Thank you Mikasa & Lifetime Brands for sponsoring this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Happy Wednesday! And, Happy Birthday to me. Today I turn 26 years old. This month (and year) has gone by so fast it’s unbelievable. So much has happened and is going to happen in the following year that I thought it would be appropriate to toast with some white wine and dessert! 

A couple months ago, Mikasa so generously sent me these gorgeous Savona grey dinnerware plates and and their new “Cheers” wine glasses to test out! You can check out the dinner-size plates in my Heirloom Tomato Caprese post. There’s no recipe today, it’s more of a food pairing suggestion– Chardonnay with fresh strawberries and whip cream. 

Bright red strawberries look beautiful against the steel-grey swirl on these hand painted plates. And I’m loving the funky swirls on these giant wine glasses.  It’s 105 degrees here in Texas which makes it perfect weather for light desserts such as berries.

I always say every year: my poor mom, having to be 9 months pregnant in this hot weather! I’ve said that to her before and she always says, “It was worth it!”. My 25th year was full of many exciting events. Some of my favorite moments, both in my personal life and on this blog: 

• Attended Blog Brulee in Vermont and meeting other food bloggers for the first time “in real life” 
• Purchased my DSLR camera (game.changer.) 
• Learned to use said DSLR camera, as well as Lightroom which ramped up all of my photography
• Got my first sponsored post! Shout-out to MyFitFoods!
• My future brother-in-law got married
• Said future brother and sister in law finding out they’re pregnant! 
• GETTING ENGAGED!! 
• Wedding planning! 
• Lost 23+ inches with bootcamp/cycling/running in 8 months 
• Moved to Fort Worth, Tx
• Started a new job with Dairy MAX and absolutely loving it
• Got my first recipe development gig with Sprouts Farmer’s Market
• Met Carla Hall from The Chew
• Visited Chicago for the first time 
• Stood on the 50 yard line of the Dallas Cowboys stadium
• Went to my first Texas Ranger’s game
• Traveling the most I’ve ever traveled in one year: Austin, San Antonio, Corpus Christi, California, Vermont, Chicago 

What I’m looking forward to in my 26th year: 

• Going to Bar Harbor, Maine for the Wild Blueberry tour the first weekend in August
• My bridal shower and bachelorette party the second weekend in August 
• One of my best friends having a baby in September
• Becoming an Aunt (officially when we’re married haha) in September as well
• Another one of my best friends getting married (In September, the same time as the babies being born, haha!)
• Getting married in November! 
• And, our honeymoon to the Dominican Republic! 
• Starting our life as a married couple 
• Continuing to work on my photography and recipe development business 
• For life to not be as crazy as it is now (yea right)
• To live each day in the moment! 

Cheers! Enjoy some strawberries and/or white wine for me today!