After years of planning and designing, we finally broke ground on our house today in The Shores. Our contractor, Chris Jackson of Caribbean Construction, is shooting get us in next summer ... stay tuned for updates. Our traditional Monday night "date night" consisted of a vintage Dom and picnic on the dock of our future home.
David and the 'prom committee' have worked tirelessly for months and the event that unfolded on Saturday, September 12th was beyond any expectations that I had for my 40th birthday bash! About 100 guests were there to witness Mum and Dad's house transformed into a high school gymnasium. Every aspect of the decor was executed perfectly - from the corsages given to all the girls, the Prom Queen's locker and the boys and girls bathrooms complete with graffiti, Drakkar Noir and 80's Sex Symbol posters.
Pop up videos were playing, 80's music was jamming, and guests really got into costume. After prizes for best 80's, best couple, crowning of the King and Queen, and the birthday cake, faux Ray Bans were handed out while Cory Hart's track "I Wear my Sunglasses at Night" blared from the speakers, and the dance floor was once again filled to capacity. The party was rocking until 2am. Rachel and Steven flew in for the bash, and I got the the biggest surprise of all when Wendy and Sylvie, my University friends and Sorority sisters, appeared at my door on the eve of the party (my actual birthday). They had been scheming with David for months to coordinate the perfect surprise. Wendy flew in from Virginia and Sylvie from Florida on Friday afternoon and stayed out of sight until they appeared at my door that evening for dinner. My 40th birth-month was truly beyond. I had such a great time celebrating with the people I love. 40 definitely was done in style.
In lieu of gifts I asked that friends donate to one of my two charities of choice : Cayman HospiceCare or Cayman Islands Cystic Fibrosis Trust. Friends were very generous and I am pleased to report that both charities received sizable donations.
Prom Chairman and Prom King : David ...
Prom Committee : Diana Joseph, Lisa Uggeri, Lisa Burke, Nancy Barnard, Mum, and from overseas, Rachel Hart ...
Official Photographer : Rebecca Davidson of Picture This ...
DJ: Lester of One World ...
Caterers : Mise en Place ...
Bar Service : Barnes Bartending Service ...
Decor : Massive Equipment, Dara Pereira, and the fabulous Prom Committee ...
The lead up to my 40th has been full of surprises and a true testament to how life is not complete without fabulous girlfriends. Diana and Lisa arranged a spectacular celebration with our posse of girls. On Friday Diana and Lisa U. came by my house and kidnapped me in style - a stretch limousine was waiting to whisk us away to a secret unknown destination. A girly giggly afternoon of drinking champagne and being chauffeured around Cayman finally led us to the Cotton Tree www.caymancottontree.com, a quaint collection of four modern, Cayman-inspired cottages nestled on the Northwest point overlooking the Caribbean Sea. 
As the afternoon progressed, the girls kept arriving one by one - Nancy, Tara, Aoife, Gilly, Nisha, Lisa B., Belinda and Kelly - the celebration was underway. Lisa U. and Diana and planned every details of our stay : there were gifts in the cottages, magazine to enjoy poolside, and champagne for everyone. Body Works came by and pampered the girls with manicures, pedicures and massages http://www.bodyworkscayman.com. After a day of pampering and cocktails by the pool, we all retreated to our respective villas to get ready for the evening. 
While jamming to 80's tunes and enjoyed appetizers in our villa, Ristorante Pappagallo http://www.pappagallo.ky was hard at work preparing the ocean side venue for our dinner. Vico and his staff created a succulent, mouth watering meal and we enjoyed the impeccable service of the staff while we dined under the stars in style. After dinner, a pajama party and Sex in the City episodes took us late into the evening. As the morning dawned, some of the more energetic girls enjoyed yoga classes by the ocean. A late breakfast catered by Pappagallo replenished us for a day 
of lounging and relaxing poolside. Lisa and Diana outdid themselves planning every details of our girls getaway. Months of planning paid off and the surprise girls weekend was truly amazing.
Well, my BFF Rachel totally and completely outdid herself with a surprised filled weekend in Atlanta as a prelude to my 40th. From a fashion show hours after landing on Thursday, to surprise visits from old friends and concerts in Chastain Park, each moment of the weekend was planned and executed with perfection. I have no idea how she pulled this weekend off without even a hint of what was in store.
Each morning, a schedule of the activities for the day and a gift was beautifully displayed. On Friday we enjoyed a morning of pampering at William David Salon http://www.williamdavidsalon.com and I came out 3 hours later rocking a whole new look. When we returned to the Buckhead penthouse, one of my dear friends from Emory University, Jennifer, was casually sitting on the couch awaiting our arrival. She flew in from St. Simons Island, GA, for the weekend. Even
though we have been in contact, I have not seen Jennifer for over 10 years and the shock and joy of seeing her again and having her join us for the weekend on fun was just incredible. Once I recovered from that surprise, the 3 of us headed over to Saks Fifth Avenue and enjoyed makeovers at Chanel. More pampering and the arrival of Gillian clued me in that more surprises and a fun evening was ahead! Once back at the Penthouse, we enjoyed a girly evening getting dolled up before heading over to Buckhead HotSpot MF Sushi http://www.mfbuckhead.com. We arrived fashionably late and I had one 
more surprise in store for the evening - my college roommate Michelle joined us for dinner. Michelle was out of town on business until hours before dinner and I was thrilled that she literally dropped her bags at home and kissed her boys before heading back into the city so she could be a part of the celebration. This evening was one of the many highlights of the weekend.
On Saturday Rachel, Jennifer and I enjoyed a leisurely day at Spa 29 at the Mansion on Peachtree http://www.rwmansiononpeachtree.com/spa.cfm.
After hours of more pampering, we were primed ready to enjoy En Vogue on 
concert at Chastain Park. 2 more of Rachel's friends joined us at the penthouse and we all travelled to the concert together. Concert was great huge hit.
Rachel did not slow the pace on Sunday! Rachel, Jennifer and I met Steven, Rebecca and Joseph at the Ritz Carlton for breakfast before saying goodbye to Jennifer as she had an early afternoon flight back to St. Simmons. Rachel and I then enjoyed a slightly slower pace of shopping and then on to a play "A Sunday Afternoon at Loehmann's" at the Ansley Park Playhouse. What a joy this play was. We laughed and cried for the whole production and the acting was top class. We enjoyed an early dinner at Nam http://www.namrestaurant.com/ and headed back to condo to pack for my early flight out on Monday morning.
This weekend was filled with so much love and friendship. The memories of this weekend will last a lifetime and my love and gratitude to Rachel for all of her hard work is indescribable.
Charles and Erika Harris, along with Erika's sister Emily and her husband Jeff, were visiting Cayman and David took them out for a day of Stingrays and boating in the North Sound. It was Jeff's first time at Stingray City and yes, he did the the obligatory "little girl scream". They then went to a favorite snorkeling spot to the east of the main channel which all agreed was the best snorkeling they had done on the Island. Finally, a quick spin past Kaibo then over to the Sand Bar at Rum Point for a picnic. Back to the dock by 12:30 in time for them to catch an afternoon flight to Houston. Not a bad morning in paradise.
Massive had another great turnout at the annual family BBQ held at Royal Palms Beach Bar / Reef Grill http://www.reefgrill.com. The Waverunners were once again a hit for the sun lovers, and for those seeking shade enjoyed intense games of Dominoes and Scrabble under the tent. The Reef Grill put on an amazing lunch spread and their staff worked hard on ensure our every need was catered too. 
Ryan and Taylor just finished Ambassadors of the Environment Camp at the Ritz Carlton, Grand Cayman. The camp was filled with art activities, and trips to the bat caves, mangroves, and some of the amazing snorkeling sites that Cayman has to offer. They saw Spotted Eagle Rays and baby Turtles emerging from their eggs on the beach. The enjoyed afternoons of rock climbing (Ryan wants me to mention that he made it to the top and Taylor was not far 
behind) and playing games with new friends that they met. Ryan and Taylor knew some of the kids in the camp and made some new friends, and they had the highest praises for the staff. When summarizing the camp in one word, they both said "awesome!" See the links below for more about the camp.
http://www.oceanfutures.org/ofs/aote.php
http://www.ritzcarlton.com/en/Properties/GrandCayman/AmbassadorsoftheEnvironment/Default.htm
On a recent visit to the Botanic Park we visited with the beautiful Blue Iguanas that rule the park. Note that these are NOT the green iguanas that seem to have arrived in Cayman a few years ago and have left their unwanted mark on our Island.
The Blue Iguana or Grand Cayman Iguana (Cyclura lewisi) is a critically endangered species of lizard endemic to the island of Grand Cayman The Blue Iguana is one of the longest-living species of lizard (possibly up to 69 years). The record is 67 years.
The Blue Iguana prefers dwelling in rocky, sunlit, open areas in dry forests or near the shore, as the females must dig holes in the sand to lay eggs in June and July. A possible second clutch is laid in September. The Blue Iguana's vegetarian diet includes plants, fruits, and flowers. Its coloration is tan to gray with a bluish cast that is more pronounced during the breeding season and more so in males. Here are some websites to learn more about the Blue Iguanas and the Botanic Park.
We made some new friends who visit Cayman every summer from England. We enjoyed a glorious day of boating in the North Sound together. Our Boston Terrier, DeeDee, loved all of the attention from our guests!
Taylor and Alianne celebrate their birthdays 3 days apart so Mimi and Bampa hosted a family lunch in celebration of Ali turning 3 and Taylor turning 8. The two little divas loved being the center of attention.
Taylor celebrated her 8th birthday a week early with a Spa Day with 6 other girlfriends at a kids salon, Tangles. The girls spent 3 hours getting manicures, pedicures, and their hair done. It was a fun, girly afternoon. 
After the spa, David, Ryan & Max, along with the grandparents joined us at The Brick House for pizza and cake.
