Another birthday has flown by marking the end of yet another truly incredible year for me. Celebrations lasted all day on Saturday starting with the delivery of the world’s largest donut, then brunch at Siena Tavern with some of my favorite ladies in Chicago and wrapping up with shenanigans at Gilt Bar (my favorite bar in the city) and then a little too much fun at Untitled. 

I’ve had a little tradition over the past few years of taking time to recap and reflect on things that have happened over the course of the last year – so here are my 25 favorite moments of being 25 (in no particular order):

1. Had my little studio apartment featured on The Everygirl which did big things for my blog & readership
2. Made a huge career move and started a new job at the best digital agency in the country working on one of the largest brands in the world
3. Heard one of my biggest inspirations, Sheryl Sandberg speak as part of her “Lean In” book tour
4. Came back from an injury, set a half marathon PR & finished my second Chicago marathon
5. Collaborated with one of my all-time favorite brands, West Elm, on an in-store event & feature in their January catalog
6. Traveled to two new cities, DC & Nashville, officially kicking in some serious wanderlust and travel goals for 2014
7. Fund-raised & donated over $2,200 to various charities through my Chicago Marathon fundraising for the American Cancer Society and my 101 in 1001 list
8. Made it a point to see as much live music as possible, seeing some of my favorite bands at Lollapalooza and various shows across the city
9. Showed off Chicago and some of my favorite places in the city to some of my very favorite people in the world with lots of visitors
10. Checked baseball and hockey off my Chicago sporting games lists with two visits to Wrigley for Cubs games and a Blackhawks game during their winning streak of their Stanley Cup season
11. Found someone I was totally crazy about after a long, self-imposed dating hiatus and got to experience the bliss that is a new relationship and falling in love
12. Made the most of my second Chicago summer with weekends full of lounging by the pool, festivals, time at the beach and cocktails on patios
13. Was featured by Refinery29 in their “Real Girl, Real Beauty” feature spilling some of my beauty and curly hair secrets
14. Found balance between my new life in Chicago and my family and friends back in New Jersey thanks to frequent work trips to NYC & learned to love the Big Apple after years of not being a fan
15. Traded my high-rise apartment for a historic loft and settled in and decorated my 4th ladyplace of my own
16. Put a focus on friendships and relationships, making huge progress in my quest for a true work / life balance after a few years of being a workaholic
17. Became a member of the city’s newest dinner club, Cinq, and celebrated a love of food, wine and Chicago with some amazing company
18. Rode in the front seat of the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile down Michigan Avenue, waving to pedestrians like I was a faux celebrity
19. Spent the holidays at home in New Jersey with my family (and Callie!) and felt an even deeper appreciation for my family and the time I’m able to spend with them
20. Experienced what -40 degree windchill feels like and the bliss that is being home bound for four days and the extreme productivity that accompanies it
21. Scoured CraigsList and hunted down the perfect vintage brass bar cart after a little trip to Chicago’s west side for pickup
22. Learned to manage stress and anxiety better than ever before resulting in a generally less high strung mood and progress toward being a more present self
23. Made big plans for Pretty & Fun and set goals for the year ahead + brought in an intern (who you’ll meet very soon!) and photographer to help make those happen
24. Let go of grudges and fixed a broken relationship with my mother, for whom I am more grateful than ever before
25. Felt more comfortable and confident in myself and my path than ever before, with a new found sense of appreciation and pride

I also just wanted to take a second to extend an extra little thank you to Siena Tavern for not only accommodating our group but totally spoiling us (that birthday cake gelato? INCREDIBLE). If you haven’t visited yet, I cannot recommend it enough for both brunch and dinner, which is a rare find.

And also thank you to the lovely ladies who came out and celebrated with me – Sam, Sara V., Kit, Blair, Jessica, Erin, Maya, Emily, Darlene, Molly, Jillian, Catie, Kelsey, Maria, Sara B. and Nicole… you ladies are the absolute best. I still cannot believe that less than three years ago I knew no one in this city and today I have you all – I am endlessly grateful for your friendship.