I'm 30!

On April 23, I joined the ultra-exclusive club that you can only get into once you are 30.  Well, I tried to make it sound more glamorous, but in reality, I just had another birthday.  It's weird...when I was younger I would spend my time thinking about how I couldn't wait to get older, couldn't wait to move out on my own, couldn't wait turn 21, couldn't wait to become a grownup, etc.  And now I'm just like "CAN SOMEBODY PLEASE HIT THE BRAKES?!?!"  Wow, I mean...thirty.  My friend told me that many people go thru little "issues" when they have a milestone birthday, but I think it went pretty smoothly for me.  I only went nuclear on my family a couple of times - haha.  (But they still love me, so all is well). 

Since the shop is open on Saturdays, I worked on my birthday.  But it was made so special when I got flowers, not once but twice!  The tulips are from my darling husband (on threat of death should he forget) and the assorted bouquet is from my parents.  Awwwww.  They made my office smell delightful!  And since Easter was the next day, they worked perfectly as flowers for my house! :) 

Here they are in my office.

After work, Ryan took me to dinner at Mickey Mantles, where we had (strangely) never before eaten.  I think we'd been to happy hours in their bar, but never a sit down meal in the dining room.  It was REALLY good.  We both got the wagyu beef filets, which were so tasty.  I kind of expected to be able to cut it with my fork, judging by the sales pitch from the server, but no such luck.  Hehehe!  It was good though.

And my favorite adult beverage is a glass of rose, which I indulged in during our dinner.  Not white zinfandel - that's just nasty.  FYI:  rose wines are made with the same grapes as red wine, but the skins of the grapes are removed very early during the fermentation process, and since the wine gets the color from the pigments in the grape skins, the rose wine doesn't become as dark as a red wine.  White zin, while it looks pink, is not the kind of rose that I like.  White zin is a mixture of zinfandel grapes (almost 100% from Napa Valley) with white muscat wine (almost like a dessert wine), which makes it taste sugary sweet and like fruit punch.  So, while a white zin is technically a rose as it is the same color, the rose wines I like are NOT white zinfandel.  :)

I found this one particular brand that I ADORE.  It is called Red Bicyclette, and their rose is phenomenal.  Everyone that I have forced to try it also loves it.  The label looks like this:

I found it easily for years and always had some on hand.  Well, imagine my surprise when it's suddenly gone from the shelves at Byrons!  It turns out that it's just sold out.  What the crap???  I guess I've never cared enough about a wine to notice when certain varieties/vintages were or were not available.  Well this one is GONE.  Poof.  Vanished.  I've searched high and low, tried to buy it online (but no one will ship to OK), and called different stores looking for it.  Whenever I found a store with some stock, I bought it all.   I actually only wound up finding 5 bottles this way, but it was still better than nothing.  I only have one lone bottle left of the delightful elixir, and it's being saved for a special occasion! :)  So I'm on the lookout for a new favorite.  And I've tried TONS that have been recommended by liquor store employees and the random guy at Central Market in Dallas who happened to be pushing TX wines the day I was in.  And these suggested wines are okay, but jut not nearly as smooth as my beloved RB (okay, it may sound like I have a bit of a drinking problem, but it's fine, I swear).  

So back to Mickey Mantle's.  I asked the waitress if they had any awesome roses, and she said they did.  I was all about trying something new, but I wasn't sure I would like it as well as my old faithful.  She brought me this:

which is actually this:

Blackbird Vineyards Arriviste

It was SO SO SO good!  Far smoother than the Red Bicyclette (and far more expensive than the $9 I pay for the RB).  I hate buying bottles of wine in restaurants because I always feel like a retard when I go to the liquor store afterwards and see the same bottles I just paid $50 for on sale for $9.99.  You know?  So I still don't know how much this wine is in real life (I mean, it has a screw-off lid), but it was about $75 in the restaurant.  So I'm guessing maybe $20. Ha!  Anyway, it was insanely delicious, and I don't feel so bad about losing my beloved Red Bicyclette anymore!  A birthday miracle!

And after my delicious dinner, we went to Pinkitzle in Bricktown.  I'd heard a lot about the massive candy/cupcake store, and it did not disappoint!  I got more taffy than I know what to do with, and a cupcake that was in the flavor of "birthday surprise" - but I still don't know what the surprise was, so that's disappointing.  But we couldn't stay there forever (like I wanted to) because the day after my birthday was Easter, so I had to both cook for a legion of family and finish cleaning my house!

We had quite a few people over for Easter, and it turned into an impromptu 30th birthday party for me as well!

Presents!

The dessert table (with my awesome birthday cake - closeups below!)  And notice how wonderfully the tulips Ryan gave me look on the table!

And my mom picked these pink roses from her rose bush and arranged them in this amazing arrangement!  Major snaps to Patricia!  I actually thought they were purchased.  It wasn't until I got the "I really like that vase, and I want it back" from my mom that I realized she indeed made them herself!

We had fun napkins!

And presents!

New Yurman earrings!  WOOO!

A matching bracelet!

Me hugging my sweet MaMa, who looks amazingly well, especially since she only got out of the hospital from having pneumonia two weeks before!

Now, I love you Mama, but back to the cake...

It's an Easter basket!!!  WITH PEEPS!!!!

I think it's safe to say I was obsessed with my cake.

How cute is my new apron?? Love it!

Twas magical.  And made of chocolate and frosting.

There was singing...

which I danced to, naturally.  (If you haven't seen me dance, you are lucky)

Blowing out the candles...

And clapping for my candle blowing-out accomplishments like a 2-year old.

And some shots of my lovely family...

Here are me and Jan

Me and my parents

MaMa, Mom, Matt, me & Dad

Me and Matty

Me and Ryan

And again...

Ryan, me and Matt

Me, MaMa and Linda

Me and Mum

Gage, Ryan & Jim

Jan & Pam reading Sean & Laurel's blog from their time in China where they adopted a baby girl!

Dad & Matt

Pam & Jan

Jan, Pam & Jim

Susie & Mum

ME!

Me and my MaMa

It was a fun day.  Yummy food, good company, and birthday cake!  When everyone left, we were pooped so we took a nap.  This is how Ryan found me and the puppy.

Then Kiki decided he was done with having his picture taken.

And I decided to eat my leftover whipped cream salad all by myself!  Because I'm 30!