It only sounds old until you’re there.

As my sister-in-law so accurately stated: 30 only sounds old until you turn it, and then, it’s not old AT ALL! It’s strange- your twenties are the first decade as an adult (though those first couple years of them can barely be disguised as such!), and you learn so much. Thirty is all about putting that learning to good use and enjoying it! Intriguing, right?

I wasn’t so sure. My thoughts leading up to the day were alternating feelings of joy and self-loathing. Have I done enough? Am I where I should be? Did I make the right decisions? Some thoughts made me think, “that’s great, I’m way ahead of the game! Good for me!” and other times I was like “WTH, Bill Gates made $234 million by age 30? I might as well quit life now!” Well, retrospect is a bitch! I’m where I am today for a reason, and I didn’t get here by sitting around and sulking in the past.

So, in the end, JOY WINS!

I am oh-so-excited about what 30 will bring, and kicking it off was pure perfection.

It started with a morning yoga class, and a special delivery for breakfast- my favorite dark chocolate mocha and baker’s wife. Then it was off to lunch with my lovely mother, which left me wondering why we don’t do things like that more often (I see my parents a lot, but rarely is it one-on-one time. Note to self: spend more time alone with them, the conversation is different in many ways! Better realizing this at 30 than never).

In the afternoon I spent some time on party prep, which I’m so excited about. Color color everywhere!

And next came Bryan’s cards, which had me in tears at first glance.

Why did they have me in tears? Let’s talk about it.

One of the many things that I love and cherish about that boy is his 100% genuine acceptance of who I am. Even though I’m far from perfect, he encourages me to be proud of who I am and doesn’t go a day without reminding me of it. It makes me so emotional when I think about it. Perhaps, because I haven’t experienced that sort of pure love in the past?

I’ve dated in the past, and I’ve loved in the past. But with these other boys, never were we walking in step. We were racing each other, racing from the other. They were good people- and sometimes, in this big and complicated world, this is enough. A good person is hard to find, and sometimes it will do. Two good people can sometimes, sometimes make it work well with just that starting point. I probably could’ve settled for it, but it would have been hard, every day, like those relationships were. So hard.

But when I met the man that I would marry, this Bryan-who-writes-the-nicest-cards and loves-me-deeply-every-darn-day, it was not hard. As our friendship grew, and now our marriage, there are certainly things that are hard. Circumstances that are hard, disagreements that are hard. But being with him, it is not hard. Not at all, not one bit. Bryan feels like the most natural part of my life- not a perfect life- but perfectly placed together.

And maybe all of that, combined with the fact that I was turning thirty and often have moments of feeling far from perfect, is why his cards touched me so? Who knows, who knows!

But according to him, I was born perfect those 30 years ago.

and I am unique and special and cherished. Would you believe it if you heard it everyday? I nearly do!

And the words, oh the words inside these cards! I cried. I cried!

Love that man,

and the flowers he gave me,

and the totally overpriced and impractical duvet that he placed on our bed soon after the cards.

I had a few fun moments sprawling over the thing and laughing, but it will be going back. Can you imagine how paranoid I would be about it? Tilly rolling and snagging and slobbering on it? Someday, someday we will have a linen, dry-clean only duvet cover, but not in this decade. And probably not the next, or the next! Maybe that’s a 60 thing? We’ll see.

Next, we took aforementioned crazy Tilly on a beautiful, sun and chatter-filled walk, and then, then:

OH.MY.MEAT.

The Butcher and the Boar.

Go there!

We consumed:

• House pickle plate with pickled egg and sausage
• Lobster grilled cheese with smothered greens
• Bacon wrapped turkey, berkshire pork and cheddar sausage and blackened cauliflower
• Rhubarb shortcake, and
• a bottle of wine and one IPA

So insanely delicious.

And, did I mention that I got a dairy queen ice cream cake at work? I did,  I did.

I think that about sums it up!

For those of you approaching this milestone or anything similar, I have two words for you: FEAR NOT!

Color Me Thirty.

When I got married I used the wedding as an excuse to get my craft on. I’ve done little things here and there since then, but nothing quite like the next project at hand: COLOR ME THIRTY!
Talk about the perfect opportunity to get together with friends, whip up some delicious food and cocktails, throw on that party dress and celebrate. It’s not until May 19th, but there is never too much time to prepare the party, people.

The evite reads:

Then I blinked, and I was turning 30. 

We’ve heard it before: “birthdays aren’t about the number of years.” They are about celebrating growth & new experiences. 

Sure, sure. 

But they are about numbers too. And this is a big one.
30. 30. 30! 
A full-fledged adult! Oh my. 

Numbers or not, it certainly calls for a party. And as all you veterans know, it will be a THEME party. It’s been too long, and we will never outgrow them. 

I thought and I thought, and the one thing that kept crossing my mind was COLOR. Lots of color. Why? Because YOU ALL bring so much color to my life. At 30, it’s more colorful than ever, so let’s celebrate that. Rich and vibrant and lively! 

Wear your favorite brights. Neon, color-blocking, or just a really colorful collection of random colors from head-to-toe. A multi-hued masterpiece.

We’ll serve colorful snacks, bright cocktails, and try not to give you a headache with the kaleidescoped décor. Check out that color wheel and get ready for pantone-mania. 

As always, feel free to bring a friend or a significant other, or perhaps someone who is really colorful and will feel right at home around us. And please bring a drink or snack to share if you so desire. Come for a bit or stay for the night- we’re flexible and casual!

Be there, be bright, and be ready to rock.

 

And here are some images from my birthday board. I have to be careful not to overdo it, but this could be fun.

 

P.S.- Don’t get me started on how I feel about turning 30- that’s a post (or seven) in itself.

Because every girl needs to make a birthday list.

5 weeks and counting (not that I’m counting:)

Lululemon cropped pants I have never had a pair, but have heard such good things about them / Jade link necklace Love. The color, the shape, the size. In fact, any chunky necklace will do. OR even a cute little bright one like this / Striped dress This image doesn’t do it justice- see it in action here. I tried this on at Nordstrom Rack over the weekend and it was adorable! / Kick back hoodie Speaks for itself / Rattan ceiling fixture Light fixtures for your birthday- that’s normal, right? This would be so cute in our sunroom. And why not add these for our bedrooms while we’re at it. / Nixon mint watch Fat chance, I know.  But this is a wish list, right? / Bright bracelet such as this or this, though I also saw some cute (and cheaper) ones at Urban Outfitters / A real, nice, simple, supple leather bag. Like this, or this. / Heidi Swanson cookbook I’m obviously obsessed with her lately / Wood living room lamps, or these.

In the blink of an eye.

So today is my 29th birthday. *Uhmmmp,* hooray, and OH.EM.GEE all in one.

It is kind of a scary one, as it means 30 is just around the corner. Thank goodness it’s just a number, because wow- how did my twenties pass me by? I laughed and cried and learned and fought and lost and won and loved and smiled and failed and succeeded, but all in all, it was a roaring good time. I have one year left, and I’m expecting even more out of my thirties.

Until then, however, I had to do the ever popular “30 before 30 List.” Some of the tasks are small and some are big and will take a lot of work+time+energy, but if I do even half of these things in the next year I’ll feel good. And it doesn’t hurt that I will have my main man and favorite-partner-in-crime-of-all-time by my side. Hoping that posting the list here will keep me accountable and motivated.

Have you made a list like this? It’s not a new idea. I just don’t want the year to slip away. It’s all about ACTION, my friends (yet I by no means want this list to dictate my days- rather, I will just check it every once in awhile to remind myself to “carpe diem”). Time flies when you’re having fun.

     30 Things Before 30 

1. Plan a great road trip: Me, man, dog and road.
2.  Finally read the manual for my camera, learn how to take better pictures, and then take more pictures.
3. Meet my weight loss goal (happily and healthily).
4. And, buy new lingerie that is hot, hot, hot (or at least a step up from my current tees and yoga pants)
5. Get married (!! OH.EM.GEE again!).
6. Clean out our basement storage rooms (it’s getting scary down there).
7. Take Tilly to doggy school. . . and hope that she graduates.
8. Do an anonymous pay it forward.
9. Canoe down Minnehaha Creek, without capsizing.
10. Watch Annie with my sister. You’re never fully dressed without a smile.
11. Paint a piece of furniture (our kitchen stool?). Display said piece of furniture proudly.
12. Go to some sort of “pick-your-own” farm.
13. Watch the sunrise on the beach.
14. Complete the Mileusnic version of ”Table Topics” for dad.
15. Paint or wallpaper our hallway and update our bathroom.
16. Beautifully wrap a gift (or two).
17. Take a mosaics class with my mom.
18. Get dressed up for monthly date nights (alone or with friends or family!).
19. Visit a museum or gallery.
20. Skinny dip.
21. Host a themed dinner party- costumes required.
22. Read five books from TIME’s Top 100 list.
23. Donate my time to a good cause.
24. During the Christmas season, make peppermint bark that tastes like Williams-Sonoma’s
25. Give flowers or cookies to new neighbors.
26. Cook a delicious brunch, preferably including quiche, bacon and scones.
27. Diplomatically tell someone to butt out.
28. Mix a kick-ass cocktail.
29. Call a friend in another city at least once a month.
30. Discuss babies yet again, like seriously.

And finally, below is my birthday shirt, which proudly states that I’m a Taurus, and “some are just born with it.” I am the only one who seems to get a kick out of it (my mom stared blankly at me when I pranced out to lunch in it!), but so continues my life.

All is well, and I’m excited for another year. Bring it on!