Birthday 2015

I've been a new age for exactly one week today. The slider is quickly reaching the middle of the twenty- something scale, and it is a fact that both scares me and excites me, depending on the day.

There are two types of people I've met in this world: people who absolutely looove birthdays, and people who threaten physical harm if there's even so much as a whisper of their birthday in the air. Me? I think I fall somewhere in the middle. I like birthdays, I think they're cool. I think it's important to celebrate each one because you never know how many you're going to get in this world. But I don't really go all out. Honestly, it's partially because they tend to sneak up on me now that I'm no longer in elementary school and there's no longer the obligation of a parent to throw a mini party with enough tiny forks and plates and cups, and copious amounts of brightly-colored frosted cupcakes for each member of my class. I also don't go all about because there's so much hype around birthdays that once it's over, I always feel a little bit of loss because I have to wait another whole year to again be the Birthday Princess.

I do exactly what I want, and when I want on my birthday; absolutely no exceptions. If I want to binge-watch an entire season of Friends in an afternoon, there is no judgement. If I want to sing at the top of my lungs to the hits off of The Emancipation of Mimi album in a house full of people, I'm going to do it. AND, if I want to bake my own birthday cake from start to finish and entirely from scratch, well, yeah I'm going to do it. And I did. I baked my own birthday cake. Three layers of very tender vanilla cake, slathered in a LOT of delicious buttercream frosting dyed a decidedly peach-ish tone depending on the angle, and topped with cute little sprinkles. It took me approximately four hours to make in total, and I loved every single second of it. For one, this cake is a GIANT step up from my last attempt to make a very small, very sad excuse for a cake. That very simple cake was hard work manifested. And it was delicious.

The older you get, the more time you spend reflecting. To that affect:

Five Very Important Things I've Learned in My Twenties So Far

1. Friends come and go, and friendship is a two-way street. Only make the effort for those who make the effort for you. That's what makes it special.
2. Quality over quantity in all aspects of life.
3. Listen to your elders when they're trying to tell you something. They've got stories that are better than anything you'll see in theaters, and, apart from the tiny embellishment here and there to keep your attention, they're totally true.
4. Work hard and have patience. You'll get everything you need and even some of the things you want, but it's probably going to take some time. And you know what? That’s okay.
5.  Having a plan is great, but don't forget to deviate sometimes and just enjoy the ride. Nothing ventured, nothing gained as they say.

As far as birthdays go, this one was pretty ace.

Here's to many more, eh?

Birthday Weekend in Pictures!

Birthdays are great when you can spend them with friends!

Something I don't do very often is get very, very dressed up. And I never wear heels. It's not that I can't walk in them, it's that Boston has more cobblestone streets than I'd like to count, and walking on those, with heels that could break your ankles, is not a good time. But if you can't dress up on your birthday, when can you?

FINALLY I can cross the Tip Tap Room off of my list of places to visit! If you've never been, you must go for the huge selections of beers on tap (Get it? Tip TAP Room) alone! Go for the beer, stay for the pleasantly unusual menu. Antelope Meat Loaf? Okay!

We ended up choosing the classic Steak Tips, and a special for the night: Korean Style Ribs with Kimchi! Loved it. There was a time when I would turn down any spicy food, but now that I'm older and more mature (Kind of. Not really.) I've learned to welcome all of the flavors into my life.

After dinner we went dancing at West End Johnnies on Portland Street, then hobbled home, vowing to never wear heels again.

Until next year, I guess.

Happy Wednesday!

Address Me as "Your Majesty"

I'm the Birthday Princess! Today was such a simple, such a LOVELY day.

You know how people say that as they get older, they don't really care about doing it big for birthdays anymore? All they really care about is being with the ones they love? I get that. For some reason, there's all this pressure to have a good time on your birthday, making it incredible, and that's too much to live up to. I'd rather be close to the ones that I cherish, eat some good comfort food, then eat again. And take lots of pictures. So that's what I did. I took pictures, ate, laughed, ate, took more pictures, went in search of more food. And it was the best birthday yet.

I feel like Gourmet Dumpling House is one of Boston's best kept secrets. Tucked away in the heart of Chinatown, you'll pass by a lot of delicious options before you find this place. But there's a reason that the line runs out the door most nights. I can say without a doubt that those are the best dumplings in Boston. HANDS DOWN. And I have had many, many dumplings. I don't know what they do, but they do it well. It has been a staple dinner place in my friend group for many years, and those I take there know how sacred it is. And don't you dare leave until you've had an order of scallion pancakes. Good gracious, now I want some.

I also brought a disposable camera that I picked up from the pharmacy. I miss the days of using film, so I'm trying to get myself back into it. So far so good. Anna was kind enough to put up with me taking "artistic" shots from the crosswalk.

I know I'm so late to the macaron trend, but I can't believe how much one of these can change my entire day. We went in search of the Cameo Macaron truck and found it parked by Prudential. I memorized the walk because I think I'll be making it rather often this summer. We ate our cookies by the water and waxed nostalgic about how much we've grown and changed in seven years. She's graduating and going home soon, so being with her today made this  birthday so much better.

What am I going to do without my beautiful best friend? Ah well, we'll manage. We always do.

It's my birthday, and I'm drinking a mini bottle of Pink Moscato bubbly. This is the life.