Birthday in the City. (according to my iPhone)

 So our weekend in Portland began with a nap on the car ride up.
 Pit Stop at the Paradise Bakery oopsie, it's called Bridge City Cafe now. My favorite lunch place. I always get the turkey cranberry with the BBQ chicken salad AND of course the amazzzing cookie.
 Stop at Saks Fifth Avenue off 5th, 
besides the space sunglasses there was great sales that were attended to! 
 Walked around town to every store to find me a swim suit BECAUSE I was a dumb dumb and FORGOT mine for the anticipated hot tubing. It was a stressful situation BECAUSE  Andrew was so sweet to get a hotel that had a pool and hot tub, but then I forgot the key piece to execute that plan.
 Finally found one at Nordstrom. 
Apparently no stores in Portland have swim suits just yet. 
(I know it's January, but in the retail world that's April so I thought it would be a no-brainer)
 So we had stayed at Embassy Suites before and we loved it because there is a FREE breakfast and FREE reception with appetizers and drinks ANY and AS MUCH AS YOU WANT! So it was an easy decision when picking the hotel for the weekend.
 These shoes were not made for walking, weird that there is such a thing.
 Pedicure and hair treatment was also on the agenda for the weekend.
 Italian sodas were a first time drink for homeboy. 
 Mr. was totally game with all the girly activities. Who could say no?
 Went to West Elm for the first time, it was cool BUT overpriced.
 BUT really cute.
 Powell's Bookstore was another stop. It's a book store in Portland that takes up a whole block, it has used and new books. You could be in this place for hours. 
 Had to make a phone calls to our limo driver Johnny hmmmm yup just kidding. 
 Something that was adored. Copper chairs.
 Strollin around town waiting for our reservations at this GREAT restaurant..more on that later.
 I love birthdays at restaurants because they make you feel so special with a FREE dessert 
(did I mention I love FREE things)
 It was a sweet and tasty treat...hot berry cobbler is such a classic, every time I eat it I forget how good it is and how I should chose it over something chocolate more often.
 Walking in the rain is a struggle with a tall man and a short woman, with only one small umbrella.
 I loved how vintage our hotel was. I love vintage. Did I mention this fur coat was a Portland vintage purchase from MR. ! I have always loved fur (fur-fur ring a bell?) It was a total Rachel Zoe moment- we were driving down a street and I was looking at the shops and in the window, on display, was this fur coat, I screamed and said we HAVE to go back. We did hours later and it was there, guess it was meant to be, I call it love at first sight.
 They had amazing bratwurst with the works, I crave a good brats wants in awhile. 
 OKAY it may not look yummy, but let me assure you it was.
 So this new Nordie Rack opened up and let me tell you it was GREAT. 
There were sales up the yin yang!
 Well of course he had a panic attack when he saw my cart, of course I wasn't actually getting all of it,
I edit my carts DUH. 
I may have found/purchased a pair of Kate Spade pants that were $275 and got them for $50.
 Then after that Nordstrom Rack stop, we were both exhausted and needed some nourishment AND there was Cheesecake Factory! 
Thank goodness for their HUGE menu for the pickiest eater (my husband) so it worked out well;) 
Well this is the perfect picture of some peanut butter, butterfinger, caramel, cheesecake to end the BEST birthday weekend. 
Thank you Mr.  for making me feel so special. 
Love you, 
Lauren.

Another Year Older.

Today is my birthday and I am grateful for life. 
The good and the bad that comes from it, that's life. 
"We turn not older with years, but newer every day."
- Emily Dickinson

“And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years.”

-Abraham Lincoln  


Baby Ronan.

This is my cousin Alta and her basketball tummy. While we were in California she had her baby boy! We waited in the waiting room just like in the movies, but there was no screaming like in the movies. Apparently it's nothing like the movies, no moments of "MY WATER BROKE" and no rushing to the hospital. There is so much I don't know about, when it comes to the whole pregnant/birthing department, in fact, it's kind of embarrassing how little I know. 
I took some photos to document the special moments of Ronan's BIRTHday. 
He looks like his dad;) (I guess Whipple genes are not as strong as we thought)

I love how he is holding on to her two fingers.
 Alta makes pregnancy and giving birth look so easy and even fun...
WAIT did I really just put fun in the same sentence and child birth. 
I think she might have to be my surrogate and I hope she gives a good deal since we are family and all.
P.S. Alta you should think about becoming a maternity model, I think it's you were destined to do! Don't ya think?!!:) 
Picture take only 24 hours before she gave birth.