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Category: Birthday

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Cheers to 21

posted on : April 18, 2017 posted by : Stnkrbug 0 Comment

In recent years, it seems like time is going by faster and faster. The last couple of years I’ve been shocked every time my birthday comes around. How has it already passed?! Life is funny that way; when we’re kids we want life to move quickly and it goes slowly, but once we get older it flies by and we struggle to cherish it. The entire day of my 21st birthday I was trying to memorize every single detail of the day, because I want these memories to last and I want to be able to remember them. I spent the day with my favorite humans, and I was so grateful how they went out of their way to make sure I had a wonderful day, which I did.

When I was younger, my parents always threw me huge birthday parties with all of my friends there, and while I’m so grateful for those memories, it’s nice to be able to spend my birthday with my closest friends, and the people who truly care about me. I’m realizing more and more that life truly isn’t about the number of friends you have, but the quality of your friends. I feel extremely lucky to have those people in my life and I couldn’t imagine it without them.
Getting to the more exciting topics, I’ve been looking forward to turning 21 for a couple of years now, mostly so I can finally go to wine painting classes with my mom. Now that I’m of legal age, I feel like I’m just going to complete my transformation into a grandma, and that’s definitely not something I’m mad about. So many doors open to you once you’re 21, namely, better seats at concerts, and movie theaters that don’t allow children. I cannot believe I’m finally 21; it feels like yesterday I was just turning 16.
My birthday was surprisingly sunny, which I was so grateful for. Seattle has been seeing so many cloudy, rainy days, so it was a little blessing to have a clear(er) day. I got to show one of my best friends around the cherry blossoms in the Quad at my university (something it’s known for), and it was really fun to get some cute photos. I recently got a polaroid camera, so I was able to get some instant photos, which was really nice. Photos don’t seem to get printed out nearly as often anymore, so it’s great to have a camera that can do it right away. I’m definitely glad I made the investment!

Here’s some photos from the day:

That night I went out to one of my favorite districts in Seattle, Capitol Hill, and went to some fun bars with my of legal age friends. It was strange being back in bars after spending a lot of time in them last summer while in Europe, but also really fun! The satisfaction of pulling out my driver’s license was pretty great, and I don’t think it’ll get old for a while.

I ended up wearing this really cute romper I got from Pacsun, and I’m so glad it didn’t rain while we were out! The weather wasn’t too cold, it was actually pretty great for an April night, only a light sweater was needed (name that reference). I’m so excited to be able to go to really cute outdoor bars this summer! There’s something so great about being able to just spend time with your friends on a warm summer night, it’s definitely one of my favorite feelings.

Reflecting back on my birthday, it’s still so crazy to me that I’m finally 21. I’m trying to cherish these early-20s memories, because I know one day I’m not going to have the freedom that I do now, despite being busy with college. One day real life will catch up to me and it’ll be hard to spontaneously decide to go out with friends and spend the night out on the town. I’m so grateful I have the opportunity to do so now!

I just wanted to write up a quick post about my birthday, partly so I can look back on it later in life. I hope you enjoyed it, and thank you so much for reading! I hope you are all having a wonderful day 🙂

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I’m Going to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter!

posted on : April 19, 2016 posted by : Stnkrbug 0 Comment
While I was at the beach for my birthday weekend, my parents surprised Joycie, Rachel, and I with a scavenger hunt with the last clue being a trip to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter as my birthday present! I finally got the vlog edited from the whole hunt, so I thought it would be fun to share it with you all on my blog! The whole scavenger hunt was a lot of fun and was Harry Potter themed as well, so that was super cool. There was a couple of clues that were pretty tricky, but we ended up figuring it out!
My cousins did the scavenger hunt with us, and we all had a blast. It was fun to just be a kid again! I’m just so grateful to my parents for giving me this trip as a present, especially since I love Harry Potter so much. We were originally going to go during Memorial Day weekend, but now we might go right after school ends, so I don’t have to worry about studying for finals while we’re at Harry Potter World.
I really hope you guys enjoy this vlog because it was so fun to make! I cannot wait to go to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in LA, and I’ll of course make sure to take lots of photos and share them on the blog! I’ll also probably vlog while I’m there, and I’ll share that here, too.

Thank you so much for reading and watching! 🙂

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Weekend Recap: 20th Birthday Beach Celebration

posted on : April 15, 2016 posted by : Stnkrbug 0 Comment

As you all know, this past weekend was my birthday weekend, and I got to spend it at one of my favorite beaches here in the Pacific Northwest with my best friends and family! I had such a great time, and I just wanted to share some photos with you all because I was able to get some really good ones.

This was on my actual birthday, and if you follow me on Instagram, then you saw Julie the duck! She wandered over to the sheet Joycie and I had put down to eat lunch on, and I happen to carry duck food with me (there’s a lot of cute ducks to feed on campus, I’m not strange…), so she got to eat a little lunch with us too! She was seriously so adorable.
 My parents sent me a bouquet of some of my favorite flowers on my birthday – they are so pretty, and are still alive!

 I ended up finding this cute little rock shaped like a heart!

 TJ, or “old-man-dog” as we lovingly call him even though he’s only four, completely passed out after the first long day at the beach.

 Here’s some cute shots of my family and I! In this one our dogs had just spotted another dog they were dying to play with.

 Completely normal.
Haha, I had to include these last two because they’re a pretty accurate representation of how Joycie, Rachel, and I actually are when we’re all together.
My 20th birthday weekend was honestly one of the best I’ve ever had, and I’m so glad Joycie and Rachel were able to come along with my family and I. We all had a blast, and I definitely did not want to leave! The beach was really gorgeous, and wasn’t even cold at all. I’m also really glad I got as many photos as I did (many of them courtesy of Joycie and Rachel) so I can look back on them and relive all of the happy memories.
Do you like going to the beach?

Thank you so much for reading, and have a great day! 🙂
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20 Things I’ve Learned by the Age of 20

posted on : April 8, 2016 posted by : Stnkrbug 0 Comment

It is Friday, April 8th, which means it’s my twentieth birthday! I cannot believe I am twenty years old – two decades! The years seem to go by faster and faster with every birthday, and here we are at twenty of them! I really don’t feel old enough to no longer be a teenager, if that makes any sense. For so long I have identified as a teen, and now I am a full-fledged young adult. I know I’m still young – I still can’t even drink – but it’s crazy to think that I have entered my twenties. Even though I’m pretty nervous and scared to be in my twenties, I’m also really excited to see what the future holds. I still have to get through college, but who knows where I’ll be after that! That’s a scary thought to have, and I can’t believe that it’s one so real and applicable to my life right now.

Since I’ve been alive for two decades on our lovely planet earth, I thought I would share twenty things I have learned thus far!

1. It’s okay to mess up.

2. No one notices things as much as you think they do.

3. You can’t control life.

4. Times spent being crazy with friends are just as important, if not more, than when you were ten.

5. It’s okay to ask for help.

6. Don’t bottle things up, because you will end up emotionally exploded, and it won’t be fun or pretty.

7. Stop to pet the cute puppy (after asking the owner’s permission, of course), you will regret it if you don’t.

8. Cherish the time you spend with family, because it gets harder to do so as you get older and busier.

9. It’s okay if people don’t like you, not everyone will no matter how hard you try.

10. Make time for yourself.

11. Stand up for yourself.

12. Life gets a lot easier when you love and believe in yourself.

13. Your parents advice might seem like they are nagging on you, but they are only telling you these things because they love you.

14. Treat your body well by exercising and eating right.

15. …but one cookie won’t hurt.

16. ‘Treat yo self’ when you need it.

17. It’s okay to need your parents and family, you’re still learning.

18. The first time you have to ‘adult’ is scary, but it gets easier with time.

19. Make time to hang out with your friends.

20. Taking time to appreciate all that you have makes it easier to get through the tough times.

–

I’m not saying that I am old and wise now that I’m twenty; on the contrary, I know I have a lot to learn and many mistakes to make. I just thought it would be cool to list these things out, especially so I can look back on it later in life! The beauty of having my blog and YouTube channel is I can look back on all of the events in my life, and remember how I was feeling at the time. I’m so glad that I decided to start both, and I know I will be really grateful in the future as well. I also want to take this time to thank each and every one of you who takes the time to read my blog, and watch my YouTube videos! I really appreciate all of you, and I hope that you enjoy both my blog and channel.
I’m going to go now and enjoy my birthday, but expect a lot of pictures and a vlog after my birthday weekend! I’m going to the beach with family and friends, and also doing some fun things here on campus, so I will make sure to document them all 🙂
For now, I hope you all have a wonderful day, and as always, thank you so much for reading! 🙂

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My 20th Birthday Wish List

posted on : April 1, 2016 posted by : Stnkrbug 0 Comment

I cannot believe that I am turning 20 next week. My teenage years will officially be over, and I will be entering the second decade of my life. That is a crazy thought! It seems like it was just Christmas; this year is seriously flying by. It always felt like it took a crazy long time to get to my birthday when I was younger, but now that I’m older time is starting to move a lot faster.

Since my birthday is in exactly one week, I thought it would be fun to share my birthday wish list with you all! I do not expect to get all of these things at all, it’s just fun to see all of the new items out right now and dream of getting a couple of goodies!

Tarte Rainforest of the Sea Collection
Honestly, I would be so happy to get anything from the new Tarte collection. You all know my love for Tarte, and this new collection looks so gorgeous! All of the lipsticks that are out look so pretty, and the foundation and skin care products sound divine.

Copper Birkenstocks
My love for Birkenstocks runs deep; I wear either my brown or floral pair pretty much everyday during spring and summer because they are so comfortable and cute. They go with pretty much everything, and are also so practical to wear with all of the walking I do around campus! Birkenstocks actually provide a lot of support for your feet, and I recommend them to everyone.
Calvin Klein Bralette
I know this is very “basic” of me, but I really want a Calvin Klein bralette! They are supposed to be super comfortable and soft, and I basically live in all of my lace bralettes, anyway. Also I probably only wear a bra maybe once every week or two, oops…..at least this would get a lot of use!
Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM Standard Zoom Lens

Or…

Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM Ultra Wide Angle Zoom Lens

I’m not sure which lens I want yet, since I’m going to be using them when I study abroad in Europe this summer. My family has a friend who is a photographer, so I need to ask him which one would be best for scenery pictures, as well as taking pictures of all of the gorgeous architecture. 


Barnes and Noble Gift Card
Honestly, I am always so happy when I get gift cards to Barnes and Noble! I am an avid reader, so there is no better gift than a good book, or a gift card that can buy a good book. Some people don’t like getting or giving gift cards since they seem less personal, but I really don’t mind it because I know they just want me to buy something that I will genuinely like.
Tickets to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in LA
Last but not least, this is a gift that I would probably just pass out if I received it. I know the likelihood of actually getting this is slim to none, but hey, a girl can dream!
–
I am still in shock that my birthday is only a week away. The years go by faster and faster as you get older, which is really scary! I don’t feel like I should be 20 years old, and it also doesn’t feel like it should already be April. Where is 2016 going so quickly?!
As I get older, it also gets harder and harder to actually think about what I want to receive for my birthday. With every year, the things that are important to me are becoming less material; I now value time with family and friends over anything else, and the simple feeling of happiness. When we’re little it’s so easy to get caught up with the latest and greatest toys, and be happy just from the gift of things. I think that’s a part of everyone’s childhood, and it’s a natural, healthy experience. As we get older, though, our set of values change, and it’s no longer important to receive a ton of presents. What’s truly important is that we spend our time being happy with those we love.
Do you find it harder to make birthday lists as you get older?
Thank you so much for reading, and have a wonderful weekend! 🙂
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19th Birthday Snaps

posted on : April 10, 2015 posted by : Stnkrbug 0 Comment
I am now officially nineteen. What?! When I woke up yesterday it actually hit me that I’ll now reply “nineteen” to the question “How old are you?” Twenty will most likely be much more scary, but I think nineteen is significant because it means I have been an adult (okay, legally) for a whole year. It was also my very first birthday away from home, which was really strange! I ended up having a wonderful birthday, and got to go out with my two best friends during spring break a couple of weeks ago to celebrate with them as well.

My outfit that I wore!

Good company meant lots of smiles!
Look at how beautiful my risotto was. It tasted as good as it looked!
They even put a candle on my creme brûlée!

I would just like to point out the man in the top left corner…
And again….
The exact moment my candle went out before I blew it out!
I had such a wonderful evening with my two best friends, and I’m so glad I got to celebrate early with them. As you get older, you start to realize who is truly important in your life, and who really cares for you! And even though it gets more difficult, spending time with them is really the best thing in the world.

On my actual birthday, one of my best friends and my floor mates in my dorm threw me a little surprise birthday party! I was so surprised, and super happy! Unfortunately, I didn’t get to take any pictures but it was caught on camera! If I end up putting it into a vlog I will definitely post it here. My parents also surprised me (and brought my dogs!) so that was so great as well.

Thank you as well to all of you who have wished me a happy birthday! I had a wonderful day overall, and I also got the CANON T5I!!!!! I cannot contain my excitement, so expect lots of pictures soon.

Also, if you would like to see it, I filmed a ‘Get Ready With Me’ for my birthday!

Thanks for reading, and have a wonderful day! 🙂

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My Birthday Wish List!

posted on : March 23, 2015 posted by : Stnkrbug 0 Comment
My birthday is coming up in about two and a half weeks, so I’ve been trying to think of things that I want! I really don’t want a lot this year, and it seems like it gets harder and harder to think of things I’d like to get as presents every year, because I’ve really been focused on school and my blog lately.
The Canon Rebel t5i is on the very top of my wishlist this year! I’m really hoping to get this beauty from my parents, so I’ll keep my fingers crossed!!
The Cinderella collection from MAC is to die for! I love all of the pretty and light colors and the packaging is so pretty! I also just want some cute spring clothes and also some more workout clothes, so we’ll see if I end up with any of that! I’d be perfectly content with the Rebel, though, and might possible cry if I get it.
What’s on your wishlist at the moment?

Thank you so much for reading, and have a wonderful day! 🙂
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Birthday,Outfit of the Day

OOTD: Birthday Edition

posted on : April 12, 2014 posted by : Stnkrbug 0 Comment
Hey guys!
Sorry it’s been a couple of days since my last post, this week has been insane! I had my birthday party on Sunday and my actual birthday was on Tuesday (April 8th) and the rest of the week has been a blur haha. I haven’t even gotten the chance to share some pictures from my birthday with you guys!
First though, I’ll show you guys what I wore out to eat on my birthday.
Necklace: Forever 21
Jacket: American Eagle
Crop Top: Nordstrom
Skirt: Nordstrom
Shoes (even though you can’t see them haha): Birkenstocks
Bracelet: Forever 21
I got a gift card to Nordstrom for my birthday, so I went and got this skirt and shirt! I really love it and it was the perfect thing to wear to dinner because it was dressy-ish, but still casual enough. And it’s super comfortable! The skirt is a bit too long, but nothing too drastic so it was fine for the night. I’ll probably be getting a pair of wedges soon, so I’ll be able to wear those with this. This is also the perfect outfit to wear for the coming warmer months! I’ll probably be wearing this a lot in the summertime!
Okay, so real quick, I just had to share my birthday cake with you guys! I was going to take more pictures from my party, but unfortunately, right after I took a couple pictures of my cake, my camera died! I was so sad. But anyway, here’s my cake!
  The toe of the sock fell off from one of the little kids, but oh my gosh this cake!!! I was so stoked when I first saw it since I’m a huge Harry Potter fan haha. I just about died! Since I turned 18, I’m now “free” so I got this cake (I’m really hoping you all get this reference! It’s from the second Harry Potter book/film)! My parents own a bakery so I’m very lucky to get awesome cakes! It was so yummy, and gluten-free as well since I am allergic to wheat. I couldn’t be more thankful!
I had such a wonderful birthday this year (my friends even threw me a surprise birthday party!) and I cannot  believe I’m now 18 and legally an adult. It doesn’t feel real! Pretty soon I’ll be graduated from high school and off to college. My life is definitely changing, but I can’t wait to see where it will take me!
Thank you so much for reading, and have a wonderful day! (:
Birthday,Outfit of the Day

OOTD: Birthday Edition

posted on : April 12, 2014 posted by : kendralstricklin 0 Comment
Hey guys!
Sorry it’s been a couple of days since my last post, this week has been insane! I had my birthday party on Sunday and my actual birthday was on Tuesday (April 8th) and the rest of the week has been a blur haha. I haven’t even gotten the chance to share some pictures from my birthday with you guys!
First though, I’ll show you guys what I wore out to eat on my birthday.
Necklace: Forever 21
Jacket: American Eagle
Crop Top: Nordstrom
Skirt: Nordstrom
Shoes (even though you can’t see them haha): Birkenstocks
Bracelet: Forever 21
I got a gift card to Nordstrom for my birthday, so I went and got this skirt and shirt! I really love it and it was the perfect thing to wear to dinner because it was dressy-ish, but still casual enough. And it’s super comfortable! The skirt is a bit too long, but nothing too drastic so it was fine for the night. I’ll probably be getting a pair of wedges soon, so I’ll be able to wear those with this. This is also the perfect outfit to wear for the coming warmer months! I’ll probably be wearing this a lot in the summertime!
Okay, so real quick, I just had to share my birthday cake with you guys! I was going to take more pictures from my party, but unfortunately, right after I took a couple pictures of my cake, my camera died! I was so sad. But anyway, here’s my cake!
  The toe of the sock fell off from one of the little kids, but oh my gosh this cake!!! I was so stoked when I first saw it since I’m a huge Harry Potter fan haha. I just about died! Since I turned 18, I’m now “free” so I got this cake (I’m really hoping you all get this reference! It’s from the second Harry Potter book/film)! My parents own a bakery so I’m very lucky to get awesome cakes! It was so yummy, and gluten-free as well since I am allergic to wheat. I couldn’t be more thankful!
I had such a wonderful birthday this year (my friends even threw me a surprise birthday party!) and I cannot  believe I’m now 18 and legally an adult. It doesn’t feel real! Pretty soon I’ll be graduated from high school and off to college. My life is definitely changing, but I can’t wait to see where it will take me!
Thank you so much for reading, and have a wonderful day! (:
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Party-spiration

posted on : April 3, 2014 posted by : Stnkrbug 0 Comment
Hey guys!
So my birthday is officially in less than a week. What. I honestly cannot believe it! I’ll be turning 18 and I seriously feel like I’m still 12 – time is flying by! 
Since my birthday falls on a Tuesday this year (April 8th) I’m having a party at my house for my family and our close family friends this Sunday. I’m super excited! I love decorating, so I’ve been on Pinterest looking up ideas, and I thought I would share with you guys what I’m thinking of doing!
I’m going to stay with a pastel color scheme with gold accents because it’s so pretty and elegant! I really love this picture because it’s basically how I want everything to look haha. I don’t actually know what my cake will look like though, because my parents own a bakery and they are surprising me!
 I really love the little pom-pom things made out of tissue paper. We got some to hang around everywhere and I think they’ll look really cute!
We are also going to have these picture balloons floating around! I think it’s such a great way to have tons of photos from my life displayed, but in a different way from the traditional framed ones. And my family loves looking at photos so I’ll have to throw in some funny and embarrassing ones haha.
 I think for entry ways these would be cute, possibly a combination of the two? But I think I might have too many animals for this to actually stay for the whole day…
We’re going to be using both of these ideas; I think they are both so pretty and will look really great! We got gold floating candles since I want to have gold accents everywhere, and I absolutely love flowers so it’ll be the best of both worlds since I’m obsessed with candles as well!
 I think we might do this to our french doors that go out to our porch (of course with an 18 hehe) since we have so many pictures. I think it’ll look really cute! Although, as my dad pointed out, it’ll look like an 81 when you’re outside haha!
 I don’t know if we’ll actually do this, but it’s such a cute way to add even more gold accents! The sparkles might get a bit messy so we may skip this, especially since it’ll be a lot of effort for something that we’ll just throw away. And my little boy cousins probably won’t appreciate having gold hands. Something like this would be so cute for a wedding, though!
Well that’s what I have so far! My mom and I went and got some decorations yesterday, which makes me even more excited! I can’t wait to put everything up and see how it all turns out (: I am definitely going to do a post all about it once everything is ready!
How do you like to decorate for parties?
Thank you so much for reading, and also thank you so much to everyone who follows! I just reached 50 followers and I could not be more grateful! Thank you thank you thank you!! (: