Non-Adventure #36 Thirty, Flirty, and Thriving!

So this is THE year, the year I am now officially thirty, flirty, and thriving. I have a tradition of always celebrating my birthday and Stacie's (no I didn't step on your birthday hour) together with our high school best friend Erik (we celebrate his in December). So this year we decided our dinner out would be at Cheddar's in Keller. I love their vegetable plate as well as their chicken tenders so yummy! So here we are at dinner (Erik came to our side of the table for the picture)

Then we decided to head up the road and go see Despicable Me. Here we are with our 3D glasses waiting for the movie to start. It was super cute and really funny!
Then I thought it was appropriately fitting that the July Chick Flicks movie fit in and we had it the weekend before my actual birthday.

Our July movie was:

13 Going On 30

So a group of girls headed over dressed in their funnest pj's. I asked everyone to bring toppings. Toppings for their favorite pizza and what they would like to eat with ice cream. I provided dough, sauce, and cheese as well as fruit (you can see it towards the back of the picture). I set out all the toppings in bowls and gave everyone a rolled out slice of pizza dough. Then everyone went around the table and put on their favorite toppings. We cooked them in batches in the oven.
Tiffany and Leah hanging out in the kitchen
Leah and Amy made theirs into giant pizza pockets
Amy showing off their handiwork
some more pizza fun
I received this cute homemade apron from Amy and Leah (I also got a handmade apron from Baylee) to add to my apron collection. I promise one day I will take a picture of all my aprons.
We took a trivia quiz and this month everyone was a winner. Everyone received Razzles (candy that is also gum) and an 80's Jams cd that I mixed together. It has some great tunes that include Thriller, Girls Just Want to Have Fun, Loveshack, Jesse's girl, etc.
A couple of pictures of everyone with their Razzles and cds.

We all watched the movie and took a brief pause to make our ice cream sundaes in edible waffle bowls. After the movie which brought back many memories from our childhood, we packed up all the leftover toppings and everyone headed home.

On my actual birthday I arrived at work to find that my boss Cyndi had decorated my desk with tons of thirty party stuff. She felt that I needed to see the actual number thirty all day long. So she put this big thirty on the door across from my desk.
She even climbed on my desk and stood on a step stool to put up the thirty things hanging from the ceiling and tied a balloon on my wires. The cards were from some of my co-workers and Chris gave me the bite-size cupcakes which were delicious.
Maxine gave me some new ring bling!
Stacie came and brought me this huge Happy Birthday balloon and...

my favorite banana pudding that her mom makes. It was sooooo yummy and delicious! Yes, I shared with my co-workers.
I met my good friend Leah and her son Casen at "our place" aka Chili's in Hickory Creek for lunch. We had a good time talking and remembering how much fun we had at the Eclipse party.
Here I am surrounded by all my birthday goodies
eating my cupcakes
That night I went to dinner at Babe's with my family. They spared me the humiliation of the chicken hat and being sung Happy Birthday by a bunch of waitresses. Sometimes I can't believe I am thirty but yes I am OFFICIALLY:

THIRTY, FLIRTY, & THRIVING!!!!!

Trivia Quiz

1. What was the original title of 13 Going On 30?

a. Sparkle

b. Sugar and Spice

c. Turn Back Time

2. What was the most popular girls name of the 70's and 80's?

3. In what country was the title changed to Suddenly 30 because the distributors thought audiences would misunderstand the original title?

4. In what year did Cosmopolitan magazine get its start?

a. 1886

b. 1946

c. 1966

5. What was Jennifer Garner's first major in college before switching to drama?

6. In what decade did Mattel introduce the first Barbie Dream House?

Rambling #26 Hap-py Birthday Char-he!

For as long as I can remember Stacie and I have said that to each other on or birthday's, it is from All Dogs Go To Heaven. Unfortunately for Stacie she had to get locked up at the jail on her birthday aka she had to work. So long ago she told me she wanted me to make her a coconut cake for her birthday and bring it up to her while she was at work, so I did. Here I am visiting her at the jail, on July 5th.
Here is her coconut cake I made from scratch, icing and everything. It was a Barefoot Contessa recipe found here.

Here is the birthday girl cutting into her cake! Doesn't she look happy cutting into her cake!
She said she had a wonderful birthday and she loved the cake!

Rambling #25 Summer of Babies!!!!!

So this spring I had several people close to me that were pregnant. Most of these babies were all due at some point this summer or late this summer. Starting with my friend Adorah. She had her little girl Saida on July 8. Here are some pictures of Saida:

this was Saida a couple of weeks ago. I'm holding her. I think she looks like her daddy, Chris.
Next up was my cousin-in-law Jessica. We were all waiting to see if she would have a baby girl Brown or baby boy Brown. Well She had a little girl named Margo on August 16 at like 11:20pm. My dad, sister and I went to see Jessica and Margo at the hospital the next day. Here we are with Margo:





The last baby born was my friend Chrissie's. We knew we were waiting for a baby boy to be named Austin Hoyt Russell and I got the news that he was born on September 4th at 7:45 in the morning. Here is sweet Austin:

Some newer pics Chrissie sent me just today!

So CONGRATULATIONS!!!! to all the newly formed families and HAPPY BIRTHDAY BABIES!

Non-Adventures #34 & 35 and Rambling #23 & 24 Baby Showers and Diaper Cakes!

So towards the end of May and the beginning of June I had two baby showers come up. So we (my mom and I) decided we of course would make diaper cakes. Well I make them she helps with the funding and overall design input. Our first shower was for my cousin Matt's wife Jessica. In a previous post I showed pics of their wedding. Well now they are expecting a baby and they decided to wait to find out if they were having a boy or a girl, so gender neutral colors were decided upon. Here is the cake we came up with and gave them. We put a painted "B" for Brown.



Here is the cake they had for her
This is Jessica and her mom, I tried to lighten it up as much as I could.
Jessica and her mother-in-law Julie (my aunt)
Jessica opening her presents
My cousin Jenna and I
She received a lot of basics and we all had a good time playing some baby games. Jessica was due in August.

The other shower took place at the beginning of June and was for my good friend Chrissie whom I have known since Elementary School. She and Jason were married and talked about on the blog too. They decided they wanted to know and learned they were having a BOY! To be named Austin Hoyt Russell. Here is the cake we made for Austin. Her nursery has a Winnie-the-Pooh theme and I thought it was perfect that we found these pacifiers with Pooh and Tigger on them.



The party was at her sister-in-law Vickie's house. Here is Chrissie and her mother.
Me and Stacie
Stacie, Chrissie, and I
Chrissie and her hostesses, Margot (her sister) and Vickie (her sister-in-law)
Chrissie got some great gifts for Austin and we all were able to talk about how we knew her and give her some advice. Now all she had to do was wait for September to come!