party like it's my burfday

because it was! last friday! so i took the day off work and gave myself a 4-day weekend. good idea.

after dinner with some of my girls thursday evening, i was looking forward to a day of freedom and an evening dinner party at my in-laws' house with both sets of parents and some of the extended family on friday. as expected, dinner was great fun.

team stone:


mom-in-law and cousin joe bob setting the table (remember, this is tennessee):

chatting with the dads:


embarrassment of riches:


after a fulfilling birthday, i was ready to snuggle up with those big dogs on the couch. except they were not barking when we got home? and the lights were off? because SURPRISE!


captain fantastic. he rallied the handful of friends who were in town over the holiday weekend and had them waiting at the house!

with cake! (the most delicious chocolate & heath bar cake of all time, mind you)


yes, i am 28. i know, you were going to say 15. i get that a lot. but guess what? for a month? cougar. c-fan's birthday is october 4th. rawr.

anyway, my parents were there, a bunch of people i love to spend time with were there, there was pink champagne and a keg and an assortment of pictures of me hung in banner form around the house. the boys in charge of posting the pictures took the liberty of hiding them throughout the house as well, so we're still finding candids in places like the washing machine, underwear drawer and dog food containers. the gift that keeps on giving!

and i am nothing if not generous, so i'll share that gift with you. here are a sampling of the shots that graced my walls (and other household surfaces). not in chronological order.

engagement & wedding shots from j.malahy:






first married dinner on the honeymoon in belize:


reef fishing in belize:

an early date (beer pong in the guyrage):


bacheloretting at raiford's in 80s glam gear:


our first meeting at the chug-n-run:


bbq fest 2k10:

new year's eve 2k9:


first grade art class (that's me rocking the nautical and cowlick in the middle):


doing up the redneck riviera with my pops:


...in unintentional matching outfits:

camping out in the bago:


wherein it is necessary to wear one's bago hat:


lounging in the trailer-trash yard (see: bago, above):


rooting for the tigers when they aaaaalmost won the big tourney:


hiking the sewanee perimeter trail:

ditto:


this is like a third of the party decorations. i am making a ridiculous face or doing something embarrassing in almost all of them. which apparently was the point.

it was the best birthday eva, and i'm so thankful for such great family and friends who made it that way! thank y'all so much! 28 is starting out to be a great year.