thirty, flirty, and thriving

I'm loving being 30. I feel so... legit. Bona-fide. Old. hahahahaha Seriously, I had a really grand birthday, with my mom's visit and some special surprises from my Dad, brothers, and Rob.

Saturday was spent treasure hunting with Mom, AKA thrifting. :) We must have gone to 5 or 6 huge thrift stores, and we found quite a few treasures. I wish I would have gotten pictures when we brought all the loot back to show Rob, but I didn't think of it at the time. Consequently, I had to got through my closet and find the new stuff and compile it to take these pictures. I fear I may have left something out. No, wait... I know I did. A fabulous little retro cooler with a white and turquoise naugahyde cover. Darn. I'll have to get a picture later. It really is cool. [snicker] Not to mention, I didn't get shots of any of Mom's stuff, and she got some real finds. Like two cashmere sweaters, a long hot pink wool coat [jealous] and other things that I can't remember anymore.

Here's my catch o' the day:


orange wool sweater with horizontal ribbing on the bodice, $2.95
yellow scarf, $.99
green scarf with "irene" embroidered on it, $.99
chocolate brown tie-front merino wool sweater, $5.00
cotton cream sweater with black stripes, $2.99
cozy emerald green scarf, $3.99

I forgot to include the perfectly tailored navy blue wool vest, $3.99

And these shoes for $4.99:


Of course I can't go anywhere, especially not thrifting, without seeing something for Rob. In fact, I think I almost like shopping for him better than I like shopping for myself. Yes, I think I do... there's no "butt anxiety" when shopping for men. (ie, "does my butt look fat in this??") You just get it and pretty much know that it's going to fit if the numbers are right. :)

Here's Rob's stash:

burgundy merino wool sweater vest, $1.99
brown/tan/cream striped rugby-style shirt (longsleeved), $3.99
brand-new (!) Helly Hansen leather insulated boots, $24.99
black/gray striped longsleeved thermal tee, $3.99
orange/brown scarf, $.99
Kenneth Cole leather loafers (minimal wear!), $14.99

Not pictured is a really snappy orange and brown tiny houndstooth tie. All in all, I'm really happy with what we got! (This outfit was inspiration) I don't normally buy shoes in thrift stores, but these were in such great condition, and just so happened to be exactly what we'd been looking for and were his size. So yay for treasures!

I worked on Monday, and the day flew by quickly for some reason. I went home to eat lunch, and when I got back I found these waiting for me on my desk:
All my co-workers got together and signed the card. How sweet, huh?

That night we (Mom, Rob & I) went out to eat at India Palace in Roseville, and it was smashingly delicious. We ordered several dishes and shared them, family-style. There were definitely leftovers (that I am glad I didn't forget at Andria's house later that night!)


Tuesday was my actual birthday... I got to laze in bed, eat a yummy breakfast made by Rob, then after talking and whatever for the rest of the morning, we went to Cupcake for lunch. Next door was Art & Arctechure, a place that Mom has mentioned wanting to go to since she first visited me in Minneapolis, we just never had time or knew where it was. Surprise, surprise! It's basically a "boneyard" for old house parts; they re-sell archetecural pieces to people who want to use them in their remodel or new construction. There were loads of interesting things like entire arched doorways (complete with jambs), old movie marquee lettering, industrial kitchen elements, stamped tin ceiling tiles, and small stuff like lamps and antique furnature and curios. Too bad we didn't have more time, it would have been fun to pick through. As it was, we did manage to take a few pictures!


We dropped Mom at the airport at 3:00ish, then Rob and I went to the MOA to make a makeup exchange. I got a lip gloss and an eyeliner that I had been coveting for a while, and I talked Rob into trying on a fedora, while I took his picture and kissed him. He was obliging enough to dance a few swing moves and spin me around... in Nordstroms. Heh heh heh. What a good sport.

When we got home I found this waiting for me from my Dad and all three brothers:

Then Rob took me out to sushi at our favorite little spot in Maplewood. We had a rockin' good time there! My brother Brian called me to say happy birthday, and when he found out where we were, he asked to talk to our waitress. Yep, that's Brian for ya. She walked off with my phone (!) and after she came back, I've never received so much personal attention at a restaurant in my life. When we got our bill, it had a zero balance with the words "Happy Birthday- Love Brian and Jeff" written across the bottom. Those boys! *love*





I got various presents from Rob throughout the day, and even a surprise in the mail from my blog-friend, Kat, who didn't even know it was my birthday. :) I talked to all my family and special friends on the phone and through e-mail... It was a fabulous birthday!