Pumpkin & Pomegranate

I only have until 8:45 tonight left in my 20’s, and I admit that while i am a tad sorry to see them go, I am very optimistic about this new decade. I keep hearing from people that the 30’s are better than the 20’s, and to be fair my 20’s weren’t all that fantastic to me. I am very excited to be embarking on a new decade. Hopefully a decade that will bring more self awareness and self acceptance along with joy, stability, love, and a new energy to focus on making my dreams into reality.

The celebration begins tonight. I am starting it off with a backwards dinner, cupcake from Flying Apron to start, and then a fabulous dinner at Araya’s Place (photos to come). The, tomorrow the fun continues with a big dinner with friends at Green Leaf, and then we are off to see Alice in Wonderland in 3-D! I am VERY excited :-)

Actually the celebration already began. yesterday I got a box from 2 of my aunts and my grandmother. I was good and only opened the outer box to reveal 3 homemade jams (yum!), a card, and a little wrapped box. I waited until this morning at work to open the card and the box like a patient girl in her 30’s.

My Aunt is a fabulous jam maker!

So when i got to work I had a lovely present to open, and inside the card it reads:

“Dearest Marissa, We think your 30th should be remembered with jewels.”

So so appreciated! I lost ALL my jewelry when I moved to Seattle, and that breaks my heart as I collected beautiful things over the years. But this is a new start! I can now wear their love on my ears!

They are beautiful little hearts!

I also got a morning wake up call from my sister Alison (who by the way is one of the first two female Chief Arson Investigators in the city of Houston). She sang me her camp wake-up song and then also serenaded me with a lovely rendition of “happy Birthday”. This was all done at 6:30am my time (8:30 hers) and luckily I thought ahead and turned my ringer off before going to bed last night. The vibration still woke me but it wasn’t nearly as jarring. And I appreciated the call immensely.

Last year my dear friend Valentina gave me a beautiful orchid for my 29th birthday. Let me tell you all that I did not inherit my father’s green thumb. I tend to over love or ignore plants. I have never had an orchid bloom again for me…until now. BEHOLD THE MAGIC

She blooms again!

Ok so that isn’t quite fair, I d seem to be able to get my garlic to grow very very easily, even when i am not trying. onions too! So that orchid is blooming again for my birthday and I just adore it! I think it loved it’s spot. it lives by the window in the kitchen and gets a mist of water every morning, along with humidity from hot water from the sink and cooking steam. I am just tickled pink over it.

I also got a huge surprise when my boss’s wife brought me a gorgeous bouquet of flowers for my birthday. I casually mentioned yesterday to her that I was turning 30 today, and she was so sweet to do this!

Matt is coming to take me to lunch in about 45 minutes and that always makes my day. I have received SO many birthday wishes on my Facebook page. I feel very blessed to have so many people in my life who care about me.

I think that birthdays should be celebrated for a week. Especially the big ones. I will definitely be posting photos of my celebrations, and I’ll have an Irish(ish) recipe that I made for Dinner last night. I’d say I made it for St. Patrick’s day, and I did, but I don’t really celebrate the day the same way most do. More on that later!

xoxoxox

Hope you are all enjoying a fabulous Spring day wherever you are!