It’s my birthday, it’s my birthday

Guess what? Yesterday was my birthday, which of course explains my brief absence from the blogging world. I was also temporarily buried under piles of paperwork last week due to a hefty work event I coordinated. Success!

My birthday celebration consisted of 2 parts:

1. A 2-day, 2-night snow trip getaway to a serene South Lake Tahoe cabin (amazing pictures to follow later this week)

2. Seafood dinner with friends and fam at the picturesque restaurant, The Dead Fish (pictures to follow later this week)

You might be wondering whether I hit a milestone due to my multiple celebrations. I didn’t. I am officially 28 years young. So why the additional partying? I LOVE birthdays. Seriously. More than Christmas, Thanksgiving or Halloween (all personal faves). To see another year on this Earth, when life isn’t promised, is ALWAYS something to celebrate.

It’s not about the presents, the cakes or the bottles poppin’, although these ARE important perks. The atttention is nice at first, but it does tend to overwhelm me when in excess.

The thing is, I just really love to spend time with my friends and family. I love to have fun, eat, drink and be merry, and there’s almost no better reason to do so aside from a birthday celebration.

Salute!

Thus, imagine the challenge of finding the perfect outfit for the perfect bday celebration. In the past, I’ve celebrated in many ways; VIP booths, trips to Los Angeles, romantic dinners, girls night out, ice skating, shopping, etc. It’s not that I’m completely fashionably-challenged; I put myself together pretty decently most of the time. But it is always difficult to find an outfit for my birthday, especially for my birthday dinner. In the last 2-3 years, I’ve shifted away from the usual skintight, trendy dresses that I rocked in my early 20s, however, I’m still not quite ready to give up on the party girl look. I’m a simple gal, and I don’t like to go overboard with my clothes.

This year, I thought long and hard about what I wanted to wear. This was the scenario:

Birthday dinner celebration at a picturesque seafood restaurant which is elegantly eclectic, but not too fancy, with a guest count of 12, friends and family combined, couples and singles.

I had my S.O. (significant other) as my date, and I wanted to dress up since it’s rare that I get to do so these days, as busy as I am at work. These were my considerations:

A dress- too typical

Nice jeans and dressy top- too boring

Flowy, dazzling shirt dress and snazzy tights- too typical of what I usually wear

A pantsuit- too trendy for bohemian me

A frilly skirt and cropped jacket-PERF! (perfect)     *My choice*

Justification: I am under 30, so this might be the last time I can wear tutu-inspired anything. I am over 25, so a sheer shirt isn’t offensive to my parents anymore and looks classy when paired with a fitted jacket.

My goal was to wear an outfit that blurred the line between simple, sassy and saucy, but still clung to a touch of class for my more reserved guests (at this age it would be mortifying to accidentally flash my married friend while his wife sits next to him). I’m not too adventurous with colors in the winter, and everyone knows I love love love wearing black (it’s a problem).

Did I mention I am a chronic budgetista? Spending full price for items- Don’t nobody got time for that!

What I Wore

Tweed cropped jacket: On sale at JC Penney’s

Sheer shirt: Half price at my favorite second hand shop ($8.50!)

Flared tutu-sheer skirt: Half price at H&M ($10!)

Sidenote: Printed black stockings and black boots are a must-have year round where I live. I love that the suede boots dressed up the look without requiring me to wear a stiletto heel.

I felt comfortable AND looked cute. I couldn’t have asked for a better birthday!