Cape cape cape

Last month my friend, Shana, held her annual birthday cape party bar crawl. This was the fifth time she’s held it and the second time I’ve attended.

Whenever I tell people I’m going to a cape party they are always perplexed. Which I don’t really understand. Who says only superheroes and children can wear capes? Why wouldn’t you want to gather a group of friends and day drink whilst wearing a cape?

It was so much fun. Even though I only made it for a few hours and 3 bars due to extreme exhaustion leftover from brother’s wedding festivities and travelling.

We started in the party room at Shana's apartment building for sandwiches, cupcakes, and drinks.

Then we walked to the first bar. Walking down the street, as a group, wearing capes, really should be experienced by every one at some point in life.

The first bar we attracted the attention of several kids, which is always fun.

Pit stop on the way to the second bar to pet the doggie. Such a good doggie.

At the second bar everyone engaged in some beer pong. I subbed in for a round and drank water.

The third bar was farther away so some raced and some, like those in high heels, ambled. As we got closer, one caper spotted a fellow caper dancing in the road, and skipped to join him. You just have to love it.

The third bar brought another drinking game which I was terrible at. Ping pong balls are just too light and too hard to aim.

The third bar is also where I became the Wearer of The Worst. Shana had buttons that we all put funny sayings and titles on and one was The Worst. Shana got it for buying a round of drinks, Christian got it for yawning, and I got it for being the last to walk in the bar.

My costume was one I had thought of in January: Superstorm Hurricane Sandy from Grease.

Sadly, pretty much no one got it without explanation. They thought I was a lego, a dice, or that I was just supporting equality. Which is ok, because I do support equality.

My hair was nuts to start and then feel steadily throughout the day, of course. Since it required me to sleep with my hair all pinned up, it also may have had something to do with my exhaustion.

I'm sad this is the last year Shana will be doing this, but have no doubt she'll have something equally if not more ridiculous and fun next year. As she said in her thank you email afterward, it's just so nice to have people in your life who will willingly and happily don capes for you. Friends are good like that.

29...let's go, DC!

I really do love my birthday. So much so that I celebrate my entire birthday month, where I do little things for myself throughout the month just because.

However, I've had a problem for awhile of "making" non-family members celebrate with me. As in, I felt like if I invited people to hang out or do something, it would be like forcing them to celebrate me. I have absolutely no reason for thinking this, no friend who has ever cursed me for making him or her drink and eat cake.

So this year I sucked it up and invited a bunch of DC friends to have dessert and drinks at a small restaurant in my neighborhood for my "29 for the first time" birthday thing. And friends came -- a lot, like, I was a little worried why they didn't have better things to do -- and we all had fun. I was a bit nervous combining so many of my worlds -- best friends, book club friends, and work friends -- but it worked out.

 
The restaurant was very accommodating and we had the bar to ourselves. (The most people at any point in the restaurant aside from us was 4). They put the Packers v. Vikings playoff game on the TVs for my friends. They had "super sized" wine servings. (Which I would come to regret hours later.) And at one point they even asked me what music I wanted to hear. (The answer? Rhianna, of course, as my friend Shana had just gifted me concert tickets for her in the spring!)

 
I put my friend Becky on picture duty and she did a wonderful job. I feel weird posting pictures of those who don't read the blog, so I'll cram those together in a collage.

At some point, after watching the game, two of the guys decided to have a footrace in front of the restaurant. It was amazing and also a little sad.

When I went to order dessert and asked for chocolate cake, of course, I was told they were out of chocolate. Yes, out of chocolate! I ordered other things instead -- no idea what -- and then Shana had them bring out a tart with a candle. It wasn't chocolate, but it was sweet.

If you'll indulge my vanity for a second: my outfit. I never need an excuse for a new outfit, but I managed to put the night's ensemble together with a dress and accessories I already had, with the exception of the newly purchased back seam tights. The inspiration was this lovely lady in a photo posted on Pinterest.

 
Vanity over, now to a little mushiness.

It was really was exactly what I wanted and I'm just beyond grateful for the wonderful friends that I have here. So grateful just thinking about them all over again that I may cry so I'm just going to stop.

I don't deserve any of them but I love them all.

And that is the last of my holiday posts, hooray!

29...let's go

This year I turned 29. I'm still not sure how I feel about that so I'll just move on.

Both the parents had to work the first half of the day so I stayed in my pajamas on the couch, watching Doctor Who, and occasionally packing. It was perfection. I opened my presents and then we made our way to Raleigh to have dinner with the sister and fam.

We ate at Raleigh Times, which is a restaurant housed in the former home of a newspaper. I had a comically large pulled pork enchilada, which was only ok. Joey always orders a huge burrito at one of the Mexican restaurants we go to, so I took this picture and sent it to him. (I apologize in advance for all the pictures of me in this post. But, it was my birthday, so that's ok, right?)

They didn't really have a dessert menu, but they did have some chocolate cake that was apparently homemade every day by a little old lady. (It was also only ok.) They also didn't have any birthday candles so the waitress found a bigger version of the candles on the table. (Which you can't see in this picture.)

I didn't take many pictures that night but here is one of the group. (Minus Joey and Michelle, who couldn't make it.)

After dinner we went to Melissa's to open presents and then say goodbye to the parents, since I was staying in Raleigh for the night.

They got me exactly what I asked for, a kids backpack from REI, but despite my measuring it out when I asked for it, it was still a bit smaller than I was expecting.

Once I lengthened the straps, it looked a lot less ridiculous and was what I wanted. And before that, it was just a lot of laughing, which was awesome.

It was a low-key day spent with the family and exactly what I love. A great start to 29. Which I'm still not really ok with that.

Slow down, 2012

I’m a bad blogger. But I’m an excellent iPhone picture taker. (Probably due in large part to upgrading my phone last month.) So what better way to ease back into blogging then with some of the most random and mundane photos of my life from the past month. And maybe some actual words of my own, too.

I’ve been a New York Giants fan since Eli joined the team and was very excited for the Super Bowl this year. I made myself – and also shared with the roommate – mini pigs in a blanket, spinach dip, and a cheesy bean dip for the occasion.

I believe in celebrating my birthday the whole month. So on the last day of January, on a freakishly warm winter day, I treated myself to froyo and a trip to Anthropologie. (Where I only spent $5 on these two bowls.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’m really bad at re-decorating a space once it’s decorated. I get it set a certain way and could leave it for years. (Were I actually ever to stay in a place for years, that is.) But I decided to get crazy and make a few small changes, like reorganizing my bathroom counter and adding a small rug from Pier 1 that so perfectly matches my room.(The bowls were purchased at the Anthro that opened 2 blocks from my office that I’ve only been to once and only spent $10 at. I’ll take my medal for self-control now, please.)

The first week of February marked the 4 year anniversary of being at my job. One of my co-worker’s started the same time as me and bought us each a mini bottle of champagne to celebrate. I was on a call when she brought it and I had to stare at it for a half hour before I could partake. Maddening. We got a drink together after work too and cheersed to the 4 years.

Back to re-decorating, I finally hung one of my Christmas gifts from the roomie: A wordle using the lyrics of the “Alma Mater.” I thought it only right to hang it above the Top of the Hill menu and across from the 2005 national championship newspaper.

Also on the re-decorating list, replacing the photos in two frames that have hung in every bathroom I’ve had since I was 22. (The frames and photos were a 22nd birthday gift from my friend, Ashley.) (I don’t know why I’ve always hung them in a bathroom, that’s just where they go.) But I decided to replace the photos from our Europe trip with two of my photos of D.C.: A column from the Lincoln Memorial and a window from the National Cathedral. (The latter is a bit too dark, though.)

For President’s Day weekend my sister came up to D.C. We’ve never hung out in the city just the two of us and it was really nice to have some one-on-one time. On Friday we had dinner, talked, shopped, and saw “The Vow.” On Saturday we went to Eastern Market, the Portrait Gallery, and then Michael’s. We bought a kit to make our own bath salts, which we did while recovering from our busy day.

While at the Portrait Gallery, we came across Katharine Hepburn’s Oscars. This is me doing a terrible Vanna White impression. 

The past month or so has just been very up and down, good and bad, calm and crazy, chaotic and twirly. Thus I present my purchases on two different Friday nights, about two weeks apart. First, after a particularly bad week, I had to pick something up at CVS and ended up picking up the following, too. Can we say, pathetic? (But exactly what I needed.)

Last Friday was much calmer and after finishing work a bit early I decided to spend some Target gift cards. I bought some wonderfully sparkly shoes and finally got my hands on a Jason Wu piece.

For Fat Tuesday I went with a friend to gab a drink and then she found us a cute Cajun place for dinner and beignets. It also marked my last soft drink for 40 days as I’ve given them and pizza up for Lent.

Finally, even though January was my birthday month, one of my friends is helping me prolong my celebration by giving me a belated gift last week. Both the gift and card are just so perfectly me – according to her, not just me – and I can’t help but smile when looking at them.

And that’s the past month or so. Where I apparently just bought a lot of random things and took a lot of weird pictures. Though it really only covers a fraction of my life. There was dinner and manicures with a friend on Valentine’s Day, book club, breakfast and mimosas at a screening of “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” with some girlfriends, award show watching with the roommate, outlet shopping with a friend, basketball games, basketball games, basketball games, drinks with friends, drinks with coworkers, conference calls and deadlines, a visit from a college friend, and a non-terrible haircut. Did I forget anything? Probably so.

Holiday Rewind Part 5: 28 in DC

It's the last day of January and I'm wrapping up the holiday rewind. Finally. 

About a week after my real birthday, I had my D.C. birthday. Other than going out for my 22nd birthday in college, I never celebrate with friends. I just think since I'm never there on the actual day -- since I prefer to spend it at home -- it shouldn't be celebrated. But my friend Shana basically told me this was crazy talk and that I should celebrate. After weeks of needling, she finally got it out of me that I'd really just like to wear a pretty dress and have champagne and cupcakes with my girlfriends. Done.

We spent a nice Saturday evening at Serendipity 3 in Georgetown. It was a combining of circles with my Carolina friends and my work friends that I think went well. (Unfortunately my other circle of book club friends couldn't make it.)

The five of us split three deserts: their infamous frozen hot chocolate, the most ridiculous chocolate cake ever, and a black and white sundae. The before:

The after. So. Much. Chocolate. So. Good. After all the sugar I had to eat tortilla chips as soon as arriving home. Needed. Salt. (I also had a major sugar crash the next day with a bad headache. But it was totally worth it.)

We all had drinks and fun conversations. And since it was an unseasonably warm day, we weren't all miserable being out. I'm thankful for such good friends who wanted to celebrate with me and plan on doing it again next year. 

And now for some vanity: My party dress. After trying on around 10 dresses the day of, I found this lovely dress on clearance at Zara for $39. It needs to be taken in on the sides to avoid being belted in the future, but other than that, it's just lovely. (If I'm going to keep posting pictures of my outfits I will need to get a better camera and location.)

Closeup of the fabric. It's more black than it looks here.

Closeup of my $3 Forever 21 earrings and my InStylered hair. (Thanks, Mom.)

And now I'm 28. Let's go.