Birthday Girl.

With my twenty fourth birthday celebrations finally coming to a close, I could not be more exhausted. I wish someone had warned me how much twenty four would take out of me. Maybe it’s because I celebrated for two weeks. But doesn’t everyone do that? Brining in twenty four with a bang, I can honestly say, I have the best family and friends in the whole wide world, and I am so thrilled I was able to celebrate with every last one of them. So let’s start at the beginning, shall we?

My actual birthday was full of everything a birthday should be full of. I slept in late, had ice cream for breakfast, champagne for lunch and Mexican food for dinner. If you’ve ever enjoyed the salted caramel organic gelato from N’Ice Cream on Abbott Kinney, you’d know why this is the obvious choice for a birthday breakfast. Bubbles at The Other Room was mandatory, and oh so sophisticated, being that I’m in my mid twenties. And when isn’t Mexican food the best thing ever? Never. Joined by some of the best friends I could imagine spending the day with, birthday or otherwise, it was even better. But may I please take a second to gush about my cake? The cake that we most definitely ate before departing for dinner. The cake that I took one look at and assumed came from some super amazing, uber chic bakery. The cake that my friends just had to top with trick candles. Well, that cake was made by Heidi – who last year made me the most delectable cookies and cream cupcakes, and decorated my house with balloons, streamers and confetti, confetti that makes me smile every time I vacuum up a straggler trapped in my shaggy rug. If this blog had existed at the time, I would have told you all about it. But I didn’t. Sorry. But I wasn’t lying when I said I had the best friends ever, was I?

Continuing the celebration, the very next morning I flew home to the Napa Valley. Going home for Easter, the timing coinciding with my birthday was pure coincidence. And I couldn’t have taken better advantage of it, celebrating everywhere I went and putting candles in any dessert possible. Red velvet cake at Tyler Florence’s Rotisserie & Wine, champagne toasts at Mumm, oreo ice cream sandwiches at Rutherford Grill, apple side cars at Farmstead. I could seriously go on and on. My short trip extended itself in to a two week vacation, so you can imagine how keeping this up can be quite exhausting. But well worth it. With so many impromptu celebrations, I almost forgot about my birthday party. Inspired by this party, I had a few girlfriends over for bubbles and Brie. Lounging in my parents kitchen, circled around the most delicious spread, we could have stayed there all night. But we didn’t. After accessorizing with the most beautiful floral birthday girl headband courtesy of Cecelia, we headed downtown to Morimoto, the Iron Chef’s latest spot on the Napa riverfront. Drinking juicy pineapple cocktails and sporting the most hilarious moustaches, my traveling birthday party was even more fun than I could have even imagined. And I have a pretty great imagination. I really don’t know why I was ever so worried about twenty four. It’s been a blast. Twenty five, now that will be a tough one. 

And now if I may, a mustache montage.