Birthday Week, and being MIA

It's been my birthday week this past week (yes, I do an entire week, don't judge me!) and I have to say 31 hasn't been so bad! In fact, 31 is feeling like it's going to be a good year. Here's a recap of what I've been up to lately.

Fact: Funfetti cupcakes are a perfectly suitable breakfast item on your birthday. It's weird because I don't typically like cake, but put me around a funfetti cupcake (or any cupcake in general) and all bets are off! Thanks momma for make these for me! My actual birthday, since it was a Monday, was pretty low key. D brought me home flowers and we got sushi take out for dinner which is pretty amazing.

Birthdays for me also tend to feel like New Years, complete with setting new resolution and goals for yourself. For me? Get back in shape!! Why is this so hard for me to do? Oh I remember why. Because I love to eat food and strongly dislike working out. Killer combo, I know. So on my birthday I got all revved up and cleaned out my fridge, making sure it was packed with fruits and veggies and greek yogurt to keep me on track. Please disregard the bottom shelf full of beer. Old habits die hard. You can take the girl out of college, but you can't take college out of the girl :)

On Wednesday of birthday week, D and I headed to Brooklyn to see John Legend in concert. Ummm, he is awesome. The concert was amazing, and Mr. Legend has this gift of turning a huge arena into what feels like an intimate setting. D and I had a great time and was even debating on potential wedding songs. We had a bet that if we heard our "favorite song" that night, we would make it our song. He didn't play it (damn you John Legend!) - but we might just choose it anyway.

Also, concert going already took the healthy eating lifestyle off track…..that very same night I gave my fridge a makeover. #FAIL #fatkidproblems

On a side note, these loaded nachos were in fact, worth it. 

Feeling kinda corny when having dinner at a friend's house. This is what happens when you have too much wine.

 Just yesterday was my "Sunday Funday Birthday" day drinking party at Pier 13 in Hoboken. It was a suuuuuper hot day, but overall a beautiful one. We had a great turn out (thanks to all my friends and family who came out!!) You all know how to make a girl feel special! ;)

It was soooo hot I felt like I was literally melting. I had my hair all cute and curled when I showed up, but up it went because of the stifling heat. My God, the heat.

Me, D, my brother and his gf Jenn

 Me and my girl Colleen. 16 + years of friendship.

So that's what I've been kind of up to lately. D and I have also been doing some wedding planning (still looking for a venue and "setting a date") and also dabbled in some house hounding. On top of all that, him and I are even toying with the idea of picking up and moving somewhere else. So stay tuned as that all develops. Until then……I promise I'll be back to blogging more! ;)

Happy Monday friends! 

xo Steph

Happy Birthday Dad!

Life doesn't come with an instruction book - that's why we have fathers.

And this couldn't be more true. So I just wanted to take this time and say Happy Birthday Dad! {and happy early father's day}. To the man who taught me how to ride a bike, drive a car, and everything in between -- I am so grateful and blessed to have such a strong and loving role model in my life. 

So cheers to you dad, and we'll be celebrating this weekend : )

xo Steph, D and Tiki too.

Today is D-Day (Doxie & Donut Day)

Today is D-Day, which my D the history buff reminds me is the day that the US troops stormed the beaches of Normandy, France during WWII. It's actually the 70 year anniversary to be exact. But while that is an extremely important day in American history, today is also a special day in my life -- celebrating this little hot dogs 11th birthday. Eleven years old! She doesn't look a day over 1 year old. She's what I like to call our "perma puppy." So happy birthday little Tiki girl, you may never fully understand the impact you've had on all of us and how many people who have felt your love and who in return love you soooooo sooooo much!

On another note, aside from being D-Day and Tiki's birthday, it's also D-Day at DD (Dunkin' Donuts). You'll get a free donut with any beverage purchase. So go ahead and splurge on that ice coffee….because it's Friday baby! And I heard there's no calories in donuts on Fridays :)

xo Steph

A Very Special Day :)

Well actually yesterday was a very special day, D's birthday to be exact! Even though I spent the entire day/weekend with you -- and we still have an entire birthday weekend planned for you next weekend, I just wanted to take the time to wish you a very, very, happy birthday on this little space on the internet I call my own. I'm very lucky to have you in my life and there is no one else I'd rather share my days with! I love you and nope, it doesn't suck! (inside joke).

Just how could you not love this face?

Well that, and the color coordinated track suit and sneakers too!

Happy Birthday D!!

xo Steph

My 30th Birthday | Part 1

So I'm finally getting around to sharing some pics from my birthday with you all. This weekend was a whirlwind of excitement that started on Friday. First, I wanted to preface this with a little fact about myself. I usually cry on my birthday every year. I get really weird, and feel like no one loves me (over dramatic much?!) and I'm always upset about something. I call it the summer birthday syndrome. Anyone who has a summer birthday can feel me on this one. We were the kids that never got to bring in cupcakes to school, and everyone was always away on vacation when your birthday rolled around. I kid you not, most summer birthday people suffer from this syndrome. Me being the dramatic one, suffers greatly.

With 30 approaching, I was worried for an imminent meltdown. And D knows this about me. So what does he do? He surprises me by flying out one of my best friends from Nashville to stay for the weekend. I haven't seen her in over a year since she moved, so this surprise was epic! Especially when D is known not to be able to keep secrets (and I love him for that!) 

\/ \/ \/ \/

So here's the story:

He took me out for a pre-birthday dinner just the two of us on Friday night and while we were sitting there he goes, "so why couldn't Lauren make it for your birthday? She should be here?" while I reply "Because she lives in Nashville, and I know flights are expensive....I understand." D follows with, "That's BS! If she's a good friend she would be here!!" -- and I'm thinking, why is he hating on Lauren so bad??

And then I hear a familiar voice sitting next to me, "yeah, why wouldn't I be here?" 

and it was Lauren...sitting right next to me. WHAT?! mind blown. I felt like I was in the movie Inception and completely shocked and confused.

D pulled off the surprise of the century. 

10 million points for him. 

And that's why I love him so much : )

{chalkboard wall got the birthday makeover, which served as the backdrop for many photo ops}

30 is the new 20. Right?

my philly girls Lauren and Lorraine <3

me and my cutie. Love this guy so much.

kisses for the bday girl.

The night consisted of dinner at a local hibachi restaurant (love interactive dinners!) followed by VIP table and bottle service at Chandelier Room at The W Hotel in Hoboken. 

my "go-to" girl : )

pledge sisters.

sorority sisters -- AOII love : )

sparklers and mayhem and vodka.....oh my!

until this happens and you almost burn your fingers off!!

me and LZ with the empire state in between us.

my other philly girl sharon aka shar-town. 

shar-town philly back again..... (catch the song reference there?)

classic bathroom shots.

we were on the rooftop smoking electric hookahs (don't worry, there's no nicotine, only flavored water vapor!) and some of the photos came out pretty funny. Add some black and white and film grain filters and we look like a bunch of NYC club kids.

Far from it.....we're all teachers. Well, me in a past life.

I had such an amazing time surrounded by friends, and I have to thank D for putting together one heck of a party and making this day so fun, and so special for me. Not once did I feel sad, shed a tear, or worry about who wasn't there -- but rather who WAS there, right by my side. Is it possible I've cured the summer birthday syndrome??

So cheers to 30 and making this the best year yet! : )

xo Steph

pretty little "30th" birthday

This weekend will be my 30th birthday. 30. Seriously, how did this happen? I still look in the mirror and see a young, maybe 23 year old kid. I guess that's the good genes I inherited from my parents that have left me looking like a young adult fresh out of college. I put together an inspiration board for my 30th birthday party this weekend, which I'll be celebrating with friends and family. Even though it most likely won't look anything like this (probably a dinner, drinks and some laughs) a girl can dream right?

If I were a professional party planner, this is what my 30th birthday celebration would look like:

You can also see my last birthday's inspiration board here.

1. Cute birthday invitations

2. black & white (and gold napkins)

3. amazing lace dress

4. and Louboutin heels

5. vibrant colored peonies

6. pop some pink bubbly

7. gold balloons and friends

8. food and wine

As I mentioned before,  30 is a milestone birthday meant to be celebrated. And because of this, I have decided to splurge on a fabulous birthday gift to myself! I can't decide if I should go with a bag, some amazing heels (see above), a new camera......ohhh the choices! What should I do??

And what would you get yourself if you were majorly splurging?

I need some help here!

cheers to the big 3-0!

xo Steph

30 random facts for my 30th year.

In honor of my 30th birthday which is slowly creeping up on me the first week of August, I thought it would be fun to share 30 random facts about me to celebrate. Personally, I always love learning about weird quirks and facts about other people (especially bloggers) because I find those things endearing and ultimately what makes me like a person more! I originally shared facts about me here -- so hope you enjoy this second edition: 

30 for 30 facts about Steph @ Pretty Little Things

1. I love Tazo teas. My current favorites are vanilla rooibos and green ginger.

2. I eat sushi about once a week and I'm so happy I finally got D on board with it too. Otherwise it would be a lot of lonely dinners for one.

3. Somehow over the years I've turned into a homebody. I used to love going out and being a social butterfly and the thought of staying home one night would make me cringe. Now it sounds amazing. Ugh that sounds exactly like something a 30 year old would say!!

4. I love getting stuff in the mail. Magazines and subscription boxes can make a mundane weekday a little perkier.

5. Reading all of your blogs has become my favorite thing to do in my downtime. Thanks for all the inspiration!

6. My birthday is August 4th and I'm such a leo. Totally a fire sign without a doubt!

7. Target is my weakness

8. I'm allergic to apples. Weird I know!

9. I love sushi, shrimp, lobster and most other seafood. If I ever developed a shellfish allergy I'd be so sad.

10. Fall is my favorite season, with summer being a close second.

11. I majored in English and Psychology in undergrad.

12. I have two Masters Degrees (seriously, who needs two??) One in Education and one in School Counseling. I guess I like to learn.

13. One day I will have a library in my house.

14. I love books and will probably never own a Kindle. There's something about holding a book in your hand and placing it on the shelf when you're done that is so satisfying to me.

15. I love anything chalkboards. Which is why I have a chalk board wall in my office to help inspire me and to always be creating things.

16. I don't understand Twitter, nor do I have any interest to get involved in it! Despite how many people tell me I have to tweet to be a successful blogger. 

17. I love holidays and any excuse to decorate and be festive.

18. The same would go for theme parties. It just makes everything more fun.

19. One of my favorite books is The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

20. I am very sensitive to smell and always smelling things like paper, clothes etc.

21. I've been known for getting sucked into a Lifetime movie. And then I fall asleep on D. And then D is force to watch said Lifetime movie because he can't reach for the remote.

22. If I had all the money in the world, I would travel everywhere and see everything.

23. I am fascinated by seeing other peoples lives and how they live their life. See above.

24. I hate running. I wish I didn't but I do. People always talk about having that "runner's high" and I just don't get it. Running just makes me angry.

25. I already have my Halloween costume picked out for this year. Favorite holiday what what!

26. I believe in past lives and reincarnation. And I've decided my dog was Egyptian royalty in her past life. Also my mom was squirrel ( I mean this in a good way). I know you think I'm weird now ; )

27. I love decoding dreams and have a dream dictionary next to my bed. I dream in such vivid color every night so I always like to rehash them in the morning to find out the "true meaning"

28. I've always said my favorite color is purple. But when I think of it I never wear purple, like ever. So now I'm thinking I don't have a favorite color. Which is weird in itself.

29. I'm currently into 80's style aerobics. My mom's Jane Fonda work out tapes (yes on VHS) are helping me bring my sexy back!

30. I wonder if anyone actually cares about these little facts about me and if you're thinking I'm a total odd ball now ; )

I'd love to hear from you all -- 

what's a random fact about you that makes you, you?!

xo Steph

{the double whammy}

This week is a little bit of a double whammy for my dad -- his birthday and father's day are only a few short days apart. I'm sure most people would feel like they are getting cheated out of two different celebrations (kind of like the birthday near Christmas kinda thing) but not my dad. He is a simple man who could care less about presents. He just wants to be with his family and kids. And that's just one of the many reasons why we love him! I saw a quote the other day that read:

Life doesn't come with an instruction book - that's why we have fathers.

And this couldn't be more true. So I just wanted to take this time and say Happy Birthday Dad! {and happy early father's day}. To the man who taught me how to ride a bike, drive a car, and everything in between -- I am so grateful and blessed to have such a strong and loving role model in my life. 

So cheers to you dad, and we'll be celebrating this weekend : )

xo Steph

happy birthday momma!

I just wanted to give a special shout out to one of my favorite people in the world, my shopping partner and my very first bff -- my lovely momma. Happy birthday -- I love you very much! xo

Hope you have a wonderful day and know you are very much loved! xo

-Steph

My Birthday in Photos

I seriously had the most wonderful birthday because it was casual, laid-back and I spent it with the people I love the most. The whole birthday weekend was so much fun -- Friday D and I went to see Coldplay (more photos from that tomorrow) had a party at my parents house, and then we hit up the Pocono 500 Nascar race on Sunday. Note: I've never watched or been into Nascar or racing but I'm always down to try or do anything once, and let's just say we had a great time and really got in to the festivities!! More photos on that later. Based on the weekend, I think twenty nine is going to be the best year yet! I feel so incredibly blessed and loved.

Confetti cupcakes = a taste from my childhood 

I don't like cake, but love cupcakes.....go figure!

Making a wish.

Pink sparkly champagne. Don't mind if I do!

Birthday flowers from D and my parents.

I feel like the luckiest girl!

Coolest wine holder with mini chalkboards on it from my brother and his girlfriend.

Gorgeous jewelry from D.

And tickets to see Coldplay -- which was seriously the best concert ever!!

More photos from the concert to come....

Hope everyone has a lovely day : )

-Pretty Little Things