Turning 30

This month I turn the big 3-0. This year it falls exactly on Thanksgiving so I guess I have to be thankful for turning 30. Traveling up to the Bay Area for that somewhat short weekend is always stressful and sometimes dangerous considering we always drive (along with the rest of California), so this year we've decided to stay home in Long Beach. We're going up to the Bay Area on the 12th anyways for my grandfather's 90th birthday (!!) so we'll get to see our family before the holiday. I'm so excited to host Thanksgiving for our friends that will join us, we're planning a huge potluck of yumminess.

There is a lot to be excited over in my 3rd decade. Jeff and I are settling contentedly into happy married life (no longer newlyweds!), we'll have bought our first home, we're both doing well in our careers, we're going to finally get a dog, and God willing we'll make a baby. This is the major life-changing decade I think. I have to be prepared for it so I've been thinking of habit-changes and goals and projects to help me live what I see as a fulfilled life for me. Sort of 30th birthday resolutions I suppose. Here's a list I've started that is far from complete:

I'd like to do more sweet and unexpected things for the people I care about. I love what Shauna and Stephen make for each other. I made this for you...

Watch more TED talks. Sooo interesting and I'm addicted now. I'm especially interested in the Charter for Compassion series of six talks. "Together, these six speakers bear witness to the fact that compassion and the Golden Rule lie at the heart of all religion and all morality." In these bad times, we've definitely seen an increase in violence and pointless vandalism in our city and it makes me so angry and upset. Maybe practicing more compassion for everyone, even those committing these terrible crimes, will help bring me some peace.

I'm going to cook fancy more. Herb and gruyere scones... mmmmm.... Recipe here.


Hold that cold at bay Soup


Leek, Baby Broccoli, Smoked Salmon and Goat Cheese Tart

Butternut Squash and Orange Cauliflower Soup

I'm going to eat more peanut butter and jelly sandwiches because shoot if they don't make me happy! I love them. And with whole wheat bread, natural peanut butter, and the good jam, I think they're pretty good for you. Fast to make too which is important since I squeeze in sleep until the very last minute I have to wake up and start getting ready for work.

I'm going to squirrel away and save more money in my 30's than in my 20's, ideally in this awesome gold cast piggy bank by Harry Allen. I better buy this piggy bank while I'm still 29 come to think of it, otherwise I wouldn't be doing a very good job of saving in my 30's. He's soooo cute though!

I'm definitely going to be getting my hands thorn-pricked and dirty more in my 30's as I've caught the flower arranging bug. Mandy and I "booked" another wedding! Our friends Kelsey and Jake just got engaged and they're getting married in May! Kelsey wants a gray and yellow theme like we did for our wedding, and I'm super excited because I'll get to do all the arrangements I thought of AFTER our wedding that I wanted to do! The internet is so packed with inspirational arrangments too. Like this flowers in a waffle cone idea conceived by Jiseon Park and Eunho Kim, via SDesignUnit. So cute!
Learn to sew clothes!! My closet needs an injection of new. I've definitely noticed my taste moving towards comfy, and away from form-fitting and high heels. I don't want that to turn into sweatpants and ballet flats though so I need to find a fashion-forward middle ground. I'm thinking more kitten heels (and better designed heels too, a little built-in padding and arch support goes SUCH a long way), looser dresses and pants. I really want to make these Built by Wendy patterns that I bought on super discount, I think they're perfect.


There. I think that's a good start. Self-indulgent yes, but that's not always bad.