Shirley-Girley Is Having a Birthday!

I'M BACK!!

Hello there! I'm home and happy to be here today to enjoy the birthday celebrations of your friend and mine, Ms. Shirley of Shirley-Bee's Stamping Stuff! Happy Birthday, my kooky friend, and many, many more!!

The lovely and exuberant Maria F. of Rieslingmama is the hostest with the mostest for our birthday festifus today. She has a linky for you to post your birthday card and I hope you do! You will have lots of time as the linky will be open for a couple of weeks.

I made two cards for Shirley. The first one I made and sent to her before the party invitation arrived and Frank Lee, it was not my best work so I was happy to make another card for her while I was away spending time with my crafty friends:

I think it is too cute and one that will pickle the birthday girl. It was even better after I glossied it up after the above photo was taken!

I loosely based my card on this card, which was an award-winner for Shirley:

Shirley's card is a Christmas card, so I made mine a birthday card to fit the happy occasion. I slipped my cog while making a solid single line around the card, so I turned it into a double line with the urging of my friends. You would never have known, huh? Doodling's cool, dude.

Speaking of those friends, here I am with them behind all the cards we made for Shirley!

This photo is a sneak peak. The full story will go live on our blogs on Wednesday. Are you going to be waiting for the details with bated breath? Baited breath? 

It turns out the proper spelling is "bated" pursuant to Daily Writing Tips:

The expression bated breath is another that we owe to Shakespeare:

"Shall I bend low and in a bondman's key,

With bated breath and whispering humbleness, Say this:

'Fair sir, you spit on me on Wednesday last;

You spurn'd me such a day; another time

You call'd me dog; and for these courtesies

I'll lend you thus much moneys'?"

Shylock is speaking, with heavy sarcasm, to Antonio in the Merchant of Venice (I,iii). A bondman is a slave or an indentured servant who could be expected to speak in a quiet voice to his masters and betters.

The "bated" in the expression is from a shortening of the verb abate and, in the form "bate," means “to reduce, to lessen in intensity.” The expression under discussion is the only survival of the word in modern English. The person who “speaks with bated breath” is not using full lung power. The person who “waits with bated breath” is holding his breath, or barely breathing.

~~~

The only time "baited" is the correct spelling is thusly:

Cruel Clever Cat, having swallowed cheese,
Directs down holes the scented breeze,
Enticing thus with baited breath
Nice mice to an untimely death.
~ Geoffrey Taylor, Argosy 1940

If you are going to wait for me with "baited breath," all you have to do is eat some chocolate!

~~~

It's so good to be back! I hope you will forgive my long lapse in visiting you and commenting. It will be a joy to start up again. Thank you to all of you who faithfully visited and commented while I was away! I loved hearing from you!

Enjoy your day! No, seriously, enjoy.  LITS!* 

As always, thank you for coming by to visit the Playhouse and special thanks to you if you take the time to leave a comment and/or join as a follower! Please let me know you came by, so I can be sure and return the flavor!

  

 

*Life Is Too Short!

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