Happy Birthday to me with Pierre-Auguste RENOIR !

I have had a wonderful birthday today and I have to share a couple of photocopies of real art on my blog and not just my wanna-be artist ambitions of my own creations.

Today is my birthday (way too many years for what I feel like in my head so don't ask!) Anyway, Paul took today off work and we began my birthday celebration with lunch in downtown Ottawa, ON at a WONDERFUL restaurant called SANTE's. It is an Asian-fusion restaurant...a lot of Thai cuisine. It is W+O+N+D+E+R+F+U+L!! A real treat kind of place.

From there we walked over to the National Art Gallery of Canada where a special exhibit of Pierre-Auguste Renoir's work is on display. You have to understand that Renoir and Monet have long been two of my favorite Impressionist artist and to see Renoir's work was just amazing! I actually named two of my cats after the artists and is the reason why I have a cat named Renoir and my daughter's cat's name is Monet! I can't even begin to tell you how exciting it was to see this exhibit. Plus, the National Art Gallery of Canada is one of the most beautiful achitecturally perfect buildings to house great works of art that it made it even more of a treat.

So I am posting two little photos of Renoir. Actually, the exhibit we saw today was of his landscapes. Amazing! Paul and I talked the entire way home in excited chatter about all we learned and saw.

OH...I should have said that my day started off with a gift certificate from Paul to Heather's Stamping Haven in Ottawa. Little does Paul know, I went there yesterday and drowned my sorrows of being older in a big bill for new stamps. But now I can go back and spend HIS $$$. How cool is that? If you've ever been to Ottawa or plan to come, Heather's is a must see stamp store.

I received so MANY beautiful birthday cards. I just took a photo of them all and was going to post it as well. However..........someone's new puppy has chewed the cord that goes from the digital camera to the computer and they won't upload to my blog! Must be Paul's puppy 'cuz surely my pup wouldn't do such a naughty thing.

Thank you for the wonderful cards and treats! I've had one of the nicest birthday's I've had in a long time.