Birthday #1

Be warned: this post is really picture-heavy!

Last night was my first birthday party/celebration of this year (I know, I sound really spoiled, having like 4 or so...) with my parents, my grandma, Mark, my sister, and her boyfriend Colton. It was so much fun!!

Kelly and Colton came over that evening after their classes were done. We talked and looked at Ninny's old pictures from the 1940's and 50's. Very cool.


My mom made me a really fabulous birthday cake, as always, and we had poppyseed chicken and green beans for dinner. Yummy! (That's strawberry buttercream icing on the cake - my favorite!)


I love my family. We laugh a lot :)


My mom very graciously did not put all 25 candles on the cake, just 7 ... two on top and five on bottom. She handed Colton (who is a really great photographer) her camera and he took pictures all evening, cause he's awesome like that.


the Birthday Girl! (a week early...)


After our cake festivities, it was time for presents. I opened the little box, and it had some buttons in it (so it would rattle - my mother thinks of everything) and a note, saying that I would be playing Ninny's favorite game - Wheel of Fortune! - to find clues that would lead me to my present.


We do creative celebrations :)


Playing the game... I started out sort of slowly, but then did pretty well


The three phrases I had to solve ended up saying: "Three boxes, in plain view, in the storage closet."


So into the storage closet I went, followed by my posse.


After looking at all the WRONG boxes, I finally found the right ones...


And was so, so surprised by my present!!


Back story: when Mark and I registered for china, we registered in Birmingham. A lot of our wedding guests lived in Chattanooga (where the wedding was held), and unfortunately the stores in Chattanooga did not carry the pattern that we picked out. You can see it here. Although my mom asked, the stores wouldn't order any ahead - they wanted to wait for people to place the order. And the people from my church who WOULD have bought the china were all little old ladies who didn't want to order it - they wanted to be able to put their hands and eyes on it and buy it straight from the store.

Anyway, long story short, we got a grand total of 3 place settings, plus a saucer. Not very helpful for entertaining...

So. Around Christmas, my mom and I were shopping around this neat home goods consignment boutique near my parents' house. And they had this GORGEOUS set of china - a complete set. For cheap cheap. (I mean, as an 8 place-setting of china goes...) It was ivory china, with this pretty black design around the borders - very classy looking. And I made the comment to my mom that I would love to someday be able to have a complete set of china like that.

Little did I know, she talked to my family that night, and they all pitched in, and she went back the next day and bought the whole thing for my birthday.


Amazing!!


My mom is the best :) What an awesome birthday present for my 25th birthday!!


Here's a picture of what it looks like - I can't get the picture to turn around the right way, but this is one of the serving pieces with the salt and pepper shakers. Isn't it so pretty? I ended up with 8 dinner plates, 8 salad plates, 8 soup bowls, 12 saucers, 10 cups, a large round serving platter, a large serving bowl, this little oblong serving plate, a butter dish, a soup tureen, a sugar bowl, a gravy boat, and the salt and pepper shakers. Seriously, fantastically awesome. I love it!!



And THEN, as if that wasn't good enough - Kelly gave me her present :) I love having artsy family members/friends, because neither Mark or I are very good at drawing/painting/photog-ing/etc, etc. I get a lot of really cool presents from Kelly, because she's poor, it's less expensive to make stuff, and she's amazing.


So she did me this cool pastel (Art Deco? or something?) drawing of me and Mark from a picture I made of us, and wrote some creative and funny things about us above it. I can't wait to put it in a poster frame and figure out where I'm going to put it :)


Some of the descriptions up close :)


The upper part of it, where you can read it - so funny :) And, Colton helped!


They are so, so precious. It makes me happy :)


And then, me and Kelly and Colton and my mom played a rousing game of Taboo, at which my mom and I were pretty much crushed by Kelly and Colton :) We're usually pretty good, but they were just on a roll last night - they're on the same wavelength :) Also makes me happy!

So, I consider phase 1 of my 25th birthday to be a complete success! I was so, so surprised by the china. Now I just need a china cabinet to put it in! I love getting to spend time with my family - we are so very good at loving and laughing and celebrating, and it is so much fun.

Tonight, Mark is taking me out on a date in Chattanooga - I'm getting dressed up, so hopefully I can post a picture or two on here. Then tomorrow, we're heading to Dayton to double-date with Kelly and Colton at a Mexican place, and Kelly and I are going to trade dresses. We'll head back to Chattanooga for dinner, then head home. And next week: Elissa comes!!

My life is so good. I'm such a lucky girl :)