Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Birthday Weekend: Days 3 & 4.





Manly fire-starters. And Amer cheating off the group next to us. 


Ryan insisted I give him credit for taking this lovely photo. He is a pyro was obsessed with the flames. 



What I wore: Skirt, F21. Tank, H&M. Boots, Makemechic.com. Necklace, AE. 






For months, I've been longing to have a beach bonfire.
Throughout high school we were kind of bonfire regulars,
 throwing "Farm parties" out at Ryan's parents' farm, 
roasting hotdogs, riding four wheelers in the dark,
 shooting fireworks at one another and just generally being morons around a fire.
But we're not quite mushy enough to have a romantic beach bonfire to ourselves, so we waited
until we had company to join us and we turned Sunday into a full-fledged beach day.
There aren't any fire pits on the beach by our apartment, so we drove south to Huntington Beach to do a tiny bit of shopping and then plop down in the sand. We played a few pathetic rounds of beach volleyball, basically just trying to keep the ball in the air as long as possible 
(which was not very long). 
I definitely ate sand awkwardly falling diving toward the ball and I think we ruined the legitimate volleyball game going on beside us because our ball kept running away onto their court.
It was fun, though...except for the part where I still can't move my arms.
When we got tired and it started getting too cold for swimsuits, we set up camp around a fire pit and set ourselves to the task of making fire. 
You'd think that, as veteran campers and fire-starters, 
we would have been extremely well prepared.
Wrong.
First, we had no little twigs to get the fire started.
We borrowed a hammer from the group next to us, but apparently splitting wood with a hammer
isn't as easy as the construction worker man in that group made it look. It was rough. 
I feared one of the logs might fly up and smack me in the face, but eventually we made ourselves a little pile of wood chips to catch on fire.
Second, our lighter wouldn't work. 
So, again, we had to sheepishly borrow from our neighboring bonfirers.
(We told them we'd be back next to borrow some hotdogs and marshmallows.)
Third, we were roasting with skewers. As in, the tiny metal skewers you use for kabobs.
And we had an oven mitt so the hot skewers didn't burn our hands off when we had 
to practically stick our arms into the fire to cook our food. 
But somehow, we managed to make hot food.
And I discovered the most amazing S'mores secret ever.
Marshmallow + Graham cracker + Hersheys = Good.
Marshmallow + Graham cracker + Reeses cup = Heaven in mah mouth. 
Seriously, go try it. Try it right now!

On Monday, the final day of my long birthday weekend, Ryan took the day off work and
we went shopping at Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica. I was slightest unsuccessful in finding all the items Ryan wanted to buy from my birthday wish list 
(Dear Express, stop selling out of the skirt I want!) but we're trying again next weekend. 
In the evening, our very kind and considerate guests insisted on going to a hotel for the night 
to give us a date night to ourselves. A couple weeks back, Ryan suggested a fancy-pants
5 course meal for my birthday dinner. We checked out menu after menu,
but I was just too skeptical to drop $100 or more at a restaurant where I couldn't even
interpret the items on the menu.
So, where did we end up?
The Stinking Rose, a restaurant where everything is seasoned with garlic.
Perfect for a date night, right?
It ended up being a really cool atmosphere (each table had it's own little tent!), 
and the food was DELICIOUS
Like, lick-the-garlicky-plate-afterwards delicious (don't worry, I don't lick my plate in public). 
And we cleansed our garlicky palettes with Coldstone ice cream for dessert.
Because seriously, what's a birthday without ice cream? 

35 comments:

  1. pyro? oh yes, i have one of those at my house too.
    this would absolutely be my dream birthday ... do you hear that husband?! i think he reads your blog. i'm sure of it.

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  2. I'm so jealous that you have bonfires on the beach! They won't let us do them here on my beach so we have to settle for a firepit on our driveway, ha.

    -Sharon
    The Tiny Heart

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  3. Would LOVE a beach bonfire! Not allowed to have any type of open flame on our beaches...so not fair, b/c I think that smores + sand + ocean would = amazingness!!

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  4. Oh my goodness I saw the picture of the Reese's and was blown away! I've been making Smores like that for my entire life and when I was little I never knew that Hersheys were the "real" way to make them. Delish, now I need one!

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  5. That restaurant! I need to go there, now. Do you know how much garlic I put in those tomatoes last night? I just have a jar of minced garlic in my fridge and I put like 4 heaping spoonfuls in. YUM.

    I love your hi-low skirt! That style is just adorable.

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  6. Looks like you are having a blast! It is nice to have a fun birthday weekend. My birthday is in the winter so I don't get to experience beach fires etc. I also love your outfit, so perfect for your birthday weekend!
    Carlee

    http://allthingsaveragegirl.blogspot.com/

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  7. I recognized the pictures of the Stinking Rose before I saw that was were you went... MY FAVORITE RESTAURANT! I have never been to the one down there, but the original is in SF and we go there whenever we hit the city. SO incredibly GOOOD!

    Looks like a great birthday weekend :)

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  8. Fond memories of beach bonfires!! Glad yours was fantastic.

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  9. Ooh.... I love smores with reeses peanut butter cups!

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  10. That skirt looks insanely good on you... And I think coldstone is mandatory for bdays!
    Brooke @ what2wear, monikabrooke.blogspot.com

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  11. Great pictures!
    I love your skirt <3

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  12. Those smores look delish! Love your outfit!

    p.s. your hair is gorgeous.

    A Southern Drawl

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  13. i do really want to go to the beach. and make a beach party. uh oh.

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  14. bonfire on the beach, you two are blending in right away!! and finally we are having decent weather for you two to experience. love that dress on you!

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  15. Ah despite all the little setbacks, that bonfire (and those smores!!!) looks amazing! And that's the same restaurant the boyfriend took me for my birthday dinner last month.. isn't it the cutest?! xo

    http://dreamingenfrancais.blogspot.com

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  16. Aww! WHAT an awesome birthday :)

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  17. oh my gosh!
    sounds/looks like a great time!
    oh farm parties...we used to have parties out in the middle of the woods, therefore i am an, "expert," with fire as well. hehe

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  18. Looks like you had a great time! I could go for s'mores right about now...

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  19. Fun, i dreamed about bonfires on the beach when i was in high school (in canada) like they had on the OC haha. And resses in a smore? you made my life, also cookies and creams bar are amazing if you like white chocolate

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  20. Your hair is so beautiful! Looks like you had a great time! What a great b-day!

    --kendall
    songbirdsandbuttons.blogspot.com

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  21. Oh man that looks like heaven! I am craving the beach right now! (Can you crave the beach, really?) And those s'mores look divine!!!

    Amy

    fashionandbeautyfinds.blogspot.com

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  22. I really don't think I can say this enough: you had the best birthday weekend ever.
    And I am DEF trying the reese's PBC smore ASAP.

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  23. smores with a reese's cup, you are genius!

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  24. mmmmm I love me some peanut butter cup s'mores! It's the ONLY way to eat them!

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  25. looks so fun
    http://adoramehitabel.blogspot.co.uk/

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  26. The beach photos made me miss the beach sooo much, luckily we are going this weekend to get my beach fix in! And reeses peanut butter cups on smores...omg YUM!

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  27. That skirt, the beach...your HAIR, all so gorgeous!! Looks like a great bday wknd. I'm jealous of the beach photos :)

    lauren

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  28. Nice pictures :) You had fun there I can see it. I loved you colorful skirt.
    Kisses :*

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  29. aw you guys looked like you had such a blast! i cant remember a fun weekend like that in awhile. i especially like that s'more shot you got, how it's falling into place haha. that kinda made me crave them, not going to lie.

    and i love what you wore out for dinner! that skirt with the boots was perfect, not to mention that fun pattern. you have an awesome blog here :)

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  30. I flippin' love your skirt! I'm glad that you had such an amazing birthday...The two of you both deserved some fun with what y'all have been going through. I <3 you guys!!

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  31. good Heavens, you are so cute!

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  32. You have BEAUTIFUL hair!! seriously

    followme@ www.studentswife.com

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