Fabulous, Friend-Filled Weekend

On Friday, my good friend Amanda at A Mess of a Dreamer With The Nerve to Adore You kicked off her 24th year with a Harry Potter themed birthday party. She went all out and and stuck with her theme to a T. She crocheted fuzzy little Pygmy Puffs, made some custom labeled Butter Beer from the Three Broomsticks, and (my favorite part!) dressed her front door like a brick wall in Diagon Alley (guests had to tap the bricks with a wand in order to be permitted entrance). The guest of honor was also dressed to match the theme in a Gryffindor sweater and tie (she's basically a dead ringer for Ginny Weasley).

The party was a ton of fun! It's been a long time since I've spent time with my friends all together. I also forgot how fun themed birthday parties are. I couldn't tell you the last time I've been one that wasn't for a wee relative. Thanks, Amanda, for hosting such a great regression party and helping us forget about being adults for a few hours. Happy Birthday!! :)

Our good friends Greg and Erika, who live in Maine, came down for the party and spent a long weekend visiting friends in the area. They stayed with us Friday and Saturday night and we had a wonderful time catching up (we haven't seen them since August!). On Saturday, Greg cooked us an amazing dinner of turkey kielbasa sautéed in brown sugar (I'm really anxious to duplicate his recipe - so yummy!!!), whole grain garlic pasta with red and yellow peppers, and various other steamed veggies. Following dinner, we played games until nearly 2:00 a.m. including a couple very intense rounds of Scene It - movie edition and Disney/Pixar edition.

Saturday afternoon I also had the pleasure of seeing my bestest buddy and favorite dancer, Genevieve, perform with her company in Philly at the Painted Bride. The show, Zata, was a production by Indigenous Pitch, a dance collective that not only supports a diverse range of local dance companies, but also uses dance as a form therapy for children affected by natural and socio-economic disasters. I'm a big fan of the work that they do and it was great to support them and see a fabulous show at the same time.

Greg and Erika left Sunday morning, and after church., Dan and I spent most of the day vegging out, watching movies, and cuddling on the couch. Basically, the perfect thing to do on a Sunday afternoon. All in all, I pretty much loved everything about this weekend.