First off, I just want to say THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!

Thanks for entering and giving Margaret and her shop all the much-deserved attention.

Thanks for all the fantastic recipes I received….I can not WAIT to try them all out.

Thanks for following and all the sweet comments. I hope it’s not the last I hear from y’all.

And of course thank you to Margaret for being so generous. I can’t wait to bake up a storm in this adorable apron:

Now, the winner is…..

Texas is the place to be. The weather this Saturday was absolutely gorgeous. I’m pretty sure it was because it was my replacement birthday. If y’all ain’t in Texas, you should be.

If you were in the greatest state of them all, you could have attended my fabulous night out: Bear had everyone show up at one of my favey fave restaurants that just magically also does BYOB! Aladdin’s is DELISH. They even gave me a birthday card and a $20 gift card since we brought so much business. Bear had a sweet mini chocolate cake for me and cupcakes for everyone else. Then, off we went to dance and drink our bootys off. BUT, the best surprise of all was that two of my oldest and dearest friends (I’ve known Mar since 7th grade!) drove in from Austin to surprise me. Thanks you two, I love you! And thanks for one of the best birthdays ever, love of my life!

As for my horrendous hangover yesterday – it was quite the reminder that I am indeed 26 already. Already. Had a 90 minute hot stone massage, courtesy of a great Groupon and it most certainly helped. I will try to post pics soon. (Of the birthday not the massage. Pervs.)

As Bear and I lay in bed yesterday, we both tried to find some positive things about this upcoming week to try to battle the Sunday night blues. Seeing as how we are both away from home this week in some crappy locales, it was hard to do. But the sun is shining here too, I got to really connect with a coworker tonight at dinner, and we are all one day closer to Friday. Yeehaw!

Oh and did I mention I got my FIRST blog award?

So exciting! Thanks to the sweetest Hope Chella for this…if I could pass it back on to her, I absolutely would. Her internet finds are always exciting and lovely.

And the award goes to, in no particular order:
1. http://coeurdela.blogspot.com/ (because the set up the cutest package exchange which led me to….)
2. http://chelsea-rebecca.blogspot.com/ (one of the most adorable girls I’ve ever “met”)
3. http://chelseatalkssmack.blogspot.com/ (because she totally does)
4. http://www.swoon-online.com/ (her posts are beautiful and she was my first comment, ever!)
5. http://bonbonrose9.blogspot.com/ (kristin is just the sweetest)
6. http://everythingsgold.blogspot.com/ (I wish I could be as zen as this fellow Pisces)
7. http://samanthalee87.blogspot.com/ (she’s spunky and she’s movin on up)
8. http://missneira.blogspot.com/ (fun fun fun! and tons of great fashion)
9. http://sognisorrisi.blogspot.com/ (has an eye for gorgeous)
10. http://jennymayandswede.blogspot.com/ (how adorable are they?)
11. http://www.menandcats.com/ (Too. freakin. cute. I so wish I had thought of it first. P.S. I surprised Bear by having him featured for xmas!)
12. http://newdressaday.wordpress.com/ (last but not least, my homegirl M, my creative idol!)

Don’t forget to:
A. Post the logo on YOUR blog
B. Pass it on to 12 inspirational bloggers.
C. Link the beautiful bloggers in your post and let them know

And if anyone else would like to participate, PLEASE do! Y’all have all inspired me to keep blogging and you allllll deserve an award.

Ok, enough cheesiness.

Happy almost Friday!

Participating in BonBon Rose’s Champagne Saturday!:

*If you know Toby Keith you know. And if you don’t, well you don’t.

A. I have begun to blog in my dreams. I have begun to dream that I am blogging and reading and commenting and reading comments. Oy.

2. It seems nearly every other blogger is a Pisces with a birthday this month. Maybe it’s in our sign? Whatever it is, we rock. True story.

III. Don’t forget to enter my first giveaway for the most adorable apron ever. Competition is gettin fierce!

d. It’s FRIDAY! Whoo! Which means I get to party like it’s my birthday. Oh wait, it is. Teehee. My goal this year: just make it to 2 am. No more of these hot messes:

Yes I was “dressed” as a pirate last year for my bday – had the whole pirate theme going. I had just had eye surgery and decided to let the patch work for me.

5) ….speaking of crazy eye patches, I had another visit with one of my surgeons as a follow-up to what will hopefully be my very. last. surgery. ever. Got GREAT news about the health of my retinas…hell yeah! Even more reason to celebrate. And in case y’all haven’t heard it enough – Bear is the sweetest and most caring BF ever. He has been there every moment from the beginning and took many days off to take care of me after all three surgeries and has been my dedicated chauffeur (I spent one WHOLE year not driving at night, 8 weeks not driving at all - think about it). Thanks to everyone for all the rides and prayers and support. Light at the end of the tunnel, here I am!

Hope you all have a marvelous weekend (and I shall most certainly post pics once I make my last minute decision on the shoes).

So turning 26 may mean a tamer party but does not mean I have to tone down my shoes. And in the spirit of dressing outside my norm, here is what I plan to wear out this weekend:

 

Got my Sperry Topsiders today (perfect timing!) and they are just as adorable as I imagined. Can’t wait to get some boyfriend jeans and rock out this weekend.

Bear �took me to Fredericksburg for the weekend to celebrate my birthday and we had a fabulous time. Out in the middle of the beautiful Texas Hill Country and the largest wine-making region in the U.S. outside of Napa, we enjoyed gorgeous weather and had a ton of fun playing with our new