17 Apr
27th Birthday
I woke up with a birthday hangover yesterday. Not the kind induced by alochol. The kind that makes you realize “My day-to-day life is kind of uneventful and my birthday was AWESOME.” It was my favorite kind of day from beginning to end.
We ate breakfast together, something we almost never do, and certainly not on Sunday mornings (we’re always running late and feeling harried about church). I bought my favorite sausage at the farmer’s market and ate cheesy eggs.
I wore my new dress from TH (it’s from Kohl’s and I’ll have a Style Files post about it up soon!)
We were going to walk to church but it was windy and my skirt was blowing up like crazy, but I was able to walk home with camera in hand and take some pictures of the neighborhood between church and our apartment. I love one of the streets in particular and we might take some family pictures there. The house on the left is for sale, will one of you please buy it?
Hello little bird!
We spent the rest of the afternoon party prepping which for me included arranging cheese and making chocolate ganache. I like that kind of prep work.
We started the party with some guitar playing and dancing.
And then it was time to eat! I was so happy with how everything came together. I bought some flowers at the farmer’s market and picked up almonds, crackers, grapes, and a variety of cheese at Whole Foods.
5 minutes before everyone arrived I put together these slips with names and pictures to help people know what they were eating. You are also supposed to arrange your cheese from mildest to most pungent so that guests don’t taste the blue cheese first and have their tastebuds overwhelmed.
The highlight of the night was the (nearly) flourless chocolate ganache cake. I plan on posting the recipe here soon because it’s the kind of thing that makes you feel like you’re eating at a fancy restaurant.
Total we had 8 adults and5 kids. It was sufficiently crazy.
I like that we’re all wearing blue. I did not plan this.
Isn’t having happy birthday sung to you simultaneously embarrassing and mortifying? What am I supposed to do while the singing is happening?
The version they sang had guitar accompaniment and was faster and much more fun to sing than the slower version I’m used to.
Does your family use the You Are Special Today plate? It’s so fun to bring it out and hear how your friends used it in their family growing up.
After putting ourselves in a bit of a sugar coma with the chocolate cake we broke out the Playstation and did some American Idol karaoke revolution. We used to play karaoke revolution on a weekly, if not nightly, basis in college and it made me so happy to have friends willing to look like fools scream-singing to Total Eclipse of the Heart with me.
While we acted like college kids, our babies tried to figure out why no one was paying attention to them (and apparently plugged their ears like the little girl on the right). Every so often you need to have some time for yourself though, you know?
I don’t want to leave this group of friends. We are really going to miss them. Thanks for giving me a fabulous time on my birthday!
Today I’m doing a portrait session with T1 (my first ever, how sad is that?), and next weekend we are having T1 day. We’re going to have a pool party and go to the park and eat his favorite things and do everything he likes to do all day. I’m not sure if I’ll make him a cake this year, or just dress up some fruit again (might as well take advantage of him not being able to ask for dessert yet!) but whatever we do, I know it’s going to be just as fun as TW day. I’ll always be sad that TH doesn’t want a day devoted to him as well…
Thanks for all of your birthday wishes! I’m officially sad I only get to have a birthday once a year.
Also:
I'm a farm-raised almost-crunchy stroller-pushing picture-taking lifestyle-blog-writing gastronomy-obsessed divine-seeking thrift-store-combing cheese-inhaling pavement-pounding laughter-sprinkling lover of individuality and taking chances.
Um, I just have to say you look AMAZING!!!!!! Blue is definitely your color!
1I wish I could buy that house, it looks gorgeous!
I love your birthday party, low key, good food, good friends. My kind of thing. Also the picture with T1, TH and you just screams Happiness.
I’m a little late, but Happy Birthday Jenna. May your 27th year bring you lots of happy moments, thoughtful ones and good family times.
2Love the dress you’re wearing. Mmm. That ganache looks delicious!
3Two things:
I love that dress on you! You look amazing and your eyes are so blue and gorgeous! And you’re all having such fun…and that yummy-looking cheese plate is calling my name.
And secondly: I could just die I want that yellow house so badly! My husband and I dream of a Victorian style home with all the trimming and “gingerbread” cutouts. It has a brick chimney…and a turret! AGH! *swoons*
(Someday there will be a Cookie Girl B&B and restaurant with a garden to table dinner menu!)
Jenna Reply:
April 17th, 2012 at 6:23 pm
I’m so excited to come stay at your B&B someday!
Happy belated birthday! And God bless you for doing so much WORK on your birthday! I know you really love it, though. And the cheeses look AMAZING.
5We used the birthday plate growing up!! I’ve never known anyone else who did… it was so funny to see it in your pictures! What a fun tradition.
6So glad you had such a happy birthday. That cake looks amazing and I can’t wait for you to post the recipe. Those houses!! We used to live right across the street from them. Seeing them pictured brings back such great memories of our days there. We used to call the yellow one on the left “The Sorting Hat House.”
Wish we could buy it! I’d move back to Chicago in a heartbeat if I knew it were right for our family. Happy Birthday again! XOXO
7Looks like such a fun birthday!! I love the idea of a whole day dedicated to each person in the family.
Maybe TH will come around eventually? My husband usually hates that sort of thing, but this year I insisted on celebrating and he actually really enjoyed it. It only took 13+ years…
8Happy Birthday, Jenna! It looks like it was an amazing day, and you looked beautiful. I am SO stealing your cheese platter idea, too
9Loving all your bright & happy birthday photos! Glad you had such an awesome day
10Love that bracelet! Do you remember where you got it?
Jenna Reply:
April 25th, 2012 at 8:18 pm
Poland
Hi Jenna. Happy Birthday! I am a longtime reader, but have never posted before. I noticed from a few photos that your son sometimes sits in what is called a “W-sit” position. My son sat the same way at that age and needed continuous gentle reminders to “fix your legs” because it strains the hips and back. Here is some info:http://www.pediatricservices.com/parents/pc-22.htm I hope you don’t mind me telling you. I just wish someone had told me before it became such an entrenched problem with my little guy. Best to you.
Jenna Reply:
April 26th, 2012 at 10:01 pm
I don’t mind! It’s not something I’m worried about right now, but I’ll consult with our pediatrician about it.