23rd Birthday Fail Whale

Welp I'm officially 23!!  I'm kinda excited!?  I've never been too scared of growing up because I think you're only as old as you think  you are and I'm officially 9 forever!  So at 11:57 on Friday the 13th (mwahhahaha...that was supposed to be scary/creepy but I think it came out...um differently?  I don't know.  I tried :)) I played TSwizzle's 22 for the last time.  As I listened to the lyrics I thought all about my 22nd year of life and all of the lessons I learned.  I would like to bestow some of my green 23 year old knowledge on you all:

• Take the chance!
• Just do it!  You'll regret it so much more if you don't.  The chance I took this year was getting bangs.  Just Kidding!  I don't rock bangs because of a cowlick lol.  Now I don't usually post about my personal life, but I think this is something I should write about because I'm nosy love reading about other people's lives on blogs.  So my chance was trying a new confusionship after a few years of bad dates.  Did I end up getting my feelings hurt?  Absolutely!  Was it worth it?  I'm not sure?  I keep thinking that maybe once I'm more removed from it I'll be able to judge it better, but as my blog's namesake says, Serindipity is law.  But I had a blast while it was good and I don't regret it.  
• Be grateful!
• I think it's easy to get caught up in your own personal pity party every once in a while and I know I throw myself a pity party sometimes when I'm feeling low but when I get sad I just count my blessings.  I listen to Martina McBride's Blessed and say, "God, family, friends, school, a job, ability to move, books, a house, a computer, clothes, jewelry, candy, chocolate cake, food, water, ambition, freedom, America, faith, hope, and love."  I am so blessed and sometimes it's important to say thank you for all the things we have.  
• Be awkward!
• I think I spent 21 years trying to hide my awkwardness but I think at 22 I owned my dorkiness, my randomness, my inappropriateness, and my silliness and I think it makes me a better person.  It surely makes my life more fun!  People respond well to awkward!
• Cherish your friends!
• I couldn't exist without my friends!  They give me the best advice (do I always take it?  Nope, I should, but I don't), they pick me up when I'm sad, they make me laugh until my ribs hurt, and they love me.  I am so lucky to have them!  They're just the most fun and amazing group of warm hearted individuals in the world.  
• Try!
• Just do it!  You'll be happy that you did!  
• Listen to your heart!
• Get out of your head.  I'm serious!  This is coming from a chronic over-thinker.  Just smile and go okay heart whatever you say.  Your head will follow suit if you are happy!
• Don't let anyone with bad eyebrows tell you shit about your life!
• Truth!  

Candles, cake, champs!

Okay so 23 was a fail whale!  This was the first time my birthday fell on a weekend since I was like 12.   I was all set to go out with my amazeballs friends and go walk around South Street and enjoy the cute Mids and Cadets that were invading Philly for the Army/Navy Game.  Well...God and His snow had other plans.  I cancelled my party because I didn't want my friends to endanger their lives from driving from all over the state to come party with me.  So I was super bummed!  Maybe it was a sign from God?  A little Serindipity?  Maybe?  PROBABLY!

Anyway, I went to Panera for a bagel and they were out of my chocolate chip bagels!  Sad.  Then I went to Target/Lowes/Target again for a tree light revival gun!  Every 23 year olds dream way to spend their birthday, right?  Lies!  Then I came home and relaxed.  Then we went Christmas shopping.  We grabbed dinner at a pizza place that is close by and they have the best Florentine Pizza.  They were OUT!  More Fail Whale!  The night turned around though.  Since my party was cancelled I had extra money in my budget to shop!  Hello J. Crew pearl bracelet and Victoria's Secret yoga pants!  I finished up Christmas shopping and then we came home and I had my vocally talented (psych) family sing to me and we ate cake!  Not just regular cake, amazing Wegman's double chocolate cake!  The best food of all time!!!!  Then presents!  I got a cute J. Crew hat, a pet adoption tee, and an Alex and Ani bracelet with my beloved Phils emblem on it!  Dylan gave me a Lilly Pulitzer frame!  I loved it!  So cute!  Now, what picture to put in it?  Does anyone else get this way?   I have a slew of picture-less frames because I never know which pix to put in them.  I digress.  Okay so here are some pix of my prezzies!

CAKE!  HEAVEN!  CAKE!

This is so delicious!  I just don't even care that I look crazy here.

Hat and bracelet!!  Pretty much obsessed!

So my birthday was kind of a Fail Whale but I came to this conclusion.  Last year I had an amazing 22nd birthday and the year was ehhhh.  This birthday was ehhh so you know what that means?!  The year will be amazing!  And it really will be!  I will graduate with a Master's Degree (eeeek such a grown up!), I'll get a big girl job (so pumped!  I just wanna be a teacher!), and I'll be going on a self-lead Kennedy's tour of Massachusetts and Rhode Island!  I'll also be visiting my beloved New Orleans and training for my first half marathon!  (I'm gonna run the Disney Princess Half Marathon in 2015!!) So here's to 23 and a year of fabulousity!

xoxo,

Erin