Monday, September 2, 2019

53. Celebration and Appropriation

My bookkeeper and friend for over thirty years hasn't felt like celebrating her August birthday ever since her first-born son, who had a heart issue, had a heart attack while surfing a few days before his August birthday. Then five years ago her husband, who had a heart issue, passed away the same week as their son's birth and death dates, eighteen days shy of his own August birthday. Surely, August not April is the cruelest month.

So, it was a great and happy surprise to get an e-invite to a 70th birthday celebration for Theresa Rose Anastasio, with a picture of her at one-year-old and a picture of Sophia Loren portraying Terry at 70 years, to be held at Rosa Mexicana.

Her initials are the reverse of my late mother's and my mother had a thing about roses, so for a birthday card, I did a bit of design appropriation (or adaptation?), attaching to typographic wrapping paper some vintage items I couldn't bear to get rid of: a guest towel monogrammed with a "T," a handkerchief embroidered with roses, and lovely evening gloves folded to look like an "A" (a bit abstract and not successful, but a concept nontheless).

The party was great. The biggest thrill was seeing Terry having a good time with family, lifelong friends, and clients-who've-become-friends. She gave a short speech, thanking her husband (who made the party possible [pension?], and her late son (her hear) as well as her remaining son, who is her rock.

I'm hoping we can revert to April as the cruelest month, with last night's celebration is a lucky 7 decades, moving toward future birthdays where everything's coming up roses.


Feel free to count the corny phrases; but there are no prizes for finding them all.































Background "pages" of birthday card are from Typographic Gift Wrapping Paper designed by Steven Heller and Rick Landers, published by Thames & Hudson. The card on "page" 4 was purchased at Papyrus.

There's a typo on "pate" 1—and yes, I should have done all of the typography and card design myself, but I was time-challenged and know when I'm bested.


(For September 1, 2019; posted September 2)

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