I'm twenty-two!

This past Saturday was my 22nd birthday. And it was my best birthday ever. That's saying a lot, because I've had some really good birthdays (for instance, my friends threw me an insane 17th surprise birthday party, and I turned 18 on a cruise ship in Mexico with my very best friends).

It was so good because I got to spend it with most of my favorite people: my family, my friends, and my love. On Friday, I went up to Springfield to hang out with Ashley and other friends. We ate good food and danced. On Saturday, we went to Red Velvet (!) and I ate a red velvet cupcake and drank raspberry bubble tea... and it was so good, I may have ordered peach bubble tea immediately after. Elsie even gave me red heart shaped sunglasses for a birthday present! Then we came home, and I got to go to dinner with 12 of my favorite people on this earth. And I finished off my birthday by opening sweet, unexpected gifts, eating a cake that was as beautiful as it was delicious, and listening to live music with my favorite girls. It was the best! I'm a lucky girl.

Photos:

1. The adorable Sweet Shoppe at Red Velvet.

2. My birthday cake was made of buttercream white roses. So pretty and tasty.

3. The sunglasses Elsie gave me for my birthday! And the letters I made for Richard and I, which sit on our dresser.

4. Raspberry bubble tea + red velvet at Red Velvet.

5. Card from my little sisters! I'm not sure why it's upside down.

6. Nanna made me cupcakes!

7. Vintage ballet flats from Nanna (she also gave me a Polaroid camera!).

8. Chandelier above the dance floor.

New Orleans

Yesterday, I flew down to New Orleans to be with my boyfriend who's been working here for a few weeks. I kind of have a love-hate relationship with New Orleans. Most of the people here are friendly, the history is so rich, and there is nothing in this world that can compare to the French Quarter. But the humidity keeps my hair inexplicably frizzy and the sheets on our hotel bed feeling clammy, and I'm not a fan of the rotten smell of the stagnant water in the French Quarter. I can absolutely get over that, though; I'm so excited to spend this weekend eating great food, exploring my favorite historic places, and finally being with my love again!

Here are some of my favorite photos from my last visit to New Orleans:


Charbroiled oysters with shrimp and mushroom fondue at Drago's.


St. Louis Cathedral - my favorite.


Eerie St. Louis Cemetery #1.


Beignets and iced cafe au lait at Cafe du Monde.


The sweetest home in the French Quarter!


Bee Sweet Cupcakes. This was the first cupcake shop I'd ever been to, and it started a long, unhealthy obsession with red velvet cupcakes for me.

happiness

Sometimes, all it takes to make me happy on a Saturday afternoon is sparkly nail polish, a stack of magazines, a new ring, & mini-red velvet cupcakes.

Last week, we had two big snowstorms, so I only had to go to school one day! We watched movies, drank coffee, trekked through the snow to get takeout & went sledding everyday. Last night, we braved the roads, & I took my love out for his belated birthday dinner. Then we went to see a movie with my family. It was such a wonderful week & weekend!

I'm sick.

Burning-up-with-fever-excrutiating-sore-throat-stuffy-head-runny-nose-lay-in-bed-all-day sick. I've passed the last two days in bed and on the couch which has forced me to spend a great deal of time thinking about all the things I'd rather be doing:

1. Riding my new bike (it's similar to this one)
2. Eating a skinny chicken+rice+black bean+sauteed onion & pepper+salsa+chipotle sour cream burrito from Flying Burrito Co.

3. Shoe shopping for short booties and tall slouchy boots (since my old ones have practically deteriorated)

4. Baking cupcakes

5. Antique store/flea market shopping for furniture

Today I did four out of the five, and honestly I don't feel even the tiniest bit better.

But I did score some great slouchy boots, booties, and a dress. And last night I made some delicious French vanilla cupcakes. No one ate them, of course, because who wants to eat sick girl cupcakes?

But maybe that was my plan all along.

Excuse the poor icing job. They look really sad.

happy 4th of july!

My favorite thing about Independence Day is that my family celebrates it literally for days. The weekend long celebration started last night and will continue going strong until Sunday.

I made yummy patriotic cupcakes for a picnic.

We bought a ridiculous amount of fireworks which I could not get to fit into one picture. I wish I would've taken one of all the debris from last night's 2,500 dollars' worth...

I hope you all have a happy and safe 4th! The rest of mine better include a hot dog, more fireworks, and a long afternoon at the pool.

red velvet

Today was gorgeous; it was such a relief after the rain, thunderstorms, and tornadoes we've had this week. It was one of those days that I just want to waste in the park with a stack of magazines and some sunglasses. But instead, I went to Starbucks to "work on homework" (although all I packed was my laptop, ipod, magazines, and some chapstick). I really did have every intention of calling more people to interview for the magazine I work for, but the music inside was far too loud for that. They played French music, and I was so excited to recognize most of the songs! I love Edith Piaf and Joe Dassin's Les Champs-Elysées. So, I curled up in a big chair in the corner, drank a venti iced coffee, wrote a ton, and fell in love with red velvet cupcakes. I read that they're 300 calories a pop, but they're just so good.

[Photo: via Sweet Cakes]