birthday dinner with the girls.

 

 remember how i said birthday week was over?  well...i forgot just one thing.  this fabulous dinner my friends had for me.  we went to california pizza kitchen and ate the most delicious food.  i think we ordered the best combination possible off their menu...you have to try it.  here's what you need to order:

spinach artichoke dip.

bbq chicken pizza with applewood smoked bacon {seriously so much better with bacon}.

the mac and cheese off the children's menu - so creamy and delish.

doesn't that sound amazing?  i can't wait to go back.  i love food.  and my friends! but mostly food...

birthday date.

 this year isaac really spoiled me on my birthday date.  we're talking cupcakes, a trip to williams-sonoma {where he bought me a cuisinart ice cream maker!  i can't wait to use it this summer}, ice skating at gallivan plaza {where i captured the best photo of ike, see above}, and ate the most delicious meal at the copper onion.  seriously, it was amazing.  it is probably my new favorite restaurant - you must try it!  it's a little pricey, but i'm hoping we can go back for a little valentine's day action.  i'm going to save my pennies.  

i had a really really great birthday.  thank you for your kind birthday wishes!

okay, birthday week is over.  are you happy i will finally shut up about it?  i bet you are.  now i feel like i did right after christmas....what am i supposed to blog about now?!  is there anything you would like to have me feature more on my blog?  

gimme gimme gimme some ideas.

the sweetest surprise.

 let me just tell you a little about some of my sweet, sweet friends.  on saturday night we planned a little date night with 2 of our very favorite couples to eat yummy cafe rio and play games.  they completely surprise me with pink and teal balloons, sweet tooth fairy cupcakes and cakebites, and the most perfect apron from the one and only anthropologie.

can you believe it?!  all of my favorite things!  it was the best birthday surprise.

dear kat&ty and kalie&spence,

iloveyou. thankyousosomuch.

love, emma.

i still can't believe i'm 24.

 24 sounds soooo adult.  i still feel like a tween...yeah, a tween {who is obsessed with edward/jacob, loves high school musical, and wishes she could still get barbies for christmas}.  

i guess i have a career and a husband...so that's pretty adult right?  wowza.  enjoy these birthday photos taken by my dad at our traditional birthday cake and gift opening celebration.

birthday boots.

guess who got herself not 1 but 2 pairs of birthday boots?  meeeee!  when my mom and i went to nordstrom to try on the tan booties, i tried on the green as well and fell in love.  of course, the tan were more practical...so she bought me those but i went home and found the green pair for a steal of a deal on amazon.  happy birthday to me.  can i just tell you how much i love amazon?  love love love it.  

anyway, we're just going to call it birthday week here on emma the joy.  i'm seriously depressed it's over...so i'm going to re-live it each day here on the blog.  hope you don't hate me by the end of the week.  please please don't.   k thanks.

p.s. please do not make fun of my ridiculously long skinny foot...it's a sensitive subject.

birthday lunch.

my birthday was one fabulous weekend celebration.  and when i say weekend, i mean allll weekend.  it was so much fun.  on friday we started the fun by meeting my parents for lunch at stella grill.  it was delish.  i love their bbq chicken sandwich. 

my isaac and friends/family made my bday so so special, i can't wait to share more with you! i was one spoiled birthday girl.

how was your weekend?!

birthday girl.

best birthday ever. that is all.

today, i am 24.

 

happy birthday to me!  i think i'll get my face painted just like this today.  and i'll love it as much today as i did back then.  isaac, pick up some face paint?

birthday boy dad.

today is my dear dad's birthday!! i just love him so much and wouldn't be who i am today without him. now let's celebrate!

happy birthday dad!!!!

it's getting a little ridiculous, i know.

you guys, my family has a lot of birthdays this time of year. which means i never shut up about them, so so sorry. it also means there are lots of presents to pick out for my favorite people! i love it. today is my sweet mother's big bad birthday. i'll be at work all day, but i'm thinking some cupcakes are in her future.

happy birthday mom!

birthday birthday.

yesterday we celebrated my little brother's 15th birthday with a little party at our house. i love planning and putting together parties --- but my poor hubs. i get so stressed when the tiniest thing go wrong and he always has to calm me down. thank goodness i married such a relaxed and easy going man, because i can be such a stressed out mess.

anyway...my brother loves circus peanuts and homemade oreos, such a teen. i've talked about these oreos quite a few times so i thought i would finally post the recipe for you! enjoy.

ingredients:

1 devils food cake mix

1/3 cup oil

2 eggs

cookie directions:

preheat oven to 350 degrees. mix cake mix, eggs and oil. roll into balls and bake for 10 minutes. cool.

*frosting ingredients:

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup shortening

1 teaspoon vanilla

4 cups powdered sugar

2 tablespoons milk

frosting directions:

cream butter and shortening until fluffy. add vanilla. slowly pour in powdered sugar, then add milk while mixing. after the cookies and frosting are made, frost the middle and put together.

*this frosting recipe makes a lot of frosting, so unless you like a lot on your cookies, i suggest you half the recipe. it works out perfectly.

recipe via just cook already.

sister sister and a little guest post.

i love celebrating birthdays, and jenna's was delightful. aren't we such twins? with very opposite hair colors of course...

i found this fabulous treat tray for her at target! target! another reason i love that place.

and of course, red velvet birthday cake. supreme.

yesterday i did a special guest post on one of my best girlfriend's blog...you really must check it out. here, i'll give you a little preview...

want the very easy recipe for this sweet treat? go here.

happy birthday sistaaaaaa.

today my one and only sister jenna turns 21! isn't she fabulous. i am generally mildly jealous of her...her fashion sense is impeccable. happy bday jenna jo.

birthday hubs.

we had such a fun time celebrating ike's birthday this weekend! it was gorgeous up at the cabin {pics to come} and it was so fun spoiling my lover boy. he requested the blueberry lemon buttermilk cake as his birthday cake {i've made it like 8 times already this summer} and it was delicious. i'm telling you, if you haven't tried it yet, you really really must.

ike was most excited about these babies. he loves white shoes and when i saw these at the nordstrom anniversary sale i knew i had to get them. has anyone else shopped the sale this year?! i just love their anniversary sale, such fabulous deals.

i'm dying for one of these mac look in a box. it would reinvent my look in a much needed way. i wish it was my birthday! maybe a graduation gift?!

big bad birthday boy.

mr. dj westwood on st. patricks day.

happy birthday to my sweet hubby! you're 24! how old! jk jk jk. i love you and your sexy bod.

weekend-o.

my wind blown self, so happy to be wearing sunglasses again.

what a weekend! not only did my surgery take place, but it was also my mother-in-law virlie's birthday! it was so much fun celebrating with her. we went to see toy story 3, and absolutely loved it!! the barbie/ken addition was perfect. i can't wait to see it again. we also had dinner at the dodo in sugarhouse and it was lovely. the desserts there are divine.

on sunday we had two delicious meals with both of our families. we are so lucky to have mothers who are fabulous cooks. virlie made the most tasty meal, we look forward to her food each week. these steak tacos were delish. oh how i love food, life just isn't good without it. am i right or am i right?

brother boy.

we celebrated my brother's big 1-8 a couple weeks ago and i loved it. and i'm sure he did too, he got soooo spoiled. spoiled because "it's his last birthday before his mission" blah blah blah.

good thing i love everyone's birthdays nearly as much as my own.

emma the birthday prince.

delicious cake.

we're like ghosts.

dallin, my stylish brother, 19 is just around the corner!

blades of glory.

last weekend ike took me on a special birthday date and it was so much fun. it was one surprise after the next. first he took me to a cupcake shop in downtown salt lake called mini's and it was perfect. pink cupcakes everywhere. he then took me to one of our favorite restaurants stella grill - such delicious fresh food. then we went ice skating in gallivan plaza! we were both a little nervous because neither of us had done it for a while but guess what - neither of us even fell.
spaz attack.

we finished the night with hatch's hot chocolate.
what a night.
my husband rules.

january 7.

my birthday was a good one. i had a nice relaxing day at home and then celebrated with my lover boy and family that night.

we had dinner at the cheesecake factory and it was delicious. i am a sucker for their crispy chicken taquitos. they brought me a mini hot fudge sundae and i was tickled pink.

birthday creme brulee! and i made it all by myself. a true accomplishment i must say.

i got such lovely gifts! my mom always gives me such a nice boost in my wardrobe every christmas/birthday, it's the best. and isaac spoiled me, especially with this gift...

a snuggie!!! yes, i am a sucker and have been wanting one of these real bad. after dinner/dessert with my fam we headed home and rented harry potter and the half blood prince {a true sacrifice made by isaac because he used to think he didn't like harry potter...you bet he does now!} and cuddled up with our electric blanket and snuggie. i was in heaven.