2024 Stocking Stuffer Guide for Kids, Tweens & Teens
2 months ago
I take birthdays pretty seriously. Mine should probably be a holiday (and so should yours). Even though July 22nd isn't a holiday, I always pretend it is, especially because this year I turned 25. Such a milestone deserves a BIG celebration. Doesn't it? So. I baked myself the prettiest key lime cupcakes, indulged in a fancy dinner, hiked Little Blacktail Mountain, aaaaaaand quit my job.
Yes, that's right. I am officially unemployed. Yesterday was my last day of work for at least three months! Driving home from work yesterday, I felt like a kid sprinting out of school on the last day, eager to embark on one summer adventure after another--which is exactly what I will be doing.
My summer will kick off by spending a good chunk of time at home in good ol' Mount Vernon, Warshington. In August, after months of drab, gray skies, Western Washington emerges from its cocoon like a butterfly, slowly unfolding its wings and taking flight. Only at this point do you realize just how gorgeous it is. The splendor is well worth the wait--and the rain. Being here to witness the metomorphosis is something I used to take for granted. Not anymore. Because unlike that innocent kid, tripping headlong over her own excitement into summer, I know what it's like not to have one.
I haven't wasted any time. Today, I met and fell in immediate love with Eliza Megan Chehade, whose proud parents are my good friends Mic and Melissa. Usually, the idea of holding a newborn brings tears to my eyes--out of sheer terror. But this week, as I anticipated holding sweet Eliza, she may or may not have evoked a few tears of joy. She is perfect, and she's convinced me that love at first sight truly does exist.
After my quick visit with the Chehade's, I sped home and plopped myself on a comfy deck chair to relax. I cannot think of a better way to unwind than savoring a piece of cheesecake topped with fresh, local blueberries and sipping a glass of Dutch Chocolate Wine. Who is the genius that combined these three delights?! This must be love at first... sip?
And then there's the view...my slice of heaven...for August, at least.
Baby Eliza, cheesecake, ChocoVine, and a breathtaking sunset. Cheers to my first day home!
And to put the icing on my 25th birthday cake, I'm headed to Italy for the month of September.
be beautiful
About Me
- Nicole
- Life is not meant to be safe. It's only in our mistakes, our errors, and our faults that we grow and truly live.
Yay for 25!!!! I love your life, and secretly sometimes wish it was mine. :) So excited for these fun adventures ahead for you! P.S. Eliza is a doll!
Wow girl! You have some awesome plans! Africa...Italy...take me with! :) So you are around the good ole Skagit Valley for a while? We'd love to meet up with you!
happy birthday!! it sounds like you made the most of it! i think you need to bake the mcmurrays some key lime cupcakes they sound faboulous! i love the way you write it is captivating. i am so excited for all your adventures to come! live it up because i can barley get past francis:) i will live through you on your blog!
love you!