July 22, 2025 – For anyone looking for fun birthday stuff today, inside this card reads, “Long may she reign!” And who wouldn’t like to find a magnet tucked inside?!
We created this design with two types of friends in mind: Ones who have embraced princessness and know its worth, read it as acknowledgement. Those learning how to get what they need and then “receiiiiiive,” if you know what I mean, feel its encouragement. 🩷
For “givers,” as Cardies so often are, celebrating ourselves doesn’t seem to come as easily as celebrating others does. Being able to generously do both is one of the things we love about Contributing Cardie Mary Pat Rossi.
“I Love Birthdays!” she commented on a Cardie Newsletter a year or so ago, then went on to tell such a fun tale that we’re sharing it with you here. She began, “For significant birthdays — such as 30, 60, 90, etc. — friends often roll out a ‘40 days to 40!’ or ‘50 days to 50’ surprise. ‘What’s that?!’ you may ask.
“Well, starting months in advance, some go-getter who really loves you reaches out to all your friends and family members and enlists them to surprise you in their own way on an assigned day leading up to your big one. A call, a card, a gift, flowers, or whatever. Each day there’s some surprise from someone. Let me just say, it makes for a joyous time leading up to the birthday, and expands the joy exponentially!
“For my own 50th, a close and very clever friend who knows I love Harley- Davidsons sent a unique gift to me. There I was at work (for a Catholic Church), and this striking biker pulls up, knocks at the door, and asks for me. He said, ‘Your friend Linda sent me to take you for a birthday ride.’
“Protectively, I asked, ‘Who are you, and why should I get on your Harley?’ The handsome stranger smiled and said, ‘Here’s a note from Linda.’
“Now because Linda had already sent a basket of warm muffins and thermos of hot coffee over earlier, I was a tad concerned … until I read her laugh-out-loud note that said, ‘Warm buns from the oven this morning, and cute buns to take you for a ride on a Harley-Davidson mid-day!’ I smiled and followed him to his bike.
“Ride we did that beautiful God-given day! When it came time, he said, ‘Now I’m to take you to your favorite bar & grill where you’ll find friends waiting to treat you to lunch.’ As I was getting off his bike so he could ride away, this man who’d made my day laughed and said, ‘First time in my life I’ve picked a woman up at the church and dropped her off at the bar!!!’”
Ha! Mary Pat closed with, “Here’s hoping this story inspires my fellow Cardies to celebrate someone in their own unique way!” In Harley speak, “Life is short, so grip it and rip it.”
Jodee Stevens
Founder & Chief Creative
July 22, 2025 – For anyone looking for fun birthday stuff today, inside this card reads, “Long may she reign!” And who wouldn’t like to find a magnet tucked inside?!
We created this design with two types of friends in mind: Ones who have embraced princessness and know its worth, read it as acknowledgement. Those learning how to get what they need and then “receiiiiiive,” if you know what I mean, feel its encouragement. 🩷
For “givers,” as Cardies so often are, celebrating ourselves doesn’t seem to come as easily as celebrating others does. Being able to generously do both is one of the things we love about Contributing Cardie Mary Pat Rossi.
“I Love Birthdays!” she commented on a Cardie Newsletter a year or so ago, then went on to tell such a fun tale that we’re sharing it with you here. She began, “For significant birthdays — such as 30, 60, 90, etc. — friends often roll out a ‘40 days to 40!’ or ‘50 days to 50’ surprise. ‘What’s that?!’ you may ask.
“Well, starting months in advance, some go-getter who really loves you reaches out to all your friends and family members and enlists them to surprise you in their own way on an assigned day leading up to your big one. A call, a card, a gift, flowers, or whatever. Each day there’s some surprise from someone. Let me just say, it makes for a joyous time leading up to the birthday, and expands the joy exponentially!
“For my own 50th, a close and very clever friend who knows I love Harley- Davidsons sent a unique gift to me. There I was at work (for a Catholic Church), and this striking biker pulls up, knocks at the door, and asks for me. He said, ‘Your friend Linda sent me to take you for a birthday ride.’
“Protectively, I asked, ‘Who are you, and why should I get on your Harley?’ The handsome stranger smiled and said, ‘Here’s a note from Linda.’
“Now because Linda had already sent a basket of warm muffins and thermos of hot coffee over earlier, I was a tad concerned … until I read her laugh-out-loud note that said, ‘Warm buns from the oven this morning, and cute buns to take you for a ride on a Harley-Davidson mid-day!’ I smiled and followed him to his bike.
“Ride we did that beautiful God-given day! When it came time, he said, ‘Now I’m to take you to your favorite bar & grill where you’ll find friends waiting to treat you to lunch.’ As I was getting off his bike so he could ride away, this man who’d made my day laughed and said, ‘First time in my life I’ve picked a woman up at the church and dropped her off at the bar!!!’”
Ha! Mary Pat closed with, “Here’s hoping this story inspires my fellow Cardies to celebrate someone in their own unique way!” In Harley speak, “Life is short, so grip it and rip it.”
Jodee Stevens
Founder & Chief Creative
What a great story! Thanks for sharing, Mary Pat! You have inspired me to come up with some fun ideas going forward. :)
I LOVE this story!!
I love Mary Pat’s way of celebrating birthdays. I will try it with my grandchildren :) Three, five, and seven days until your birthday sound more manageable to me, ha!
OMG — dying laughing. Can I be friends with Mary Pat Rossi and her friend Linda????
Brought a smile to my face!
Mary Pat has one exceptional friend in Linda. How fun is that to have a motorcycle ride and have the driver say, first time taking someone from church to a bar. What a hoot.