My 22nd Birthday

*cue Taylor Swift’s “22”

Yesterday I celebrated what my parents called my “last big birthday”. I don’t know why they labeled it as such, because I imagine I will have many more birthdays and they only get bigger each year. Regardless, I had a great birthday. At least, as great of a birthday that you can have on a Monday that falls between a massive snow storm and Easter.

My day started with work (yay Mondays!). But I was greeted with fresh tulips on my desk and a warm coffee (thanks Dad and Meg). Work was soooo slow that Dad let me go early (yay!). But Meg refused to skip out of school early (boo!), so I was left with a quiet afternoon at home (I used my time wisely by doing laundry).

Finally, when Meg was done with school, we ran up to Rapids for a few birthday treats.

A few weeks ago, I picked up the list of Culver’s flavor of the days for April. Dark Chocolate was the flavor set for my birthday. Culver’s custard in a decadent dark chocolate? I couldn’t pass it up! It was just as good as expected.

As a lover of coupons, deals, and freebies, it should come as no surprise that I have a loyalty card to just about any establishment that offers one. Today those many loyalty accounts paid off. I got an email for a free coffee from Starbucks just hours after Caribou sent me the same deal! I wasn’t going to let either of those go to waste! So Meg and I took the extra time to make two coffee stops before heading to Grandma’s for dinner.

Birthday Evening

Grandma made the MOST delicious birthday dinner ever! I had requested meatloaf and baked potatoes and grandma paired it with roasted cauliflower, poppyseed dressing strawberry salad, and her famous toast. mmmmm I ate so much I almost didn’t have room for cake!

My birthday cake was chocolate with raspberry filling and almond frosting graciously made by a family friend.

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I said I almost didn’t have room for cake. Don’t worry, I was able to enjoy a good sized piece. And of course, we finished the night opening a few presents.

The Look

To celebrate my birthday, I put together my Bangle Bracelet Locket with the birthday cake, present, crown (because everyone should get to wear a crown on their birthday), and tulip charms.

While I was at work, I got a birthday surprise from the UPS man. He finally delivered the new locket I had been waiting weeks for! So I of course put it on as soon as I got it!

This is the Birthstone Bar Locket and I am OBSESSED with it! There is no glass in this locket! It is designed to perfectly hold our Swarovski birthstones, allowing them to roll around and shimmer in direct sunlight. I styled mine with four April birthstones. You may be thinking, Hannah why four? And I’d say, “Because four can break down into two and two, which could be interpreted as Twenty-two.” And you’d probably give me a funny look, but that’s okay, you can make fun of me. My mom said it was stupid too. But I don’t care, because this is one of the coolest lockets ever designed and I’m going to keep wearing it regardless of what you think.

And so, as I reflect on my “last big birthday,” I have come to the conclusion that birthdays in adulthood really don’t have that much charm. But all of the little surprises of the day can really add up to a day full of little charms. From tulips on my desk, to yummy custard and free coffee, my regular old Monday turned into a really great birthday. And of course dinner made by Grandma will always be a little charm of life!