This birthday was special—in the best way possible. It was intimate, filled with love, and a reminder that sometimes, the simple moments mean the most.

I had two celebrations: a dinner with my close friends on my actual birthday, and a separate dinner with my family this past Wednesday. Both made my heart so full.

My birthday week started off amAZing! Monday was MLK day, and then on Tuesday, a snowstorm hit—giving me the entire week off from work. Talk about perfect timing! But if you know birthdays, you know there’s always going to be some kind of hiccup. The Friday before, my original birthday outfit came in but it looked NOTHING like I planned. So, I rushed to order a whole new look—only for the snowstorm to delay it. And, as if that wasn’t enough, a few of my friends had to cancel last minute. I won’t lie, I was disappointed. But I reminded myself to look on the bright side.

And then, my mom surprised me. She decorated my room for my birthday—something she never does, IYKYK! This single gesture made my entire day, week, and probably month. She did something out of her comfort zone to make me feel special. It made me feel seen, and that touched my heartstrings.

Once the snow cleared and the roads were (somewhat) safe, my friends, two of my cousins, and I went to dinner at Tsunami Highland. I chose it because I loveeee sushi, and their version of an Espresso Martini is to die for. Of course, when I got there, they told me they don’t make it anymore—just my luck. But their Chocolate Martini more than made up for it. I also had their Gyoza Umami (pork dumplings), Rock n Roll, and Black & Gold roll—all chef’s kiss! Highly recommend if you ever go.

Even though some people couldn’t make it, I was at dinner with the ones who were meant to be there. Everything happened exactly as it was supposed to. I truly enjoyed myself, I felt loved, and that’s all I could ever ask for.

My family dinner was just as special, in a way that took me back to childhood—just us, sharing laughter, great conversation, and good eats at J. Alexander’s. Originally, I was bummed because I thought I wouldn’t get to celebrate with them—my mom had an event, my dad worked nights, and my brother was out of town. But my mom suggested we plan something for when we could all be together, and I’m so glad we did. J. Alexander’s was my first favorite restaurant growing up, and it was only right that I ordered my go-to: the Steak Maui; they marinate it for at least a day. I highly recommend it if you go.

We ate, we laughed, and then my parents gave me their gifts. My mom’s gift was so thoughtful it actually made me cry—the whole table teared up. She gave me a photo book with pictures of me growing up, along with gift cards to some of my favorite places: TJ Maxx, HomeGoods, Ulta, and Amazon. My dad got me a Coach Lana 23, something straight off my wishlist, and I’m so excited—I cannot wait to wear it! He also got me a pink and green cherry bag charm to go with it 🤭.

Now, don’t get me wrong—I’m extra AF and absolutely love doing big, extravagant things. But this time, simplicity won. No grand party, no over-the-top celebration. Just being surrounded by people I hold dear to my heart, and that was more than enough.

Even though not everything went according to plan (looking at you, missing birthday fit lol), everything happened just as it was supposed to. And everything—I mean everything 😌 —was perfect.

So here’s to 26. To love, gratitude, and quality time. To feeling appreciated. And, of course, to the very real reality of having to get my own health insurance. Cheers to that! 🥂✨

Stylishly yours,

Azha Moné

Stylishly 26: Love, Laughs & Little Things

@azhamone