We’re leaving early tomorrow morning for Taylor’s graduation from Boston College. My baby girl is all grown up. I’m stressing that I’ll be too hot or too cold and have no clothes. I’m sure I’ll bring too much. So is life.
I’ll try to stay golden. Like Ponyboy.
And I’ll cry if I want to!
No I didn’t cry at my birthday party but I had this song stuck in my head all weekend. Isn’t Lesley Gore beautiful?
Time to catch up on my fun filled Saturday (so belated sorry!).
After a fun night out with Carina, we slept in and made some breakfast. Since she had to leave at 3pm, we decided to stay at the house and lounge by the pool.
It was warm, sunny, and perfectly relaxing. After about an hour and a half, we cleaned up and met Tim’s St. Pete friends at Cantina for some late Mexican lunch. Cantina is a funky restaurant and bar downtown that makes amazing tacos. Guess what I had? Tacos! Duh.
Determined to get froyo for my birthday, I dragged everybody to a Froyo place on Beach Drive. I started with my usual vanilla and mocha base and topped it off with oreos and fudge. The best part though? Mango boba. It added an incredible fruity punch that worked surprisingly well with the rich chocolate flavors (and reminded me of China). The only downside was the thousands of love-bugs mating on our skin. Such a lovely time of year.
Carina left and I actually got in a quick workout at the gym. No lifting, only a short sweat on the bike and stretch. It was nice to shake out my legs after so much walking the last two days. Next stop? The liquor store.
So here’s the deal.
I have never thrown a party before. Like ever. Usually I am just in attendance. So Peter coached me on nitty gritty details of what exactly to buy. Then I called two more friends in the store for more guidance. I was there for practically an hour wandering the aisles finally with some success.
Is anybody else out there totally ignorant when it comes to alcohol? I don’t know the names of drinks, brands, types of beer, and I certainly don’t have a signature drink. I barely know how to open bottles of champagne:
(circa my birthday 2011)
But I certainly know how to drink:
Oh wait you mean people don’t drink from the bottle? They use glasses?? See. Ignorant.
The party started at 8pm although most people didn’t arrive until at least 9:30. Fact of life. Nobody wants to be early!
Overall about 15-20 people showed up at various times which was perfect. We had a lot of fun! Unfortunately (for them) there was a majority of single guys and not many girls. This is due to the fact that I’m pretty tight with most of Peter’s friends in the area while my other friends are spread out. Most my girlfriends who came are A. in relationships or B. married (hah). Yeah I felt a little bad. Especially when the boys kept complaining! At least there was plenty of alcohol. And a sweet roof patio!
The worst part of the party was when two of my friends realized their differences and got into an argument. Some b**** slapping almost went down. Then people found mangos on the roof. So of course I decided to start chopping the mangos with a very sharp knife. Thankfully I only nicked my finger and proceeded to sulk in a corner. Glad that activity was nipped in the bud.
Besides minor flesh wounds, the party was a great success! I am so happy my mishmash of friends were finally brought together to meet and hang out. It was awesome to hang out with everybody at once and maybe spark some new friendships. Having everybody there made me so incredibly happy. I love my friends!!
So when’s the next party?
Working from home certainly has its benefits. But it also means inadvertently staying inside all day. This does not make for a happy Kirsten. However I was able to enjoy the sunset after working out.
Florida is definitely beautiful.
Saturday morning my family and I are headed to Boston for Taylor’s graduation. The weather is supposed to be a stunning 65 degrees and sunny. I could get used to that! Knowing my cold blooded self I will be needing sweaters and wool socks. Hah.
Daily Workout
I headed to my normal Thursday spin class with very low energy. But about halfway through the class I perked up for some speedy intervals. That class is always so satisfying to conquer. Afterwards I decided to get my upper-body lifting out of the way in case I don’t get the chance this weekend.
I did a brand new shoulder move that I saw in Oxygen Magazine that totally killed! Do you know what move? The Arnold Dumbbell Press. Whew!! I completed 3 sets of 12 with 15 lb. dumbbells with an added dumbbell curl between each press.
Try it out! Your shoulders will scream at you. It feels great 
. Thanks Arnie!
That pretty much sums up my day.
Rain and cupcakes.
And yes sometimes I take pictures on my phone while driving. But don’t worry, I was at a red light!! This was during my one and half drive home in traffic. Lovely commute…
Daily Workout
My whole body is sore and my hips are tight so I stuck to walking on the treadmill for 40 minutes watching E! News. It was boring but fine. I miss HIIT! I miss sprinting! I miss jumping! I miss the stairclimber!
But not until my foot heals. And it still hurts. It might be time to see that orthopedist. Ugh.
Tonight will end with cupcakes and Glee.
Cheers!
24.
That is how many years I’ve lived on this Earth. Thankfully life is the longest thing I’ll ever do. And age is just a number. 24 is a nice, even number. Not yet 25 which makes me wonder why a quarter century seems old. Maybe I’ll look back and say this was the best time of my life. Or the worst time of my life. All I know is that I am alive! And I am so thankful for my family and friends who fill my life with such purpose and happiness.
And cupcakes.
And flowers.
Peter never fails when it comes to birthdays, holidays, and special occasions. I can always expect fresh flowers and sweet card on my doorstep no matter where he is in the world. My grandma called and said she would have sent me flowers but knew that Peter would have at least 3 dozen for me already. Hah! Sorry grandma, 3 dozen roses was Valentine’s Day! Hahaha. Everyday I am grateful for his love and kindness.
Today we celebrated not my birthday per se, but my grandma’s birthday! She turns 80 next month! 24 aint no thang. We threw her a surprise luncheon with all the ladies she babysat for in St. Pete. My grandma babysat me, my sisters, and countless other kids in St. Pete for many years. When she walked into the restaurant and saw all her old friends she was surprised, shocked, and so so happy. I have never seen her so happy .
A little appreciation goes a long way. And we definitely appreciate her!
Also her birthday cake was the best double chocolate cake in the world. It so crazy delicious and just melts in your mouth with a smack of sweetness in the face. I claimed it as my own birthday cake and demolished my slice.
I have also been steadily devouring chocolate covered caramels from Peter. He knows me well. But I will eat all the chocolate I want because it’s my birthday! And on my birthday I celebrated in the best way possible. Can you guess how?
With a workout of course! Am I predictable or what?
Birthday Workout
I told my mom that the one thing I want to do on my birthday is go to the gym. So that’s exactly what I did. I biked to the gym in my new purple athletic shirt and completed a lower-body workout. Can you say 100 lb. squats and deadlifts?? Woohoo!!! I LOVE lifting heavy. It feels so incredible. Especially with my lifting gloves! My hands are so happy now gripping those 50 lb. dumbbells.
I finished off my heavy lifts with some curtsy lunges, side step outs with the resistance band, and pizza lifts. End with a streeetchhh.
I just listened in on my welcome webinar for Integrative Nutrition and will now make breakfast and lunch, shower, and watch mindless television. And probably eat more chocolate.
24 never felt so good!
I felt the love today. And my birthday isn’t until tomorrow!
Fortunately I have some fabulous roommates from college who are all artists in their own right. They make their own cards and are the sweetest people ever.
Carina found the card below in a print shop in Portland. How perfect is that??? I love it.
She also got me a bottle of mead. It was so good! Like liquid honey. Last time I had mead was in a reconstructed Viking house in western Denmark. That mead was like licking the bottom of a shoe. Not as good. Carina’s mead was shared and demolished Saturday night. But more on that later!
Daily Workout
I basically took Friday, Saturday, and Sunday as rest days and was so flippin’ excited to get back in the gym today. Last time I lifted was Wednesday!! My body definitely missed it. I was actually in a lot of pain and very sore from the lack of movement and stretching. It didn’t help that I was mildly incapacitated Sunday… hmm…
Anyway. I did some intervals on the stationary bike then busted out a great upper-body workout. Then I rolled out my legs on the foam roller for a while. My hips in particular are super tight and painful. Got to get those kinks out!
Now I have a date with my foam roller, Peter on skype, and Undercover Boss. Best show ever!
Goodnight.
So much to talk about! For once in my life I had a very social weekend and had no desire to blog. Instead I was living!
Let’s rewind back to Friday. This happened…
I got bangs! I had a special birthday appointment in the morning to refresh my highlights and get a trim. Out of the blue my hairdresser asked if I wanted to change up my look. Yes I have had the same exact style since college. Don’t judge.
Even before my obsession with The Hunger Games, I was totally entranced by Jennifer Lawrence. I first noticed her in that incredible red dress at the Academy Awards when she was nominated for Winter’s Bone. Then she completely wowed in that gold dress at The Hunger Games premiere. But it was her hair that really caught my attention.
I absolutely love the low braided bun and the way the bangs loosely frame her face. I couldn’t get this hairstyle out of my brain. So when my hairstylist suggested a change, maybe some wispy bangs, I was totally on board.
In those final seconds I almost bailed. What if it looks terrible? What if bangs suck? What if I look like a 12 year old mop head?
“Just do it”, I said. Nike style.
Several snips later and… BANG! Bangs! I love them (plural?)! They make me look older (win) and can easily be swept to the side or pinned back for a workout. Moral of the story: do not be afraid to try new things! Sometimes the results are amazing.
After my epic haircut I finished up work, got a facial, took a much much muuuuuch needed nap, then waited for Carina and her boy to arrive! They drove over from Orlando to see me and his friends from FSU. We grabbed dinner at Frescos then hung out at World of Beer. It ended up being a really fun and chill night that barely scratched the surface of the craziness to come Saturday night.
But more on that later!
