This Sunday is my 31st birthday. Can you believe it? I dork out over Jersey Shore and cat vests and I'm in my thirties?! Yes.
The last twelve months have been pretty amazing. I spent the vast majority of my twenties in school, or living with boyfriends, or living in other countries. Sometimes all three, simultaneously. And it was fun! But this last year I've stayed in one place, stayed out of school and stayed away from joint leases. And I feel more myself and more confident in my decisions than I have in ages. If you're afraid of your thirties, don't be. They're awesome. You're still cute and you know who you are, where you're going and what you're willing to do to get there.
Last year I celebrated for three days straight (spa day! brunch with my ladies! a pub crawl with heaps of friends! a concert!) but this year I'm taking things a bit slower. My summer has been filled to overflowing, with a million barbecues and dates and parties and weddings and dinners with friends and bachelorette parties. And since I'll be having a big ol' going away party in a month and a half (!!!) I decided that my birthday would be best spent at my parents' house on the lake, eating cherries in a striped swimsuit. No giant party, no big presents. Just the lake and my fam and a long weekend of reading magazines and eating at the local diner with old friends.
I'm so excited for this coming year. I think it's going to be my best yet!
How did you (or how are you going to) celebrate your birthday this year?
44 comments:
That sounds just perfect. Isn't it great when you know yourself well enough to know that sometimes you don't want the big party or huge night out on the town? Sometimes it really is about the striped swim suit, mid-day movie and home made hamburgers for dinner.
I celebrated with close friends at my favourite Mexican restaurant. Same as last year and I have a feeling, same as the next.
Have a great one!
Happy Birthday! Your celebration sounds lovely!
My husband and I celebrated together since year because our birthdays are only 10 days apart. For his 31st and my 26th we invited friends over for sushi and karaoke. It was fabulous :)
Wow, my 31st birthday is in just over 2 weeks! I've had some crazy birthday celebrations in the past. And I've come to realize that all I really want for my birthday is a large dining table with my friends sitting around it and enjoying the food that we've all cooked together. Gone is the late night partying of my 20s, but I think I'll remember this one all the more because of it's simplicity.
Happy early birthday! I've been lurking for a few months without commenting, but I figured this is as good a time as any to pop in and tell you that your blog has been an inspiration to me. I'm closing on 28, myself, and just now figuring out what I want my life to look like.
I hope by 31 that I'm back on the right track and having as much fun as you!
I'm 30 next month. (Eep!) I live in Japan, I ***LOVE*** to sing and I haven't done karaoke since 2001. Guess what I'll be doing with my girlfriends? LOL.
I think we'll do that the night before my birthday, though. I want a night off from the kids *for* my birthday, not *on* it.
Erin! Thanks so much for the birthday wishes, and welcome to the party ;)
Happy early birthday, Miss Von! Its my birthday today but most of the celebrating was done this past weekend. I took a mini-roadtrip home with my boyfriend, stayed with my closest friend since high school, got my first tattoo (I've wanted it for ages), went to roller derby and my favorite 80s dance night, and ate delicious vietnamese food followed by burnt almond torte cake (nomnom). Today will probably be low-key (maybe a yoga class and drinks at one of my favorite bars). Oh but I would love the low-key day to involve lakes and cherries...enjoy it!
That sounds like an ideal birthday celebration! Happy early one!
I prefer to spend my birthdays totally alone, so this sounds fab to me. Happy early 31st!
Happy Early Birthday Sarah!!
I have a few more months to go before I reach 30 but I'm already looking forward to it - you're right - there is a sense of coming into your own around this time...
Your blog is proof that you are "in the zone" so to speak!
Here's to pussy cats and horrible/wonderful TV addictions!
xo
josie
Sounds like a lovely birthday! Enjoy it!
My birthday is in October. I'm planning a bowling-and-karaoke party, with classy, cocktail attire required.
Happy birthday to one of the most accomplished and inspiring ladies I know! I hope - I KNOW - that you'll keep getting better with every year!
Oh! Happy Birthday! I turned 31 this March and I'm loving the 30s. Seriously. Your b-day plans sound perfect. I thought I would be having the same type of relaxed evening w/ my bf and when we came back home from a quiet dinner and bubble tea, he had a surprise party waiting for me! Pretty much the best b-day ever!
Happy early birthday!
For my birthday this year, I had a Goodwill Birthday Party (everyone drew names, and then dressed their assigned person with $10 worth of clothing from Goodwill). I also told everyone to bring a few dollars for a surprise outing, and when everyone arrived I loaded them up into a van and took them to Chuck E. Cheese. The whole night was a blast, and we had so much fun shopping for each other!
Though not on a lake, I'll be celebrating my 26th birthday much like you'll be celebrating your 31st! Dinner at the fam's house (hopefully pizza delivery!), some video-taped present-opening, and good old-fashioned dessert (hopefully cake donuts!). I hope this next year brings you nothing but blessings!
This summer has been one of the busiest of my entire life. Since my birthday landed between trips, and all of my friends were strapped for cash, I kept my bday very low-key with a potluck picnic in the park. It was a lot of fun and many of my friends were able to make it :)
That sounds like a great birthday plan!
This has been quite a year for me. My fiancé and I bought a house in June, we're getting married in Spetember (THREE WEEKS!) and my 26th birthday is in October.
I figure a great way to have loved ones over to see the new place and to introduce ourselves to the neighborhood is to have a combined housewarming/birthday party. Solar lanterns in the trees outside, a fire pit, kabobs on the grill, and a tiki bar (because I have a bar in my rec room and I've always wanted a tiki bar with puffer fish lamps and coconut cups)!
Happy birthday!
:)
Happy Belated Birthday, dear.
I do agree with you, sometimes the demands of social life can take the fun out of it straight away. Your weekend sounded just right to me.
I still do not know what I am doing for my birthday. But since I do not have any family living near me, it would definitely be with some friends and my boy.
Love from Toronto, Canada.
Hope you have a great birthday :)
I don't know what I'll be doing for my birthday.. Can't be with family this time, I know :(
Maybe party with friends, or some movie and shopping!
Happy birthday!
I've been reading for several months now and I'd like to thank you for the inspiration to live joyfully every day and not feel guilty for liking what I like or following my dreams, even though they don't involve an advanced degree or a big paycheck.
Thanks, and I hope your day is relaxing and wonderful!
I will be roadtripping across the great state of Texas with good friends to go to a major football game at a rival university. Food, friends, football-- the perfect birthday present!
I want a cake. lol i know it seems weird but I haven't had a bday party planned for me since I was 3 :/ . No ones ever even took the time out to get me a cake!! wth. So yes, a simple cake and candles would make me happy.
My birthday is the day after yours! I'm spending it camping on Victoria Island in British Columbia. I'm looking forward to it because I haven't been to Canada for more than a decade.
Sarah! You're amazing. I hope you have a fantastic birthday - I find sometimes the best birthdays are spent with my family, last years' 25th celebration was a barbecue at my parents' place complete with many dogs and BLT's where the T's were plucked out of my old sandbox-converted-to-vegetable garden. I couldn't imagine anything sweeter. Love it, enjoy it, and happy 31!
I wish you a fantastic birthday, may this year be better than the last one, but not better than the next one ;)
I'm turning 25 this november, and I am so going to celebrate it big!!! It's a quarter of a century! It won't happen again XD
Happy happy birthday!!!! Hope you have an excellent, quiet time. This year, in March, I'll be turning 20 in Costa Rica. On a spring break trip to the Aviarios Sloth Sanctuary!! Excitement!!!
You have a great attitude! I think a quiet birthday is really appropriate since you've already been "partied out" so to speak. My birthday is the 31st, and I'm turning eigtheen. It will be awesome.
Happy Birthday (soon)! I quite like quiet birthdays, but this year for my 29th my boyfriend spoiled me to no end!
Surprise float plane ride, high tea at a fancy hotel, pedicure, manicure, champagne. He also got me some old bowling pins. Awesome.
(I actually just did a blog post about my birthday - it was this last Friday the 13th)
Happy almost birthday, Sarah Von!
I'm glad you asked! And happy birthday!
This year I'm going to a fondue resturant with two of my friends. I attempted this last year and it turned so bad that I cancelled it...I never quite got over that so this year I'm trying some different guests and hoping that I'm wiser than I was last year. It'll be my Sweet 16 too! I don't plan to get a car or have a huge MTV-style party, but I think it'll be a lot of fun.
Happy Birthday Sarah!! Your plans sound lovely. For my birthday I went out of town with one of my guys friends and we saw a movie and ate at Panda Express and had a fabulous time afterward. Very low key but nice.
I think its a Virgo thing, my birthday is Friday and I really just want to eat crab legs and chill out!
Wow, if I'm as amazing as you are when I'm 31 I'll know I'm doing something right. Happy birthday for Sunday, it sounds like a lovely way to spend a birthday. This year I just spet mine eating nachos with some friends and having a tickle fight with a love interest. Simple yet satisfactory enough :)
it's my birthday on Sunday too - we are birthday twins! Except I'm turning 32. I'm going on an overnight hike (my first!) with a couple good friends. I love quiet birthdays every other year or so.
happy birthday to us!
Happy birthday to you!! And hey, thanks for always being so inspiring. :)
This year I did the same as always, dinner out with family and friends. And while it was great, next year I'm turning thirty (gulp) and I want to do something amazing. So yesterday I booked an overseas holiday. Now I can't wait to get another year older!
Happy Birthday to you!
Happy Birthday, sweetie! I think I'll have myself a little piece of cake on Sunday in celebration of you and your wonderful blog! :o)
wow that sounds like the perfect birthday! Hope you have a wonderful one!
Mine is tomorrow, and I'm going to spend it lounging around the apartment, mayhaps reading a book, and talking to my mom on the phone!
tonight i'm going out to see John Carroll, a regular wed. night singer at the local bar, and enjoy the simple pleasures in my life. Here's to turning 2-0!
p.s. virgo power!
Happy birthday! Glad to hear you had a good day! I plan to eat sushi and chill with friends, but my 33rd isn't until November so I might glam up the plans in the meantime.
Happy belated birthday, Sarah! It sounds like it was fantastic. Hope 31 is even better than 30!
Yes, your thirties are gonna be great - but I'm 55, and there are still light bulbs going on in my head every day!
Life only slows down when you do.
Happy Birthday, Sarah! I appreciate your pep talk on entering ones 30s - I turn 30 in two weeks!
Happy birthday, Sarah! Much love to you.
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