moms weekend

 

mom's weekend is the best kind of weekend. it's when my moms, both biological (shout out to helley!) and not-so-biological-but-still-awesome-ladies, come to philadelphia and play with me. we had quite an itinerary but we managed to squeeze it all in. frankford hall for german beer and jenga and burgers, magpie for a slice of butterscotch bourbon, south street for a festival, federal donut to sample all the flavors, hot diggity for exotic dogs, my b-movie improv show, farmers cabinet for a speakeasy cocktail and swing band, hitting up the bar with my roommates, splitting late night cheesesteaks, and in the morning, grabbing sunday brunch at hawthornes. combine all this + excessive food and drink + way to much walking and you have a recipe for a good night's sleep.

i loved showing these ladies around town though. it always helps to see philly through the eyes of a stranger. things i normally take for granted or think are meh suddenly become wonderful and original and fun and the feeling lingers even after my loved ones have left the city. thanks for a terrific weekend ladies.

for the love of pumpkin

my mom recently came to visit and stocked me up with pumpkin flavored seasonal goodness. made the cookies with great success; turned the marshmallows into pumpkin peanut butter rice crispies; ate the pudding for dinner one night; made pancakes for a bunch of fools after a halloween party; and unfortunately, trashed the pumpkin bar recipe. i accidentally popped the bottom out of the tart pan i was using while putting it in the oven. it was a serious mess so i ate the remaining uncooked batter and crust to console myself. what delicious fall things have you created recently? is your mom amazing like mine?

happy birthday mama!

it was my mama's birthday yesterday! and if we were to judge a book by it's cover, this book looks like it just turned 29! and i don't mean that in a 'women-must-lie-about-their-age-for-fear-of-losing-value-past-the-age-of-thirty' way. i mean that in a lady's-face-looks-young-and-her-smile-looks-glorious way. people have this tendency to down play their birthdays as they get older or flat our request that people ignore it. i think it stems from the belief that older people are obsolete in our society. that's a major NO WAY in my book, and if anything, birthdays should become an even BIGGER deal as you get older. you've gained another year of experiences and valuable life knowledge - you are even more of an asset to your loved ones and community!

my mom is wonderful, beautiful (inside & out style!) lady who seriously puts up with a lot of baloney from me. anytime i feel like whining about how hard it is to be in my twenties (i know, i know - feel free to send hate mail to the big ol' baby) she's right there with a comforting or honest word, an encouraging pre-work text, or a thoughtful card in the mail. she has beautiful handwriting, shiny hair, and is the best story-teller i know. she's an amazing hostess and friend and i feel so lucky that she's my mom.

happy birthday mama! hope your day was magnificent.