Young House Love

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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

  1. Alex says

    HAAAAAAAAPPY BIRTHDAY! I’m 24 this year—but i’m really looking forward to being in my 30s. Just seems like by that point you are a bit more settled and confident in what you have going on. I think 31 will be a good year.

    20s are okay for now :)

    Glad you had such an awesome day, you deserve it!

    Reply

  2. HollandPhotoArts says

    Oh, and if you guys want a nice date night, we can highly recommend Cinebistro at Stoneypoint if you haven’t yet been. Dinner and a movie with amazing seats, yummy popcorn, excellent service and actually, really good food! Definitely our favorite place in RVA to see a flick. :)

    Reply

  3. Jen says

    Happy Twenty Ten! I call it Pastini too, that’s what my Grandma called it when I was a little girl. We make it the same way!

    Reply

  4. Kelly says

    Love The Happiness Project! This is making me want to re-read it! Happy 30th! I too am turning 30 this year =)
    Love your blog- I look forward to it everyday on my lunch break, thanks for the inspiration!

    Reply

  6. tara says

    Sounds like an amazing birthday! I feel the same way about them – just another day in the life:) All that matters is who you spend it with. I bought The Happiness Project last spring and couldn’t put it down. It definitely got me in the mood to organize the heck out of my life!

    Reply

  7. Anne says

    Glad it was a good day! And now I’m going to be thinking about chicken and leeks the rest of the day……argh!

    Reply

  10. Alexis says

    I’m so happy to find someone (that isn’t one of my siblings) that loves Pastina!!! I grew up on the stuff and still fix it occasionally when I want some comfort food. I do know that Barilla makes one (that they actually call pastina) that I can get onsale sometimes for $1 per box at my local grocery store.

    Oh, happy birthday too!!

    Reply

  11. Sherri says

    2 days ago I had a craving for pasta with butter and salt. My husband thought I was pregnant. Well… I’m not.

    Turns out, I’m Italian! I was so glad to see someone else with similar taste buds (-the milk).

    Happy belated!

    Reply

  12. Carly says

    Oh hey, I see you added a Pin It button! How long has that been there while I hadn’t noticed it?!
    Also, HAPPY BIRTHDAY $HERDOG! ;-)
    -Carly

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Thanks Carly! We got that back up about two weeks ago. We had one a while back and somehow the code must have dropped out so we thought it was there all along and then someone mentioned it was gone so we finally realized that the code was messed up and got it back up! Haha.

      xo,
      s

  13. Tina says

    What an awesome day! My Italian grandmother also called it pastina & she would mix it with her homemade spaghetti sauce & when were older, she would mash up meatballs in it! I still love it!

    Reply

  14. Calla says

    A happy belated birthday to you!

    (And as my mom is fond of saying: “Life’s uncertain, eat dessert first”!)

    Reply

  16. Allison says

    Welcome to the 30’s Sherry
    Pastina! My 4 year old calls it “gear pasta” I’ve never added the splash of milk though, gotta try that! And I’ve gotta try the Chicken & leek recipe.

    Reply

  17. janetl says

    What a sweet post! Thanks for sharing and happy belated birthday!

    ps. I’m going to go hunt down that book now. :)

    Reply

  18. Helen says

    Pastina = heaven. I still eat it all the time, especially since my picky preschooler loves it for lunch. Who am I to argue ;)

    Happy Birthday!

    Reply

  19. Katie says

    I LOVE LOVE LOVE pastina! My mom calls it that too but you’re right – it doesn’t say it on the box. It’s the best when you’re not feeling well with lots of butter and salt.

    Happy 30th!

    Reply

  21. Cortney says

    HAPPY 30! So glad you had fun. My hubby loves Jamie oliver but believe it or not we have never tried cooking his food.He just loves watching him cook, cause everything looks so good and fresh. Every recipe you guys mention of his sounds amazing we will definetly have to try it!
    Gotta try pastina that way, I have only had it in soup. Sounds simple and delish!

    Reply

  22. Kristen says

    Sherry, I am so glad you had such a wonderful birthday. And seriously, that was the best post. There was something just so happy, restful, and content about your tone. It goes to show that when birthdays are celebrated with people you love it is the most important thing! :-)

    Reply

  23. Amanda says

    Happy belated birthday Sherry!

    My birthday was also this week; on Wednesday. After passing in a term paper, and completing a term presentation (which our group did very well I may add!), I went to a lunch at my favourite restaurant with a few friends. Then went to a fire station with my sisters cubs club (there was a mighty cute fire man too — and he drives the trunk! oooh la la) then went out for dessert at a desserterie and bar. Super fun night!

    Reply

  24. Mary says

    My birthday was on Monday too! I’ve never met anyone who shares my birthday. Is that weird? Haha! I’m glad you were able to unwind and enjoy the day!

    Reply

  26. Kim @ Yellow Brick Home says

    Ha! The Voice chairs are awesome. When we watch that show, I always think how weird that whole concept really is – with the turning of the pod-like chairs and all…

    I bought that book last fall, and it’s still sitting on my nightstand; gotta get on that. I have a tendency to load up on books, but then take forever to get through them. I can’t wait to start reading it (I actually sort of read it in an airport while waiting for a flight, but didn’t buy it at the time and pulled the trigger on Amazon later).

    Ah! Maybe we should have a bloggy “Happiness Project” challenge?! How great would that be? Count me in!

    Reply

  27. Farrah says

    Mmmm, that chicken and leek recipe sounds awesome. Thanks for sharing. :) And I just snagged that book for free at a conference! Will bump it to the top of the list!

    Reply

  28. Rachel says

    Happy Birthday girlie! I got that bunny Clara’s smooching in tan, for my friend’s 4 month old. You think Clara is being cute, imagine a teeny little man noshing on bunny ear!

    Reply

  30. Kalin says

    Happy belated birthday!!! March seems to be the birthday month, if for nothing else than 3 friends just had babies in the last week! Crazyness. I LOVED the Happiness Project, absolutely loved it. I also loved Eat, Pray, Love which The HP was kind of another version of.

    Definitely trying that Chicken and Leek Stroganoff recipe…if its as good as you claim leeks will be a permanent resident in my garden :-)

    Reply

  32. Jen says

    Happy Birthday Sherry!

    If you enjoy Gretchen’s book, you need to read her blog, which is where it all began (sound familiar?:)).She has regular vlog posts, too, which I love. And her new book (coming out soon), is about home. I am really looking forward to it.

    Enjoy your 30’s! As you enter yours, I am just leaving mine behind. They are an amazing decade of change.

    xo Jay

    Reply

  33. hayley says

    Hey! I turned 30 on Sunday the 18th!! My husband sent me to LA with friends to be on the Price is Right. We did not get to “come on down” but we sat front row! You can see us and our bright yellow t-shirts on April 9th! Happy Birthday!

    Reply

  34. Briel K. says

    Sounds like a wonderful birthday! I love all the thoughtful little touches John put on the day from the streamers to the pastina (I’m going to have to try it since everyone is commenting that it’s so good!) to the dessert first. That brownie looks delicious!

    I’ve been wanting to read The Happiness Project. Must add to my list.

    Happy Birthday again! Glad it was great!

    Reply

  35. Angela says

    Happy birthday! It sounds like a perfect day.
    I know what you mean about not feeling a day over 29. It reminds me of my favorite quote by Sandra Cisneros (from “Eleven”)
    “What they don’t understand about birthdays and what they never tell you is that when you’re eleven, you’re also ten, and nine, and eight, and seven, and six, and five, and four, and three, and two, and one. And when you wake up on your eleventh birthday you expect to feel eleven, but you don’t. You open your eyes and everything’s just like yesterday, only it’s today. And you don’t feel eleven at all. You feel like you’re still ten. And you are–underneath the year that makes you eleven.”

    Reply

  36. tracy a says

    Happy birthday! I read the Happiness Project when I turned 30 too! (funny, eh?) I wasn’t excited about it at all (it was a bookclub pick), BUT I really gained some great things from that book that I still employ today (a whopping 2 years later). Looks like you had a super day…

    Reply

  37. Jessica says

    I got so excited about you mentioning pastina, I haven’t even read the rest of this post or comments yet! I have always assumed that my pastina habit came from my mom’s Long Island Italian family. I currently live in Indiana, where no one else has ever heard of pastina, and it is also HARD to find it here in stores. Sometimes I can find “Acini di Pepe” which isn’t in the cute little star shape but works just as well.

    I only recently introduced my longtime sweetie to pastina, and he fell in love too. Sometimes we add a little chicken soup base, just to bump up the flavor a little. Next fall I’m going to be trying this twist on the classic: http://prouditaliancook.blogspot.com/2008/10/pumpkin-pastina.html

    Reply

  38. Lauren H says

    Oh I think good food and friends make the best birthdays! I read the happiness project my senior year of college when I was kind of bummed about the magical world of college coming to an end…I think you’ll really like it! Happy belated Sherry!

    Reply

  39. Kiki says

    Just wanted to say that the Voice reference made my day. So funny. But seriously, I’m so with you on the shape of those bowls resembling the shape of the chairs on the show. And I love that you sang(?) “this is the voice” with the waiter as your unintended audience. Too funny.

    Happy belated birthday!

    Reply

  40. Nicole says

    What a fabulous 30th birthday you had. I love eating dessert first, I always do that when we go to a fancy restaurant for my birthday. I will be celebrating my 50th this year. Fabulous 50, lol. Just wanted to give you and your lovely family who I adore a big hug. Thank you for making me smile with your little bean, burger and of course you and John.
    THANK YOU for being YOU!! :)

    Reply

  41. Tina Bland says

    Ok two things! One, I have the same dish towels! Target? Clearance?? $1.59? YESSSS!! The second, I LOVE the Happiness Project book! I went on this whole happiness kick last year with it, and I am starting over again this year! The cleaning out house, the spending QUALITY time with fam, the whole book writing thing, the health thing! Its such an awesome idea…and if you email her from her blog, she actually emails you back. I felt like I was chatting with a celebrity:) I even come up with charts and all that crazy stuff like she did. I loved her idea of the one line journal and I have a whole notebook full of a years worth of one lines from each day. What a sweet keepsake:) I am really am a happy person usually, but that book helped me enjoy life more. Yipee!

    I hope you enjoy it!!

    Sounds like an awesome bday:)

    Reply

  42. Kerianne says

    Happy birthday Sherry. I am reading that book also and loving every page. I even bought a little bluebird picture to put up in the bedroom. Hope you enjoy it as much as I am!

    Reply

  43. michelle perry says

    My husband loves Pastina too..and it is actually called that. Its his “favorite” meal when he’s sick. I have 2 boxes in my pantry…would you like me to send you a box?

    Funny story re Pastina. We have a 2 year old son. A couple of months ago, he wasn’t feeling well, so I made some Pastina in chicken broth, and gave it to him for lunch. Well he thought it was much more fun to throw..and yeah I had to wait for it to dry to vacuum it up, because they are so small.

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Haha, you’re so cute to offer to send one! We hear that Barilla might have a box that actually says it on it around here, so I’m going to keep my eyes open. Maybe our Kroger just doesn’t carry it but it’s at the one down the road. Haha. Oh and as for cleaning it up, I hear ya. Thank goodness for Burger, my little Roomba! Haha.

      xo,
      s

  44. Shannon says

    I didn’t realize we share a birthday, except you were born on my 10th birthday. ;o) Happy Belated Birthday!

    Reply

  46. jess says

    Had to click the recipe link… looks delish! Happy Belated B-day and I’m sure you were super happy to enter your thirties with your fam by your side :-)

    Reply

  47. katecooks says

    love the pastina! we call it “pastina mush” in my house which sounds unappealing but always makes me smile. it was a highly requested after-school snack by all of my friends!

    Reply

  48. Amanda says

    Happy belated birthday, Sherry!

    Also, thanks for making the big 3-0 seem not-so-very-scary. I turn 30 later this year and it’s kind of unbelievably scary right now — glad to hear it’s not so bad!

    Reply

  49. Jasmine says

    “This is the Voice!” had me singing along as I saw that picture and then bust out laughing in my office. That was GREAT! I am so glad that you had a wonderful 3-0… makes me worry less since mines is in 6 months. YIKES!

    Reply

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