birthday blitz week.

this week has been bananas. no--it's been more than that. this week has been banana cream pie. i've gotsa couple of birthday recaps for you.

let's start with my mom. my dad is at a conference at duke this week (don't worry, he sent flowers. go dad!), so my mom needed a partner in crime for her birthday. gerty and i picked mom up on monday morning for a walk downtown and birthday smoothie from alpen rose. afterwards, we tackled a project. because work and play have a yin yang relationship. even on birthdays. don't worry, it was just a little gallery wall in my parents' family room--nothing major.

after all of that nailing, we worked up an appetite. hehehe.

this meal was awesome. shrimp loaded with butter, olive oil, lemon juice and seasonings and broiled for a bit. a newspaper tablecloth is the perfect place to throw the shells. that's right, you have to peel these little suckers, but that's half the fun.

pairing the shrimp with crusty french bread for soaking up all of that buttery goodness is what really makes the meal.

family fun was had by all. except for lindsey. she had chicken.

if you are looking for a clean meal, keep looking. this isn't it.

subtle, gertrude. subtle.

and today i got celebrate MY birthday! i'm not sure i mentioned that i had a birthday coming up. there are a limited number of times one is able to wear a birthday crown, so of course i did for the majority of the day.


gerty and i went on a walk before the 93 degree heat set in. her present for me was not pooping. i didn't have to carry a steaming gerty bomb 3 miles in the quickly approaching heat. when i got home, i had a lovely present from my dad waiting on my steps.


afterwards, my friend, jamie, picked me up and we met our friend, jenn, at the goodearth for some birthday sammys followed by an afternoon of lounging in the sun by the pool. i got the perfect 'if i would've stayed out for five more minutes i would have been burned' tan. nailed it.


after indulging in a birthday nap, i prepared a well-balanced birthday feast.

grilled cheese, cashews and four peanut butter-filled pretzels dipped in cream cheese frosting. okay, there were five pretzels. oh, and let's not forget the wine. fruits and vegetables be damned on birthdays.

i have a feeling 26 is going to be a good year. good things are going to happen. big things are going to happen. fingers crossed.