I had the sweetest possible birthday this year for the big 35. 

Amusing aside: My 25th birthday was spent DJing in the basement of an Eastern European dive bar in a zebra print dress… and I blogged about it right here at Hey Mishka. This blog is now over a decade old, so I actually have those wild memories all in one place. Kind of bananas, right?

Anyway, this celebration could not have been more different—which is to be expected a decade later.

See, I’ve been feeling sentimental lately for the girl I used to be, long before I got caught up in the second-guessing and adulting business of the ~real world~. What better time to reconnect with that version of myself than on this milestone birthday?

I decided to get back in touch with my semi-wholesome middle school-aged cheerleader self (haha, yes, that’s right) by throwing a proper Hudson Valley birthday in the yard of my parent’s house.

Mom loved the idea, and I was seriously eager to reconnect with a time where I drank copious amounts of tea, filled alarming amounts of sketchbooks/notebooks with endless ideas, and spent a lot more time outdoors.

My childhood and young teenage birthdays were always celebrated with adorably autumnal parties involving games (bobbing for apples and cinnamon donut-on-a-string, anyone?), costumes (close enough to Halloween, so why not?), and outdoor frivolity.

Basically, all the things I wish I had more of in my life right now.

The first hint of autumn in the air always revved me up for homecoming season, my birthday, and all of the festive things fall brings with it. It’s still my absolute favorite season, so this little waltz down nostalgia lane felt like a good vibe way to ring in my personal new year.

Before we left Brooklyn for the Hudson Valley, Eduardo and I raided a Mexican bakery and found an epic assortment of pastries, pan de fiesta, and my favorite peanut marzipan treats. I pulled together a colorful tablescape with a tiered bamboo tray, bright woven table runner, some faux-eucalyptus (I’ll be decorating with this thing all year—such a good find), and assorted fall-tastic finishing touches, like sparkly pumpkins and sweet little gourds.

We spent the day grilling—E made carne enchilada tacos, veggie kabobs, nopales, and a few other scrumptious things—and sipping celebratory champagne. Actually, my birthday was my first time drinking alcohol in over 45 days after doing a little self-imposed challenge to detox, and let me tell you… that was a delicious first sip of champagne.

(Sidebar: I highly recommend taking a cold-turkey break from alcohol, even for casual/occasional drinkers. I visibly lost weight from my face and experienced a host of other pleasing benefits pretty much immediately. Definitely making this a regular thing!)

We mixed champagne with pure organic apple juice and cranberry juice for a little fall-flavored rendition of bubbly. Grandma gave this concoction five stars. 😉 Simple, but highly recommended.

We had goodie bags (another homage to my childhood festivities), two fabulous cakes (one made by Eduardo, which came out beautiful!—another Halloween-themed brought by Maya, which was the sweetest!).

Needless to say, Libra vibes were alive and well.

Oh, and I also forced everyone to take festive selfies with me, because #birthdaygirlrules.

When the sun went down we lit up the fire pit to relax, play music, and talk late into the night. Finally, we crashed It was basically the perfect day.

You can watch it all unfold in this mini-vlog—or, as I’ve decided to call it, a video scrapbook. This includes my actual birthday, which was the Thursday before we trekked upstate. Some very special things went down! Think lounging with doggos, my favorite Twitch streamer singing to me, and really pretty flowers…

All in all, a dreamy week/weekend and a great way to close out an almost unbelievably cinematic, transformative decade.

Some people say a decade can fly by, but I have to say… I felt every minute of it. I guess I’m lucky that I was able to live life to the fullest in a lot of ways. Moving forward, I have plans to balance, simplify, amplify creativity, and just get to know the version of myself I’ve evolved into.

I definitely have a more robust list of goals that I’m focusing on for the next 365, but I think I’ll save that for another post. I need some time to sit down with a cup of tea and let them sink in before I share.

Don’t worry, though! I’m prepping some fun fall and holiday DIY, vlogs, and other stuff to share with you guys in the meantime. Because one of my biggest goals for the immediate future is to start documenting life again. It makes me very, very happy.

Thanks to everyone who made this birthday so special. Here’s to another 10 years!

P.S. I can’t wrap this up without sharing a snapshot of those middle school cheerleading days I was talking about… If I can channel some of this energy for 2020, I’ll be golden!

What better way to say “I love you” than with a warm-and-fuzzy cocktail you made yourself? 🍸❤️

Erin—a.k.a. the bartender of my heart—stopped by the other day with a tote bag of booze and fancy drink utensils to whip some up. She created three delicious libations to serve to friends and lovers on the most commercially romantic day of the year. 😉

The afternoon was an ode to the cocktail we mixed up for a v-day blog post many years ago! If you remember that, you’re a true Hey Mishka OG.

The cocktails range from mild to strong in intensity, but all are pretty simple to whip up with ingredients you won’t have trouble finding.  Oh, and they’re really pretty.

After drinking copious cocktails in order to film this video (I know, I know, occupational hazards), things got pretty warm-and-fuzzy. Mentally, anyway!

Whether you’re having a party with the girls or planning a special night with your s.o., these DIY valentine’s day cocktail recipes will add a whole new level of deliciousness to the mix.

Don’t forget to ask for a tip. 💋

After you watch the video, grab the full recipes below. Bottoms up!

Who says girls don’t buy themselves heart-shaped jewelry? I mean, Pam says it on The Office when she’s unraveling a scandal, but she’s way off. I adore heart-shaped earrings—and the bolder, the better!

They make a great statement accent for Valentine’s Day (or any day), but since cupid’s b-day is upon us, I rounded up my favorite vintage heart-shaped earrings on Etsy for you to browse.

They range from around $10 to $100, so there’s something for everyone. Bonus points! Buying vintage is more eco-friendly (and fun) than grabbing the latest fast-fashion trend from a major retailer. Give it a shot!

Here are 24 perfect pairs of vintage heart-shaped earrings to try.

Heart-Shaped Vintage Earrings Under $15

1. Black and White Heart Earrings ($10)

2. Pink Plastic X’s and 0’s Heart Dangle Earrings ($10)

3. 80s Paint Splattered Heart Earrings ($8)

4. 80s Metallic Heart Dangle Statement Earrings ($9)

5. Mondrian-Inspired Heart Dangle Earrings ($12)

6. 80s Heart Hoop Post Earrings ($11)

Here’s my entire 2018 in 2 minutes or so. I struggle to put entire years into words when I write about them, but this pretty much sums it up!

Of course, what you don’t see here are the tough moments and struggles. Those happened! It wasn’t 100% festive and celebratory. I had plenty of breakdowns, failures, moments of confusion… It was the year of biting off more than I could chew.

Still, it was a year worth celebrating, like every other, and I’m glad to have this little montage to take me back.

Hope you enjoy, too. ♡ What was the highlight of YOUR year? (If you made one of these, I want to see it! Link me below.)

HAPPY NEW YEAR! 🥂

2018 was a whirlwind, so as the year came to a close, nothing sounded better to me than a laid-back New Year’s Eve with minimal fuss. Yup! For the first time in over a decade, I wanted to stay home.

In stark contrast to the full-blown bonanzas I’ve planned every year since my early 20s, I invited the girls over for a laid-back hang. It was planned in one day and I spent nothing, save for the cost of drinks and some snacks, to make it happen.

The ultimate secret, though? I held it the Saturday before NYE, so I checked the “fun party” requisite off my list and took the pressure off the 31st*.

Here’s how to throw a well-decorated, super-festive, totally low key New Year’s Eve party with the girls.

It might be a stretch to call The Palm Court at The Plaza Hotel a “café”, but my visit for Christmas tea this week more than earned it a place on my list of aesthetically pleasing hideaways.

I felt halfway between Gossip Girl and Downton Abbey as mom and I sipped bubbly and snacked on decadent bites in the midst of towering palms and a stunning interior. The prefix is pricey, but you know what? The experience was worth it.

The one word I’d use to describe Christmas Tea at The Plaza Hotel? Exquisite. Read on for stunning photos and a few insider tips that may be helpful if you’re planning your own visit.

We’re only just getting into the thick of December, but I’m already deep in the holiday madness. Freelance writing gigs and planning the Sugar x Spice Holiday Makers Market (next weekend in Brooklyn! RSVP there) have been taking time and energy, but you know me… I must make space for frivolity.

It’s non-negotiable. 😉

Since I didn’t have time to plan a full-blown Rose Gold Dinner Club gathering, I hosted an informal hang involving festive drinks, gingerbread houses, and antlers. Because of course I did.

As we constructed little houses and got royal icing all over the place, I realized a whimsical party was just what I needed to start the season on a jolly note. I mean, when was the last time you genuinely felt jolly?

As we laughed hysterically, belted out x-mas karaoke songs, and reenacted childhood Christmas traditions, I realized “jolly” was the only word for it. 

My favorite snaps from the gathering, as well as tips for putting one together, are below.

Introducing… the project I’ve been going nuts over for the past couple of weeks! The Hey Mishka Vintage shop is officially open for holiday 2018.

I’ve been hunting high and low, online, offline, upstate, and all over NYC for magical vintage pieces that you can rock during the holidays. I’ll be adding additional styles to the shop all week and into the new year.

We did an exciting shoot in my apartment at the end of November to kick off the launch. It was a day of pastries, xmas lights, and standing on a step ladder to capture big smiles and candy cane-garnished toasts. So fun!

I hope it gets you in the holiday spirit and gives you a few outfit ideas, too.

Some of you may remember the vintage shops I’ve had connected to this blog in the past—and the fact that shooting DIY lookbooks in my various apartments has been a long-standing passion of mine.

Treasure hunting for special pieces and sharing them on my blog has also been a passion for the past decade! This time, the shop is bigger, better, and more festive than ever.

See the full lookbook below—and shop Hey Mishka Vintage holiday 2018! You can also get on the mailing list to receive updates on new arrivals and sales.

Is it just me, or is it kind of perfect when Halloween falls on a random weekday? That gives you actual Halloween and a weekend before—or after—for extended costume & candy festivities!

Am I actually just an overgrown child? Yes, when it comes to holidays, I am.  And nothing brings out my inner dork like Halloween.

This year I decided to host a chill pregame get-together for Halloweekend, gathering some friends up for drinks and costumed foolishness before we headed to the Queens Brewery for additional foolishness.

With just a few touches, I created a spooky spread for snacks, drinks, and creeping it real (sorry not sorry). Here’s a closer look! 

Halloween might be Wednesday, but we’re officially landing in Halloween weekend this evening! 🎃 Eeek!

Don’t know what you’re wearing? No problem. I tore through my closet and put together five fun costumes using things I already had laying around.

Now, some of these definitely did involve costume pieces from years past, but I’m willing to bet if you read my blog you’ve got a few random wigs, masks, and other fun things in your room, too.

We’re just those kinds of gals, amirite?!

I’ve noted below where I purchased things to add to the costume, along with the price, so you can see just how cheaply I put these together.

And while you might not be able to copy my costumes verbatim, I hope these will serve as inspiration for you to create your own!

Ready to dive in and trick-or-treat yourself to some no-fuss costumes?

Let’s go!