B-Girl and B-Boy Do It Again

Hey, guys!  Well, it's that time of year again - my BIRTHDAY!  Yes, time does certainly zoom by and this year was a small, but significant, celebration that involved a dash of shopping and a huge dollop of food (courtesy of B-Boy, of course!).  But instead of laboring through all the particulars of the former, I'll just focus in on the latter.  So I've put together an abridged synopsis of the day's culinary events if you're at all curious.  And judging from the fact that you're still reading this, I'd venture to say that you are...

The day started out early with a hearty breakfast at a well known local eatery (Roscoe's, anyone?) where I ordered my usual when in attendance: a leg, wing and two waffles.  B-Boy ordered something similar that I now cannot totally recall, but it did include a waffle as well.  My chicken was piping hot and surprisingly well seasoned.  I say surprisingly because I don't really consider their fried chicken to be all that great, but just OK.  My waffle, on the other hand, was the polar opposite as  it had arrived the luke-est of warms, hovering just a hint above butter melting status.  I didn't complain, though.  I muscled through it.  However, when I asked B-Boy about his dish, he replied with the same disappointment.  Even the extra waffle he ordered after finishing the first round of waffles arrived at a bland temperature.  I'm beginning to think that perhaps it may be this particular location's (they have several) issue with quality control as this is the second time he and I have had this problem with our food.  At least I HOPE it's an isolated issue.  Either way, we weren't going to let this influence the day and so we pressed on...

We zigzagged through the city and hit up a couple of retail spots to, you know, treat moi to some treats.  Some colorful thangs and some cute thangs...  You know - birthday treats.  Gifts.  Thoughtful gestures.  Anywho, as dusk settled onto the horizon, he surprised me and pulled up to the Sky Zone Indoor Trampoline Park.  I had never been, but the initiated already know that I'm totally down for new adventures as this particular venue has large trampolines on which you can play games like dodgeball or shoot hoops OR simply bounce around until you run out of steam.  Sounds cool to me, so we went in... and when I tell you it was a madhouse in there, please believe it.

Kids running, screaming, falling, crying...  Little kids, big kids, medium kids...  It was ten times worse than Chuck E. Cheese!  (Yes, THAT bad!)  After inquiring at the front desk, we were told that general admission (the kids) would be ending soon and then it would be "adults only", complete with DJ and strobe lights.  Sounded cool.  Waiting around 45 minutes wouldn't be too bad, right?  Well, we sat around on their hard red bleachers for about a full five minutes before hunger compelled us to give up the fight and find sustenance instead.  So we made our way outta there and shimmied over to my fave spot... my birthday staple...

I remain unapologetic in my overt affection for The Cheesecake Factory as I always enjoy the food there and absolutely L-O-V-E cheesecake!  I mean, this noshery never disappoints, which is why it remains my "born day" staple.  Now, we had made plans earlier to go to a different restaurant, but we were so far out because of Sky Zone that it just made sense to go to CCF since it happened to be in the vicinity (#YAY!  #WINNING!).  And so we ate.  First on the menu for me was a tropical smoothie made with mango, raspberry puree and coconut milk.  #YUM

Now, we did order an appetizer - fried calamari - but it had no chance of getting its picture taken as I immediately tore into it as soon as it made port at our table.  And when the main dish finally came out - a robust serving of truffle honey fried chicken over mashed potatoes and asparagus - I mean, I completely lost myself and almost forgot to document the tasty victuals before quickly disappearing from my plate.  But somehow I managed to put my fork down, if not for a brief moment, to do my due diligence.

And since it was my birthday (as well as just about every other patron's in attendance that night), they brought out a complimentary mini-sundae, complete with birthday candle, and - YES - sang their version of "Happy Birthday" to me.

But who the heck goes to CCF for a sundae?!  I certainly do NOT!  And so my night of eats did not - COULD NOT - end there and I took home a slice of their celebration cheesecake.  A layered decadence of vanilla confetti cake, strawberry/chocolate/vanilla mousses, cheesecake and cheesecake icing, it's quite a collection of confection.  One that I had never tried before.  But I'm so glad I did because it is sooooo good!  #DOUBLEYUM!

And just look at who was able to tag along for the festivities as well!  B-Boy brought my two babies to celebrate with me!  He's been taking care of them while I've been in "hustle mode" and seeing them in person made my heart sing.  #JOY

Yep, so my birthday this year was pretty cool.  But it usually is.  I made a bunch of plans prior to the day to go here and do this and there and do that, but ended up doing something more casual and laid back.  And you know what?  It was good.  Seeing my babies?  Good!  Spending time laughing and yucking it up with B-Boy?  GOOD!  Eating good food and good dessert the entire weekend?  GOOD-GOOD!

No matter what, I always ring in my birthday like it's a major holiday, even if it's just me flying solo.  Life is way too short and every year/day/hour above ground is an absolute blessing.  No day is promised, which is why I like to make an extra effort on my day.  And besides - birthdays are fun.  At least mine are.

So with an emphatic shout, I'd like to send a resounding Happy Birthday to me!  Yepper!  And may I have many, MANY more...

Field Trip: Sephora

Hey, guys!  How was everyone's weekend?  Mine was pretty good.  Armed with a 15% off coupon from Sephora, I attempted to do a little online shopping (my preferred way of burning a hole in my pocket), but got frustrated with the number of items I wanted being listed as "out of stock".  I'm a "Beauty Insider", which is the lowest tier in their beauty rewards caste system.  Therefore, I received my coupon a few days later than the "VIBs" and "VIB Rouges", the higher tiers.  So the fact that a lot of the most coveted items were gone was not a total shock.  Dismayed, but not discouraged, I decided to take a trip to the mall to see if I would fare any better at procuring the items in person.

 
As soon as I got in there, I made a beeline for the Hourglass display to see if they had any of their much talked about Ambient Lighting Blushes available because NONE of the shades were in stock online.

Hourglass' Ambient Lighting Blushes are more like pigmented highlighters (sans glitter and sparkle) than a traditional blush.  The focus is to achieve a soft glow rather than an overt pop of color.  The one I wanted in particular was Luminous Flush, which is a lovely champagne rose.  And, of course, it was out of stock at the store, too.

Luminous Flush

But I'm glad that I at least got a chance to try it out on my skin, as well as the other shades.  The lighting in the store is so dim and the pic is doing it absolutely no justice, but I'm hoping you can see the soft-focus glow it left on my hand.  In person, it really lives up to its hype.  Very pretty.

Radiant Magenta

Radiant Magenta also gets an honorable mention as it is a bright, golden fuchsia and looked fabulous against my dark brown skin.  Alas, this was M.I.A., too.  In fact, the majority of shades were, but I did stumble upon one that ended up capturing my heart even though it wasn't even a blip on my radar in the beginning... 

And so after that serious sorting out, I spent the rest of my time casually strolling around the store and looking at all the assortments of eye (and lip and face) candy on display.  Ooh-wee!

Oh, I did pick up some more of my Phytojoba shampoo as I had just finished up my bottle earlier that week.

Betsy (pink, above); Valentina (orange, below)

Two of the bolder Stila Color Balm Lipsticks caught my eye so I just had to swatch them.

And then I got distracted by Too Faced's A La Mode Eyes palette so you know I just had to dip my fingers in that...

and I ogled their Chocolate Bar palette as well.

By the time I was done promenading and perusing the store, my hand looked like an abstract painting awash with bright, chaotic swatches of color.  I literally swatched until I dropped (well, my sugar dropped and I got tired and hungry - but you get my point).  I was a swatchin' fool, y'all.  Swatchin' FOOL!

So that was basically my weekend - a trip to Sephora.  I love shopping there as they have a great assortment of brands and everyone there is more than accommodating.  But I have to admit that the trip reminded me why I prefer shopping online; the store was quite crowded since it was the weekend and I'm not really a "crowd" person.  However, I did have fun during my excursion and you already know that I'll be posting a show 'n' tell of any and everything I bought.  Oh, yeeah... it's coming, so stay tuned!

Another Birthday Weekend

This past weekend was pretty special as it was my birthday weekend.  Birthday Boy flew in to celebrate with the birthday girl and we had a relaxing, but fun time.  Besides my nails, I kept the makeup to a "five minute face" (eyeliner, mascara, blush and lipstick) and kept my coif in its regular state.  I dunno; I wasn't really up to doing a whole production this go around.  Everything was kept simple as I quietly celebrated another year of life here on Earth.

The night before the big day, he and I went to the movies to see 12 Years A Slave ( a great film, by the way).  Hungry and pressed for time, we decided to nosh at Chipotle Mexican Grill prior to seeing the flick- a well known restaurant chain I'd visited only once before.  I was slightly overwhelmed by the picking and the choosing of ingredients I had to do to fill my custom made burrito, but I ended up selecting chicken/salsa/red beans combo and it was quite tasty.

Birthday morn we made a sojourn down to a local spot for brunch and the spread was tremendous!  I tried not to eat myself into a stupor, but they had so many delectable offerings.  Besides the normal breakfast fare like bacon and sausage, I found myself gravitating towards the tower of mini créme brulées as well as the pan of hot cheese grits and maple fried chicken...

They had red velvet pancakes...

fried salmon eggs benedict...

and funnel cake fries!  I had never even heard of such a thing before, but funnel cake served up like french fries?  I'll take it!

Not to mention the steady stream of "endless" mimosas they had at the ready for anyone who wanted to indulge.  Needless to say, I was one who did.

Birthday eve was a little more subdued in comparison as we trekked over to The Cheesecake Factory where he played coy and ordered a kale salad...

And I had a combination of their Steak Diane and herb crusted salmon with steamed asparagus and creamy red mashed potatoes.  So. Good.

And what kind of birthday would it be without an actual birthday cake?  The choice for the evening: a three layered, white chocolate cake topped with a smattering of chopped walnuts.  Heaven!

So, that's my abridged recap of my born-day weekend.  No real shenanigans.  It was all real simple and easy like.  And I was happy with that.  Had some phone calls and texts from friends and family... and that made me happy, too.

I'm glad to report that I enjoyed my weekend immensely.

Midnight Marauders

Guess who came by for a little midweek mischief and mayhem?  Yes, HIM.  Birthday Boy surprised me with a spontaneous visit and an irresistible offer to throw caution to the wind and whoop it up during a work week.  Well, it was an offer I could hardly refuse.   And so I didn't.  "Let the night of shenanigans begin!" I roared (in my head, of course) as I grabbed my jacket and followed him out the door.

It was going to be a freestyle type of night.  A jeans and Adidas kind of night.  And so we started out at the movies.  We had been to this theater before, however, if you follow me on Twitter then you know that the theater got quite the upgrade.  In addition to the standard movie theater fare, it had self-serve soda stations and fancy treats like gourmet ice-cream and cheesecake!

And can you see what I'm doing here?  I stretched out my feet and had ample room, not even coming close to touching the row of seats in front of me... which meant that anyone sitting behind me would also have ample room and, therefore, absolutely no excuse for putting their nasty feet on the back of my chair!  I can't tell you how many times my movie going experience has been sullied by some jerk kicking the back of my seat.  SOOOO annoying.  No worries here, though.  #Winning!

Afterwards, we saddled up for some dinnertime debauchery at a late night barbeque spot.  He ordered the half chicken with cole slaw, French fries and Texas toast.

I opted for the beef ribs with their "special sauce" on the side, French fries and Texas toast.  It also came with cole slaw.  And although I am sooo NOT a cole slaw person, I actually ate it this time.  It was really good.  #Winningagain!

Now you know the night would not be complete without something tasty and sweet to top it off.  So we went "homemade" for this one and ended up making chocolate chip cookies.  O.M.G.  But if you know anything about me, which you definitely should by now, you know that I simply couldn't leave it like that.  I mean, chocolate chip cookies are great...

But homemade, chocolate chip ice-cream sandwiches are even better!  O.M.G.Y.U.M!

So that was pretty much our work week "wild-out" in a nutshell.  Sometimes you have to take a night off from staying on schedule and do something unexpected.  You know, live a little... or at least a lot more.  Needless to say, I had loads of fun and ate good food in the process, too.  And the company wasn't too shabby neither.

All in all, it was the exact prescription I needed to help get me through the rest of the week.  A prescription that I may need a refill for very soon...

A Moveable Feast

Terrible.  Unruly.  Downright disrespectful.  This is how I would describe my eating habits this past weekend.  I mean, I was out of control, y'all.  Birthday Boy came to visit again and we took full advantage of the nice weather to do a little bit of catching up over a variety of tasty victuals and decadent confections.  Ahh, it was a glorious onslaught of ravenous indulgence!  I hadn't eaten like that in quite a while.

To start the weekend off, we went to one of my favorite restaurants - The Cheesecake Factory.  Now, I usually order the dish above, which is a Spicy Ahi Tempura Roll (YUM!), but Birthday Boy insisted that I try something different.  Meanwhile, he had never tried it so he ordered it for himself and then continued in taking the reins and ordered my dish.

My meal ended up being Steak Diane, which is a luscious serving of Angus steak medallions covered with black peppercorns, grilled onions and a mushroom wine sauce.  I almost didn't take a picture of it in time enough to include the whipped mashed potatoes that accompanied it as I was immediately on attack mode as soon as I laid eyes on it.  Needless to say, it was delicious!

The next day, perhaps inspired by his meal the night before, we went to a sushi spot downtown.  We shared between us the two dishes we ordered.  I cannot remember the names or type of sushi shown above, but it included a variety of eel, chicken and a California Roll with a healthy helping of Masago, or tiny fish roe.

I decided to order some type of roll with crab in it and topped with Masago (top row), and their version of a Spicy Tuna Tempura Roll (bottom row).  We both enjoyed the dishes and thought they were pretty good.

Later that night, we picked up a carrot cake that was so moist and so good that it would make you wanna holler and slap yo' mama!  (Not that I advocate violence against your parents or anything, but you get my drift.)  It was that good.

Oh!  And we had sausage pizza with mushrooms.  Oh!  And I can't forget the ice-cream and Oreos... and the Raisinets and Sweedish Fish (both candies).  And I gotta include the pancakes, sausage and large glasses of O.J. for breakfast!  And how could I possibly leave out the hunk of pineapple upside-down cheesecake with two huge squirts of whipped cream I demolished from The Cheesecake Factory?  Oh, the unmitigated gluttony!

And now that my partner in crime has returned home, it's just me alone who has to deal with remaining evidence of our obnoxious weekend behavior as there's still a full box of pizza and one-half of carrot cake left to be devoured.  While I admit it's a daunting task for a damsel such as myself to undertake... I think I'll be able to find it within myself to rise to the occasion and finish whatever leftovers are awaiting me in the fridge.  But please believe me when I tell you: this weekend's feasting was totally out of control, y'all.  Totally.