Birthday Weekend!

Deidre and me

I had probably one of the best birthday's on record. Since my birthday typically falls on Memorial weekend, it is always hard to plan things with people out of town.  So, originally I didn't plan anything special.  I thought that maybe I would just go out of town, perhaps Ojai to a spa and write.  Well, boy do plans change!

I was invited to attend Stevie Wonder's birthday celebration. My friend Deidre puts on this  annual celebration for his close friends and family. It was an intimate affair and took place in Bel Air, CA. 

There was a DJ, catered dinner and live music towards the end of the evening. I ran into several former students of mine from when I worked at the Hollywood Pop Academy with Deidre.  It was enjoyable to hear how their career's have all flourished.  There were other amazingly talented artists there too who were very eager to make their mark.

One thing I thought was funny was that at least 2 people lost their cell phones in the swimming pool that night. They were standing over the pool and accidently dropped it in.  Yikes!

Steve playing "thumb of war" with a buddy

Inside the home of where the party took place, one of Steve's close friends is a painter.  He painted the picture you see below. What was unique about this painting was that it was texturized so Steve was able to take his fingers and feel the grooves of the strokes as well as feel the jewels he incorporated. It truly was an amazing piece of artwork. 

The next morning, my friend Jamie picked me up and we drove down to Marina Del Rey for mimosa's!  We stopped by Tony P's Dockside Grill and sat on the patio where we also ate delicious crab cakes. 

After we finished our mid-morning treat, we headed over to the marina where we met up with our friends for an afternoon yacht ride.  

We got there plenty early and had some time to spare, so Jaime and I grabbed our cameras and walked around the boat taking fun pictures.  Unfortunately, our fun nature didn't appear to mesh well with a few other "high maintenance" individuals who were already on the boat.  It's amazing to me how pretentious people can be.  We didn't let them ruin our day though. We carried on whether they liked it or not! Haha!

Anyway, here are some pics from the boat ride.

Jaime and my rings.  It was my friend Nicole's idea to pose like we were married. Ha!

Don't let these pro's fool you. Surf paddling is hard!

I loved the bright colors of the houses along the coast

Sun setting

After we got off the boat, our friends Tim and Noelle invited us to their friend's condo in Marina Del Rey.  It was a great time! We jammed on guitars, sang some music and did a little dancing. It was a gorgeous home!  

I'm so thankful to my wonderful friends for inviting me to take part in such fun activities this weekend for my birthday.  I really made some new memories and met some great people.