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!

*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).

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

A. Shecky’s was fantastic! I snagged this unique and adorable ‘Arabella Kimono’ from liamolly for a great price:

They were sold out of the shoes I wanted (so sad) but the lady is going to send me pics of the same style in a different color so there may be hope yet.
Did I mention the ginormous goodie bag you get at the event?? Ginormous. Can’t wait to go again next year.

B. The garage and estate sales were a HUGE success! We bought way too many things but they were just too hard to pass up at the prices. We got some beautiful antique furniture we plan to fix up and I found vintage postcards and greeting cards as well as a couple of old school calligraphy books that I have some fun plans for. The best was probably the vintage Christian Dior dress I picked up for $3 bucks (!!!) and some brand new YSL pants for $50, along with some other great designer pieces (all the rest were $3 as well), from a lady who spent the last few years as a merchandiser. Pictures will be posted soon.

3. We did indeed learn how to tie a bow-tie and dress 007 up and he most certainly did not enjoy it. Evidence of disgruntlement:

IV. Bear took me out for an impromptu Saturday night date at Armando’s where the food was good and the people were really good-looking. Fun excuse to dress up.

E. My parents came in this morning and I got a huge birthday present early: a new DSLR camera , a Nikon D3000!! My parents, Bear and Momma and Papa Bear pitched in and I am SO ecstatic to learn how to use it and try it out. Yes, you heard correctly, I have no idea how to use it. But rest assured there will be ungodly amounts of pictures taken of the furbabies (thanks for the adorable term Kristin!) as well as pretty much everything else. It will be used nonstop during our next weekend’s birthday trip to the Texas Hill Country (a wine country second only to Napa in the U.S.). Yes I have a birthday MONTH, don’t hate. And I have the best family in the whole wide world. Be jealous.

Is it really Sunday night already? Boooooooo.

P.S. We got a bathroom scale and I found out I lost not only 3 inches, but also 5 pounds! Whoo!

Oh I mean Friday.
Plans for the liberating weekend ahead include:

Shecky’s Girl’s Night Out! Haven’t heard of it? Not surprised, I hadn’t either till last year. But check it out because they have the event all over the US. You get a goodie bag filled with fun things, get to shop (boutiques have booths with crazy discounts), drink and try new products all while hanging out with the ladies. Whoo! Super excited to check out the booth by shuaddikt and hopefully snag a pair of these:

Verrrrry early tomorrow morning, Bear and I are going garage sale hunting! SO excited. I used to go all the time as a kid with Daddy and we would bring home “junk” and get yelled at by Mommy. Good times. I still have a box of old National Geographic magazines dating back to the early 1900′s…although I wasn’t the smartest kid and cut some up for school projects. Idyut.

Then…I bought Bear a burnt orange bow tie as one of his Christmas presents and we are finally going to learn how to tie it. We will then proceed to dress up Bond (obvious choice as he is already wearing a tuxedo), like this:

Finally, Sunday my fabulous parents are coming into town for my annual temple/lunch outing for my upcoming birthday.

Is it 5 yet?

It hasn’t been an exceptionally hard week (just the first after vacation) but can’t wait till 5 anyway.
Plans for the weekend:

I bought Bear this book for Christmas -