Birthday Gifts Pt. 2

Happy 4th of July!!! 

My favorite birthday gift I lost was this silky, red scarf my best friend Karen gave me. It was from Italy and was the softest lace I have ever felt. It was absolutely gorgeous. But I consider it my favorite because of how she gave it to me. 

A bunch of my good friends met me at Cafe Brazil, the best place to have brunch in the Dallas area. They have like 30 different coffees to choose from and they have some pretty awesome carrot cake when it's fresh. All of their locations are decorated with local art that is for sell, which I love. Anyway, I got a lot of other really cool presents that year but I favor gifts that are themed. She handed me a small rustic trunk, like the kind you can buy from Hobby Lobby that are strategically placed in the center of the aisle on your way to check out. Inside was a disposable camera, a journal, some felt-tip pens, and that red scarf. It was travel themed!! She even wrapped the notebook in a map and threw in some Euros too. It was all too much, especially the scarf. It was super dressy and silky so I only wore it for dressy occasions. Ironically (or maybe just unfortunately), I left it in Italy. I asked a friend to ship it to me when she came home for break, but it has not arrived yet. And I don’t think it ever will. 

I hope you've had your filling of grilled meat and veggies, and see some sick firework shows later tonight!

Birthday Gifts

I remember the year my sister started waiting tables because that was the year she started buying me birthday presents. She would come home with her apron full of cash. Too young to have any real bills, she spent it like most teenagers did. On their younger sister, of course! I like to think initially she thought she could make up for wearing my clothes without permission by getting me really neat stuff. Or maybe it was just sisterly love. Whatever the reason, those were the things I always lost.

The first year she got me this clear, heart-shaped locket with charms that were related to my hobbies inside. The gift was very thoughtful, but I hardly wore it because I was always afraid it would pop open and all of the charms would spill out. Eventually, she noticed and I didn't want her to stop buying me stuff so I wore it to school. Big mistake, guys! I had to spend the entire afternoon searching the floors for a tiny softball and an itty-bitty painter's palette. I never found them so I just wore it empty after that. I think it still looked pretty. Sadly, I lost it along with a lot of other jewelry in Rome.

 The next year I received a set of Breakfast at Tiffany’s glasses. It was my favorite movie that year. I even went as Holly Golightly for Halloween. I took the glasses with me to Rome (I thought I was going to live there forever) and left them in my Ikea apartment. I use to drink blood orange juice out of one every morning. I hope they are in good hands now.

The last thing I remember getting from her was this Tootsie Roll clock. I seldom eat the chewy candies now, but still have it! Knowing my luck, I will lose it when we move next month.

 

If my sister doesn't know about my careless gift keeping she sure does now. 

Birthdays

Ew!

On Friday I turn 20. I have a weird relationship with birthdays. As a child, practically every birthday was shared with my younger sister whose birthday falls three days later. I never minded sharing so long as my mom bought carrot cake and not soggy tres leches cake every Mexican family insists on having for every single celebration. (One year my mom got me a cake filled with barbarian cream, you know that stuff that’s in donuts, and it rocked.) As I got into my teens my mom stopped doing the double cake thing. Instead, she would buy me one special thing from the mall, like a Napoleon Dynamite bed set from Hot Topic. It was the best, you guys. Napoleon knows what I'm talkin' about.

Now, though, I find myself not wanting anything, but maybe a good brunch and a night out dancing. But I can see that never happening because everyone is always tired and hung over from their 4^th of July festivities. Whatever. Table for one is easier than table for five at brunch anyway. 

I believe that after you turn 21 you should give up wanting special treatment on your birthday, except free drinks/desserts because those things are always over-priced so it’s cool. I honestly feel like birthdays are nothing to make a big hoot about and when girls who are 28 make a big hoot I feel sad for them. Don’t wear a stash that reads “Birthday Girl” all day long. Don’t delete everyone who didn’t post birthday wishes on your Facebook wall. Don't think it's okay to be a diva just because it's your birthday. Mindy Kaling also thinks birthdays are overrated:

Anybody can have a birthday. It requires nothing. Murderers have birthdays. It’s the opposite of anything that I believe in. And I don’t like at work where you stop everything to sing ‘Happy Birthday’ to someone. I feel like that’s for children.

I am not saying to completely ignore the fact that you’ve made it another year, but don't make it a big shebang every time. 

This year, my cool boyfriend got me exactly what I wanted. I love accessories that are inspired by nature and when I saw this nest ring from Swell Caroline on Pinterest I had to have it. I was going to buy the ring as a reward for getting all A’s spring semester, but he insisted I wait and buy what I really needed (new Keds). It came early so I got to open it today. I absolutely adore it! It is lighter that I thought it would be and fits great. Swell Caroline is perfect if you're into monogrammed jewelry, and they occasionally have unique things like nest rings. 

Stay tuned for birthday gifts that I've lost.

www.swellcaroline.com

P.S. If you haven't read Mindy’s book, Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?(And Other Concerns), you are sorely missing out. You can find it on Amazon!