Well, hello there, 30!

And there it is. One moment you're a 20-something and then suddenly midnight arrives and you're not. Waking up 30 looks a lot like waking up 29 but nothing like 20. 

I've had conflicting emotions about it, and today, on the day of, I still do, but I don't think it has much to do with some "loss of youth" complex. In the last year I met met a man and married him, walked away from my career, and forfeited my deep identity as a Californian to start a new life in Kansas City. Today, not only am I turning 30 but I'm packing for tomorrow's flight back to California and working through last minute details for our wedding. I'm job hunting in my new city and preparing to start a business with my new husband. It's a lot to take in! 

I can't really be upset about starting a new decade of life when I look back at how much I packed into the last one. I graduated from college, traveled all over the world, kick started my corporate career while maintaining a photo business on the side, and one of the brightest highlights - I got to experience becoming an auntie... twice!

Waking up 30 looks a lot like waking up 29 but nothing like 20. And that's a damn good thing! 

My love made me breakfast in bed - he's a keeper!

Skydiving in Santa Cruz

Last month I surprised the beau for his birthday with skydiving in Santa Cruz! He had been saying for months that he desperately wanted to do it, and I kept insisting he wait until after the wedding, but I started to feel guilty for being such a downer when I've been twice before. 

The place I jumped in Lodi was only $100 a pop, but that's largely because you're jumping over farmland and they get a higher volume of jumpers. The jump in Santa Cruz ran me nearly $300 for the highest possible altitude and photos. We were disappointed to find that they haven't been allowed to do beach landings in a year, but regardless, the scenery is mind blowing - ocean on one side, forest on the other - and it was a great way to experience a first jump!

The beau had never been to Santa Cruz, so after skydiving we headed to the boardwalk and had beers and burritos at a little taqueria. I'd say he was a very satisfied birthday boy!

 

 

 

Happy Birthday, SFBay.CA!

Last night SFBay celebrated their first year of publication at Salle Piano & Events with the help of an overwhelming number of contributors, readers, friends and sponsors. 

If you haven't checked out their website yet, please do! SFBay's coverage of Bay Area news, events and interests is impressive, and their staff happens to be stacked with some of my favorite professors from my good ol' days at San Francisco State's school of journalism.

Gluten Free Cupcakes

I just realized I never posted about these gluten free cupcakes I made for my coworker's birthday! 

Okay, well, let me just say before you get too proud of me, that I didn't make them from scratch. I had tossed the idea around but wound up deciding that since gluten free baking requires entirely different ingredients from traditional baking, none of which were previously in my kitchen, and because I only had one evening with which to throw these together, there simply wasn't time to buy all the necessary goodies and risk the first batch not turning out. There is a wonderful little gluten free grocery store near my work where I managed to find a cake mix. I got the yellow cake mix and added some almond extract for flavor, tossed out the frosting mix that came with it and made a basic sugar frosting mix with vanilla extract. I topped off the cupcakes with fresh blueberries and refrigerated them overnight. 

To make the "Happy Birthday" banner I used a toothpick, scrapbooking paper and a gold paint pen. I used one level of a cupcake tower and paper shreds for presentation.

I'm definitely inspired to do a bit of ingredient shopping next time I can get over to that shop so I can start practicing gluten free baking from scratch.