If you follow along on Instagram, you might have noticed that amidst the normal monotony of brunch, Capitol Hill, and Henry, there was a brief blip of strange luxury and posh surroundings a couple weeks ago.  It is all due to this lady……who decided that life is just to short to not throw an amazing party every once in a while. It was Rachel’s 30th birthday, and when she told me that she was throwing an epic weekend party, I decided to try to find a way to come. After all, she had located a place called Fairyhouse Hall, and that sounded too magical to miss. Thanks to weirdly cheap flights that weekend, and amazing parents who agreed to let me dump a very-difficult-teething-montser-baby-Henry with them, it happened!

You know I wouldn’t spare you the photos.Y’all. THESE COOKIES.I personally think that a good cookie (thick and soft) is the most perfect dessert in existence. Because nothing sets off a Badgley Mischka dress like an insulated bag of breast pump parts. By the way, it was my first time trying Rent the Runway, and I give it a solid B+.Why yes, we did wander the house and take awkward photos with the posh decor. Happy birthday besties! All three of these ladies have birthdays in the same week, and I’ve been happily fourth wheeling their birthday celebratings since the 8th grade.So, here’s the deal. There were actually many other people at this party. But I just found myself hanging with the girls who have been my inner circle since we were all awkward middle schoolers. The friendships that last for years are the very sweetest ones, and I will always be looking for time with my girlfriends…… especially if that time includes an Irish jockey turned chef who showed up and made us all breakfast. I KNOW.The logistics of flying early Saturday morning, laughing the night away, flying back late Sunday night with a cranky baby, having a truck hit our plane as we were boarding and then being delayed several hours in Chicago while a replacement plane was found, finally rolling into DC around 1am, was a special sort of awful in direct contradiction with the beauty of these photos.

But.

A magical slumber party with some of my very best friends, as well as a few hours with my parents, and Henry getting to see his grandparents made it all worthwhile.