Weekend Update - Birthday Edition

Always a day late and a dollar short.

Sorry I'm not sorry. I've been pretty busy these past few days celebrating turning a quarter-century old! I want to recap my birthday first before we move onto the weekend's shenanigans.

While I was at work briefly on Wednesday for my birthday, my coworkers made sure to make it extra special!

{1} We celebrated with a birthday lunch at Luna Rosa so I could indulge in some birthday cake gelato!
{2} I took the afternoon off for my promotion/birthday massage at Urban Nirvana, which was divine, and then met up with Whitney at Sip for a bottle of wine!
{3} My gorgeous roommate Lauren had flowers delivered to our apartment for my birthday. She rocks my socks off.
{4 & 5} My parents took me to Passerelle, a new French restaurant by the falls downtown. Our waiter kindly let me pick a birthday dessert (yummy profiteroles), and even gave me a candle to make a wish!
{6} My sister bought me the New York Times 36 Hours travel book, which I'm so excited to flip through. It's got mini travel guides to every city across the US and Canada!
{7} My parents absolutely shocked me with a Le Creuset french oven! I've been dreaming about one for years and my mom must've been listening! Can't wait to get in the kitchen!
{8} My parents also bought me this gorgeous Stella & Dot necklace! I've worn it every day since Wednesday!
{9} On my Friday night staying in, I treated myself to a new dress and bubble bath from Anthro. Happy birthday to me!

Now on to my actual weekend!

My best girlfriends planned a day in Asheville for me and I had the most fun I've had in a long time! And since my friends are incredibly gorgeous, there are a LOT of pictures.

Whitney lived in Asheville for 4 years before moving to Greenville, so she was the perfect tour guide for us! We had brunch at Sunny Point, which was delicious. The mega-mosa's didn't hurt either!

7 girls. 5 maxi dresses. 1 Volvo.

We spent the afternoon brewery-hopping, stopping first at Burial Beer. Whitney's friends from Asheville just opened the brewery last month and they were extremely friendly and took great care of us!

Then there was some shopping. And more beer (Lexington Avenue Brewery, Thirsty Monk, and Jack of the Wood). And a whole lot more laughs.

I went home with the happiest heart.

These girls and my family gave me the best birthday in my 25 years.

{25}

I'm a quarter of a century old today.

My key lime birthday cake when I turned 22!

I don't have any words of wisdom this year.

I'm thankful for my family, friends, job, health, and so many other things.

This isn't quite where I expected to be on my 25th birthday, but I plan to make the best of it, anyway I know how.

Here's to another year of candles on my cake!

Weekend Update

I'm a little late on the weekend update, but since it's been thunderstorming at the beach all day, I figured better late than never!

I had quite a fantastic weekend, and because all good weekends start on Thursday, I'll start there!

We started happy hour early with the interns at 4 pm, and an extra-large margarita was consumed with coworkers (top left)! I then met Jess for our second bloggie date and we posted up at the bar at Liberty for 5 hours and I even got to meet her fiance! I'd say it was a success! Except we're really failling in the picture-taking department.

Friday's headache was sponsored by Thursday's festivities, so I headed out of work early for a nap and an afternoon watching Friday Night Lights. Seriously though, I'm obsessed. Mid-afternoon, I met up with Lauren and Sarah for pre-vacation mani/pedis. I then headed to Roost for cocktails with my coworkers, before heading to another coworker, Whitney's house for pizza and girl talk. Is her house not the cutest thing you've ever seen (top middle and right)?! I made her promise to come decorate my house whenever I move! She has FOUR dogs and one of them curled up in my lap for most of the evening.

Saturday was spent on the lake! I first met up with friends at Trent's lake house for a few hours before heading to my parents' best friends house, which is also on the lake. If they don't have the most beautiful porch in the whole entire world, I don't know who does. Whenever I'm there, I never ever want to leave. It was my mom's birthday on Saturday and also the night the Hartwell Dam sets off fireworks for the 4th, so we hopped in the boat at sunset to see the fireworks. Spending the night with the cutest dog ever doesn't hurt either!

Linking up with Sami!

Snapshots

Here's a little snapshot of life lately:

Top Row: Peonies from my grandparents' memorial service | The gang at Lauren's birthday dinner | Lauren's sweet potato (birthday) cake from Brick Street Cafe

Second Row: The most adorable dog in the whole entire world (he unfortunately belongs to my boss)  | Sarah, Lauren, and I at Sip | Who doesn't love rooftop wine bars?

Third Row: The view from our condo in St. Simon's Island for work | Gotta love fresh oysters | Nothing like retail therapy - I bought a new Mac!

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I'm so ready to be on vacation. I'm off to Columbia tomorrow for a grad school friend's wedding, then I'm leaving on a jet plane for the west coast.

Look out for some posts for the next week for Jenni's blog challenge!

Happy Holiday Weekend everyone!

Weekend Update ~ Asheville, NC

Here are the snapshots from our birthday trip to Asheville! On Saturday, we checked into The Renaissance Hotel, had local craft brews at Thirsty Monk and The Bier Garden, dinner at Tupelo Honey Cafe (one of the best meals I've ever eaten), and drinks at The Southern. We topped off Sunday with brunch at Early Girl Eatery and shopping at Biltmore Village. We can't wait to go back!

Birthday Celebrations

This has been one of the greatest birthdays! I managed to celebrate all week long, because Ryan's birthday happens to be two days after mine! I was spoiled with presents from Ryan, my parents, and my roommate. I'm so blessed. And now I'm blogging from the hotel bed where we're having a weekend getaway in Asheville, NC (a separate post will be necessary for that trip)!

Tuesday night, my parents came to Greenville and took me out for my birthday. We had dinner at Breakwater, a new restaurant I had been wanting to try. The menu consists mainly of seafood and we all cleaned our plates. I had the halibut special, which came with a slice of tomato pie! They sure know the way to a southern girl's heart! And beignets for dessert!

We went back to the apartment so I could open my presents, and I just have to share with you my roommate's super crafty gift! She purchased a cooking class for us (with one of the most popular chef's in Greenville) and made me a flower bouquet out of kitchen utensils! Adorable!

Wooden spoons, metal skewers, and drink stirs!

I got to make quick use of this Cuisinart griddle my parents gave me when I made breakfast for Ryan's birthday on Thursday morning! I can't wait to cook everything on this little thing!

We had Ryan's birthday dinner at Devereaux's, a restaurant we had both been wanting to try. Since I grew up in the area, I've eaten at most of the "nice" restaurants in Greenville but there are still so many Ryan has yet to try. This one was a first for both of us! It didn't disappoint! I had beef prepared two ways and Ryan had the Peking duck. We started with a summer squash soup that was so smooth and creamy; I wish I could recreate it in my kitchen! That was served with jalapeno cornbread. Yum.

Friday, we celebrated our birthdays with our friends in Greenville. We had a group of 10, my roommate and her boyfriend, a coworker of mine and his girlfriend, Ryan's old roommate from Clemson, his current roommate and his girlfriend, and a few of Ryan's coworkers! We had dinner at Trio, our favorite Italian restaurant. We spent the rest of the night bar-hopping. A great time was had by all. I'm just bummed we didn't get a group shot!

Lauren, Holly, and me 

Travis and Abby (Ryan's roommate)

Roomie love

Birthday brownies Holly baked us!

Overall, an amazing week with my favorite people! Can it be my birthday all the time?? :)

{24}

Today, I turn 24 years old.

My 23rd birthday passed in a blur, as I was one month away from finishing graduate school and was in the throes of cramming for the CPA Exam. 

A lot has happened since my last birthday. I received my Master's degree, moved to a new city, passed all four parts of the CPA Exam, started my first big-girl job, ran my first half marathon, went on my first date with Ryan (with many more to follow), survived my first busy season as an auditor, and got a raise.

Life is good. Actually, life is great.

I've learned a thing or two in my twenty four years, or at least I'd like to think I have. Without further ado, my (not all-inclusive) list of 24 things I've learned in 24 years:

1. Few things are greater than a bubble bath and a glass of wine.

2. Proper grammar will get you far in life. Please, do yourself a favor and learn the difference between "your" and "you're" and "there," "their," and "they're."  Your OCD, grammar-nazi friends will thank you.

3. Never, ever miss an opportunity to travel. You'll regret it if you do.

4. You don't need a ton of friends. Just a few really great friends will do just fine. 

5. Don't keep people in your life who bring you down. Surround yourself with people who make you happy. 

6. Read. Whether it be the news, your Twitter feed, or actual books. It's nice to be able to escape to another world every once and awhile.

7. Lazy Sundays should be mandatory. Take a nap. Who cares if there are dishes in the sink and your laundry basket is overflowing? It's much easier to tackle a new week head-on when you feel refreshed and relaxed.

8. Don't stress over the little things. Maybe you had a crappy day at work. Maybe you had a fight with your significant other. Maybe your pants are fitting a little tighter than they did last week. Just go to bed and try again tomorrow. It's a brand new day to get things right.

9. College football will always be the greatest and something you should look forward to every fall. Nothing beats a Saturday cheering your heart out for your favorite team.

10. Cuddling will make you happy.

11. Small purchases can make your whole day. This includes a good-smelling candle, a new lipgloss, or a new pair of underwear. No purchase is too small if it puts a smile on your face.

12. Breakups suck. A lot. No matter how old you get, even if you're the one doing the breaking up, it's still really hard.

13. Remember people's birthdays. Put them on your calendar. That card in the mail or text or phone call can make their whole day.

14. Find something you're interested in and pursue it. Reading, cooking, traveling, running, biking, even shopping. I support them all.

15. Be organized. Your life will be so much easier if you are. 

16. Invest in good shoes and a good suitcase. Again, it'll make your life easier.

17. Laugh. 

18. It's okay to be "that" girl. You know, the one crying in the corner because she misses a boy. It happens. We've all been there.

19. Running is an excellent (and cheaper) form of therapy.

20. You can never have too many long-sleeve t-shirts. Never.

21. My Best Friend's Wedding and Father of the Bride will always make you cry. And laugh, too.

22. Drink lots of water. You might have to pee every thirty minutes, but your body will thank you.

23. A dance party is good for the soul, and you're never too old to partake.

24. Get 8 hours of sleep. Trying to function on less does not bode well. 

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Here's to another year! I'm looking forward to whatever it may hold!

Weekend Update ~ Mom's Birthday & The Lion King

I hope everyone had a great weekend and Happy July! I can't believe how quickly the summer is flying by! I'm in Litchfield for 8 whole days of vacation, but I'll rewind to Thursday night for the weekend update!

Thursday night was a throwback. Ryan and I went bowling with his coworkers! I hadn't been bowling in years. We had a little tiff with the lady at the front desk when she told us the 8 lb. bowling balls were for children only, but overall a fun evening!

Summer arrived in full force on Friday. I worked a half-day, got a manicure, ran some last minute errands, and was home to get ready for the evening.

Oh heyyy, triple digits

Obsessed

My mom's birthday was Friday and I had planned a surprise for her in Greenville to see The Lion King at the Peace Center downtown. We had reservations at Nantucket, a seafood restaurant that Mom loves. I had the Asiago-crusted Halibut with Parmesan Orzo. I dug in way too quickly to catch a picture. Dinner was delicious and the play was great! I highly recommend it to anyone who can see it on Broadway!

Shrimp Ceviche

Internet service is pretty spotty here at the beach so I'll post when I return home! Have a great holiday!

Lauren's 24th Birthday Surprise!

This week has been so busy (...I feel like I'm saying that a lot lately)! I went to Clemson Monday to have dinner with a friend who is heading to Air Force training to be a fighter pilot (yea, he's a badass).

There was a Clemson/Greenville Young Alumni kickoff party at the Thomas Creek Brewery on Tuesday, with free local beer and BBQ. It was a good thing we were inside, because it started pouring almost immediately after I got there. Check out the scary sky on my drive over:

On Wednesday, we celebrated Lauren's birthday!! I had planned a surprise to take her to one of those painting classes that are all the rage these days. I invited two of her old roommates as a surprise also. I finally had to tell her where we were going when she asked me what she should wear!

We had appetizers at Lazy Goat, but we had a drink at the house beforehand. Lauren's boyfriend Tyler once called her "short stack," which Ryan translated to "pancake." Maybe he enjoys calling her that so she'll also have a nickname relating to food. I found out about this wine first from Christina at Hungry Meets Healthy from Trader Joe's. I knew it would be perfect for Lauren for her birthday, and she could take it to Design with Wine! (It tastes pretty darn good, too, for only $5)!

The last picture was a delicious champagne cocktail with strawberry limeade and mint. I'll post the recipe soon!

We had so much fun painting, even though being artistic is certainly not our forte. We had three accountants! Meg might be the closest in creativity - she works in PR!

Pawley's Island Pier Sunrise - think I'll hang it in the beach house!

Lauren, Meg, me, and Sarah with our final products!

We had so much fun painting, drinking wine, and laughing! I highly recommend y'all try this with a group of girlfriends!

I'm off to Arizona tomorrow -- my bags are all packed! I can't wait for a vacation! Sun, relaxing by the pool, a massage, and some hiking/sight-seeing along the way!

I'll leave you with this fun painting that I'm dying to paint next! It's the Liberty Bridge in Greenville at night!

Happy Memorial Day Weekend!!