Musings on the Big 3-0

My 30th birthday is in just a few weeks.  Since I know Zach will plan something fun that will probably involve a sparkly beverage and could even include a certain type of chocolate cake (German chocolate being my ultimate favorite, and Zach having perfected it after years of practice), I have been musing on what else I really "want".

For years I had planned on getting Botox and having some sort of aesthetician tell me exactly what I need to do to make my skin look youthful forever.  (Yes, I am that vain).  However, now that the big 3-0 is finally here, I find that I am much less interested in preventing smile lines (because, after all, they seem pretty well earned, and I am terribly afraid of looking like a "Real Housewife") and much more interested in thinking about what really matters to me in my life.

So here's what I really want for my 30th birthday this year.

A financial advisor.  The kind you see in the commercials, who lets you dream about the summer house you want to own one day and then works with you to figure out how to make that dream come true.  Who is willing to help me (finally!) transfer my old job's 401k into the appropriate account.  Who can tell me whether or not I should invest in a Roth IRA or pay off my mortgage a little faster. 

And the second thing I want?  A wall like one of these:

I think I have surprised even myself over the past few years as my physical space has become more and more important to me.  The way I feel in it.  The way it reflects (or does not reflect, as may be the case) the things I love and value.  The way a space carries with it a sense of history and permanence.  So I really want to improve my space in the next few years, to have it actually represent what I love.  And I thought what better way to start than with a wall filled with things... objects, pictures, art... that I love.

So I am on the hunt for vintage frames.  Round ones, square ones, thick ones, thin ones, black ones and gold ones in all shapes, sizes and conditions. I want to collect them over the coming year, and then create a wall- a space- that I really love.

30 photo from here
wall gallery photos all from here