Wednesday, March 26, 2008

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.

48 comments:

  1. She takes dance lessons AND she owns a gift shop of all blue stuff? You have the raddest mom in the world (except maybe for mine?) We'll call it a tie :)

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  2. awesome.

    next year? blue platform shoes!

    (see and now we know where to find those hooker Lucite ones!)

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  3. Your mom? Kicks ass! I love that she wants a pimped-out disco ball. Looks like she'll most definitely be the life of your wedding party!

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  4. Dude, that's awesome. I can't believe your mom wants that! What ever will she do with it? Or do we not want to know?

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  5. One word. RIDIC.

    Like I said, I need to see pictures of this disco ball thing in its final resting place in your mother's home.

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  6. Jess- that is the coolest gift EVER!

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  7. Wow!

    Your mom sounds like a happenin' kind of gal.

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  8. I'm not sure which one is cuter - that she owns a totally blue gift shop or that she asked for a disco ball.

    Also: I need to know where this shop is located because I live in NC and obviously need to check it out! ~LA

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  9. OMG Do you know WHY she wants this thing?? Hilarious. Can you imagine your parents having disco themed parties now?? In blue outfits, of course

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  10. Your mom sounds cool. What a fun present!

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  11. how bout i have one of those sitting in my old room @ my dad's house. it's a single one though - not the double "hefty" edition.

    hope your mom enjoys it!

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  12. That is awesome! I love that you were able to track down such a fantastic gift for someone who can be difficult to shop for. (Both of my parents and my brother tend to fall into that category, so I know how challenging it can be).

    Also, your mom sounds like a total blast!

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  13. that is HILARIOUS. hee. i hope your mom throws tons of dance parties at her house after may :-)

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  14. Did you get her a DJ to go with it? :-)

    I love making mental notes of things people say they wanted and then surprising them with the item after it has been forgotten.

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  15. That's hilarious. This makes me suspect your mom is awesome.

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  16. Is she going to open a disco as a side business? I love that that is what she wanted!

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  17. Now that is one interesting mom!!

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  18. Cool! Maybe you could, like, use it, like, for the, you know, wedding reception or something?

    Seriously, it IS cool, although those things give me a bad case of the spins. Wheeeee...

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  19. This might be the coolest thing ever, and it makes me want to hang out with your mom. I love it.

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  20. I have trouble shopping for my mom too! At least you had a hint this year - hope she's surprised!

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  21. haha.. that's actually a really nifty gift

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  22. That is hilarious! I wish my mom was that cool!

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  23. Ha! I hope you loves it and gets a lot of use out of it!

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  24. Awesome fun mom! And awesome fun gift! I think I want to give one of those to MY mom just for the shocked look and speechlessness it would induce.

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  25. Jason's dad JUST got some disco lights for himself! Seriously, we were there last weekend and he had just gotten them that day. WEIRD.

    I love the fact that your mom has a gift shop selling only things in shades of blue. AWESOME.

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  26. Your mom RULES. I would love to visit her gift shop!

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  27. I'm struggling to decide which is coolest:

    1) That gift.
    2) That your mom wants that gift.
    3) That your mom has an all-blue-things store.

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  28. So cute! My mom loves blue too. :) I should probably ask my dad to buy her blue flowers for her birthday (which is this Saturday) since I can't do so myself at the moment (both are in Saudi Arabia).

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  29. That is so funny! Last thing I would think to buy my mom too..I love it!

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  30. Wow! That is too funny! I wish that was something that my mom wanted too, and I would definitely get her something like that! That's so much fun!

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  31. haha...that's awesome. your mom rocks.

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  32. Okay,
    she owns a blue gift shop
    takes dance lessons
    wants disco lights

    coolest mum ever!

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  33. Just in case you don't see it, effusive thank you's for your comment on my blog! That was totally the perspective I was looking for. Thanks so much!

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  34. Nothing unusual about that. I may, however, only think that because I have a permanently mounted disco ball out on my back deck. Which is hooked up to the same powerpoint as the spotlight for the BBQ. SO whenever I cook a BBQ it can look quite festive...

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  35. That's goofy. Have you considered replacing ALL the lights with blue ones?

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  36. That's really funny. They used to sell these things at Spencer Gifts in the mall near me. I never knew that people actually bought them though. Hee! Very cute.

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  37. That is hilarious. I'm working on cleaning up and semi-finishing my basement, and I'm thinking a disco would be cool down there, too.

    Also, I can't believe there is a store that sells only blue things, and further, I can't believe your mother owns it. My grandma would have loved that store. She was very big on all things blue.

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  38. Your mom rocks. I officially want to bring out my blue martini glasses (I totally have them!) and party with her.

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  39. hold the phone. a store with only blue things?

    is there a website?

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  40. That's hilarious. And what's even more hilarious is that the only word I could think of to describe your mom was "rad". And turns out the first commenter thinks so too! It's not like "rad" is a word I use every day. Maybe twice a week, max!

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  41. that store sounds fabulous. I bet you'll have one in all purple when you're her age, lol

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  42. it's funny how you phrased that whole thing - the "club" where Mom and Dad take dance lessons, combined with the absurd light... now it seems they they are taking some sort of young person grinding/hip hop dance lessons or something, not ballroom :-)

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