My 27th Birthday Party!

I was thrown a wonderful birthday part by the girls at work on the 20th! Remember the people I went to see the haunted house with back in October? These are the same girls! We have plans for nearly every month to get together! January they threw me a birthday/bachelorette party, in February I am hosting a wine tasting while doing wii Zumba/Lets Dance, in March Sherry and Janet are throwing a St Patty's day party and that is as far as we have gotten so far. I am having so much fun and I am so glad I met these girls. They are so helpful at work and so fun to be with after! I finally feel like an actual adult since I have a social life now!

Anyway we first met at a sushi place in the area that Anna and I live (Anna and I are basically neighbors). I did not try the sushi but I had the hibachi plate with a tnt roll (tnt roll=fried sushi) which was very yummy! I did not get any pictures but Anna advised that I should get a small even though we were there to pig out and boy was she right! The small was more then enough, hard for me to imagine what a large would be. Anna and Kelly had the same thing I did and Janet and Sherry had various sushi rolls. Everyone enjoyed their meals and I am excited to take Brian there!

We did have some drama though! Kelly showed up one week early and then Janet and Sherry showed up at the wrong location on the 20th! The restaurant is called King Kong sushi and there are two locations, one at Broadway and one where I live. Well, they went to the Broadway one. Anna, who was orchestrating the whole thing, was so embarrassed that she didn't make the location clear enough but it was definitely a good laugh. I think Anna did make it clear enough and Janet and Sherry were just so excited to come they didnt pay much attention. I have done that MANY a time and as far as I was concerned it only made the night better as we had something to laugh about as soon as Anna realized no one was mad at her :)

After dinner we all drove to Anna's house. Her house is so cute and she really is almost our neighbors. Our neighborhoods touch and if there weren't two houses in the way I could walk to her house. I thought we were just going for a glass of wine and girl talk but they planned an actual party with a cake and presents! I even got to practice my proper southern poses. ALL southern girls put their hands on their hips in pictures....us northern girls haven't really figured out what to do with our hands so when Janet, Anna and I take a picture together it is quite comical as it is clear that I am NOT a southern girl. Janet was awesome and took pictures for me!

Anna and Sherry opening the wine

Kelly (Left) and Sherry (Right)

Me showing off Anna's present!

Me and Janet...I am trying to figure out how to hold a glass of wine and put my hand on my hip

Sherry and I

Sherry being funny and me with my southern belle look

Me blowing out the candles on the cake Anna made me!

Me buy the presents and decorations!

Me opening Kelly's present

Me laughing at Sherry's present :)

Me and Kelly's present!

I had a wonderful time! The girls are all so sweet and funny. The evenings go buy so fast but I love how we all found each other. If any of the girls are reading this: Thank you! The gifts and cake were unnecessary but greatly appreciated! Can not thank you girls enough!

Is it Saturday yet?

And I do not even know if I want it to be Saturday because that isn't any less busy. I will hopefully write a real post this weekend but I wanted to at least put a synopsis up as it has been 8 days since I updated.

1) I turned 27 on the 15th. Brian, my parents and I spent the time in Charleston looking at houses, eating WAY too much and just enjoying each others company. A real post on this later.

2) House is moving along. Bedroom furniture arrived so we are starting to put clothes away. Our bed doesnt require the box spring but Brian had it put in anyway so now the bed is ridiculously high. Brian LOVES it....I hate it. Once I am up I am fine though curious to see how close we would be to the ceiling fan we have yet to buy but I do not like getting up or down. The king size was a good move.

3) My friends from work are throwing me a bachelorette/birthday party on Friday. A real post with pictures from that awesomeness. We are going to eat a sushi place (never had sushi before so we shall see) and then hang out at Anna's house who incidentally lives in the next neighborhood

4) Washer and Dryer are still not here but I gave up waiting on them and am using Caroline's washer/dryer. Because of this I am back at the gym. I started Monday and boy am I sore! Janet, one of my friends at work, somehow convinced me that I should join the running club at work so now we are signed up for a 5k and a 10k. I have two goals: 1) finish and 2) hopefully stay running the whole time...maybe not fast but I do not want to walk at any point if I can help it. Goal number 1 is more important then goal number 2. I will do a separate post on my new regime but let me just say running is not for me.

5) I got some birthday money for work clothes so I went shopping! I never used to understand how people could go nuts with shopping. Whenever I would go I would end up in tears because nothing fit me right so I was lucky to find something to spend my money on let alone somethings to make me spend too much money. Well, with the weight loss and tone I can definitely understand how someone can go overboard. I had a very successful trip and it may have been the first time in 27 years I did not cry shopping for clothes! First time for everything right? I plan to do a photo shoot as well for this.

6) Work is going well. We have another test coming up on the 27th so I am studying very hard. We have had overtime offered to us even though we are still trainees so I have been doing a lot of that. Still having fun but I had my first bawler.....not crying, absolutely bawling. I felt so bad, I could definitely understand her frustration and I tried to make her feel better but I think I ended up just making it worse. Definitely not fun, I was able to resolve the situation by the time the phone call ended but I just felt so bad for the caller. :(

Anyway Saturday is more overtime but after that a bridesmaid and I am going to get our dresses fitted and if there is time Brian and I are buying our wedding bands. Less then 6 weeks.....

My birthday trip to Charleston

As promised, Brian took me to Charleston on 1/21st. We woke up late so we got there late but that was okay.

We ate lunch with our friend Will at a place called O'Charlies. We got lost so by the time we got there I was starving. The place is called O'Charlies on the sign but it's address in the iPhone and GPS has it as Charlies Grill and Tavern or something like that. O'Charlies is a great restaurant in North Charleston. When we got there Will had ordered us some delicious nachos and we added onto that with some wonderful chicken fingers with great barbecue sauce. Brian got a burger, Will got the chicken fingers again, and I got a Southwestern salad. It was very good. We would go back again for sure and I wish we had one up in Myrtle Beach.

After lunch we hung out at a nearby mall  until Will had to leave for work. Brian and I continued to walk around. Their mall is no better then ours though all the stores are A LOT larger in size and would be that much better to shop in. After we got sick of the mall, Brian and I headed to Charleston.

We parked and walked down through the battery and around town trying to burn off our lunch and get hungry for our dinner at our favorite restaurant Blossoms. It was a beautiful day out, 58 degrees! I had on jeans, a nice black short sleeved shirt and my nice new Dansko Mary Jane heals. I had a leather jacket that I wore as it got cool. It was a wonderful night. Brian and I talked all throughout our walk. It was just so nice!

Soon it became 6pm and we figured we should go in an eat. We were not at all hungry as lunch was so late but we did want to get home at a decent hour and my feet were killing me! I had thought I had broken in my new shoes enough but apparently not. I had to take them off during dinner. We skipped the appetizer, something we never do, and went straight to dinner. I had steak with blue cheese butter, potato confit and creamy spinach. Brian had swordfish with a mustard sauce over fettuccine with rapini which is what I got last time. My steak arrived cut up in 5 pieces. I ate 2 of those, the spinach and a taste or two of the potato. It was VERY good, don't get me wrong I just was not hungry at all. Brian finished his swordfish and had a bite or two of the pasta and then he was done. We were just so full from lunch and we both tried to take it easy. I don't think either of us were in the mood for desert, I know I wasn't, but I think Brian felt bad as this was supposed to be our nice birthday dinner so we ordered the red velvet bread pudding. VERY good but I ate two bites and was done. That is UNHEARD of for me and desert especially when it is bread pudding. 

After dinner we drove home and watched some TV as neither of us was tired. All in all, a very good birthday trip to Charleston :)

I know what I am spending my bday money on!

I have figured it out! Maybe I have been in the South too long or at Caroline's too much but having the house decorated for the holidays and/or season has become important to me. Or at least something I want to do. The catch, I do not have the money to buy the necessary decorations. The little extra money I do have I feel can be put to better use even if it is not on bills or savings. Hence why Caroline's gift of Vday decorations were so awesome! I think Caroline is making that her pet project...keeping up to date with holiday decorations as she was talking about St Patrick's day and Easter as I was leaving.

While I can't wait and appreciate her to no end, I realized I could spend my bday money on it as well. I figure I start with the kitchen and then move to other rooms. Napkins, place mats, dishtowels, etc for Xmas, Easter, Vday, 4th of July, a summer/fall/spring/winter theme, etc. Very basic, very low key but fun as well. Stuff that I can use here in the apartment and bring into our house when we buy one. Brian and I both don't want to buy things for this apartment that we can't move with us, we see it as a waste of money. So it will be things I do actually like and need. Maybe this place will start to feel like a home!

My Birthday

My birthday was on Saturday, Jan 15. Brian and I decided to open presents Friday after a wonderful two day weekend rather then wait a week or so. If other presents arrived after, I would open them as they came. Only one did :).

I had a wonderful birthday. I still do not feel 26 or 25 oh well. As I still have my Christmas tree out (see told you I was lazy) we had stored them all there.

My Mommy got me these:

www.pajamacity.com

They are SOOO comfy! The butt flap is infinitely better. I was concerned that it was still Velcro and Velcro doesn't stay as well as one would hope. I thought I would have to return it for another one without a butt flap but decided against it. I figured I would give it a shot and if it was an issue I could always attach snaps and hopefully between the snaps AND Velcro, I would be all set. Well I do not think I have to do anything to these pjs. As long as I am slightly cautious/aware when I sit down, the Velcro does not rip apart. SO comfy! I think I am going to have to buy another pair! They may be a bit too big but I like my pjs big and I think the next size down would be too small. I am wearing them now and Brian thinks they are the cutest thing ever!

Mommy and Daddy also got me Nora Roberts Bridal Quartet:















Remember my post about my new New Years Resolution? Where I read at least one book each month? I can't remember if I said this but I stole that idea from a fellow blogger. She had read a couple of the books from this series and loved it. These are the books that inspired me to even attempt the great idea and became a great gift! I have read the first two already and will post on those two specifically later.  So far I am LOVING it! I think I may have a new favorite author.

Mom and Dad also got me a new pair of yoga pants. They look so comfy and they look like they fit but to tell the truth...I still haven't tried them on due to me not being able to get out of these feetie pajamas.

My Aunt and Gramma gave me more money. I will be able to finish buy all of my Study Abroad books and more with my Christmas money so I have to figure out what to spend my Bday money. It will be something fun due to A) I feel like spending it on something fun (rare, I know) and B) I know if I don't and spend it on bills, etc. the money will be cut off lol :). And I just have NO idea what that something fun is. I am having multiple debates in my head about it.

My brother also gave me a very nice gift of an Amazon Gift Card. I love it and appreciate it! I can't decide what to spend it on either though! I have it narrowed it down to books but I don't know if I want to buy more Nora Roberts or the rest of No 1. Detective Agency.

Brian's gift is taking me to Charleston. He wanted to do a cooking class at our favorite kitchen store, Charleston Cooks!, for lunch and then dinner at our favorite restaurant Blossom. Well all the cooking classes are full so we will have to do something else but dinner at Blossom is still on. I think he was thinking of getting a hotel room and doing an overnight trip (Charleston is an easy day trip for us). I am not sure when we are going. He was thinking Thursday/Friday but he had to pick up a shift on Friday so now the idea is Wednesday/Thursday.

On Sunday I went over to Caroline and Allyson's as usual where we celebrated Allyson's and my birthdays (her's is January 16th). It was a blast! Caroline had made pork roast, asparagus with a hollandaise (spelling?) sauce and mashed potatoes with cheese cake for desert. Caroline and Allyson had given me 2 Valentines Day pot holders and 6 VDay hand made themed napkins. SO cute!

That was about it for my birthday! I will write about Charleston when we get back :) I am SO excited to get away!

My birthday is tomorrow!

I am working on my birthday 7am to 3pm so Brian and I will be celebrating it later. The idea is go to Charleston, take a cooking class and eat dinner at Blossom. I cannot wait!

Anyway, I do have one more unspoken goal for 2011. I did not come up for it myself, I did steal it from another blogger but I think it will make my Mom and Aunt proud and happy if no one else.

Actually, we had Chinese for dinner tonight and my fortune cookie gives a great introduction to this:

"Reading to the mind is what exercise is to the body" Not really a fortune but I like it anyway.

My goal is to read at least one book a month. My blogger friend had planned ahead and new what book would go with what month but I am not that organized. Of course if I read more then one a month that would be great but if I read more only one counts. So if I read two books in January I would still have to read a book in February so the extra book stays extra.

I have already finished my first book and well into another. My Mom had gotten me two books for Christmas and since work has been dead I have been reading in between clients. My goal is also too write about each one. Not necessarily in book report form but I definitely want to reflect on what I read.

My mom got me:

The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith book 1 and 2. I have finished book 1. Book 2 will be a separate post as I have not finished it yet.

I at first didn't think I would like this book and was surprised that my mom had chosen it for me. I do not like mysteries and suspense novels. This is not that at all.

The main character is Precious Ramotswe who lives in Botswana Africa. The first book tells you about her childhood, her failed marriage, how she started her Detective Agency and describes some of her cases. Through all this you learn several African cultural differences. The biggest one is that in Africa it is better to be fat then thin.

The author does not follow a time line. He jumps back and forth between time periods which makes this a very interesting read. The reader does not get lost and actually feels like he/she has a better understanding of what is going on and the importance of all of it then if the author wrote it chronologically.

Another thing I love about this book is that it is an easy read but not so easy that you feel stupid reading it. Being an easy read I had a very easy time putting it down when I had a guest. Well, let me say this: while I hated to put it down as I wanted to keep reading I knew that no matter where I stopped reading (end of a paragraph, end of a chapter, etc) I would be able to pick right up no problem.

It took me two days to read it but that was because I was at work and only read it at work. If I were to add up the hours it probably only would have taken me 5 hours to read front and back even though it is only 234 pages. A) I am rusty, this book is the first book I have picked up in months and B) There are a lot of interesting details that you have to pay attention to.

I would definitely recommend this book and am enjoying the second book. Sunday we had 50 check outs and 4 check ins and I was able to read 135 pages of Book 1, Monday we had 8 checking out and 4 checking in and I finished the rest of it before 9:30am. Today we had 0 check outs and 0 check ins so I thought I would possibly finish Book 2 today but I only got 80 pages in. Book 2 is just as intriguing as book 1, I guess the phones were just busier :). I just wish we had HBO so I could watch the series when it comes out in February!