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Tag: Birthday

Thirty One\\ My Birthday Weekend

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Thirty one. I guess I’m officially a 30-something now. My birthday was on Saturday & I spent pretty much the entire weekend celebrating. I got completely spoiled by both my friends & family.

To kick things off, I took Odin to daycare on Friday, which meant I got to join my coworkers for lunch. We went to a new spot (Backwards) nearby. It’s a restaurant by day & nightclub once the sun sets. They have a $10 lunch special this month & the food is quite good. We shared a bottle of wine, chatted, & in the end they took care of my bill. I work with such lovely people!

That evening, my family picked me up & we headed down to Inglewood for dinner. My mom, my brother, & I are all summer babies, so dad treated the three of us to a fantastic dinner at the Nash. I’ve come to expect great things from the Nash & the food certainly did not disappoint. We shared a trio of appetizers to start (in hindsight, probably too many fries. How do you choose between poutine & moules though?).

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Drinks at the Off Cut Bar

BUCKSKIN SOUR

I love Sours. The Nash’s Buckskin Sour is a real treat!

Dad + Brother

Dad & Brother

Mom + Alanna

Mom & I

The Nash YYC: Moules and Poutine

Moules & Poutine

The Nash YYC: Tartare of Alberta Beef

Tartare of Alberta Beef

Our mains were equally delicious. We each ordered something different & then shared their feature risotto. I could barely finish my meal, but I certainly wasn’t going to leave any duck behind. After dinner, we headed back to the house, opened a beautiful bottle of wine from Summerhill, & spent some quality time with little O before bed.

The Nash YYC: Duck

My Pan Roasted Duck Breast with Bing Cherry Jus, truffle pain perdu, beetroot, orange & thyme. Incredible!

Odin

Hanging with Odin & enjoying some wine with the fam.

Odin

Saturday was my actual birthday, & I’d decided to treat myself to a mani pedi. It was the best reward, especially since I’d started my day with a 2 hour training run (I’m running the Seawheeze in August!). I lucked out with some gorgeous sunny weather, so I spent the afternoon hanging outside with Odin & a nice cold glass of rose. No complaints there.

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Run & done. !7 km in the books!

Mani pedi & a good read

Mani pedi & a good read

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Hanging with Odin in the sun

I’d made a reservation for me & a few girlfriends at Pigeonhole. N & I had gone for my birthday last year & I was itching to go back with a bigger group so I could try more of the menu. Five of my lovely friends joined me & we picked a wide array of dishes off the menu, ordered some beautiful wines, & had the loveliest of evenings. They totally spoiled me, taking care of the bill. (Thank you so much, friends! You’re too wonderful!!) My friend Jan also got me a couple lovely gifts including my favourite Kelowna wine, local honey, some of her artwork, & wrapped in an adorable Bark YYC bandana, a smirnoff ice. Well played, Jan, well played. A couple of my other girlfriends dropped by as we were finishing dessert & bought me a glass of bubbly too, which was lovely. So spoiled!

thirty one

Ready for dinner!

Pigeonhole

We sat right by the kitchen so we could watch the action.

Pigeonhole

I love their mismatched china & gorgeous cutlery

Pigeonhole

Pigeonhole

Pigeonhole

I really should have gotten one with all of us

Pigeonhole

Thanks for the photo, Jan!

Pigeonhole

Just so happy!

Pigeonhole

Gull Valley Tomatoes with Sunflower, Sesame, Nori

Pigeonhole

Amazing white salmon special with crispy skin & edamame.

Pigeonhole

Grilled Duck Leg with Coconut, Peanut, Thai Basil & Charred Cabbage with Mimolette, Jalapeno Salad Cream

Pigeonhole

Lamb Breast with Mint, Cress, Apricot

Pigeonhole

Spoons for sharing dessert

As we got into our second bottle of wine, I forgot to take photos of the rest of our meal. We also ordered the zucchini, chicken liver mousse, beef tartare, & clam casino. I loved everything we ordered, but my favourites were the clams, the lamb, & the chicken liver mousse. Definite winners!

Afterward dinner we headed back to my house where a couple other friends joined us. Odin was definitely ready for some company so we had a couple drinks before everyone headed home to bed. It was as close to perfect as a birthday without N could be. Thank you so much, friends!

The next morning, the birthday treats continued with brunch with my sister in law & my brother in law’s girlfriend. We snagged a spot outside at Container Bar. They serve most of the Brasserie brunch menu, which is fantastic.

Container Bar Brunch

Lovely ladies at brunch

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Jules hiding 😉

Dogs in the yard

All the doggies & a beautiful backyard

doggies in a yard

Doesn’t get much better than this

I spent the rest of the day outside with my sister in law, checking out a friend’s fantastic new backyard (& letting the pups play together) & then having a few drinks in our yard. It was such a great day!

Leading up to my birthday I wasn’t sure if I even felt like celebrating, but I’m so glad I did & feel so grateful for my great friends & family for giving me a spectacular birthday weekend. You guys are the best!

Happy Birthday, N!

Photo by 3haus Photgraphics

Photo by 3haus Photographics

Twenty nine years ago, someone very special to me was born. Today is my husband, Nathan’s, birthday!

A&N

Photo by 3haus Photographics

Photo by 3haus Photographics

A&N

This guy is funny, patient (as long as he’s not hungry), kind, headstrong, compassionate, and forgiving. He puts his family & friends first, & is an awesome older brother to both his siblings. He is also so incredibly good to me; this morning he made breakfast, on his own birthday, like the champ that he is. He’s my favourite travel companion, the best dinner date, & my biggest cheerleader in everything I do.

A&N

A&N

A&N

A&N

Photo by 3haus Photographics

Photo by 3haus Photographics

So join me in wishing my favourite guy a very happy birthday. We may have to work today, but I think we’ll find a way to make up for that soon.

I love you babe, xx

A

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