eShakti Elephants

My birthday is tomorrow, dear readers! And, like last year, I'm celebrating by throwing myself a party. This year, though, Jon is here and we have even more to celebrate - we're hosting a triple bash for our wedding anniversary, my birthday, and his first full year as a legal alien in the United States. (Three more weeks until we toast to that last one officially!) We've got about 30 people coming over for drinks and food on the patio behind our building, and I'm so excited to gather so many of our local friends in one place for an evening.

One of the special things about tomorrow is that we really are celebrating with people we - both of us - love. It's so hard to move to a new city, let alone a new country, but Jon has really made DC his own. He's put down roots, he's developed friendships independent of me, and he feels at home here in his world, not just in mine. It's such a joy to see and to be able to share.

Another sign that Jon's comfortable in Washington: he understood that we couldn't just do one grocery store run for everything we'll be serving! When you plan coordinated trips to Costco, Safeway, and the farmers' market, you know you know your town.

Of course, the party isn't just an excuse to celebrate with friends and food. I've been thinking about what I might wear for the occasion for weeks now, and when I got to choose a dress from eShakti back in July I looked for a dress in their collection that I could wear for the occasion. This paisley/elephant printed one is so fun - I wanted spaghetti straps and a lower-cut neckline because I'm quite fond of my shoulders, but I love that the midi length keeps the dress garden-worthy. It's fully lined, which is a nice touch, though I have to admit that I'm not crazy about how the skirt is attached to the bodice of the dress - it's gathered rather than pleated, which can make me look like I have more of a tummy than I really do from some angles. Happily, my mom was quickly and easily able to sew darts in under the bust to give the shape a little more structure. And you know how I feel about a dress that has pockets!

Fair warning, party guests: there will almost certainly be some Costco chocolate sheet cake-fueled twirling in this dress tomorrow night!