Home disco

I'm not sure whether my mom reads my blog or not--she certainly knows I have one, but I have no idea if she actually reads it. So, just in case: Mom, if you're reading this, stop, because I'm about to talk about your birthday present and I don't want to ruin the surprise.

Okay, now that's out of the way. We need to discuss the gift that I have purchased for my mother for her birthday, which was last Friday (two days before mine), but which will not be celebrated by us until we see each other in person in May.

A little background: my mother loves blue. Like, really loves it. Loves it as much as I love purple. Loves it to the point where she owns a gift store that sells only items in shades of blue. Yes, for real. Because she's that cool.

So, of course, we always purchase blue gifts for her. But the problem with her owning this store is that she has the option of ordering whatever catches her fancy at wholesale prices. This ability combined with years of blue gifts from everyone her life has made her a somewhat difficult person to shop for.

However. Sometimes she throws us a bone and tells us about something she'd like to have. The particular item that I got her this year is something she mentioned to my sister a year ago, so the hope is that she won't be expecting it because it's been so long. And it's a damn good thing she mentioned it, because believe me, it is the last thing I would ever, seriously EVER, consider buying for her.

The item is something that she saw at the club where she and my dad take dance lessons. I guess the instructors had one and my mom saw it and liked it. And requested it. She actually brought a camera to the club and took a picture of it so that it would be easier to track down. And I'm glad she did, because even with the photo, it took me forever to figure out the right search terms to find it online.

But did I ever find it. What is it, you ask? Well, it's difficult to describe. Basically, it's a form of special effects lighting designed for DJs and dance clubs. It's a stand with two balls that spin and emit different colored lights. It's this. But I don't think it can adequately be described in words. So let's use pictures. First, the stock photo from Amazon:


Now, since we won't be giving my mom this gift until May, we wanted to go ahead and set it up to make sure it worked. And we took the opportunity to take a couple photos of our own. Behold, the DJ light in action:


And another shot of the ambiance it creates:


Yes, that's right. My mother's wish for her birthday this year was to create a disco in her living room. And with this gift, she shall richly succeed.