paper wallet

Today my mom and I went to my friend Lizzy's bridal shower! Since I am morally opposed to buying lingerie, we carried on the tradition started by Stephanie and I of giving restaurant gift cards instead. Everyone knows that newly weds are notoriously poor, so we figured a gift card to be used on a couple's date would be perfect. I recently learned how to make a paper wallet, so I decided to make one in place of a lame card to house the aforementioned gift cards. It was a wild success, if I do say so myself. (And I do.)

It's a paper wallet!

Fits right in your hand. Also pocket, since it is actual, wallet-sized.

Money from the Bank of True Love.
Could there be more appropriate money for a bridal shower wallet?
I submit that there could not!

We got them a California Pizza Kitchen card (not pictured), and
a PF Chang's gift card so they can go out on dates even after they're poor and married.

In fact, the gift card they'll receive in the mail with come with a note that says this:
"You are married! Since you're poor now you can use this to get good food to eat & also have a date night to get away from the kids...that you don't have yet. Enjoy your freedom while you can!"
(I seriously laugh about this out loud ever time I think about it.)

Look at how much thinner the paper wallet is than my regular one!
Granted, it also only has 2 slips of "money" paper, and one homemade gift card. But still!

You can find the instructions at Instructables.com, though my version varies slightly from the original. (I made my wallet from one patterned sheet of 8.5 x 11 piece of paper and no tape.)

the magical number 23

So, on Monday I turned 23! Certain ages bring with them certain magical new abilities, like getting your license at 17 (in NJ), becoming a legal adult at 18, being able to legally buy and drink alcohol at 21, etc. With 23 comes the lovely event of being kicked off of my parent's insurance. Hooray for the privatization of health care! At the moment I'm flying uninsured, but soon enough I'll hopefully have my very own health care plan. (The contracts are in the mail or being processed, or something...)

Anyway, to celebrate my policylessness, today I threw myself a Do-It-Yourself birthday party! What does that mean exactly? It means people come over and we all make dinner and decorations together, then eat and enjoy them and each others' company. Afterwards we played picture telephone and flirted with the idea of playing our own version of Loaded Questions, but then people had to leave and we just sat and talked. It was really fun. I love all my friends,  it is true. Even those that couldn't make it because they were far away and thus not invited. You know.

Additionally, Matt wrote me an ode! For years and years I have been planting this idea in people's minds but people have just laughed at my heart-meant suggestion. But, happily, I can now say that at least one person has taken up my challenge and actually done it! The fabulous ode goes like this:

Cassandra, Cassandra, Queen of the day.

Invited us all to this delightful soiree.

With decorations and food, and lazy friends such as I

It must have been trying to put this together on the fly.

So if I, perchance, fail to honor her well

I can only expect her ire to swell.

So I speak these stanzas to celebrate her birth,

To stave off her anger, and fill the party with mirth.

Pretty cool, huh? Happy birthday to me!