Last Friday was my 28th birthday and I was so excited to head up to my parents’ to have dinner with my family. Garrett, Whiskey and I picked up my sister at the train station, while Mom made homemade pizza (one of my all-time favs) and Dad mixed up some birthday cocktails. The big surprise was when my brother called and said that he had hopped on a last minute 5 hour bus ride home just to join the festivities.
My Mom made an amazing Triple Layer Lemon Cake out of last month’s Canadian Living magazine. This photo doesn’t do it justice – delicate lemony cake, layered with lemon pudding and covered in our family’s favourite buttercream recipe.
One of my friends asked me if I felt a year older on Friday, and I realized that I actually felt younger. Like I was 8 years old not 28 – I ate pizza, cake, lots of chocolate and everyone kept singing “Happy Birthday” to me. I always find all the playfulness and happiness of birthdays make me feel younger, not older. I feel older on the mornings when I wake up and all my joints crack. I actually asked my doctor about it because I was worried that there was something wrong with me, and he just laughed and said it meant I wasn’t a spring chick anymore.
After eating lots of really great food, I was so spoiled this year by my family and friends. They all gave me incredibly thoughtful gifts that made me feel so loved. Ironically enough, so many of them related to me being a “blogger”.
Plenty of awesome fabric napkins and dish towels for food photo shoots. I love that so many of the teal and green ones go together so well. I already used the striped orange one for my birthday protein smoothie Garrett made me (complete with sprinkles).
Garrett found this inspiring blogging magazine – Artful Blogging. I’d never even heard of it before! It’s kind of funny that there is a print magazine about online writing, which is actually taking away from print magazine readership. Either way, I’ve really enjoyed reading through it and hearing other blogger’s stories, with lots of handy tips!
My parents cracked me up when I opened this gift, because it made me realize that they really support all this crazy blogging and DIY stuff that I do. I don’t know many girls who would be beaming when they open up a power sander, but I was so excited. Before, I had to trek my projects up to my parents’ house to use their sander or sand things by hand at home (killing my hands). Now I can do it at our place. My mom even wrapped up the masks – an important tool when you’re sanding!
I also got some great new tools to try out in the kitchen – a new dutch oven (love the teal colour!), a cedar plank for barbecue (already have come ideas churning), a vintage-style apron, a salad serving set and the chameleon plate from Anthropologie.
I actually wrote about loving it on a trip to Anthropologie in Yorkville over a year ago and I was so touched that Garrett’s parents remembered. I’m already looking for a plate hanger so that I can put it up in the dining room.
All the little hidden bugs on it really crack me up, like this beetle with a flower on the back. He’s just so cute!
The apron that my sister gave me came in this pretty linen bag. It’s the perfect size for stowing toiletries for an overnight trip.
Speaking of cute bags, my friend gave me this awesome reusable snack bag from The Sling Sisters (a Canadian company!). It’s the perfect size for taking some carrot sticks or pretzels for a quick snack. I try to avoid using plastic bags when I can, so this is a great alternative for packing up some healthy snacks without all the bulk of my glass containers.
On Saturday night, I went to a bonfire to celebrate some birthdays with friends and was given this beautiful bouquet of pink tulips.
After a cold and windy weekend, these bright flowers can really cheer a girl up. I love looking at them every morning – I wish they would last forever!
Despite the cold weather, I still managed to get outside a bit this weekend and take a drive along the lake – one of my favorite things to do when I’m visiting my parents. There are so many great houses along the water and I can remember being a little girl, biking along the water, and dreaming of having one of these “dollhouses” one day.
Now I’m all grown up and I still have that same dream. Every one looks like something out of a Home and Garden magazine. So inspiring for what we would like to do with our own house someday (hopefully soon!)
It was a great birthday weekend full of quality time with loved ones and reflection on what I want to accomplish in my next year. It was like a mini New Years resolution. We’re almost halfway through the year, and what else is there that I would like to accomplish? How far along am I in my goals? What can I do to reach them?
It’s exciting to thing that we never stop learning and there is always something that you can improve on. Here’s to another year of new adventures, exciting possibilities and always learning!
What a birthday. You are very fortunate.