Young House Love

Home Decorating & DIY Tutorials

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Turning 30

A bunch of you have been asking how turning thirty was for me, so I’ll take a break from painting something (yes, there is paint going on a formerly untouched bathroom wall! wahoo!) to admit that Monday was a really nice day. So far thirty is all good. And I don’t feel a day over 29. Hah. My theory is that every birthday sort of feels like not much has changed since I wake up feeling the same way I did the morning before. By comparison, I always feel older when life events happen (graduating college, getting married, having a baby) but for some reason a birthday to me is just a fun day when I get to eat too much dessert. Which I most certainly did this time. So here’s the play by play.

I woke up to a kitchen that looked like a big ol’ present.

Decorated Kitchen1

John had strung ribbons around it like the prettiest spider web I ever did see:

Decorated Kitchen

Is he a man or what? I love a guy who isn’t afraid to get his ribbon on in the name of birthday madness.

John also secretly picked up my favorite lunch ever: pastina (although it never says that on the box, so maybe that’s just what my Italian mom calls it). It’s basically tiny little pasta stars that you make and then add butter, milk, and salt. I used to eat it after school growing up and it always feels like a treat when John remembers that I love it and surprises me with some.

  Pastina1

It was the first time Clara ever had it, and she LOVED it. That’s my girl.

  Pastina2

We worked a normal day, except that we decided to unplug a few hours early (at 5:30!) and head over to Stonypoint, which is an outdoor walking mall here in Richmond. John said since we’re always too full to make it to dessert that he thought we should get dessert before dinner, to ensure that we had room. It was really cute and he told me to pick any restaurant I wanted and it actually became this tour of reading every dessert menu and picking the one that sounded the most amazing…

  Stonypoint1

… which ended up being this trio of strawberry cheesecake, brownie, and gooey cookie topped with caramel from Champs. And yes, at the same moment John and I busted out laughing because we realized that the bowls looked like the chairs from The Voice. Yes, I might have even turned one around while singing “this is the voice.” And the waiter might have seen me. So you’ll be pleased to know that I’m not any more mature or less embarrassing in this new decade that I’ve entered.

  Stonypoint2

Of course we ducked into Anthropologie, which I love to peruse just for all the creative ideas that they have going on with displays (check out the awesome burlap upholstery webbing that they used to create a woven wall behind Clara in the picture below).

  Stonypoint3

But enough talk about the background. How cute is my kid in the foreground? Love that girl. She actually sang happy birthday to me about seventeen times, so it was extra sweet. I even got some encore presentations on Tuesday and Wednesday, which never failed to make me grin like a fool.

Along with a card full of sweet nothings from the hubby and cute scribbles from the bean, John got me this book called The Happiness Project that I’m already loving. The first chapter is all about paring down and I swear it made me want to drop the book and go all organization-crazy in my house. So beware, there might be some cleaning/organizing/basket-related madness going on along with the landscaping, bathroom, and deck-building plans that we have on the list.

  Happiness Project Book

He also got me this sweet ceramic elephant box (you know I can’t resist a sale, so I actually sent the link to John with a wink and a mumble about someone’s birthday…). John also surprised me with a gift card for a massage at my favorite place (he gets me one every Mother’s Day, and I must have raved about that annual tradition so much that it might have become a semi-annual thing – wahoo!). Momma’s still got some knots from laying a bunch of cork flooring, so it’ll definitely come in handy.

  Elephantbox

Then after we tucked Clara into bed, instead of DIYing something or flopping on the couch to size photos and write posts, John made me my favorite dinner: a chicken and leek stroganoff recipe from Jamie Oliver (I know it sounds gross but it’s the most delicious thing ever). We ate it outside on the patio with candles to the sound of the rustling wind and the baby monitor that we brought out there with us. Haha. It was great.

Leek Stroganoff Outside

Over dinner, we got to talking about how much we love this house, and if we think we love it as much as our first house (our first love! our first baby! that house was our everything for a very long time). The verdict: yup…. but it’s a tie. We will always have a place in our heart for that first home of ours, where we got married in the backyard and brought Clara home. But I think it surprised us to realize how much our hearts swell when we think about this house too. Especially because it didn’t feel nearly as warm or cozy as our first house at first, but it definitely does now. It was a fun chat because the conversation also turned to us brainstorming things we can’t wait to do (as it tends to do at least once a week, haha). I guess we get love by giving love, so talking about all the ways that we want to show our house some love fills us with excitement and makes us love it even more.

All in all it was an amazing thirtieth birthday and I have so much to be thankful for. I love my hubs, my bean, and my pooch for making me feel so special along with all of you who sent such sweet birthday wishes my way. I know I get mushy on you guys a lot, but you really are the best. I’m so happy to share my house, my thirtieth birthday, and my random little DIY life with you.

Psst- You can check out John’s big 3-0 here, Clara’s first birthday here, my last birthday here, and Clara singing her unique rendition of happy birthday here.

Comments

  2. Roxanne says

    Happy 30th! I don’t think you really feel thirty until you’re a few years in :)
    I just finished The Happiness Project and loved it! I was laughing out loud nearly every chapter because I felt like I was reading my own book! It’s so nice to know that I’m not the only obsessive, neurotic, compulsive (insert fitting adjective here) girl out there.
    Keep up the good work, I so enjoy checking in on you guys and all your progress.

    Reply

  8. Anne says

    HAPPY BIRTHDAY SHERRY!

    you will love your 30s! it’s the best time of my life, so far! although, things just keep getting better, eh? so, i have high hopes for my 40s as well.

    glad you had such a great birthday.

    xoxo

    Reply

  9. Laura K says

    Pastina?!?!?! Haven’t been able to find it since our family left New Jersey when I was a kid. Was that Kroger packaging?!?!?!? And was it in the pasta section or somewhere else? Wow, this made my day. Can’t wait to introduce my child to the wonder of little stars! :)

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Yes, it’s always in the pasta section and usually I just get the store brand called Stars since none of the boxes I’ve seen actually say pastina on them!

      xo,
      s

  10. Vicki says

    Sounds like a wonderful birthday! Love the dessert first idea, very cute, John!

    I’m halfway through The Happiness Project myself, it’s very very inspiring. That kind of, get off yer duff and get to it kind of book.

    Reply

  11. Emily says

    Happy Birthday Sherry! Hope 30 is amazing! I’ll be joining the club in October. By the way, I totally had to copy you and order myself an elephant box. Would look perfect on my future built-ins which my hubs is DIY’ing next week! Oh, and I didn’t know we could pre-order your book already! I went to put The Happiness Project on my wishlist and just for fun searched “young house love” and there it was to preorder!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Isn’t that crazy?! There it is, without any picture because we haven’t finalized the cover. So excited for that to pop up. Then I’ll really start hyperventilating! Haha.

      xo,
      s

  12. Summer Dawson says

    I read almost everything Gretchen Rubin’s suggests,
    well, I try.
    And this one – yours brought tears to my eyes.
    thank you for writing so emotionally. I loved all of it;
    great pictures too.

    Reply

  13. Kacy says

    Happy Birthday Sherry! Glad turning the big 3-0 wasn’t dreadful (I’m turning 30 soon too, eek). I love what you said: “we get love by giving love”. So true!

    PS – We just started watching Game of Thrones and I was going crazy whenever Daenerys was in the scene thinking “where have I seen this actress before. she’s so familiar looking! I know I’ve seen her before” and then I realized I was thinking of you! You guys could be twins!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Haha, I hear that all the time! I actually see it when I see her pics on IMDB (the ones with her brown hair) although I’m not naked as much as her character! Hahah.

      xo,
      s

  15. Alex says

    Sounds like a fantastic birthday! On a side note, can you guide in a good direction to places online beyond crate and barrel and the like for some quality and affordable accessories and potentially furniture? Thanks in advance!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Hmm, Room and Board has some awesome higher end furniture (like Crate & Barrel they’re spendier than Ikea though). I also love overstock.com, amazon.com, jossandmain.com, and wayfair.com for a ton of items at a range of prices! Hope it helps!

      xo,
      s

  18. Lauren says

    I’ve been on vacation this week so I haven’t been keeping up with the blog scene very well…

    But Happy Happy Happy Birthday to You!!

    or as my dad says

    Birthday to Happy You!!

    Or as my sister (whose last name is Marthaler) accidentally writes all the time

    Happy Birthaler!! (She gets to the ‘th’ and gets confused about what she’s writing)

    Reply

  21. Angela S. says

    Happy Belated Birthday! And, I just finished The Happiness Project a couple weeks ago and it really made me think! I loved it! I got all sorts of inspirational ideas and made me try to be a better/happier parent, wife and friend! I hope you love it as much as I did!

    Reply

  22. Jan C. says

    Happy birthday, Sherry.

    P.S.: Is Clara always that happy? I don’t think I’ve ever seen a picture of her in a bad mood!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Oh no, she can get fussy like the best of them! We get crying and screaming fits (and even barfing fits) like all other toddler parents! Haha. We just don’t usually take pictures of those…

      xo,
      s

  25. Ann says

    Happy birthday! Love that your husband is so creative to decorate the kitchen, that’s a pretty awesome way to start your morning coffee. :)

    Reply

  26. katalina says

    I wonder if I can wake up to a new kitchen on my bday!

    question– in your tour you had an adorable bunny print on your walls- is this an etsy purchase?

    Reply

  28. Patty C says

    Sounds like you had a great day. I love Clara’s Happy Birthday rendition. My birthday was this week and one of the highlights was when some of my students (3 grades worth – over 100 of them) sang to me at lunch – just spontaneously started until all of them were joined in. Was definitely a wonderful teacher and birthday moment!

    Reply

  29. Susan says

    My friend Lydia would make that same pasta dish for us when we hung out after school at her house as kids. Only the pasta was teeny, tiny letters instead of stars. Same idea but educational. lol

    Reply

  30. Jeannette says

    I read “The Happiness Project” around the same time I discovered this blog last year! The most profound thing I read was just a simple truth: “Never apologize for being who you are.” I never realized how much I did that until someone told me to stop. Excellent book choice! Next, you should read “The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society.”

    Reply

  31. Joy Franks says

    If you get Ronzoni pastina, it says it on the box. I didn’t realize another company made it, too! I love eating mine in chicken broth. But, I let the pastina soak up all the broth. It’s the perfect comfort food. The kitchen looks fabulous, by the way. Hope you had a great birthday.

    Reply

  34. Braelin says

    Happy birthday, Sherry! John’s lunch for you inspired me to have pastini for dinner… yummmm… comfort food! I add a bit of dried basil too, but otherwise it is the same as you describe.

    Reply

  35. LuLu says

    I’m late to the party and this might be redundant but oh heck. Here I go:

    HAPPY BIRTHDAAAAAAY DEEEEEEEAR SHERRRRRRRYYYYYYYYYY
    HAPPYYYYYYYYYY BIRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRTHDAAAAAAAAAYYYYYY
    TOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO YOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!!!

    LuLu
    xox

    Reply

  37. Chrissie says

    Happy birthday!! It sounds like it was a wonderful day :-)

    I’m 25 on the 26th, we’re going to the movies on Sunday but other than that haven’t got much planned, which I like.

    Reply

  39. Julie says

    Aw, sounds like birthday perfection! And my fiancé and I recently had a similar chat about our homes … We left our much-loved, much-renovated home about 6 months ago and moved into a new place, which is oh-so-slowly starting to feel like home. Wish we could get things done as quickly as you guys seem to do!

    Reply

  41. Ariane says

    My first nephew and godson-to-be Adam was actually born the day before my 3-0. So needless to say that he was the king of the week and that my party was next. The actual day of my birthday, my sister jokingly offered me Adam as a present. We all laughed, but he of course stayed with his mama and papa. Adam and I have a special relationship and he kind of likes a lot that our birthdays are one day apart. Happy B. !

    Reply

  42. Karah @ thespacebetweenblog says

    YAY! Happy Happy Birthday…sounds absolutely perfect.

    That books looks like something right up my alley…and the whole idea of getting love by getting love, I can totally relate. I’ve been working on a little project of my own that I dubbed the Kindness Project back in January…where I posted about doing 12 days of Kindness in December in lieu of the usual 12 day of Christmas…and just last week I mailed a handful of gifts to bloggers I appreciate just because, and called it The Pass It On Project…because I’ve asked the bloggers to make a couple of handmade gifts of their own to pass on to bloggers they appreciate…I’m hoping the chain of kindness just grows and grows. If you want you can read about it here. http://thespacebetweenblog.wordpress.com/2012/03/20/the-pass-it-on-project/

    Aaaanyway, not sure how this comment became all about me…I was just trying to tell you I relate and feel your birthday sounds like the perfect day with loved ones and focusing on things you love. 30 is for sure the new 29. ;)
    Karah

    Reply

  46. Christie says

    Happy Birthday Sherry!!

    Happiness Project is an amazing book!! Hopefully we’ll get to read about what you think of it!

    Gretchen Rubin is coming out with a new book that I think will resonate well with you…Happier at Home!

    Quick excerpt from the description:

    “And what did she want from her home? A place that calmed her, and energized her. A place that, by making her feel safe, would free her to take risks. Also, while Rubin wanted to be happier at home, she wanted to appreciate how much happiness was there already.”

    Reply

  47. Heather W says

    OK, I have looked and I don’t see your “pin it” button??? Is it supposed to be at the bottom of the posts? Is it just me?

    Reply

  48. Natalie @ Living Green Chicago says

    Wow – that sounds like birthday full of fun and relaxation :) I also think that we have the same birthdate – I turned 25 on Monday. AND I was surprised to hear that anyone else likes (or has even HEARD of) pastina!! I’ve tried explaining it to my husband before and I just feel like a pasta crazed child. Happy belated!

    Reply

  49. Kathryn Griffin says

    Happy Birthday, indeed! And, btw, I love leeks. They taste like butter to me. So, chicken and leeks sounds delish! Hope you’re having a grand weekend. Toodles, Kathryn @TheDedicatedHouse

    Reply

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