There is a point where you feel a full jackpot of luck when your Birthday lands on a Saturday or Sunday!! In my case, my 23rd Birthday landed on a Sunday. After having been in school and celebrated the majority of my Birthdays while attending school, it was oh so special to be able to have a Birthday Weekend on my actual Birthday – haha!
All across my Instagram (follow me @_thepinkchickadee!!) over this past week, I have been sharing ALLL the fun tea on my Birthday weekend. This past weekend, I celebrated my 23rd Birthday! It ended up being one of the BEST weekends I could’ve asked for – my college best friends Alanna and Hannah flew up from Raleigh, North Carolina for the weekend and my college best friend Shivani who goes to graduate school in the Washington, DC area joined us in on some of the fun. We also enjoyed some time with my Mom, Papa, Step Dad, and brother. Not to mention, I took the Monday afterwards off of work, too, which was great for my mental health and self care.
Alanna and Hannah both arrived by Saturday morning. It is Birthday tradition for me to order Georgetown Cupcake – my favorite bakery EVER – for a Birthday dozen of cupcakes to share with friends. Fun fact: this Birthday tradition of mine started when I started going off to college in North Carolina hours away from my family and wanted a cake to enjoy with friends, however, I prefer cupcakes to cake and ALWAYS have. So, since I now live in the Washington, DC area, why not go to the actual original Georgetown Cupcake storefront ON my Birthday weekend?! I planned a preorder at the Georgetown Cupcake storefront with a 2pm pickup. So, Alanna, Hannah, and I headed out to Georgetown via Metro in the early afternoon. We, then, walked around Georgetown before enjoying the all-inclusive Georgetown Cupcake experience of waiting in the long line outside of the storefront before grabbing out cupcakes to go. We ended up deciding to wait in line, as Hannah and Alanna wanted to walk into the storefront with me. Currently as of April 30, 2022, Georgetown Cupcake only allows two parties in at once within their storefront, due to COVID-19. Tip of the trade though: one can skip the line to pickup a cupcake preorder at their given pickup time at Georgetown Cupcake!!
After picking up my Birthday cupcakes and checking out the Georgetown Cupcake storefront, Hannah, Alanna, and I checked out the brand-new Scout Flagship store, located right across the brand’s headquarters along a gorgeous cobblestone street. The store was drop dead gorgeous – filled with so many gorgeous Scout Bags and even jewelry designed by the brand’s founder, too. While in the Scout Flagship store, we got to meet the brand’s photographer who happened to be at the store then! She showed us the studio (which during the weekdays can sometimes be in use for content shoots!!!!) that was in the window looking out just behind the storefront. The Scout Flagship store is definitely a must-see for any preppy fashion lover and most definitely on my bucket list to go see again and more specifically during the week to hopefully catch a photoshoot within the studio!
Shivani met me, Hannah, and Alanna at the Scout Flagship store. We, then, checked out a pizza shop on M Street – one of the major streets filled with shops and restaurants in Georgetown. Each of us went to Meredith College and we each shared some of our many special memories there, too. After lunch, we went off to the Georgetown Waterfront Park to *finally* indulge in some Georgetown Cupcakes !!!! and admire the waterfront views overlooking the Potomac River and the city of Washington, DC. We, then, checked out the opening of Washington, DC’s VERY OWN Bitty & Beau’s franchise – a coffee shop that is pivoting the way to hiring primarily those with disabilities of all kinds and making jobs more accessible for EVERYONE – to say hi to my family friends who own the franchise, including 2017 CNN Hero of the Year Amy Wright (Hannah, Alanna, and I went to college with our friend and her daughter Lillie!!).
After a nice afternoon in Georgetown, Alanna, Hannah, and I parted our ways with Shivani and then headed to a local Mexican restaurant for some Margarita’s and Pina Colada’s. But, once we got home, when were in for a treat: WE HAD BEEN FLOCKED!!!! My Mom had treated me to being flocked for my Birthday. Yes, you heard me right – my Mom ordered a BUNCH of plastic flamingoes to be put in my front yard for my Birthday. It was literally a DREAM come true and an amazing way to kick off my Birthday!
As for my actual Birthday, Sunday, Hannah, Alanna, and I decided to stay close to home and visit the nearby town of Occoquan, Virginia. I consistently visit Occoquan, Virginia – a town located about 30 minutes South of Washington, DC (and just a few minutes from my house) that holds a lot of historic charm, including some history involving the Suffragettes in the early 1900’s and a historic flood that burdened the town in the first half of the 20th century. It is a stunning town that has maintained its historic, Virginian charm over the years AND only plays homage to small, local businesses (besides the post office!!). We grabbed brunch at a local restaurant looking over the water at a Tiki Bar – gotta live it up am I right?!?! – and then went to a local consignment shop in town. Then, we admired the waterfront along the Occoquan River (an offshoot of the well-known Potomac River) before our time getting cut short due to the rain. So, in perfect Katie fashion, we went to Starbucks where I got my free Birthday drink!
After my Birthday brunch, we headed for dinner with my Mom, Step Dad, brother Will, and Papa before Hannah headed back home and Alanna and I had a lazy Monday the day after. My Birthday was truly a special weekend for me and my best friends Alanna and Hannah who took the time to come up and make my weekend oh so special. I am truly grateful for our friendships that have lasted since my early college years. Soon enough, we’ll all be back in Raleigh, North Carolina to celebrate Hannah’s Meredith College graduation !!!! in just a few short weeks. But, until then, I will be reminiscing over my amazing Birthday weekend!
XOXO – Katie <3