Day 7 of Birthday Month

I'm so not going to be this:

Source: someecards.com via Melissa on Pinterest

I'm turning 30 in just over a week and I'm embracing that shit out of it.  Turning 29 last year I was all ugh, next year I'm going to be 30; I'm not married, my job sucks, I'm not who I thought I'd be by this time.  Now I'm all 30 ain't got shit on me!  Who cares, it's just a number!

This year, I want to be just like this:

Source: google.com via Missy on Pinterest

Glamorous (thanks to Fergie for my knowledge of how to spell that!), spoiled (I've been that way every other year), and simply happy!

I want this too:

Source: someecards.com via Kelli Michelle on Pinterest

A few weeks ago I posted wondering what you'd do if you were turning 30 this year - I got a few great ideas from people.  The main things I wanted: close friends, a super chill atmosphere, and nothing too loud (I like to be able to hear my friends talk).  What I really wanted was a party where I could take B&W photos and have them turn out like all the photos you might find in your grandparents photo albums; all the stories I hear about them sitting around, smoking and drinking, and just being casual.  Do you know what I'm talking about?  Picture a swanky cocktail lounge with over-sized leather couches and people in pretty dresses.

I did a lot of research for stuff around the Twin Cities, nice chill cocktail lounges and I found a few with promise, but on a Friday night, I figured they'd all still be super loud and packed.  Lots of people usually equals lots of noise, I didn't know how to get around that.
The other things I didn't want: making people spend a fortune to come out and have a good time, driving a far distance, nowhere to stay if they did whoop it up, having to worry about parking, amongst other things.  So the last option I had been toying with was having a party at our house.
At lunch with my cousin Shannon one day, it was decided; we'd have a cocktail party for my birthday, on my birthday, at my house!  This also assures Steve being able to drink rather than drive me around :)

It's a fancy party too, well cocktail attire required is what the invite says.  Yep, I mailed out formal invitations.  Don't be offended if you didn't get one, it's a small group, mostly people I've been friends with either a good part of my life or friends that I'm close with.

So... Steve, the whiz he is in Photoshop, whipped this up:

Now that's only the front - the details on the back are not important (and it has our address on it, so I'm not posting).  The biggest thing you need to know is that the house on it is our house!  Steve is amazing.  He took Photoshop and basically drew our home for the front of the invitation, and he did it in record time as I wanted to have the invites out a month in advance, giving people 2 weeks to RSVP and giving myself 2 weeks with a firm number.
It's going to be BYOB and Hors D'oeuvres are welcomed but not necessary.  We have plenty of places for people to sleep, so drinking is encouraged :)
We're going to have some sort of playlist, with some great music - mood setting music - think oldies like Sinatra, Dean Martin, Etta James, and probably lots of Adele!
The lighting will hopefully be mood setting as well - which is why we've been hanging so many damn lights as of late - it's just too hard to open up walls just to add a wall sconce (like Steve would eventually love to have).

Now, if I can just get someone to make me pretty cupcakes (like what I see on Pinterest).

I think I might make this too:

White Sangria with Pomegranate 

Source: whatsheshaving.com via Angela on Pinterest

I figure it wouldn't hurt to offer one thing to drink, even though it says BYOB, right?  It's so pretty!

Tonight I think I'm going to work on Steve's Christmas present - which I can't post here because he stalks my blog.  I'm also hoping to get some gifts wrapped and under the tree, as it's been up for weeks and is still bare underneath!