My 35th Birthday Celebration

I celebrated my 35th birthday last Saturday! But I wasn't just celebrating that: I was also celebrating my upcoming nuptials! Since I am not doing a big, traditional wedding, instead I wanted to host a joint birthday party-bridal shower to celebrate with all the important women in my life. And I didn't just celebrate the one day: this was nearly a week of festivities!

Here were the highlights:

Spending lots of time with my mom

My mom flew in last Tuesday, and once she picked me up from work, we had days to spend with each other! I love mommy-daughter time, and ever since my parents sold their home in Maryland, I don't get to see her as often (now it's only every few months instead of at least once a month). She straight up said she wanted to do anything that week that I wanted to do, and we lived it up! We went to Woodhouse Spa, she did Orangetheory with me, we packed the fun in!

My mom and I made matching rings at Kendra Scott's Color Bar.

And we got pedicures at Tips to Toes. Such pampering!

Last Thursday we saw the Sydney Dance Company at the Kennedy Center. Read that blog post here.

My sister arrived last Friday, and right after lunch we went to the National Arboretum to see the azaleas.

Steve was there Friday night when I got a chocolate piñata from Uncle Julio's. So yummy!

The Birthday Bridal Brunch "BBB" Party

Saturday was the main event! But of course I had to start my day with an awesome workout:

Nothing like an Orangetheory Fitness birthday burn with my favorite coach, Christine!

While my mom, sister, and aunt set up the event space (we rented the outdoor patio area at Circa at Foggy Bottom), my friend and I picked up the cakes (yes, multiple cakes!) from Henry's Sweet Retreat and headed to the venue ourselves. Upon arrival, I saw so many balloons and lots of smiling faces! I reconnected with people from past jobs, friends who traveled hundreds of miles, and old and new friends alike. I felt SO much love in the room! It almost felt like a real wedding, because there are some people I barely got to talk to! So many friends, too little time!

I worked with these two women at my first "real job" at The Nature Conservancy!

My mom was so excited about the BBB balloons!

Cynthia and I met our freshman year at Dartmouth and have stayed friends ever since!

A little Dartmouth group! Mostly Thetas, but also a '90!

These are colleagues from AU. I'm so glad we've stayed friends.

All the Eastern Shore girls together!

The Bachelorette Party

This was not a cliché bachelorette party with lots of drinking, with strangers buying us shots and male strippers giving us lap dances. But a sub-group from the brunch did go out to Jack Rose Dining Saloon for drinks (and dancing, since there was a DJ). I had never been to this bar before, but I loved it! We were up on the rooftop, which was enclosed (so not cold) and was cutely decorated in a cherry blossom theme. 

SO excited to have my sister there with me!

My friends being silly in their unicorn horns. So cute! (Also, not sure what the blue light is!)

Sunday Funday

On Sunday my mom and fellow Theta Athena headed home, so my sister and I had more time to spend with each other. We took a yoga class with Beth A Wolfe on the rooftop of the International Spy Museum (I've also done goat yoga and kangaroo yoga with Beth, and she did a cool one at the National Building Museum, too.). We then met up with my other aunt and Mommom for brunch (my aunt's birthday is only three days after mine, and my sister's is May 9, so we were celebrating all those occasions!). 

Yoga and sound bath was fun, but it was chilly under the cover!

Three generations sharing a champagne toast at Alta Strada!

The amusement and excitement doesn't stop there! Next up I'll be in Los Angeles to continue the birthday celebration with my sister. We're going to see a comedy show, a Dodgers game, and maybe sneak in a Derby party or film screening. Whatever we do, we are going to have a blast, so stay tuned for that blog post next week!