Modern Cotton: Birthday

Showing posts with label Birthday. Show all posts

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Let Us Eat Cake

Today, just so happens to be mine.

So, as Marie Antoinette once (allegedly) said,

"Let them eat cake."

the above recipe:
1.5 ounces vanilla vodka
1.5 ounces cranberry juice
1/2 ounce champagne
Rim glass with Sprinkles
Combine vodka and cranberry juice in an ice shaker, half-filled with ice cubes. Shake well. Strain into glass. Top with Champagne. Drop in cherry. Enjoy!

{nothing makes for a happier day than an inslee illustration}

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Birthday (eve) Revelations

On the eve of the dawn of my 24th year on this earth, I figured it was time to share some of the fabulous things that have happened this year. And let me just say, it has been a fabulous year.

-I began the dreaded process of paying back my student loans. But, I have realized through countless conversations that every single penny is worth the education and friendships Samford afforded me. Believe me, it's ZERO fun giving my paycheck to Sallie Mae (a stern mistress), but I loved SU... so it's a love hate relationship.

-I grew deeper in my relationship with the Lord. Which began during my 22nd year, continued through this past year, and hopefully will only grow stronger as I move forward. Through thick and thin, he's the one I can count on, even when everyone else fails me (as humans tend to do).

-I found out I get to be an aunt/nana anna. It wasn't always an easy road for my sweet big sissy and brother ben, but the Lord's timing is more perfect than our own. I cannot wait to meet our lil nugget come april. I know he'll be our little prince.

-I have had not one but two fabulous, fun-filled TNB reunions. I can't begin to describe them, so I won't even try. But in case the instagrams didn't depict it well enough... they were a blast.

-I fell in love. I'm not one for super sappy-ness .. (well, except for here), but it's true. I'm so incredibly grateful for this relationship. The Lord works in mysterious ways, and I never would have guessed going to a halloween party would make me so very happy.

-I planned my very first event for work. Granted, I went to the bathroom in a long meeting and came back with the assignment, but it was amazing, if I do say so myself. But don't take my word for it... ask anyone who was at the MBQ Innovation Awards.

-I became a true Grizzlies fan and I now bleed Tiger Blue. I picked a "random" Grizz player in order to "not be a bandwagon fan" and lo and behold QPon now has his very own billboard. And in case you've been living under a rock... I'm obsessed with tigers.

-I completed my first cleanse...and survived.

-I purchased my very own gym membership (no aid from mis padres). For which I am very proud.

-I have met fantastic people in Memphis and made connections elsewhere. Cheers for networking.

-I have realized that while I am a 23 (almost 24-year-old) living in my (redone) childhood room with my (awesome) parents, paying off student loans (goal is only a few months away, praise the Lord), and commuting over 30 minutes (one-way) to get to work everyday.. I'm beyond freakishly happy.

So, as I enter this new year of life, I choose to actually live it. And choose to be happy, no matter the circumstances. Because the ups and the downs are what keeps things interesting. And I do, wholeheartedly believe that happiness is a choice.

So, who's with me?

Saturday, September 21, 2013

HBD MC

Keeping the merriment going... today Modern Cotton is 1 year old. After much redesign, I changed my former blog to MC and relaunched it on September 21st, 2012.

So very much has changed in a year, and I'm happy to have a large portion of it documented here.

Cheers to the future!

Friday, September 20, 2013

HBD Brother Ben

You'll always hold a special place in our family... you volunteered.

Happiest of Birthdays to my one-and-only brother, Robert Benjamin Todd. You made the "core 4" the "fab 5," and you are the ideal match for our Emmy Lu.

For all the laughs, sporting events, and advice... I'm thankful you've been in my life for 6 years.

{BT: "Carrie Underwood just waved at me. Yep. Uh huh. Me!"}

Tuesday, July 16, 2013

Surprise Fail

Okay, so the only thing surprising about JT's surprise bday dessert is that he actually ate one to make me feel better...

[this is what it was supposed to look like]

drum-roll please.... his surprise dessert was Chocolate-Whiskey Cupcakes (recipe here) with chocolate, caramel, marshmallow, whiskey, bacon bark (recipe here). (whew, talk about a mouthful.. except, er, you wouldn't want a mouthful of these)

The bark itself wasn't bad, actually kinda good. Just make sure to let it warm up from the freezer unless you want to chip a tooth.

As for the cuppy cakes...they had the consistency of chocolate cornbread (not pleasant).

Oh well... sometimes ya win, sometimes ya lose. Did I mention they were a b!#*h to make? Because they were... I think that's partially why JT ate one. (After watching me mix and bake cupcakes, icing and bark from scratch for 3 hours only to be covered in flour and confectioners sugar... he knew to try one to keep me from tears). He even took some home with him (I assume for fertilizer).

[my final version]

At least he still has presents to open on Thursday...

Monday, July 15, 2013

Festivus for the Rest of Us

It's officially JT's birthday week, but since I love any reason to celebrate (you just wait for the block party of holidays from October to January) more than fat kids love cake, I figured why not make a week of it?

Last night was a happy coincidence in that I got tickets to the Wine & Dine event benefiting Special Olympics at the Tower Room through work, but it was the perfect way to kick of the festivities. Tonight, due to weird scheduling, I'll be making his "surprise birthday dessert" a tad earlier than expected. I've already been given strict orders to post my progress with this new recipe, so stay tuned...

All I can say about the surprise is that it's better than this:

[quarter of a century old, get it?

clever, yes, but grey icing = not too appetizing..]

but not quite as cool as this:

[Disney World's 25th anniversary]

Fun Fact: It's Danish tradition to dump cinnamon all over someone for his/her 25th birthday if they aren't married.... oh. so.unique.

Here's to celebrating half a century

of awesomeness!

Monday, June 3, 2013

Memphis in May happenings

Soo0oO0o0ooOo much has happened in the month of May that I figured I'd bring everyone up to speed before diving head first into June (and summer in general) Here we go...

This (not so) little (anymore) one graduated from high school and is getting ready to head south to Mississippi State in the Fall. Seriously can't believe she's 18/old enough to graduate/go to college/live alone/need sorority recs/be older than about 4-years-old. Our beautiful wheata woo is growing up!

The Thursday before her graduation I attended my very first Memphis BBQ fest and (was able to check off one of my bucket list items) met my main main Quincy Pondexter/QPon. Life=made.

Over Memorial Day weekend me and my besties took a trip to Pawley's Island, South Carolina. It was fabulous despite the hours of traveling and intensely severe sunburns we all acquired as a result of being overzealous about summer.

Rounded out the month my celebrating the wonderful birthdays of my Nannie/aunt/wheat woo's mama and my 89-year old Papaw.

Among other things, JT had sinus surgery (which I affectionately call "schnoz surgery"), we saw The Great Gatsby (wearing my "I Party With Gatsby" tank), watched the Grizzlies make it to the Western Conference Championship (only to be swept by the stupid Spurs, blah), and wrote a handful of articles for work.