Highlights: Birthday Week

Hello Readers,

As you may know, last week was my birthday. Last Wednesday to be exact. Since my birthday was in the middle of the week, the celebration seemed to last a few days longer than usual. Here are a few of the highlights:

Wednesday: Oh Brother, It's my Birthday
:Morning:
My actual birthday started with a bit of a bump in the road. My mom made, for me (the birthday girl) birthday pancakes. Isn't that sweet? Well, one of my brothers came across the pancakes and ate them before I woke up, thinking that they were free for the taking. When I discovered the aftermath of this deed- I blew up. Like "it's my party and I'll cry if I want to" blowing up.
I was going to wear corduroys and a cardigan... but after blowing my fuse I decided that a more feminine outfit was needed to turn the day around.

Recognize this dress? Spinning Lace is correct! And yes, I wore it to the DMV.

:Afternoon:
My mom and I went to the DMV in Peoria to get a new license for me. Thankfully, it was not busy, and thankfully the picture they took of me turned out well! I had to take a written test, which I didn't expect, but still passed with flying colors. We made a quick stop at Kroger and then my mom treated me to lunch at Great Harvest Bread Co. followed by an-almost-forgotten stop at LeBakery in the Metro Centre for my birthday cake! Then, I took a nap.

Yum! LeBakery makes the best cakes in Peoria! (well, besides my aunt!)

:Evening:
After a wonderful nap, my dad and I went on a point-and-shoot camera excursion and then went to Basta O'Neal's for dinner. After great conversation and a very delicious dinner we headed back to the homestead for cake and singing. What a day!

What a sunset!

Garnet Red!

Thursday: Lunch and Laughter
The highlight of this day was meeting with my friend Nikki for lunch at Panera to catch up on life and to celebrate our birthdays, which are only 5 days apart! The Panera we went to was super busy, as always, but we were able to find an almost quiet table where we swapped stories, laughed, and ate very tasty food.

Friday: Birthday Sleepover!
I spent most of the day cleaning my room and the basement. Yes. Why? To prepare for the arrival of two of my friends from Greenville- Lorna and Amanda! They drove all the way from Greenville to Peoria to celebrate my birthday! We went Krogering for Turkey Hill icecream and returned home for a few rounds of Mad Libs, walking around the house in our PJs and Snuggies, multiple servings of laughter, and a few helpings of somewhat deep conversation (well, pretty deep for after 2AM!)

Before my friends arrived, Sophie tried on my cardigan

As you can tell, she really liked wearing the cardigan!

Saturday: Coffee and Conversation
This day began with a warm and delicious breakfast prepared by my mom, followed by the Turkey Hill icecream purchased the night before during the late-night Kroger run. After playing with Sophie (my parent's dog) we went to ThirtyThirty Coffee (an excellent coffee shop in downtown Peoria) where the three of us hung out for a few hours before my friends headed back to Greenville.
Later that evening, my dad and I saw Stephen Spielberg's War Horse which was quite good but also quite lengthy!

Lorna stealing coffee from the Jumer's bear at thirtythirty

Amanda almost being eaten by the bear!

Sunday:
Sunday began with church at Imago Dei and ended with a birthday party in my honor! Another party? Yes! This celebration took place at my Grandparents' house and included family, a butterfly birthday cake, perfect brownies, group singing on key (this is difficult when you have a large group of people singing at the same time!), and stories from my Grandpa.

Here are a few highlights of the night:

The cake

Lights, Camera, Action!

Listening to the sweet melody of the birthday song

Blowing out the candles!

Cousins!

Monday:
Nothing too birthday-ish happened on Monday, but I redeemed a birthday present at the Riverplex: a one-month membership! I swam for nearly an hour for the first time in maybe a month. It was wonderful.

Tuesday:

A box of delicious joy

Just when I thought that my birthday celebration was over... a package addressed to me arrived on my doorstop! My dear friend Kellie sent me a box of chocolates from the UK and Ireland. I love Cadbury and Maltesers are probably my favorite chocolate in the world. Happy extended birthday to me!

Hippity Hop It- I Beat Bop It!

Hello Readers,

Remember Bop It?  That loud game that commanded you to "bop it" "twist it" and "pull it" until it would outlast you with its obnoxious speed?  Well, yesterday I outlasted the Bop It.

The Bop It resurfaced yesterday in my parents' living room.  I approached it, twisted it, and found that it was alive again! (Well, someone put batteries in it).  Charged with a sugar-high, courtesy of my Easter basket, I decided to take on . . . (dum dum dummmm) THE BOP IT.

I set the Bop It to the single user setting and began my duel.  In my dress and heels (from church), I danced around the living room to the Bop It beat until finally it gave up.  The beat stopped, and a strange assortment of happy sounds blasted from the Bop It's tiny speakers.  While this song was unfamiliar to me (I've never beaten the Bop It), I recognized the song as a sign of my victory.  At the age of 25- I beat Bop It.

Here are a few pictures of my Easter Sunday outfit:

My mom and I before Church

That's right- I beat Bop It

Retail Details: 

Aqua Cardigan- Martin + Osa

Spinning Lace Dress- Plenty by Tracy Reese (Anthropologie)

Beaded Leather Belt (worn backwards): Anthropologie

Copper Tights: Anthropologie

Neutral Snakeskin Pumps: Calvin Klein

Loveliness on Valentine's Day

Hello Readers!

I hope you all had a wonderful Valentine's Day! My Valentine's Day was great! Yes, I am single, and yes I used to wear black on Valentine's Day- but this year I embraced my situation and gained a new appreciation for the abundance of love in my life. Love from God, love from my family, love from my friends- I am surrounded by love!

I've never had a real Valentine on Valentine's Day, and the occasion made me feel a bit left out of the festivities and honestly, a bit bitter. Hence the reason for donning black. I thought that by doing this, I was making a statement, rebelling against a commercialized representation of love. (Wow- I guess I was more bitter than I thought I was back then). Anyways, this year I thought "what's so bad about celebrating love?"

And so, that brings us to yesterday. I did not wear any black on Valentine's day. Instead, I wore an outfit that makes me feel lovely. Not just in an external way (although I love how the clothing looks), but also in more internal ways. The stories connected to each of these items are artifacts that remind me of the love in my life. Let me break it down:

My dress: This was my big Christmas gift last year from my parents. It was a dress out of my budget that I fell in love with when I tried it on as a whim. I don't know why (perhaps it was the stress of finals), but when I tried this dress on, I saw myself in a new way. Something about wearing this dress helped me see my potentials and made me feel beautiful. It's still difficult to articulate what this dress does to me- but after I tried it on I called my parents to tell them about this dress. I irrationally wanted this dress, and asked for it for Christmas. Every time I wear this dress, I feel the same things that I felt the first time I tried it on, and I am thankful for the way my parents understand me in ways that no one else ever has. Whether it means supporting my dreams, calling out bad decisions, or listening- my parents have always been there for me.

My cardigan: I used to work at Abercrombie & Fitch. In fact, it was my first job after college. When I accepted the job, I was flattered to be asked to work there (perhaps, an indulgence of my vanities and/or insecurities), but I thought it was a bit silly to work there for- oh, maybe the first two weeks. While working there, I was able to meet a variety of people. Maybe it's because I wear glasses, or perhaps it's because I'm a good listener- but during my time at A&F I heard a lot of people's stories. Coworker's stories, customer's stories- you name it. I don't work at A&F anymore, but I still shop there occasionally for two reasons (1) because their long sleeve tops are long enough for my arms and (2) because I like to remember the stories I heard while working at that store.

My tights: these are from Anthropologie. As you may recall from previous posts, this is my favorite store. I love how interactive the website is (customer reviews), I love the community of bloggers who gather around this store, and I love how so many different people with differing styles use their clothing, shoes, and accessories to tell their stories. Also, after a stressful week, a visit to this store always brings me a sense of peace and calm.

Yesterday was wonderful and I sincerely enjoyed celebrating the love that surrounds me. Before I go, I want to thank my friend Megan (the Queen of Scarves) for being my photog yesterday! I had so much fun on this photo shoot- thanks Meg-o!

*Also- Don't forget to enter my giveaway for the Vane & Joya solid perfume brooch!

Retail Details:

Off-White Lace Dress: Plenty by Tracy Reese (purchased at Anthropologie, "Spinning Lace Dress)

Grey Jeweled Cardigan: Abercrombie & Fitch

Charcoal Patent Leather Belt: Ann Taylor

Aubergine Cable Tights: Anthropologie

Charcoal Pumps: Cole Haan

Locket: American Eagle Outfitters