Celebrate Your Best Friend’s Birthday

My Best Friend

I wasn’t fortunate enough to have a sister in life. I still remember asking my mom on multiple occasions for a sister. While that wasn’t in my cards, I am lucky enough to have the next best thing – a cousin who is like a sister. We like to tell everyone we are doubly related, my mom’s brother is married to my dad’s sister. We grew up together in Indiana, and though her family moved, our bond remained. Throughout the many phases of life she has been my confidant and my rock when things have gotten tough. The wonderful thing about her is that she plays that role for so many people in her life. So when her friends in Orlando were planning something special for her birthday, I of course had to join them. Whether it’s your friend, sister, or mom, read on for ways to celebrate your best friend’s birthday. Gifts and outings can never really express the depth of friendship, but sometimes those token gestures help relay the message.

A Thoughtful Gift

Buying a thoughtful gift for a milestone birthday for one of the most special people in your life is hard! How do you get something that’s meaningful but not cheesy? I went with a piece of jewelry that was equal parts pretty and meaningful. The interlocking circles are symbolic of our relationship to one another (I’m the small circle attaching itself to the more glamorous one).

Birthday Breakfast

We basically had a nonstop, 24 hour party, with a little break to sleep in the middle. Our first stop was The Glass Knife for breakfast. Having worlds collide can be tricky – half of us were childhood friends and relatives, the other half her adult life friends. Lucky for us we all had the common thread of being moms who love deep conversation, and of course a love of good food!

Flower Arranging Class

Our next stop was a flower arranging class at The Heavy. We had a great time arranging our flowers in their beautiful space, but I learned a few tips about flower arranging as well:

• Start with larger greens, the bottom leaf should hit the rim
• Your focal flower should fall in the midpoint of your greens
• the entire arrangement should be about 1 1/2 times higher than your vessel

With any and all blog posts, I have outfit details, affiliate links for items below! These pants are Sotra, and were perfect for the day’s events.

Stay at the Four Seasons

A Disney Resort is not the first place that comes to mind as a place to celebrate a 40th birthday. Man, was I wrong. The elegance and service of the Four Seasons Orlando is second to none and I was so happy to tag along as the hotel went out of their way to make my cousin’s birthday so special. Disclosure, I did not pay for my stay at the Four Seasons, that was courtesy of my cousin’s generous husband.

The Spa

While we didn’t have any spa services we took full advantage of the spa area, which included a jacuzzi, sensory showers, a sauna, and a relaxing lobby with snacks and tea. I wore my usual swimwear around the spa, which has sold out by now but I have affiliate links for similar items below.

Dinner at Capa

The hotel has lots of restaurant options, we decided to dine at Capa, their rooftop restaurant. The best part? Being able to see Epcot Center and Magic Kingdom fireworks as we dined. While all of the women looked fabulous, I only have affiliate links for my outfit below.

Enjoying the Resort

The last item on the agenda was brunch with the rest of her friends at Ravello. The Four Seasons is beautiful inside and out, and it is just as enjoyable walking around the resort as it is to admire the decor of the interior so I made sure to do that before we wrapped things up. I packed this dress I bought from Zara over the summer, isn’t it perfect for brunch? Shoes are very old Burberry. I have affiliate links for similar items below.