Happy Birthday, Mom!

Mama-bear, I love you. You are extremely generous and loving. I admire how hard you work to make us all happy and to make sure we are taken care of. I hope you are spoiled rotten today. Happy birthday!

(Photo taken in Disneyland in 2010)

It's My Birthday!

I don't normally brag, but Toot Toot! It's my birthday! I'm 26 years old today and I don't feel any different. Actually, as I write this I'm fighting a cold and feeling a little groggy. Ha!

As for as today's plans, Rob is taking me to dinner tonight. I haven't decided where I want to go yet. Do you have any recommendations for the San Jose area? What do you like to do to celebrate your birthday? Do you have any bday traditions?

p.s. I'm stoked to spend another year of my life with this dude. He's the best. 

(Photo taken in Sweden in 2012)

Happy Birthday, Rob!

Oh man, did I score a winner or what?! You are by far my favorite person on this Earth and I am so gratefule to call you mine. You've continued to push me to be a better person and make me laugh harder than anyone around. Thank you for your enduring love. I am so excited to take on new, crazy adventures with you!

Happy Birthday!

(Photo taken in Prague in 2012)

Happy (Belated) Blog Birthday!

September marked the one-year anniversary from when I decided to start taking my blog a little bit more seriously, and made a commitment to post everyday. It was definitely a challenge, but I am proud to say that I've (mostly) completed it. ;)

It's been fun to look back at some of my old posts and remember what was going on during that time in my life. Whether it was deciding to continue with grad school or not, or sharing my travel fantasies, I've had fun opening up a part of my life on this blog. Some of my favorite posts have included:

• Awkward Family Photos
• Berlin, Germany - Europe Trip 2012
• Ireland 2011
• Airport Playlist
• No Spending Challenge

When did you start reading? Do you have a favorite post? 

Thank you for being a part of my life and journey through the blogosphere! :)

Happy Birthday, Ian!

Ian is one of our best friends. He is easy going, fun loving, and always ready for the next adventure. He is extremely dedicated to his friends and family and shares a vulnerability with others that is admirable. I love that he helps me to feel calm in crazy situations and is always there to laugh at my jokes (no matter how terrible they may be).

Ian, I am so excited that we get to celebrate your birthday with you. I hope you enjoy what we have planned for you (enjoying a beer on the patio of an outdoor cafe), as well as the treats your mom sent along (she's always thinking of you :).

Happy Birthday, Grandma + America!

My grandmother is one of the sweetest people I know. She has a deep love for her family and her faith. She has taught her children and grandchildren to work hard and appreciate the gifts we are given. She has been such an amazing example of love for my family and I am so thankful that I have been able to have her be a part of my life.

Gmama - I hope you enjoy your day. Surround yourself with love and know that the beautiful fireworks displays are all for you! 

Happy Weekend + Big Travel News!

I am thrilled to be able to share some very exciting travel news with you. Robbie and I will be traveling through Europe for most of July! We'll be backpacking our way through five countries with our dear friends Alison, Elijah, and Ian. We have been fortunate enough to travel to Europe before, but have never experienced it by backpacking. The gang and I have been planning where we want to go, what we want to see, and where we will be staying. I'll be sure to share my excitement with you as we continue to plan and the trip gets closer.

As far as plans for this weekend, birthday celebrations are the name of the game. Not only are we invited to my co-worker's '80s themed roller skating birthday party, both of my brothers are celebrating birthdays this week.

What are you up to this weekend? Any travel plans? 
(We're not actually going Paris, I just thought this map was too cute to pass up)

Happy Birthday, Julie!

Julie, Mom, & Me

Today is my sister's birthday. She is an amazingly sweet woman who loves her husband and son dearly. She loves to laugh and I admire her ability to "go with the flow". Happy Birthday Julie, I hope today has been as wonderful as you!

Robbie's Birthday Surprise!

Robbie is notoriously better than me when it comes to gift giving. He is thoughtful, considerate, and always seems to find the perfect gift. I, on the other hand, am horrible. I always wait too long to figure out what I am going to get and then once I do, it always feels subpar. For example, a few years ago, Robbie surprised me with a beautiful ring to match my wedding band. What did I hand to him after I opened my gift? A pair of boxers. A pair of boxers. In no way does a pair of boxers even compare to a diamond ring; I was so embarrassed.

This year I decided things would be different. I wanted to blow him out of the water and really nail it on the head. Robbie is a big San Jose Sharks (hockey) fan, so I decided to surprise him with tickets and dinner at his favorite restaurant in downtown San Jose. Since we would be celebrating his birthday, I went ahead and splurged on extra nice seats. His birthday arrived, I was thrilled, and he had no idea. Then I printed the tickets. It turns out the original seller uploaded tickets for the wrong date! I panicked. I started sweating instantly. I really needed this gift to work this year. I called the retailer's customer service line and was told I would have to wait a few hours while they worked to resolve the issue. Ugh! This was not working out how I imagined it. Then, while I was waiting for my "ticket situation" to be resolved, I found out the restaurant I was planning on going to was closed on Mondays! At this point, I was practically beside myself with stress. The one year I thought of something really good, it was falling apart in front of me.

Lucky for me, StubHub (the retailer I bought the tickets through) has an amazing Fan Protect Guarantee and the associate took care of me. I received new tickets at 3:30pm (the game started at 7:30pm), they upgraded our seats by five rows, and reimbursed me for the cost of parking, which was included in my original purchase. At this point, the only worry I had was making sure Robbie didn't figure out the surprise. I took him to dinner at a new place in Willow Glen and lied about where we would be watching the game. I told him we were going to a sports bar right by where the Sharks play and led him to believe I had friends waiting there to surprise us. Right as we were passing the sports arena, I had Robbie turn into the parking lot! It worked out perfectly. Our seats ended up being three rows from the ice, right behind the visitor's penalty box. They were the best seats either one of us have ever been in; we were eye-level with the players as they skated around!

Robbie was thrilled and completely surprised by the whole evening. My two favorite quotes of the night: "This is the best birthday present ever!" and "We keep going! When are we going to stop?! We just keep going!" as we descended to our third row seats (did I already mentioned that we sat in the third row? :).

Have you ever orchestrated a surprise party? Did you have stress or were you confident everything would work out?
(Photos: 1) A Subtle Revelry, 2-4) Taken in San Jose, CA for Short Story Long)

Happy Birthday, Robbie!

Happy Birthday, Robbie! Thank you for sweet love, incredible support, and laugh out loud humor. You make me smile like no one else can, even when I'm at my crankiest! You challenge me to be a better person and are always there to catch me when I fall.

You are the love of my life and I am so grateful that you are mine.

Tea Party

My friend Sobrina's birthday is coming up, and to celebrate we will be having a tea party! I must admit that I was never much into tea parties when I was a little girl, but I'm very excited about this one. There is something about wearing summer dresses, sipping on different flavors of tea, and eating small sandwiches that makes me feel sophisticated.

By request of the guest of honor, we have been asked to bring a tea cup and saucer for a tea cup swap. Isn't it such a great idea? I'm so excited to see what everyone else will bring. My only concern is that I'll want to steal mine back! As I've been searching for the perfect cup, I've stumbled upon these beauties...

Have you ever participated in a tea cup swap? Do you have any recommendations on where to find the best cup?

(Photos courtesy of Octochick and thisnext.com)