Birthday Roundup!

     As you know from my placeholder post beautiful masterpiece of art, Monday was my birthday! Let's do a roundup of all my super fun gifts and my beautiful monster of a cake! In no particular order...wait, no, I'll go in order of presents I opened. Order out of chaos! 

     First I opened my present from my grandparents.
 

     BAM. Red boots!  Anyone who knows me knows I loooove boots. I like to stomp around and pretend I'm about to fight through an apocalypse or something. I've wanted a pair of red boots for ages and ages. Like, since the first time I saw Footloose, even though the chick with the red boots is SO OBNOXIOUS OH MY GOD. But still, cute boots are cute boots. They also make me think of Marceline the Vampire Queen (Adventure Time, anyone? No, I'm the only "grown-up" who still watches cartoons? Ok, cool, whatever).

     Next up was my present from Amanda.

     A So So Happy hoodie! I love the So So Happy characters. Even the cantankerous ones are so cute. This guy is named Puff (from the website, I didn't just pick that randomly). And check. out. the back. 

     Spikes on the hood and down the back! So I can be a dinosaur! Life goal: achieved. When the small children in your life say to you "I'm gonna be a dinosaur when I grow up!" go ahead and tell them "I'll bet you are, slugger. I'll just bet you are." 

     Next is my present from Jen. In the box I found this crazy-soft terry pullover type sweater (all I wear these days is fall clothes, I don't even care that it's 95 outside. With AC on my side I can pretend it's autumn forever!)

 

     And underneath that, the cutest jimjams I have ever laid eyes upon. 

     Obviously that isn't the best picture in the world to show off the pajamas, but I'm using it anyway because it tickles me. Except the gross veins in my hands. As soon as I saw this picture full sized I actually stopped what I was doing, said "Whoa there homes, time to hydrate," and went to get some water. But still, polka dots and kitty feet!

     The last thing I opened was my present from my parents. I opened the big-ass box and found this jewelry box!

     But that wasn't all. This was the gift that just kept on giving. It was full of little bits and bobs from my Forever 21 wishlist and things I had pinned on Pinterest or otherwise hinted that I liked, (before you go thinking that makes me a brat, it was because she had been asking me to send her links to potential presents, I wasn't just like "BUY ME DIS AND DIS") like the two headbands up top there...

 

     ...and this little apple-scented fragrance tucked in the side door. Apple is probably my #1 all-time favorite smell in the world, in case you were feeling like you needed some obscure Jacki-trivia today. The jewelry box also contained...

     ...the earrings in the bottom middle there, which match the necklace I got for my birthday last year (which, hey look! You can see in this next picture)...

....and this triangular necklace that kind of looks like gilded shark teeth (mermaid-warrior-princess-chic, it's a thing I'm gonna make happen)...

     ...This little moon-and-star necklace, which is tiny and delicate and perfect in every way...

     ...and the even tinier set of studs that matches it. I can't even tell you how perfect these are. They're so small and cute! And, of course, they're a crescent moon and a star, which you're probably noticing I have an obsession with. Last but certainly not least, I'll show you my very favoritest compartment in this jewelry box...the ring section. 

Bonus appearance by my new jimjams in the mirror. Professionalism!

     Sigh. Look at all the glorious options. Rings are my absolute favorite. The four rings in the middle column were part of my gift (more moons and stars! Shock, horror!), the rest are all the rings I immediately sat down to fill the case with so I could look at them all and go "my precioussesssss!" I'm not even kidding, several times since I opened this present I've gone into my closet to put together different combinations of stacking rings, then take them off and put them back in their little places. I'm weird. But it makes me happy.

     Now that I've shown you all the amazing things my super-generous family got for me, let's get down to serious business: CAKE. I couldn't find a recipe that I liked for my birthday cake, so I kind of...um...invented one. No, really. I sat down and drew up a schematic like Dr. Frankenstein to bring my monster cake to life. 

Just in case you thought I was kidding. I never kid about food.

     And like Frankenstein's monster, once it had been brought to life it could not be contained:

     It was so ridiculously good. I could only eat a half slice at a time because, I mean, look at that. It's intimidating. But I like food that challenges me towards a higher standard of gluttony, forcing me to say "If I eat one more bite I may go into a diabetic coma, but I'M GONNA FINISH THIS. I just need a breather. I won't quit on you, cake. Wait for me in the fridge, I'll come back for you. (My Heart Will Go On playing softly in the background, getting louder as the fridge door closes)."

     Point being, that cake was damn good. It's definitely going to be my new birthday tradition. 

     And that brings us to the end of my birthday roundup! I hope you enjoyed having a looky-loo at all the fun stuff I got, and didn't feel like I was bragging. I'm just really grateful that I have an awesome family that knows me so well and picks out amazing gifts!