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My mom and her sister have birthdays so close together, and so it only makes sense to celebrate them together in one post. Both were born in the 1950s in Yellowknife, N.W.T., and moved to Vancouver Island before either was a teenager.

The look on my aunt’s face is simply priceless!

And though they’ve managed to fight like sisters over their lifetime, they’ve also loved like sisters. Despite all the ups and downs that everyday life can bring, their love, closeness and unfailing support for each other has always remained.

Apparently my mom used to be Drew Barrymore?

I am beyond grateful to have no less than two phenomenal women in my family to cherish, look up to and receive so much love and support from.

Though closely related, each woman is a unique figure in her own way. They most certainly have their differences, but Charley is definitely one thing they can both agree on!

So today, on my Mom’s actual 29th birthday (my Aunt turned 29 at the end of October), I want to take this opportunity to publicly wish them both a very happy birthday. I can’t wait to celebrate with you both next time I’m home because you are both certainly worth celebrating.

Before she was a solo artist, before she guest-spotted for Postal Service and before she fronted Rilo Kiley, Jenny Lewis made films (anyone seen Big Girls Don’t Cry…They Get Even? Didn’t think so). It’s been since then that I’ve adored her and I still adore Ms. Lewis to this day. She was the only and the entire reason for me and Jen’s trip to Seattle this weekend.

We arrived at the legendary Showbox Theatre at the Market at 4 p.m. on Sunday afternoon in hopes to snag our tickets, only to be met with the news that the show was sold out. The bouncer at the adjacent Green Room told us that if we came to the bar around 5 p.m. when they opened, perhaps we’d get squeezed in with some last minute tickets.

We did as we were told and returned an hour later, sucking back on vodka sodas (hold the soda) with lime until doors opened at 7 p.m. The show was still sold out with no extra tickets yet to be released, so we plundered the sidewalk in hopes that a scalper would be hanging around. No luck.

After half an hour, one of the bouncers came out and told us if we went back into the Green Room and hung out in the back, he’d find a way to get us in. Within minutes, Jen and I found ourselves in the second row behind the stage gate. We were in and we were ready for Jenny Lewis.

A few minutes after the clock struck eight, Jenny Lewis and her five-piece band hit the stage to deafening cheers. I couldn’t even tell you what she opened with or what she played because everything passed in such a blur.

A crowd favourite was most definitely the acoustic track of her same-titled sophomore disc, “Acid Tongue.”

Seeing this woman playing live for the second time was completely unreal. Plus, it only served to further solidify her status of “Official Girl Crush” for me.

The only disappointment I felt with the show was in that Jenny didn’t play “Godspeed” – my favourite track from her new disc. However, I did manage to spot her at Pike Place Market in the hours before the show, enjoying some solo mellow time. She’s petite but hard to miss.

That being said, the show was worth every penny spent and every mile driven. There’s something about Jenny Lewis that engages her audience from note one. She has a stage presence that is playful yet poised, reserved and yet real. I’d see her again in a heartbeat and you’d all be crazy not to follow my example.

Jen has also reviewed the show with some photos of her own and an awesome video clip, which can all be found here.