Want to know a secret? Years ago, I never really cared for birthdays that much or made mine a big deal. It wasn’t until I started dating my boyfriend that they became a big deal for me, and now, I love them. In fact, I love them so much, I decided in 2019 to make the official launch date of Flawless World on my 24th birthday: September 1, 2019. I thought it would be cool to have two celebrations in one day, and it’d not only be my birthday, but also the birthday of my baby: my blog.
My boyfriend and I always go big for each other’s birthdays, and it’s awesome to look back on the ways we’ve celebrated throughout the years; it’s as if each way birthday and way of celebrating signifies a different time period in our lives. For me, my 24th birthday was all about the launch of Flawless World, and my boyfriend created a Flawless World wonderland in our living room and surprised me with it the morning of; my 25th was all about celebrating the one year anniversary of Flawless World and also being around those closest to me, which was celebrated with pink and unicorn balloons, good food and drinks, and the ones I love at the beach house. Prior to the day this year, though, I didn’t really have anything in mind. Turning 26 didn’t feel all that monumental to me, and there wasn’t anything I particularly wanted or wanted to do. What was most important to me was celebrating the 2nd birthday of Flawless World.
I told my boyfriend what I really wanted more than anything was to have a gluten and dairy-free cake (I have to be gluten-free and I’m lactose intolerant) with the words “Happy 2nd Birthday Flawless World” written on it. I also wanted the frosting to stick to the Flawless World colors of white and pink. My boyfriend went above and beyond by calling up a bakery in Cranston, RI–A and J Bakery, a completely gluten-free and allergen friendly bakery–and having the cake specially made for me. To top it off, he also grabbed lots and lots of my favorite desserts there in the process (their cookie cupcake is my all-time favorite). I have a major sweet tooth, and being able to eat decadent desserts is something I can’t do regularly. I couldn’t believe how beautiful the cake came out; it was even better than I imagined it would be, and it was baked to absolute perfection. It was by far the best cake I’ve had in a long time.
I was content with getting a beautiful cake and delicious dessert, but my boyfriend still wanted to take it up a notch. He booked us a two-night stay at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Connecticut–close enough to get there in under an hour driving, yet still far enough away to be removed from the minutiae of everyday life and feel like you’re immersed in a completely different wold. The timing turned out to be perfect, too, because it downpoured here at the beach house on my actual birthday. We stayed from August 31-September 2. One of the cool things about casinos is that they have everything right there–pool, spa, bars, restaurants, arcades, gaming, gambling, shopping, and more–so it’s like being inside a mini city with everything at your fingertips.
On the first night of our stay, my boyfriend reserved us a table at The Sugar Factory. I’d eaten there a couple times before, but when we walked in we were disappointed. It wasn’t at all like I remembered it, and I was willing to try and stick it out mainly because I was starving, but my boyfriend spontaneously (and correctly) called up a restaurant in another casino nearby–Mohegan Sun–and managed to snag a table for 2, explaining that one of us has food allergies (me) and that we were celebrating a birthday. Changing reservations and going to another restaurant turned out to be the best decision, because we were surprised with a private room all to ourselves. The hostess said that the room she seated us in was usually reserved for parties, but since they didn’t have one that night and we were celebrating a birthday, we got VIP seating. I was absolutely blown away, I’d been to this restaurant a handful of times before and had no idea this room even existed! The food was incredible. We started off with sauteéd calamari and an antipasto platter with grilled artichokes, marinated olives, capicola, soppressata, and proscuitto. For our main meals I ordered sausage and broccoli rabe over gluten-free penne, and my boyfriend opted for the chicken parm. I love sausage and rabe, and this one was the absolute best I’ve ever had; my boyfriend also said his chicken parm was the best he’s ever had as well. Then, for dessert, we were surprised with dairy-free sherbet! It turned out to be such a magical night, and it made me feel so special.
The next morning was my actual birthday, along with Flawless World’s, and I spent the morning making sure my post was good and ready to go. Once that was complete, we decided to try and go to the pool to relax for a bit. We were surprised when we learned that all pools were closed and were only open Thursday-Sunday due to COVID restrictions, and when we looked into getting massages we were met with the same answer. We shrugged it off, grabbed some bloody Mary’s, and went back up to the room. We ordered room service and I took the most relaxing bath. It was a wonderful late-morning into afternoon, and around 4:00 I started getting ready for dinner that night with my boyfriend and immediate family. We were meeting up at 6:15 at another Italian restaurant (see a pattern here?) in Mohegan Sun (another pattern!). The meal was, once again, delicious, and it was great being able to see my family and share my Flawless World cake with the ones I love on my special day.
Sunday, September 5, was a Labor Day cookout/birthday celebration for me with my boyfriend, immediate family, and all of my extended family. My boyfriend and I hosted it at the beach house we’re still living in. The weather didn’t fully cooperate (it was overcast and slightly chilly with some drizzling at various points), but it was a nice, relaxing time, nonetheless.
There were quite a few small bumps in the road during this celebration–it was difficult to find good restaurants in Foxwoods because nothing was open, the pool and spa were closed, the dinner reservations with my family got changed about 101 times and there was a lot of back-and-forth and phone tag trying to figure out what worked for everyone, it wasn’t sunny or hot on the day of the cookout despite the fact that the day before and day after were gorgeous–but everything worked out OK. There wasn’t a moment I got annoyed because things weren’t going perfectly because life isn’t perfect. If anything, this only served as a good reminder that no matter how hard we try, there will inevitably be things outside of our control, so we have to make the most of what we’ve got. I can’t control the weather or way some business runs their operation, but I can make the most of it regardless. So what if things don’t go to plan? I can still enjoy myself.
What I’m most hopeful for out of the next year is more growth on this journey of healing I’m on, and success with finances and Flawless World. I’m more determined than ever to make my dreams come to fruition. I’m very grateful for my life and those around me, and I’m proud of the fact that I come from such a tight-knit (albeit crazy) family. My brother had vacation time he needed to use up, and he took it around and on my birthday so he could celebrate with me; my other 16 year old brother wanted to celebrate and was excited and happy to. It’s amazing that the family values my grandmother instilled in my dad and aunt, which consecutively got passed down to my brothers and I are solid and have stuck, despite the fact that she’s no longer here on Earth. I’m also incredibly blessed to have such an amazing partner by my side. My boyfriend is my best friend, and every day with him is an adventure. I’m extremely grateful for everything he does for me and how thoughtful he is. I’m glad we were able to have a mini getaway together after not being able to for so long.
I’m a very simple girl at the end of the day. I enjoy good dining rather than a wild night out, I’m content with ordering room service or staying in at home and getting takeout; I’ll bring a book with me and read anywhere and keep myself entertained and happy. I prefer smaller, more intimate gatherings despite the fact that I’m a very social person. I love family and treasure time spent with them. Really, at the end of the day, a good meal makes me most happy. I don’t need exterior things for validation, nor do I need to pretend to be something I’m not, I’m perfectly happy and content with being me. Cheers to 26 and Flawless World being 2, I’m excited to continue this journey with all of you.
I haven’t checked in here for a while as I thought it was getting boring, but the last several posts are great quality so I guess I’ll add you back to my everyday bloglist. You deserve it my friend 🙂
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Thank you!