Birthday Things

I turned 24 last Tuesday.  Please save all age-related comments and jokes for someone else as I think I’ve already heard them all.  Someone told me I looked like I was in high school (yeah, yeah I know), someone told me “soon you’ll be able to drive and start thinking about boys” and someone else congratulated me on finally turning 21.  I know a bunch of comedians, you guys!

Anyways, all jokes aside, I had a fabulous birthday and I feel so spoiled by my amazing family and friends.  Thank you all for making me feel loved!  I’ll try not to make this post too wordy (too late?) but I wanted to share some pictures of all the fun celebrating that went on.

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Joey got me some fun glass straws to fuel my iced coffee addiction.  I have a glass every morning and had been going through plastic straws like nobody’s business.  He also got me an awesome pair of Sam Edelman flats…that I already own.  It’s the thought that counts 🙂

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My dear sweet mother could not handle the idea of not seeing me on my actual birthday (we went out with my family this past weekend to celebrate) and I’m convinced she made a whole red velvet cake just as excuse to deliver it — with my dad in tow — to my office and see me.  No complaints here!  This baby was GONE 24 hours later.  At least everyone at work had the common sense to leave me the last piece.

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I asked my closest friends to join me for a little birthday get together that night.  As I was perusing Yelp! for a good place to go, I came across Machete Tequila + Tacos and that’s all I needed to hear.  I was sold.

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Their margaritas were serious!  Okay, I’m a total light-weight, but I found them to be really strong.  Delicious, but strong.  Joey ordered the “Hot Mess” and it was spicy.  We placed an order of 12 tacos — 2 each — and every single one of us cleared our plates.  I’d say that’s a success.

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Joey ordered a beef tongue taco.  BEEF TONGUE.  I must have had too much tequila at this point because I actually tasted it.  You know when you accidentally bite your own tongue?  Yeah that’s how it felt to eat that taco.  Never again.  How cool is the squid ink tortilla though?  I played it safe with a grilled shrimp and pulled pork taco.  Tacos are my life.

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Our waitress brought out a complimentary birthday shot and I forced all the girls to also get one.  No one wants to take a shot by themselves!

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Birthday celebrations continued through the weekend, with dinner on Friday and Sunday night.  Lori treated us to burgers and beer at Park Burger on Friday evening.  Afterwards, we ooh’ed and ahh’ed over beautifully historic Denver homes that cost over a million dollars (seriously, we went home and looked) before heading home.

Sunday involved dinner at the Med.  I’m pretty sure I’ve said all there is to say about my love for this place so I’ll just say that we ordered 6 plates of tapas, entrees and two desserts and now I’m never eating again.

I think we can finally put my birthday to rest.  Till next year anyways.

Weekend Things

My baby sister is officially 21-years old.  Ahem, too much celebrating means a later than usual “Weekend Things” post.  I don’t know how or when this happened but it makes me feel old.  Although, I got in a big discussion about how old I look when we were out celebrating this weekend and the general consensus was 18…

Friday kicked off with a little deal between Joey and I.  I said I’d go to the Rockies game and suffer being cold if we could grab dinner at Vine Street Pub before.  The wait for a table was 30 minutes, but we were able to sit right away out on the patio.

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A little chilly, but nothing my jacket and a good beer couldn’t fix.

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Reubens and burgers for the win!  Every time we eat at Vine I wonder why we don’t live in a quirky Denver house within walking distance.  Then I remember it’s because I’m not that wealthy.  And also because anyone who’s living that dream doesn’t seem to be in the market to sell it to me 🙂

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The game wasn’t half bad.  We were all bundled up in jackets and our Rockies blanket (I love that thing!) and the people sitting in front of us (in our actual seats) were only mildly annoying.  Plus we won!

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More winning on Saturday at the Nuggets first playoff game.  We won on a final second shot — so exciting!  In other news, I feel really grateful for Joey’s family, without whom I wouldn’t have access to such fun and exciting sporting events.

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The guy behind us missed out on an amazing photo bomb opportunity.

I have no idea how this happened, but I have zero photos from the 21st birthday celebration on Saturday night!  Although, this is probably a good thing — technology and alcohol usually don’t mix well.  The gist of it was late night appetizers and drinks at the 9th Door, which had the most amazing DJ mixing up everything from Britney Spears to Mumford and Sons (Joey and I were ready to book him in advance for our future wedding), then we hit up the Denver bars for Everclear cherries, birthday cake shots and the usual drunken debauchery.

I made sure my new-to-the-bar-scene sister learned this one important lesson: There is nothing like the camaraderie between girls in the women’s bathroom at a bar.  Nothing.

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Classier (and slightly more sober) celebrations occurred the next day at the Med.

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Highlights being a table for 5 next to a big window that allowed me to capture some lovely pictures.  Like this grilled salmon cobb salad (serious yum!), my dad and his paella and my sister actually cooperating and letting me take a picture of she and my mom.

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And then I may have snuck another one just for fun.

Although the dining out, game watching and bar hanging was all a ton of fun, the highlight of the whole weekend was hearing my sister say she had the perfect birthday 🙂

Happy Tuesday to you all!

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How did you celebrate your 21st birthday?

What was the highlight of your weekend?

If money wasn’t an object, where would you most like to live?