Many of you have asked what turning thirty was like for me, so I’ll pause from a painting project (yes, there is paint going on a previously untouched bathroom wall—wahoo!) to share that Monday turned out to be a really lovely day. So far, thirty is treating me well. I don’t feel any different than I did at twenty-nine. My theory is that a birthday itself rarely changes how I feel—most birthdays start with me waking up feeling pretty much the same as the day before. I tend to feel older after big life events (graduation, getting married, having a baby), but a birthday feels like a fun excuse to eat too much dessert, which I most certainly did. Here’s how the day unfolded.
I woke up to a kitchen that looked like one big present. John had strung ribbons around it like the prettiest spider web I’ve ever seen. He’s the kind of guy who isn’t afraid to embrace a little birthday silliness, and I love him for it.
John also secretly picked up my favorite childhood comfort: pastina. The box never actually says “pastina,” but that’s what my Italian mom called it—tiny pasta stars you cook and mix with butter, milk, and a pinch of salt. I grew up eating it after school, and it always feels like a treat when someone remembers and surprises me with it.
It was Clara’s first time having pastina and she loved it. Seeing her enjoy something I adored as a kid was the sweetest part of the morning.
We worked a normal day, then decided to unplug a few hours early and head to Stonypoint, an outdoor shopping and dining spot in Richmond. John suggested we get dessert before dinner since we’re usually too full at the end of a meal to enjoy it properly. He told me to pick any restaurant I wanted, and what followed was a very deliberate tour of dessert menus as we sampled the most tempting options.
We settled on a dessert trio—strawberry cheesecake, a brownie, and a gooey cookie topped with caramel. It felt fun and indulgent, and at one point we both laughed because the dessert bowls reminded us of the chairs on a popular singing competition show. I may have turned one around while crooning “this is the voice,” much to the waitstaff’s amusement. Not much has changed in this new decade—I’m still delightfully embarrassing on occasion.
Of course we popped into Anthropologie, where I love soaking up creative display ideas. They had an eye-catching woven burlap wall display that caught my attention, but the real highlight was watching Clara in the foreground. She sang “Happy Birthday” to me about seventeen times throughout the day, and even gave encore performances on the following two days. Each one made me grin like an absolute fool.
John gave me a card filled with sweet notes and adorable scribbles from our little bean. He also gifted me The Happiness Project, a book I’ve already started and am enjoying. The opening chapter is about simplifying and paring down, and it inspired me to want to tackle some organizing projects at home. So fair warning: there may be basket-buying and decluttering energy around here soon, alongside our other home plans like landscaping, bathroom updates, and deck work.
He surprised me with a small ceramic elephant box—yes, I’m weak for a good sale and I may have nudged him in the right direction—and a gift card for a massage at my favorite spa. He usually gives me a massage gift card for Mother’s Day, and apparently my gratitude for that tradition has turned it into a semi-annual treat. Between laying cork flooring and other projects, my shoulders could definitely use it.
After we put Clara to bed, instead of launching into a DIY task or settling in to edit photos, John cooked my favorite meal: Jamie Oliver’s chicken and leek stroganoff. It might sound odd, but it’s incredibly delicious to me. We ate outside on the patio with candles, listening to the wind rustle and keeping a baby monitor nearby. It was peaceful and perfect.
Over dinner we talked about how much we love our current house and whether it measures up to our first home—the place where we had our backyard wedding and brought Clara home. The verdict was a tie. That first house will always hold a special place in our hearts, but this house has grown on us and now feels just as warm and meaningful. Our conversation drifted into plans and dreams for what we want to do next around the house. Talking about ways to love and improve our home fills us with excitement and makes us appreciate it even more.
All in all, it was a wonderful thirtieth birthday. I’m grateful for my husband, our daughter, and our dog for making me feel so special, and for everyone who sent kind birthday wishes. I know I get sentimental sometimes, but sharing my home life, my thirtieth birthday, and little DIY moments with you brings me joy.
Psst—if you’ve been following along, you know we’ve celebrated milestones here before: John’s thirtieth, Clara’s first birthday, and my twenty-ninth. Those memories live with us and make days like this even sweeter.