I had a wonderful birthday weekend filled with lots of old friends and family. And good food, of course! Friday night started out with a sushi date with my friend Jamie at Hide in an area of LA known as “Little Osaka”. Jamie got a little adventurous and sample uni sushi…I however was not so fancy.
On Saturday morning Mom and I quickly headed over to the Velvet sale. These warehouse sales for brands like Velvet, James Pearse, etc is a “quintessential west side LA lady experience” as my mother put. Pretty much it’s a bunch of moms in Lululemon and fancy handbags getting very overexcited about reduced price casual wear. We made several purchases :).
Then it was time for a bike ride! Check out my new sunglasses - a gift from Nate. The company Waveborn donates a pair of prescription glasses for every pair of sunglasses purchased. I love gifts that give back! Their shades are excellent quality and fit great - I even felt comfortable taking them on this bike ride.
In the afternoon, I conducted an alumni interview for a student who is applying to Johns Hopkins, and then watched my little brother’s a cappella show through a livestream. Nothing better than a bunch of 18-year-old cute boys in vests and ties singing their hearts out!
And then the highlight of the weekend - joint birthday dinners with one of my oldest friends at Nancy Silverton and Mario Battali’s Osteria Mozza. Adam turned 25 on Friday, and I turned 25 on Sunday, so Saturday night made a perfect night for us and our parents (also best friends) to celebrate. Most trendy restaurants in LA come and go but Mozza (the Pizzeria and the Osteria) have been around for several years and they just keep getting better!
We shared everything. The appetizer spread was unbelievable, and I loved the grilled octopus, the cheese, and the mussels. We shared three pastas - one with goat cheese, one ricotta gnudi (those things that look like golf balls) and one with butternut squash. They were all so delicate and special! For the entree I shared scallops with some spinach and polenta on the side. However, the highlight for me was dessert (like always). I think their version of a bittersweet dark chocolate lava cake with candied nuts might just be the last thing I eat on earth. And the little donuts with blueberry compote and some kind of sourcream or buttermilk ice cream converted this non-donut lover. The six of us shared two bottles of wine and I have to say, I was pretty toasty afterwards for the party that Adam threw. The party was fun! I ran into my preschool boyfriend (he took me to Disneyland with his family - so romantic) and we had the funniest reunion. I went to bed late and slept in!
Sunday morning I had a very light vegan breakfast to nurse a slight hangover (I had 3 glasses of wine!!) before picking up my grandfather and Shirley for a birthday tradition.
Every year we go out for a very civilized lunch and some shopping! It’s a wonderful afternoon, and I usually have some item in mind that I want (watch, blazer, new boots, etc) and we make our way to Bloomingdales and I do several fashion shows for him. This year, I needed a new purse and look what we found!!!
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Afterwards, lunch at Toscavano in Century City. Send good vibes towards my grandfather - he’s getting a medical procedure done tomorrow!
I then went on a run, got a massage (thanks Dad!), and cooked dinner for the family and grandma. Packed for the week ahead - Seattle and San Francisco here I come! Overall it was a wonderful way to ring in 25 - everything from cooking classes with Nate in Cambodia to enjoying one of the most decadent and special dinners I’ve had among family in a long time. I know my team and I will be going out for dinner tomorrow in Olympia for continued celebrations as well. Cheers to 25!
Any advice for my 25th year? Pass it along!
Thanks for stopping by! 
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