The Dirty 30

I turned 30 yesterday!  We celebrated with sushi and a night in.  It was wonderful.  Dan got me a fancy lady watch.  The kind of watch that I can wear for years and years and I'm in love with it.  It rained all day and I'm still upset about it.  (Stupid Washington).  Hoping for sunny skies on Saturday for my 30th Birthday Pool Party  Extravaganza!

I'm not a fashion blogger but I did like this outfit so Dan snapped a few shots before we headed out to eat. The dress is not flattering at all.  I might get rid of it.  It's a little too short to be comfortable but I like the pattern and as a pattern-shy-dresser I feel obligated to keep it to give my wardrobe the pizzaz that it often lacks. The photo shoot was quick because: RAIN & also...BB was OVERRR IIIIT.

Dress: Forever 21, Love21. Cardigan: Old Navy. Shoes: Minnetonka Moccasins. Bag: Kaboo. Watch: Marc Jacobs. On the BeeBs:  Shirt: Carters. Pants: thrifted. Shoes: Target.

So, let's get down to brass tacks.  I didn't exactly complete my 30 before 30 list.  Here are my excuses....

1. Sew something using a pattern - My sewing machine has been tricky so I didn't even try this one.
2. Make my own sushi - Nope.  Never got around to it.
3. Visit Canada - I lost my passport!
4. Visit Nashville - We went in November to visit my sister and it was awesome!
5. Run another half marathon - August 3rd with my BFF!
6. Take the train somewhere new - We rode the train to the half marathon.  It was...an experience.
7. Go snowboarding somewhere other than France this winter - Mt. Hood with my mom.
8. Do some local mission work - I didnt do as much as I had hoped but I am signed up to volunteer with the YWCA and I'm helping start a non-profit.
9. Hike in a rain forest - I'm not sure if the area of the Olympia Peninsula that we hiked 7 miles in is the part that counts as the rain forest but I'm gonna say that it counts. 
10. Save $XX,000 for a down-payment on a house - Yep.  This was mostly Dan's work but I guess I helped by not spending it ;)
11. Get my camera cleaned - Haven't done this one yet but I did buy a new lens.  A clean one! :)
12. Write letters to my husband while he's on tour - A few.
13. Take some real piano or bass lessons - Ugh.
14. Make a homemade alphabet book for BB - Nope.  
15. Watch every movie that stars Marilyn Monroe - I loved it!  I learned so much.  You could tell when she really put forth her best efforts in a role, when she liked a role.  She was something else!
16. Re-read The Great Gatsby before the movie comes out - Did it. Loved it.
17. Go to a midnight showing of a movie - I went to Gatsby with my lady friends. It was one of the best nights of my year!
18. Renew my wedding vows - Nailed it.
19. Buy a pair of ridiculously expensive shoes - I did it but I dont even really like them that much.
20. Visit the capital of anything - Nashville is the Capital of Tennessee!
21. Make an informed vote this November - Yep.
22. Buy a fish or a lobster from Seattle's Pike Place Market and cook it myself - I went to Pikes SO MANY TIMES this year and never bought any seafood.  Fail.
23. Take a dip in some hot springs - While visiting family in Wisconsin, I swam in an amusement park called "Hot Springs".  Count it.
24. Create a good, artistic film - still in the works so I cant show it yet.
25. Go to a sold-out mega-concert - I wish I had gone to Paul McCartney at Safeco Field but I did see Smashing Pumpkins and Anberlin / Kings of Leon.  So, it counts.
26. Buy some stock(s) - Didnt even try.
27. Go thrift-store shopping regularly - I wouldn't say "regularly" but "often".
28. Visit all of Tacoma's museums - 5 outta 5!  Nailed it!
29. Go on a backpacking trip / an overnight hike - Had one planned and I got sick and then never planned it again.  Boo.
30. Make people laugh - Obvi.

As a perfectionist I'm pretty bummed.  21 out of 30 isn't bad considering how lofty and expensive and time-consuming some of these goals are were. But that's like a D- or something.  So, to focus on the good things that I did this past year, I've made a new list of accomplishments:  We threw BB an awesome 1st birthday party in the theme of our favorite book:  Where the Wild Things Are. I got an amazing tattoo.  (Which is probably where all the money that I was supposed to invest in stocks went). We went on a ton of hikes.  I got over my new-mom-fitness-schlump and got back into yoga and running.  Not as often as I'd like.  But, I did train for and complete a half marathon! So....BOOM.

I'm not going to be too hard on myself.  I'm content with 30 because I love my life. Let's do this, 30!