I Like Large Parties

So if I'm being completely honest, I really do like large parties-- preferably where I know a lot of people (versus the classic being stuffed into a basement with a ton of people I don't know kind of party.) I think it has something to do with the fact that when people let loose you can really see their true colors. Not in a bad way or anything, but when Fitzgerald wrote, "I like large parties. They're so intimate", he kind of had a point.

Large parties are funny to me because in college, everybody is constantly either trying way too hard to fit in or way too hard to stand out. But when I'm with my friends and we're all out, it's like none of that stuff matters. It's honest. And I really enjoy hearing stories, and I find I hear many of them when people are, I guess you could say, more willing to be vulnerable.

21 is not just a number.

My friends' 21st birthdays are coming up rapidly! Sure, I already have a few friends that have hit the mark, but the majority of them aren't around. And if I like parties, I love birthday parties. Call me selfish, but I enjoy milking my birthday until I can milk it no longer. It's kind of my favorite holiday, but I love celebrating my friend's birthdays too. While my friend and I are planning a few things here and there for the up and coming birthday weeks, I find myself off in la la land, wondering just how my 21st birthday (October come faster!!) will pan out.

And while I like large parties, I like to keep things classy too. And pink.

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Can you tell I'm thinking along the lines of pink for my 21st? Go ahead and call me Barbie. Except for don't because there's a 99% chance I'll get mad.

xoxo

Girl's Night In: Valentine's Day Edition

So I've never exactly been one for Valentine's Day. Maybe it's because I've never been completely and totally in love with someone, but even then it seems a little bit overrated. I try to avoid hating on things here, but in all honesty to me it's kind of just an over-commercialized holiday. Call me a scrooge, I don't care!

You know how in high school and middle school everyone used to refer to Valentine's Day as Singles-Awareness Day? I start to laugh when I think back on it. I think I've received one Valentine's Day gift from a boy in my life, and it was my sixth grade boyfriend. I treasured that cute little teddy bear for the whole time we "dated". Gotta love middle school, right?

My friends and I are a bit older now, we have a bit more experience, and some of us are in love. So there's hope! Others of us are a bit jaded. Blame it on our twenties. I like to think of Valentine's Day as a day to be thankful for all the love surrounding me.

This year, my best friend and I are having our own little Valentine's Day celebration. Valentine's Day also just happens to fall on a Friday, so count on wine, cute movies, and cookies being involved. It's not like we have anyone to impress! If you're spending Valentine's Day with your closest girlfriends this year, take a few of these ideas to make it one fun night! (Note: Avoid focusing on the whole "you're single" aspect of everything.)

Single's Awareness Day? No Way!

Some girls may have boyfriends, but we have these cookies... So who's the real winner here?

Take a cue from Lauren Conrad and set up a cute plate set, complete with DIY sequin heart hair clips!

Strawberries on a stick paired with chocolate fondue? Again, who's the real winner here?

Hot chocolate tends to be a staple for me and my best friend in the winter time, so why not give this pink velvet hot chocolate recipe a try?

Or if you're looking for a little something stronger... this wine cocktail is sure to do the trick!

All that's left is to pop in a corny 80s movie and chat away the night! Didn't Carrie Bradshaw say our girlfriends are our real soul mates anyway?

xoxo