my best birthday yet

'time and tide wait for no man,

but time always stands still for a woman

of 30.' --robert frost

'i don't think of it as turning 30.

it's my 10th anniversary of my 20th birthday.' 

--unknown

'you can be gorgeous at 30, 

charming at 40, and irresistable for the

rest of your life.' --coco channel

'after 30, the body has a mind of its own.'

--bette midler

'when you're a teenager, all you want

to do is buy beer. but once you hit 30, all you

want to do is get carded.'

--sarah jessica parker as carrie bradshaw

in 'sex in the city'

today is my 30th birthday!

i celebrated with family and friends

over the weekend, and it could not have

been a better (or more fun) way to say 'farewell' to 

my 20s. my parents and boyfriend surprised

me with a party (complete with family,

friends, coworkers, balloons, cupcakes, and 

wine--lots of wine). we had a wonderful

time, and i had no idea they had been

sneaking around all week while planning this!

unfortunately, my 'actual' birthday, as it

falls on a monday, will be spent at work.

but i plan to eat dessert after every meal and

treat myself to a lunch-time shopping adventure.

are you surprised? ;)

^^^ birthdays are the perfect excused to eat 

all the ice cream you want, right? this

vegan, jamocha chaga fudge ice cream from 

frankie and jo's is delicious! ^^^

turning 30 is surprisingly bittersweet.

new year, new me!

i am eager to enter this new decade and look

forward to what lies ahead: finishing

my editing certificate, launching a new

website, pursuing blog opportunities, and of course,

dedicating time to friends and family are

a just a few projects and goals in the works.

while my 20s were fun (a time of

exploration--career-wise and personally),

i think my 30s will be different. to say it will be

an exciting, yet peaceful decade may be

ignorant (or perhaps wishful thinking). 

i feel old, though i probably shouldn't 

say that; i don't mean to offend anyone. 

as a teenager, i imagined a much

different image of myself at age 30. 

perhaps i would be married, have a child

(or children), be well-established in my career, 

etc. well my life sure isn't that, but i am

okay with my current situation, too!

in fact, i feel grateful for where i am both

personally and professionally.

photos by sarah wolfe photography

dress: nordstrom, boots: zara,

blazer: anthropologie (thrifted via goodwill),

clutch: nordstrom rack

and now, onto the outfit!

when brainstorming outfits to wear

on my birthday, i knew i wanted to make a

statement. i picked up this dress at nordstrom

(with sequin polka dots) and love how

flirty and feminine it is. it was on major sale

at nordstrom, too! ankle boots, a blush pink

blazer, and velvet clutch complete

the look. a side of ice cream makes for a 

cute and seemingly festive accessory.

while i didn't wear this outfit to my

party over the weekend, the dress is perfect

for a holiday party or celebration.

it can be dressed up or down, and i look

forward to styling it next weekend with my

denim jacket and converse.

i hope you had a wonderful weekend,

and thank you for stopping by! excuse me

while i indulge in another piece of cake!

xoxo.