love lime!
My birthday story: usually there is a big celebration when you turn the big 5-0, but on my 50th my first grandchild was born! I couldn’t have asked for anything better!
When I was a teenager, I wanted a pair of cross-country skis for Christmas. My parents did not have much money, so my mom told me that she would get them for me only on the condition that I understood they were also my birthday present. Since that was months away and my desire was strong, I readily agreed. When my birthday came in June, we had cake and I received a few small presents. Then my mom excused herself for a few minutes and returned with my skis with a bow on them! We all had a good laugh and I remember that birthday more fondly than any other.
Happy birthday, Ana, and happy blogiversary!
That is a seriously happy birthday pen. I’m glad you kept one for you! Happy Birthday!
My older daughter said her first words on my birthday—they were “good doggy” lol
Happy birthday!!
Love the color!
My granddaughter’s favorite color is lime…she would get a kick out of this and I would give it to her as a gift.
Favorite B-Day was when she was just 2 and visited me for the first time. It was my best birthday ever!
Happy Birthday,Ana!! My best birthday related story is that I was born in February and my grandmother passed down to me a birthstone ring that she had gotten from her mother (they were both born in February). From the time I was a child I always said I would have a daughter born in February so I could pass the ring down to her. Girls do not run in our family, so everyone nodded at me nicely. Lo and behold, I had a daughter born in February!
this birthday story is a perfect match. Last year for my 65th birthday I received an Esterbrook Estie Cobalt/Chrome and it is amazing. Although you missed my birthday this year I don’t hve any green pens! 🙂
I think I have only depressing birthday stories for you so I never want to make you sad. But apple pie is still the best birthday cake ever!!! I have no idea what I did on my 10th birthday.
Happy birthday! (And Happy 10th!)
A few years ago I requested celebrating my birthday in New Mexico, and on the day, in Taos, we got up at 3 a.m. to take a balloon ride over the Rio Grande Del Norte canyon. And into it! Our balloon basket dipped into the river, the shadow of the balloon silhouetted on the canyon wall.
That’s the way I wanted to turn 60.
Happy Birthday! WOO! My fifth birthday was my first day of kindergarten which at the time was the best present ever!
Because my birthday is January 2nd (same as my father’s) and because we like to travel over Christmas and New Year’s, I’ve celebrated my birthday all over the world. Last one was in New Zealand. The year before, we were in Algeria. The year before that aboard a ship in the Caribbean Sea. Other places have included Vietnam, the Antarctic, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, France, Bali, and lots more. If we are still able to trace, next year will be in Ethiopia.
My best birthday story is about my dad. His birthday was JULY 4th! He loved it! When all the fireworks were going off he would grin real big and say, “Ain’t it great how everyone celebrates my birthday!”
Birthday is only an excuse for buying a new pen …….
I like the lime green of this Esterbrook pen.
My husband surprised me with a dessert birthday party. He had the guests arrive at staggered times so I didn’t even know it was a party until the living room filled up. Then I thought I’d better change out of my PJs and comb my hair…
Happy Birthday!! Enjoy your cake!! Here’s my cake story; ages ago when tupperware came out, my Mother put all her baking supplies into them. For my sister’s birthday, she made a pretty cake with pink icing. After dinner, we all sang “happy birthday”, the candles were blown out, and the cake sliced – we all took a bit, and we all gagged! My Mother had confused the yellow SUGAR tupperware with its twin; the yellow SALT tupperware. As a result, we as a family, are slightly suspicious of cakes from Tupperware Fans.
A birthday story? For some of us, so much time has gone by that we no longer celebrate birthdays.
Best birthday ever: dancing next to a campfire, on a beach by a lake, under the stars, with the love of my life. Only took me 52 years to get it right!
My daughter had a Survivor party for her birthday that was a big success.
(¯
•´¯)...............。☆。*。☆。•.,(¯•´¯)..........★。＼｜／。★•´¯).•´♥♥ Happy Birthday to Ana ! ♥♥(¯
..
•.•´(¯•´¯)…..★。／｜＼。★I had a wonderful surprise ZOOM conference for my last birthday
Happy Birthday! I had a big one this year in January, and spent 5 days at Disneyland with my hubs and our two best friends. It was really super magical, lots of nice surprises. I dressed up as a pirate on my actual birthday, got to meet Redd, and boarded the sailing ship Columbia (the first time I’d ever seen it in operation). That week we were also lucky enough to be able to ride Rise of the Resistance the day it opened! Plus we rode so many rides more than once, ate fun park food, and generally had an amazing time. It was the best birthday and the best trip to Disney. … Of course, we suspect we may have come home with COVID as we were both pretty sick for a few weeks after :p But amusement parks are giant petri dishes anyway so something was bound to happen. But this didn’t affect my very fond memories of the trip!
I actually had a good birthday this year. It was two weeks ago, and my wife and I were able to get on a Zoom call with our grown up son & daughter, and we chatted and opened presents. It was delightful to be together, even at a distance.
The most vivid thing I remember about a birthday was my fifth birthday. All I remember is opening a big box and it being the Technodrome from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Also, happy birthday.
Happy Birthday Ana! What a year! One year my students made a happy birthday banner that stretched the entire hall.
Happy birthday! When I was too young to know manners yet (my mom never lets me forget this story) I opened up a present and shouted, “JUST WHAT I ALWAYS WANTED!… What is it?” My family still teases me to this day about it and I’m 36,lol.
It was my 40th birthday and I was going to take my mother out to dinner. She was in a convalescent hospital after some medical issues. When I arrived to pick her up, she was gone. It turned out that she had run away so that she could get her hair fixed and buy me a present. After a lot of worried searching, I found her but it was late in the evening, and there was no time for a fancy dinner. I got home exhausted and dispirited, but… As I was getting ready to go to bed, there was the ring of a doorbell. My siblings came in with cake and balloons and champagne. It was a perfect end to what had been a difficult day.
A few years ago for my birthday, my wife said she had made a dinner reservation for us but we needed to stop by my sister’s place to drop off a gift for my nephew. When we got to my Sister’s house and I opened the door, my family and friends were there to surprise me. That was a wonderful 40th birthday celebration for me!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Ana! I wish you more than you wish yourself!
If I win the giveaway I’ll have an excellent birthday story to tell. Thanks to Cary and Kenro. happy birthday Ana! Btw does Jane Goodall approve of the “monkey” business?
Love that pen! Happy Birthday, Ana. May it be a big one (in a good way). My story is that when I was 8 I received a red and white bicycle. There was a foot of snow on the ground, but I also had a red and white pony that had four-hoof drive. So, it was all good.
A few years ago my wife and I accompanied our foreign exchange student back to Czech Republic to meet his real parents. My birthday happed to be during the trip. On my special day the family showered me with gifts from local shops and they made special food. It was a really great time. And happy birthday to you!
The year I turned 12, I was supposed to go to someone’s house to play after school, and when I arrived in fact it was a surprise sleepover for three of us. We had a great time, it’s the only time I’ve ever had a surprise party.
I can’t say that I have a really good birthday story, honestly. My birthdays were always good. (sorry!)
My 40th birthday was unique. I was going to take my mother out for a celebratory dinner. She was in a convalescent hospital at the time and I had made arrangements to pick her up. When I arrived, she was gone. Apparently, she decided she needed to get her hair done and then buy me a present. Somehow, the fact that she had significant dementia did not deter the staff from letting her go. After a harried search at all her favorite haunts, I found her late at night and returned her to the convalescent hospital. Some unpleasant words were exchanged, and despite my intention not to lose my temper, I am pretty sure the … conversation … could be heard several counties away. I went home dispirited and exhausted. As I prepared for bed, the doorbell rang. It was my siblings. They had arrived with cake and balloons and champagne. We enjoyed ourselves into the wee hours. It was the worst and best of birthdays. And certainly one I will never forget.
This didn’t happen on my birthday, but a few days after. I was playing in a trio with my friends, and they gave me cards and presents at a rehearsal we had shortly after my birthday. It sounds so simple but it was unexpected and very sweet 🙂
My parents threw me a surprise 18th Happy Birthday with a cake. And apparently, they accidentally bought trick candles for me to blow out. A small thing that brings out funny results
15th birthday. 5 friends came over for a sleepover and we had a blast!
Happy birthday Ana!
Since we won’t get preferential treatment for wishing a Happy Birthday, I am assuming if the story is not a birthday story we won’t get dinged either!
However, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
Mine involves my parents’ 40th wedding anniversary.
Several weeks before the big event (June 3rd), I contacted members of the volunteer fire department they were active in and their bowling league, as well as family friends, etc. We stressed it was to be a surprise picnic dinner on our back deck and lots of acceptances rolled in. I ordered printed napkins and a cake, the whole 9 yards! We rented the fire department sign to post a “Happy 40th Anniversary to Bette and Bob” beside US Route 17 for the week of the event. (“www.visittheusa.com/trip/coastal-highway-route-17”. It is pleasantly rural in that area). When they first saw the sign, Dad called to point out it was actually their 41st anniversary. Whoops! So I called the bakery and asked them to put a small “Plus One” cake on top of the original cake with its Happy 4Oth inscription. Solved! Napkins could be fodder for a funny story that evening. Solved!
We’d spun some convoluted tale about why we would pick them up to take them to dinner–something to do with it being hard to locate the new restaurant on Topsail Island. And they bought it!! I couldn’t believe it. I picked them up and told them we had to stop by our house because the hubby hadn’t been ready ( guess who is ALWAYS late?–me). As we pulled into our drive, Mom asked why all the cars and I said something silly. But when we walked around to the back where everybody was partying, they knew!
My parents were the best and I’m glad to share their story!
PS I have been eyeing the Lime green fountain pen since its debut. Surely would love to have it; besides Mom loved green!
My favorite recent birthday happening is pen related. Lucky me, the 2018 Arkansas Pen Show & Vanness Open House both fell on my birthday. I was able to spend the day with pen friends and had a great time. Happy Birthday, Ana!
Happy birthday!
One time, i fell asleep on the couch on the afternoon of my birthday, and when i woke up, my friends were all standing around the couch i was on. I woke up to a surprise party!
Happy birthday! My favorite birthday was when I turned 16. My mom and I (we’re really close, then and now) went out of town for two days and went horseback riding (which I had never done before but always wanted to).
Happy Birthday!
For my 40th birthday….I bought myself a trampoline. Like a real one. 10′, in the backyard. Because I always wanted one as a kid and was never allowed to have one. 😀
Happy Birthday!!! Never was big on birthdays, one of the best was spent cheering all day for my wife on a triathlon she was competing in. Might have something to do with the beers and burgers after.
My 30th birthday (mid-1990’s)- my parents and my aunt and uncle took me and my boyfriend (now husband) to dinner at the Cape Cod Room in the Drake Hotel in Chicago. This is a now-closed, totally old-school, dude-centric, country-club type place. I guess it used to be among The Places to Be Seen back in the 20’s-50’s. It’s not my kind of place, but who am I to complain about being taken out to dinner and have a fuss made over me? It’s a seafood place so I had these amazing crab legs or something and a few cocktails. So, I sit down and who is right behind me but Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gorme – this fancy, famous-to-me-only-from-daytime-game-shows-and-Johnny-Carson-appearances couple. But I knew who they were! I was weirdly excited to see 60-somethings? Sure! Why not! These people sang in Vegas probably with Frank Sinatra! So, that’s pretty cool. Then I turned back to the table only to glimpse a few tables away – Mel Torme sitting there, eating his soup! Mel Torme! Sadly, he only looked like an old man eating soup. But it was fun to have famous people nearby while I celebrated my milestone 30th.
My favorite birthday was a surprise gift that I never imagined receiving from my parents.
Happy Birthday!
One of my most vivid and favorite birthday memories is from when I was quite young. We got home from school, and my mom told me to go do my piano practice. I said that it’s my birthday, and she said I had to do it anyway. Well, instead of the piano bench sat a Knight Rider Big Wheel. It was an awesome surprise, and I used the heck out of that thing. It was so cool!
Hope you get something as good for your birthday!
Happy Birthday! My birthday is February 13th and my ex just got engaged to a woman who ‘s birthday is January 13. Quite the coincidence or so our children think!
Happy Birthday!
I don’t really do anything exciting to celebrate my birthday, so my stories are scarce, but I’ve enjoyed reading everyone else’s!
One of my best birthday stories is the time that my best friend and my wife conspired to get me out of the house so she could set up the surprise party. While he and I and some guy friends are out at an arcade thing, she calls and says she’s super sick, throwing up, etc. and asks me to come home. So we do, and I am genuinely surprised. That was for my 30th birthday, five years ago now, and I had not and haven’t since ever been more surprised on my birthday.
Thanks for the giveaway!
Happy birthday! One of my happiest birthday memories is from when I was a kid. I really wanted to be a a private eye. My mom worked with a small local museum to put together a mystery scavenger hunt. The hunt began with the phone in the front lobby ringing, and a recorded voice giving us the story and our first clue to start investigating. We collected clues throughout the museum until the hunt culminated in the kids’ section where we used the clues we had found to determine the right combination to unlock a safe and reveal a bunch of (chocolate) gold coins! The museum liked it so much, they included it in their regular programming. So much fun! My mom is a rockstar!
My best birthday was 6 years ago. I got the Midori Star Ferry notebook, the Visconti Merry-Go-Round fountain pen, a Lamy Germany-Japan friendship fountain pen, and other things. Part of the celebration was day trips to St. Joseph, Union Station and Powell Gardens.
I love the color of the Giveaway pen. Happy birthday Ana
Happy Birthday Ana!
Having a summer birthday is the best, swimming and ice cream and now that I’m older cocktails and journaling by the pool. I wouldn’t want it to be any other day than when it is. Happy birthday to you!
Happy birthday, Ana! Today is my (our?) fourth wedding anniversary.
Here’s a birthday story: I spent three months in the hospital one year, and was set to go home the day after my birthday. But on my birthday, the occupational therapist and a nurse took me home for a site visit, so I got to see my pets and sit outside on my glider, and practice things like climbing stairs. We have a picture of me sitting there with my sunglasses on and a “F*ck Cancer” t-shirt and orange scarf, which were a gift from a friend.
Thanks for the giveaway. I love that pen color.
Happy Birthday! My favorite birthday was my 50th two years ago. My family threw me a party and invited some friends I hadn’t seen in years, it was wonderful.
My best birthday ever (besides the day I was born) was my 29th birthday, when I got married! We hadn’t planned it so intentionally; we just needed an open Sunday in the fall and that was the only one that worked for the rest of our families. I did make my wife promise never to combine my birthday and anniversary presents – because I didn’t want to lose out on having both – and she hasn’t for the last 18 years. Jen was my best birthday present ever. 🙂
Happy Birthday! My favorite birthday was my 40th, my wife made sure to go ALL THE WAY with over-the-hill stuff and it actually hurt at first but eventually I could tell it was love and support. It was not a typical birthday for me.
A beach weekend away with a dozen friends, mid-winter, which unexpectedly and incredibly uncommonly came with weather nice enough to actual enjoy being outside.
Happy Birthday! For my 28th birthday, my husband threw me a surprise dinner and actually managed to keep it a surprise! It was so fun.
That is such a cool pen! It reminds me of the color of Mt Dew, my favorite soda!
Happy Birthday Ana! My birthday was mid March but my good friend came to visit last week to give me my gift!
Me and Ronald Reagan share the same Birthday!
Along with:
Bob Marley
Axl Rose
Babe Ruth
Zsa Zsa Gabor
Rip Torn
Michael Pollan
Natalie Cole
and
Eva Braun
Hope you have a happy Birthday!
Cool pen.
There are all kinds of stories, but I always remember a story when I was young and my mom bought me trick candles for my cake. As a young kid that was pretty exciting and laughable.
Happy birthday to you! I hope you won’t find trick candles on your cake this year!
My birthday is the 4th of July, so most of my good memories are about fireworks, which is pretty cool.
My family threw me a surprise party for my 18th birthday with my favourite food – Steak and Kidney pie!
When i was in 3rd grade, my mom bought up all the formal gowns from all the second hand shops in town. For my birthday, we invited all the 3rd grade girls over for a ball. One whole room was those frilly too-big prom dresses, another was hair and makeup. My mom had collected coupons for the town’s fleet of black London cabs and hired them (at a major discount!) to drive us around the neighborhood to the ball. We came back to the house and had a pizza dance party. It was a hoot- super fun birthday party.
I picked up my beloved rescue pup on my birthday thirteen years ago. She’s still going strong.
The birthday story is my husband’s. It was the last birthday with both of our parents. We went to Golden Correl for dinner. And it was a really good day.
Happy Birthday! I take off of work every year for my birthday and I spend the day with my family doing an outside activity.
Happy Ana Day!
My birthday is New Year’s Eve so everyone celebrates my birthday.
I live in Chicago and started dating this girl for only three months. She surprised me with a thirtieth birthday party at a bar with all of my friends and fraternity brothers from school! This girl went on to become my wife going on 13 years now!
My birthday was just a couple of weeks ago. My husband braved the pandemic and got me some salmon from the store, and our son baked me a lemon cake. Pretty good day.
Happy birthday! I had some pretty great parties as a kid. I had a very rad dinosaur party with a strawberry brontosaurus cake.
The only birthday I can clearly remember was when my mom cooked the entire birthdat feast. It was the best birthday. Otherwise, I have no more birthdays that are memorable.
My son was was born two days before I turned 40. I think we sat around dazed in the unparalleled first psychedelic, exhausting miraculous and ecstatic time after a new human arrives. He’s about to turn 21 and I’ll be ahem, older..
Happy birthday! Here’s a birthday story… my grandson was born on the same day that Radiohead’s “In Rainbows” was released. It was playing in the delivery room (I’m told) so his first breaths were to Radiohead. How cool is that.
Happy Birthday! The best birthday story wou6be one from my brother. This year for his birthday, his first grandson was born.
Several years ago, my best friend invited me to dinner, and she invited my whole family. Everyone flew-in from out of town to surprise me. It was all very thoughtful and heartwarming.
My birthday is Dec. 21 and my husband’s was Jun. 21. He delighted in telling everyone that he was born on the brightest longest day of the year and I was born on the shortest darkest day of the year! At least, we never forgot each other’s birthdays. Happy Birthday to You!
Several years earlier, on my wife’s birthday, I surprised my wife for a dance dinner at a restaurant on the roof of one of the tallest buildings in the city. We saw the sunset and the sunrise of the next day from the same place because we stayed all night in the restaurant. She had never been in a similar place, with a similar view. Since then we return to that restaurant whenever we feel like it. Happy birthday The Well Appointed Desk.
Happy Birthday!! My favorite birthday was when my wife surprised me with Toronto Maple Leaf tickets and a hotel room in Toronto. I was able to see my favorite team in person for the first time and also take in the hockey hall of dame all in one glorious road trip.
Happy birthday, and y’all are crushing this anniversary celebration! My daughter’s birthday was in April when the lockdown orders kept us from enjoying a birthday adventure or party, so we recently made it up to her by roasting hotdogs and s’mores over the fire pit and camping in tent in the backyard.
Right now, my favorite birthday story was surprising my mom for her 70th birthday. We’ve always had such a rocky relationship and I think that birthday was the beginning of the turnaround for me. Surprising her in the parking lot of the Italian Restaurant where we were celebrating, tears came to my eyes as I hugged her. We had a lovely dinner, but I’ll never forget how her eyes lit up. I made a painting for her of us at that dinner. Mom was the last person I got to seriously hang out with prior to COVID and I miss her a lot. During lockdown just calling her to talk about the weather or my cats is sometimes exactly what I need.
Happy Birthday, Well Appointed Desk!
For my birthday last year, my wife bought me a custom wooden pen and Field Notes-sized notebook tray. It is still a favorite.
Happy Birthday!
On my birthday about 3 years ago my wife and I learned our first child would be a little boy.
Happy birthday!
For my 27th birthday (8 years ago), I made a list of things I liked to do/always wanted to do and did ALL of them. Nothing was over-the-top. I woke up super early to watch the sunset at an observation deck in town. Then I went back to bed to sleep in (which I ALSO like to do). Went out to breakfast, dropped off donations at the animal shelter (and snuggled kittens while I was there, obviously), went bowling, and ended with going to a bar with a bunch of my friends. It was a great birthday!
The year I finally had a good idea for my twin boys’ birthday party: I’d read about some enthusiasts who’d opened an arcade full of restored Japanese video games, and I rented it for the afternoon. Best kid party ever, and it was pretty cheap too! Happy birthday!
Happy Birthday! Best birthday was a surprise flight to Arkansas to watch my alma mater razorbacks play football! WOoo pig soooiee! And I LOVE This pen!
I always look forward to birthdays, because I get coupons for bigger discounts from fountain pen retailers!
This year was a coronavirus birthday for me so I didn’t see anyone. But I got lots of nice birthday greetings over the phone so that was nice. Happy Birthday to me! Thanks for the chance to win.
Great looking LIME fountain pen! Glad you received one for your birthday and one to giveaway in celebration of your 10th anniversary!
As far as birthdays go, I love birthdays. I plan on having as many of them as I possibly can! I don’t usually do anything big. One year I decided to take a day off from work for my birthday. I treated myself to a cup of coffee and a sweet from Dean & DeLuca. While in the store I threw my name in a bowl for a giveaway. But, that year I did get big birthday gift .A week later my name was drawn in the giveaway that I barely remembered entering, I received a large set of pans, utensils, knives and bakeware.
My mother asked me what I’d like for my 21st birthday (a long time ago!). I cheekily replied, “why, a Porsche 911 please”. Come the day, I received a remote control Porsche 911! Good ol’ mum… delivered!
First, happy birthday! Second, on my birthday, the year after my dad died, my husband (then fiance) and I took the day off and went to the smallish local zoo. Back then, there was a whitetail deer exhibit and a doe walked all the way across a field to an area where the enclosure brought her right up to us and I spent 15-20 minutes just petting her sweet face. It was so meaningful to me because whenever I went for a drive with my dad growing up, he always had me look for deer in the fields by the road and it became a special thing to see them.
I ate an entire pie on my birthday
Happy Birthday! One of my fondest birthday memories was spending the weekend with my friends in Austin, eating, drinking, and hiking!
My wife contacted a bunch of my friends for my 50th birthday and had them all send me birthday cards (50 total).
Happy Birthday! Happy 10th!
Happy Birthday! I think my favorite birthday event is something we do every year to celebrate … the person whose birthday it is gets the whole weekend nearest the actual day to have it as their birthday weekend and gets to celebrate all weekend long.
Ok, I was a high school grad, traveling for a year with a Christian repertory theater company for a year as a break before college. I was dead broke. We were in the desert. My birthday is in Autumn. My best friend had a schedule of my itinerary and our mail drops. She sent me two boxes – one was huge and one not big at all. In the small box was two rolls of quarters so everyone on my touring unit and I could go out and play video games (yeah, finding an ARCADE to play videos was what you did for digital fun back then), and birthday hats, a birthday card and a long letter. In the huge box was nothing but autumn leaves from New England, where she’s from. She sent me Autumn in a box. We actually made a pile of leaves to jump and play in for my birthday in the desert.
Covid killed my recent birthday party at the end of May, but my family and friends did videos and made it really nice… Happy Birthday to you!
The morning of my 18th birthday my father dragged me outside, where he’d had a friend help him install, i do not exaggerate, a billboard that said “Happy 18th Birthday Marcia!” I was embarrassed (because I was 18) but also quite touched because my father was an engineer and never did anything crazy.
I’m part of a small pen group. For my friends last birthday a bunch of us surprised her with a fountain pen, ink, and nice notebook. She loved it.
Happy 10th birthday Wellappointeddesk!
Honestly I would have to say when my wife (at the time girlfriend) surprised me by getting all my close friends and family together at my favorite bar, but freaking me out beforehand by telling me it was just gonna be a date night and who cares about my family. It was a surprise, but not. A stereotypical one and I loved it so much.
Happy birthday Ana! My best birthday story happened a few years. My wife and I went to go see our favorite band in concert for the first time.
Happy birthday!! My birthday is always around Thanksgiving and Black Friday, so it’s always filled with tons of food and shopping. We like to host Thanksgiving for our friends, and one year it fell on my birthday so it was great to have amazing food and all my friends together in one place.
Happy Birthday!
For my fortieth birthday my husband offered 40 books to me! This hapened 22 years ago and I remember it very well as one of my best birthday ever!
My last birthday was pretty amazing. I started the day treating myself to a massage. Then I had a short and easy work day. Then I went to my local planner meetup, where a friend baked me vegan chocolate chip cookies! Pretty awesome day for a Thursday.
Happy birthday, Ana! I’ve had so many good birthdays, so it’s hard to choose. One special one is the surprise party my friends threw for me on my 18th birthday. They really set me up as one by one they bowed out of joining me for a birthday dinner. I was SO surprised when I went to meet the one friend who could still join me – and all my friends jumped out to give me a great celebration.
Mostly just old ones that included lasagne that I didn’t have to make.
Hope your highly-trained staff of monkeys do something to the random number picker so that I get picked for this one!! Fingers crossed.
Happy Birthday!
For my 30th birthday my friends and I rented a mansion in big bear California. Three of my friend have birthdays in the three or four weeks following my birthday and we were all turning 30 that year. We got 20 or so friends up to the house and just had a (relatively) wholesome 3 day party. It was great!
Pool party birthdays, always ! Happy birthday!
My wife threw me a surprise party for my 30th, which was also my golden birthday. I was in the middle of grad school, and I was oblivious to the world, so she was able to plan and execute it without me be any wise.
I’m a wedding photographer and was asked by a fellow photographer to photograph a wedding with them. It was near my birthday, but I didn’t think anything about it. I got all dressed, had my gear ready, met up with the photographer and she told me she needed to swing by her studio to grab something she forgot. I walked in and found about 50 friends and family waiting to throw me a surprise party! My wife had coordinated with the photographer to set the whole thing up months in advance. Can’t say I’ve ever been more surprised or touched by a birthday party.
One of my favorite birthdays was my 23rd, when my wife came to visit in the middle of my training at the Armed Forces School of Music in Norfolk, VA. It was great to see her after some grueling days in basic training and to celebrate together. I was able to take leave, didn’t have to stay in the barracks or see any drill sergeants. A great weekend all around!
I don’t have an elaborate birthday story, but my favorite birthday memory is when I took my classmates to a “foam factory”. I’d love to take my friends now, 20 years later, and pelt each other with foam balls. With beer included this time.
Happy birthday! My best story involves the surprise party arranged by my husband, complete with stretch limo and bar-hopping that ended at 3:00 a.m. and included admiring all the Harleys lined up on the street at the adjacent biker bar. I think I would die if I drank that much alcohol ever again, but what a great night that was…
Wish you a very happy birthday.
Happy Birthday! I like the story about turning 39 and staying that way until turning…39!
Happy Birthday!
We have always had fairly big and elaborate birthday parties for our two kids (something I never had nor desired for myself as a kid). This year I am just grateful that we have an excuse to do something low key for my son’s 9th birthday. Don’t worry, he is happy that the saved money, time, and stress are going toward an extra special present.
My sister was moving and the were the o leave on my birthday but she put it off a day so I could be with her children on my birthday.
Several years ago my wife and I went to a friend’s house for my birthday – it had been raining, and upon entering I spent a good minute and a half trying to fit my umbrella in the umbrella holder, without noticing the fifteen friends at the other end of the room that had gathered to surprise me – 0/10 for situational awareness!
This year was a shelter-in-place birthday, but my husband did order me some delicious japanese food!
Happiest of Birthday’s to YOU! Enjoy your beautiful pen! ☺️ My most favourite birthday memory was when i went to Greece for and all of my extended family that i met for the 1st time was there to wish me a Happy Birthday!
I got to have breakfast with my mom on my most recent birthday–something unusual since she lives quite far away. It made the day particularly special!
happy birthday! my favourite birthday memory was when a few of my friends took me to a local amusement park
Happy Birthday! My best birthday memory was 2 years ago. I had been overseas with the military for 7 months and happened to get back home the week of my birthday. It was nice to spend a quality day together with my wife and 4 daughters!
Happy birthday!
One year, I had a birthday, too. It was much like the precious ones, except that I had gotten older. Unsurprising, but not quite disappointing. 🙂
Thanks for doing the giveaway!
I hope you have a great Birthday. I remember being suprised by my sister when she decided it was high time for me to get my drivers lisence.
My birthday is on Christmas. It’s, of course, a family day. My family has always divided the day, birthdays at the end of the day. This year they decided not to do that and celebrate another day. I was taken to the restaurant of my choice. The first time in 69 years that I’ve gotten a dinner out for my birthday
Happy birthday!
My house growing up had a pool, and it was still warm out by my birthday, so I always had a pool party! And lots of friends over, because everyone loves swimming apparently.
My wife threw me a surprise birthday party for my 50th, and some of my best friends I hadn’t seen in a long time drove about 8 hours from New Mexico up to Denver surprise me for the surprise! As if that wasn’t enough, my wife (a wonderful singer/guitar player who no longer plays in public) learned one of my favorite Patty Griffin songs and she performed it with the lead singer of my band as her back up. It was simply amazing and a perfect night.
My 75th birthday was last week, and my son drove to town & brought back our favorite Chinese take out meal, because of the state of restaurants at the moment, Also I would really like the Esterbrook pen, as my first Esterbrook was a Christmas gift when I was 10 years old. It was white and I used it in school all the time. I loved the Skrip peacock blue ink, and a blazing violet ink, until my teacher refused to accept anything but black or blue ink. I wonder why!
My birthday is in the middle of February and often falls on one of the days during Presidents’ Day Weekend. Seven years ago, it was on the Saturday of the long weekend; it was also the White Coat Ceremony for our medical student son. We had a party for him to celebrate, and incidentally I was able to spend my birthday with all three of our grown children, our granddaughter, and both of my sisters! I did get a birthday shoutout from our son during his speech to the gathered crowd.
Happy birthday! My favorite birthday so far was the year I turned 50 and got to go to CODEX!
https://www.codexfoundation.org/archive/codex-2019/2019-book-fair
Happy birthday! I don’t actually have any lime green pens, though I guess a lot of people could say that. It might clash with my vibrant orange Pelikan, so I would have to keep one or the other in my pocket at all times.
My friends planned a huge party for me for my 21st birthday, and I never saw it coming. I thought I was just getting together with a few friends to go out to the park (er, scratch that — we weren’t supposed to be in the park after dark, so we surely weren’t planning to go there. Nope.), we stopped to pick up one more person, and I walked into a room full of friends and family. Someone managed to get a perfect photo of the look of shock on my face. Great night.
For a couple of years I threw a big ol party for myself for my birthday. It was some of the best memories I have with my pals.
Best friend and I have our May
birthdays one week apart. We were in NYC and went to MoMA. Chatted with the cashier and said we were celebrating our bdays, and the cashier used their friend/fily passes and we got in for free! A great day kept getting better. Happy Birthday, Ana!
More of a memory, but I liked getting either a chocolate cake with peppermint cream icing or lemon cake with lemon filling at my grandmother’s house every year. They were my two favorites, and I would go back and forth.
Happy birthday Ana!
My favorite birthday always involves a very good cake.
May be odd, but for my 50th.. I had the shocking revelation that the number 50 is a big one! Then laughed and kept singing karaoke with the realization that I could care less!!!
Happy birthday!
I am afraid I cannot tell you much more as what refers to good birthday stories, at least for my own birthday, because it has always been quite an ordinary day.
This is the best birthday story I can tell you : My husband and myself fell in love on his mother’s birthday. So we had our love to celebrate as long as her birthday (she sadly passed away some years ago).
Thanks for the blog.
Mikel
Happy birthday!
When I was in college and all my classmates took me out for my birthday. It was a very tough year and it meant a lot to me.
One time for my birthday my friends took me to my favorite place for afternoon tea. The food and the tea was excellent.
Being Hispanic every birthday becomes interesting when blowing out the candles. Your once friends and family become vicious animals ready to pounce on you, eager to get a nice healthy serving of frosting and cake generously applied to your face. Beware the cupcakes.
A good birthday story? Well, I used one birthday visit to my girlfriend to propose – that was pretty good to say the least!
One year, my fiance surprised me with a giant box…. it felt super light and I have no idea what was inside… inside was a GIANT super soft, squishy Oddish plush (my favourite Pokemon). Wow. This Oddish is now like our unofficial child, I love it SO much. It was a really thoughtful gift and so sweet!
Merry Birthday to you!
I think best birthday was when my husband took me to Neil Diamond concert.
hmm..birthday story. Well, the Moon Landing happened on my second birthday, so my parents were convinced I would be the first female astronaut. Yeah, that didn’t happen.
Happy Birthday, One year I wanted Baked Alaska for my birthday cake, my mom made it, but it was a little too warm and meringue did not stiffen enough. She had used 2 halves of eggs shell to hold flaming alcohol, One slid off sideways and dribbled flames on to table cloth! Luckily not too fast a spread. Fire was easily put out. That never stopped us from having baked Alaska again.
The lime green has enough yellow to make it lemon lime, the spots make it look carbonated.
Hubby threw me a surprise party at one of our favorite restaurants with a few close friends. I nearly ruined the surprise by planning a movie night with the same people and causing mass confusion! but he went behind me furiously texting everyone to play along. Everyone made it to the party and we had a great laugh about the near mix up
Every seven years my birthday falls on Thanksgiving. Growing up, nothing threilled me more than to combine my birthday with a Thanksgiving meal shared among extended family- it was a celebration complete with grandchildren at card tables and a meal that lasted all day. Thanksgiving is still my favorite holiday for the happy memories spent with family and the warm comfort food of Turkey, sides, and apple pie. Happy Birthday, Anna!
Happy Birthday & all your wishes come true.
For my 30th birthday I was a bit emotional about not being in my twenties and getting old before my time, lol. Both of my daughters tried to make it extra special by baking a cake and decorating it and making special birthday coupons for foot soak, doing dishes, laundry, running a bath, setting dinner table. It turned out to be the best day ever.
Happy birthday, Ana!
Happy Birthday Ana!!!
My 22nd birthday was amazing: we went to the state fair for the first time in ages (I love the state fair). We happened to stumble upon the chopstick knitting competition as it was about to start, so I entered, and I WON. Serendipitous blue ribbon for me on my birthday!
My favorite birthdays have been spent going to summer blockbuster sci fi movies with my children.
Happy birthday!
Happy birthday! My most recent birthday my boyfriend showed up after not being able to see each other for over a month due to Corona. It was definitely risky but also felt great to see him again.
Happy birthday Ana thank you for all you do
Happy birthday!
A birth day story: years ago I found out I was born on my husband’s due date and he was born on mine.
At my 50th birthday my brother and his family were living in Sarasota Springs, NY. August, my birth month, is the height of the racing season at the Saratoga track. Through a business contact by brother was able to get a table for lunch in the grandstand, so six of us us got dressed up in summer finery, including appropriate headwear, and toured the grounds a bit before lunch and the races. Truly memorable.
My best birthday was when my wife and kids took me to see a Dodgers game.
While at the bar getting a drink (on my birthday, I know!), the entire group of people I was with got caught up in some sort of altercation and the heavy-handed bouncers tossed everyone out. So I returned to our spot to find a bunch of new people. I would have just left but I now had an entire beer (and having turned an age when this was still a large investment). I ended up asking someone if they knew what had happened to my friends. Little did I know the stranger who explained it to me would be my wife a few years later.