Welcome to the celebration of the 11th anniversary of my 29th birthday!
I cannot, cannot, believe I am 40!
It seems like yesterday I was 22. Where did the last 18 years go?
Do not worry, this isn’t going to be a pity party. I am happy to be turning 40 because, well, the alternative isn’t exactly what I want either.
I am healthy, I have four healthy children, a loving husband and two amazing sisters and lots of wonderful friends. I am thankful to be having another birthday.
I thought for this little party I’d first provide some trivia(l) facts about myself, which you might not find interesting.
- My family was like the book North and South: my mom from Michigan and my dad from South Carolina (the families did NOT mix well)
- My birth place was Kalamazoo, Michigan (many do not realize that it is a real place)
- My mom went into labor on the night of her due date, but had me the next morning and I did the EXACT same thing with my first baby, isn’t that neat?
- Before I turned five I had lived in four different places (Michigan, Georgia, Germany and South Carolina)
- I grew up as Mandy, and actually didn’t switch to Amanda until after I graduated from college
Throughout my childhood, my mother took wonderful pictures of our family with her Pentax SLR and I always thought “one day I’ll learn to take pictures like her.” She died when I was 21, then my dad died when I was 37, and I decided I couldn’t wait any longer to fulfill that dream. I am glad I didn’t wait any longer.
Okay, enough reminiscing and on to the celebration!!! (Have to add this – I spelled reminiscing correctly the first time – I impressed myself!)
Today is 11/11/11, so we are celebrating that unique 40th birthday date by having six prizes, to reflect the six ones.
There will be SIX winners – one prize for each winner!
To enter the giveaway simply leave a comment on this blog post telling me who was president when you were born. GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED
- One entry per person
Giveaway ends Sunday, November 13th at 11 PM ESTCLOSED- Winners have 7 days to respond, after which the prize will be given to another entry
- Winners will be chosen via Random.org
Giveaway was closed at 11:00 PM EST. Entries made after that were not included (sorry I have to follow my own rules). The comment numbers chosen via Random.org were:
102 203 115 417 51 158
- Pretty Presets gift goes to comment #102 made by Jayne
- Fototale Designs gift goes to comment #203 made by Dena
- The Modern Knot gift goes to comment #115 made by Shirley LaMay
- Isabelle LaFrance gift goes to comment #417 made by Courtney
- My Funky Camera gift goes to comment #51 made by Dawn
- Everyday Elements gift goes to comment #158 made by Ellie (who’s bday is TODAY!!)
I want to thank Pretty Presets, Fotatale Designs, The Modern Knot, Isabelle LaFrance and My Funky Camera for being so generous with their prizes and helping me celebrate my birthday like this! Please take time to go to each of their sites and look around, they are all talented and provide wonderful products!
I am down with a bad cold right now, so I may choose to celebrate again when I’m feeling better, so watch out for an email from me and keep on eye on the Facebook page. I have some fun things in mind.
THE BIRTHDAY PRIZES ARE…..
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Pretty Presets
A $50 gift card to Pretty Presets
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Fototale Designs
$50 gift card to Fototale Designs
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The Modern Knot
$25 gift card to The Modern Knot
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Isabelle LaFrance Photography
A $50 product bundle from Isabelle LaFrance
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My Funky Camera
$25 gift certificate for a wrist strap from My Funky Camera
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Everyday Elements
$50 gift card for anything at Everyday Elements
About Amanda
Richard Nixon was president when I was born (Nov 20, 1970). Amazingly enough, I also was born in Kalamazoo, Michigan! What a coincidence!!!!
Happy Birthday Amanda!!!
Oh and I forgot to mention….the year I was born (November 7th, 1970)….NIXON was president! The only good that came out of that was Watergate Salad….yummy!
Happy Birthday, Amanda!! Dwight D. Eisenhower was president the year I was born.
Happy Birthday! Nixon was president when I was born. I’ll be 40 next summer.
happy birthday to a very talented lady … hope you get to feeling better soon. JFK {john f. kennedy} would have been president the year i was born {1964!} ~jan
Happy, happy birthday to you! Dwight David Eisenhower was re-elected president in the year of my birth. Wow.
Dwight D. Eisenhower was president when I was born and re-elected the year my sister was born.
Happy 40th birthday to you. I hope you were blessed with many wonderful memories today!
Hi Amanda!!! Happy Birthday!!! Richard Nixon was president when I was born. I’m only a couple of months behind you. =)
Reagan was the president. Happy birthday to you.
Happy, Happy Birthday to you, Amanda! Hope you are feeling better very soon.
Ford was president the year I was born.
Thanks for the great giveaway!
I love it when women celebrate and embrace the 4-0. Happy Celebrating!
Nixon was in the White House when I was born.
1955 and Eisenhower was president. Would like to be 40 again! 🙂 Happy birthday Amanda and hope you get to feeling better soon. I so enjoy your postings!
Ewwwwww. Nixon wouldn’t have been my first choice, but there it is. 🙂
Happy birthday, Amanda–you’re the best!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!
Ronald Reagan was president when I was born 🙂
Imagine that…. Above is a Tonya and Im Tonnya (but given the name Tonya) – Nice :))
Im 44 and loving it !!!! 40’ies are great – Welcome Amanda <3
Oh and I guess that president was Lyndon B Johnson 🙂
Had to look that up as I have been living in Denmark for 43 years 😉
Wishing you a very Happy 40th Birthday Amanda!
In 10 months I will also be joining the 4-0 club; therefore, Nixon was President when I was born.
sorry I posted twice, didn’t see my original post here….I was having internet drama……happy birthday again.
Happy Birthday Amanda!! Richard M. Nixon was president when I was born.
Happy Birthday!
JFK was president when I was born.
Lyndon Johnson and happy birthday sweet friend~ praying you feel better today!!! XO
For me it was Lyndon Johnson. Hope you have a wonderful birthday!
Dwight D Eisenhower, baby! Yes, I’m THAT old!!! Happy, happy birthday, Amanda! Thanks for all you do! And I hope you feel better soon!
wow you are still a baby, and what an auspicous date! I wish you well for your future enterprises . and hope that you stay healthy and happy.
The president when I was born was Harry S Truman ( december 1947) Thank goodness for wikipedia cos I am British and had no clue, mind you I can just barely remember who our Prime Minister was then cos I was only small at the time. about 6lbs. Arrived 2 weeks late according to the midwife but on time according to my Mum, BUT she had to spend her first married Christmas away from her husband as due to the bombing in London a lot of hospitals were damaged and those that were OK were looking after the injured. So Off to Huntingdonshire she was shipped on her due date, I miss her so much but at least I was 50 and she was 2 weeks off her 75th birthday when she literally went to sleep and didn’t wake up.
I am grateful it happened like that for her but it was a shock for us all. and I miss her every day.
But to finish on a high note. HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Yay to you. Amanda,
BTW It was Clement Atllee who was our PM in 1947.
Happy 40th Birthday and many more! President Roosevelt was in the White House but where I was born it was Prime Minister Chamberlain. Talk about giving away your age!!!
Whoa, is this pathetic or what? I actually had to do a google search to find out…. President history isn’t my strong point. Anyways, it was Bill Clinton
Happy Birthday! I would love to be 40 again! I was running, healthy and not in a lot of pain. Enjoy being 40. It doesn’t get any better (physically I mean).
Anyway, I’m old. President Harry S. Truman was president when I was born. Yeah, yeah, I’m one of those evil baby boomers that’s bankrupting the country.
Happy Birthday!!! Ford was president when I was born. Thanks for the giveaway and hope you have a very wonderful birthday!!
Happy birthday! I’ve got a 19 year head start on you, LOL. Most of the BEST years of my life were after 40. So keep that in mind!
Lyndon Johnson was president when I was born.
Happy 40th and enjoy! JFK was president when I was born, but sadly only for a couple days. He was shot shortly after I was born.
I was born in 1969, so Richard Nixon was president. Seems crazy but I remember when he stepped down. I think I remember him making his resignation speech. Seems crazy that I would remember that, I was 4! We were all sitting in the living room while my parents watched. It was a big deal.
Happy Birthday to you!! Hope you have/had a great day!!!
HI Amanda-
Happy Birthday. My daughter goes by Mandy, I wonder if she will ever change it back to Amanda. 🙂 She is only 21 now.
Dwight D. Eisenhower was the president when I was born.
I hope you enjoyed your day.
Thanks Amanda for the give away and I hope you are feeling better! Robert Nixon was President the year I was born!!!!
Happy belated 40th! Jimmy Carter had just taken office when I was born.
What a fun post Amanda!! and how cool to turn 40 on 11-11-11!! I’m so happy to have you as a friend!! Happy Birthday!
Lyndon B. Johnson was president when I was born!!
Richard Nixon was president the year I was born but was in the process of his impeachment! Happy birthday!!
President Carter! Thanks for a great giveaway!
I hope you had a wonderful birthday. Im getting close to 40 as well. Im actually kinda looking forward to it. Makes me feel like a “real” grown up lol…
The President was still Nixon when I was born..
Ronald Reagan… Happy birthday, Amanda!!!
My 40th is in 11 days. I’m denying it all the way. LOL! Told hubby that I don’t want any party but want to do 40 Random Acts of Kindness.
Nixon was president. Thank you for the great giveaway.
Happy Birthday Amanda! I am from Canada and I actually did not know the answer so I looked it up 🙂 Jimmy Carter was president in 1979.
Happy Birthday Amanda! John F. Kennedy was president when I was born. I’m staring down 50 (yikes!! I can’t believe it!)…but as you said, it’s better than the alternative and I have so much to be thankful for. I hope you feel better soon!
Dwight D. Eisenhower. Love your blog, and happy birthday!
Happy birthday!! 4o is the new 30, right? Richard Nixon was president when I was born (which makes me older than you!!).
Happy Birthday Amanda. It’s great you have such a wonderful attitude on turning 40!
Lyndon D. Johnson was president when I was born.
Thanks for all you do.
Happy Birthday Amanda! You are going to LOVE 40! It just keeps getting better, trust me. 😉
When I was born Harry Truman was president, but it was very late in his 2nd term.
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Richard Nixon was president when I was born in 1970
I was born in 1973. . . Richard Nixon was president. Happy Birthday, Amanda!
OMG I had to google 1977 to see who the president was! Geesh! President Carter. I feel horrible. History isn’t my thing I guess!
PS–my BFF went to college and was her basketball ball team’s MVP at Kalamazoo College 🙂
Ronald Reagan was President when I was born in 1983 and Pierre Elliot Trudeau was Prime Minister of Canada (I am from BC!).
Thanks for this awesome contest … I hope you had a spectacular 40th birthday yesterday Amanda!