30 Things at 30
Today I turn 30, and it feels like a milestone. To capture the moment, here's a snapshot of my life right now.
- I still love to travel.
- My two main travel dreams right now are to 1) go to Asia and buy cute stickers and 2) do a giant USA road trip.
- I am emotionally addicted to tea. The caffeine has little effect on me, but the ritual of preparing the tea tray and the glorious smell are something I have a hard time living without.
- Lately I’ve been focusing on seeing smaller. I want to notice what’s beautiful in the moment.
- One way I try to engage #4 is through photography. I love taking photos on my phone. It’s so easy and I really cherish looking back at these photos.
- A long term goal that I’ve been working on is walking more. I sit a lot (doing the things I love), so I’ve been making an effort to move around frequently throughout the day. My Fitbit has helped with this, as has listening to audiobooks and podcasts.
- Reading has always been my favorite thing to do; currently I’m really enjoying memoirs, learning from people who can share their story well.
- The book An Altar in the World by Barbara Brown Taylor is the most personally influential thing I’ve read in a while.
- My favorite movies these days are slice of life style; the less plot the better.
- I’m real keen on my capsule wardrobe. For one thing, it’s the first time I’ve gone out and purchased clothes as an adult. For another thing the planning and considering involved in keeping it small has really helped me to find a personal style that makes me excited every day to get dressed.
- My favorite outfit right now is a floral tank top, black jogger-style pants, and a drapey cardigan.
- Pinterest has been a big help in finding my style. And not just for clothes. It’s helped me to identify what I love in my home, and in scrapbooking, and in determining what creative thing I want to try next. By paying attention to themes in what I’m constantly pinning, I’ve learned a lot about myself.
- I am obsessed with white. Followed by black, then gray, then pink, then--surprisingly--blue. Also polka dots. And stripes. And obnoxious floral patterns.
- It took 30 years, but I’m finally comfortable with my hair and have several hair styles I can do quickly and easily and look like I know what I’m doing. This is not a small accomplishment.
- Also, another great feature of being 30 is that my skin is settling down and sometimes I even look at my face and think, “skin is looking good.” Never thought I’d see that day either.
- In trade for the skin though I’ve given up some (a lot) of my hair to gray. I’m not sure how I feel about this. I never thought I’d be a gray-haired person at 30. Life is surprising like that.
- I’m currently excited that after years of trying to be a journaler, I’ve finally stumbled on something that I actually enjoy. I’ve been making little daily notes in a planner and then amusing myself making it cute. It usually feels like the greatest thing I’ve ever done, plus stickers.
- After years of doing strictly digital scrapbooking, I’m starting to enjoy doing some tangible smaller projects.
- Every day I’m 100% surprised that my job is to get up and make stuff. I am surprised both that this is a possible thing someone could do for her livelihood and also that I can actually make stuff. I spent a lot of time being all logical and doing math. I’m still trying to figure out what happened.
- I love pandas.
- I love having fresh flowers around the house. It’s a quick trick to making me feel enthused about my surroundings, regardless of other details that might be bothering me.
- Self-serve frozen yogurt has become my number one favorite thing to eat.
- I’m still not a vegetable enthusiast, but I certainly eat more than I used to. My favorites are carrots and broccoli. I also don’t mind spinach.
- In the winter I enjoy making soups. And I always enjoy baking cookies.
- I love living in Oregon. The giant trees speak to me in a special way.
- Also, I love cool weather. I always want to be able to wear a sweater.
- But not too cold, because I also only wear sandals.
- The Oregon Coast is one of my favorite places ever. I love the combination of the beach, the trees, and the hills.
- My biggest dream is to have a dog. However, that also requires being a little more settled than I’m currently willing to be.
- I also dream about traveling more, owning a house, and having more creative skills that don’t rely on a computer (drawing, painting, etc). I’m excited to see what the next decade of my life holds!
Blog By
About Me
Hi There! I’m Marisa Lerin and you’ll see me around at DigitalScrapbook.com a lot. I started this site in 2010 soon after I discovered a new love in digital scrapbooking. DigitalScrapbook.com has gone through some significant changes since that time and it’s grown into this lovely community site you are seeing now. I am daily surprised by the turn of life’s events that has led me down this path. If you're new to the site, welcome! Here are a few tidbits about me that I hope will help you get to know me better!
I’m originally from Minnesota, USA, but spent a good chunk of my childhood living abroad (in Bolivia and Hong Kong). I returned to Minnesota to attend university, got married and then moved overseas again (Korea, then Jordan and 1 year of traveling). My designs are heavily influenced by these many nomadic years. I am currently back in the USA, now living in the great state of Oregon!
I have no official training for what I’m doing, since I decided very wisely (haha) to study physics in university. I am always learning new things about digital scrapbooking, and this community has been immensely helpful for that!
If I manage to stop digital scrapbooking you will probably find me watching TV, reading or baking. I also enjoy writing for the blog here at DigitalScrapbook.com where I talk about whatever happens to be catching my fancy at the moment.
Monthly archive
- November 2012 (9)
- December 2012 (37)
- January 2013 (17)
- February 2013 (13)
- March 2013 (20)
- April 2013 (26)
- May 2013 (29)
- June 2013 (9)
- July 2013 (8)
- August 2013 (13)
- September 2013 (16)
- October 2013 (14)
- November 2013 (16)
- December 2013 (12)
- January 2014 (15)
- February 2014 (9)
- March 2014 (15)
- April 2014 (11)
- May 2014 (4)
- June 2014 (9)
- July 2014 (8)
- August 2014 (7)
- September 2014 (8)
- October 2014 (13)
- November 2014 (6)
- December 2014 (3)
- January 2015 (13)
- February 2015 (14)
- March 2015 (14)
- April 2015 (13)
- May 2015 (12)
- June 2015 (11)
- July 2015 (10)
- August 2015 (8)
- September 2015 (7)
- October 2015 (10)
- November 2015 (8)
- December 2015 (10)
- January 2016 (7)
- February 2016 (6)
- March 2016 (8)
- April 2016 (7)
- May 2016 (8)
- June 2016 (8)
- July 2016 (6)
- August 2016 (5)
- September 2016 (8)
- October 2016 (8)
- November 2016 (11)
- December 2016 (7)
- January 2017 (6)
- February 2017 (12)
- March 2017 (10)
- April 2017 (7)
- May 2017 (9)
- June 2017 (9)
- July 2017 (10)
- August 2017 (7)
- September 2017 (11)
- October 2017 (8)
- November 2017 (9)
- December 2017 (8)
- January 2018 (8)
- February 2018 (8)
- March 2018 (8)
- April 2018 (4)
- May 2018 (9)
- June 2018 (9)
- July 2018 (4)
- August 2018 (5)
- September 2018 (13)
- October 2018 (19)
- November 2018 (18)
- December 2018 (14)
- January 2019 (23)
- February 2019 (20)
- March 2019 (17)
- April 2019 (14)
- May 2019 (17)
- June 2019 (14)
- July 2019 (8)
- August 2019 (3)
- September 2019 (14)
- October 2019 (17)
- November 2019 (16)
- December 2019 (6)
- January 2020 (14)
- February 2020 (20)
- March 2020 (16)
- April 2020 (18)
- May 2020 (19)
- June 2020 (16)
- July 2020 (8)
- August 2020 (5)
- September 2020 (8)
- October 2020 (10)
- November 2020 (10)
- December 2020 (7)
- January 2021 (4)
- February 2021 (9)
- March 2021 (8)
- April 2021 (7)
- May 2021 (7)
- June 2021 (7)
- July 2021 (10)
- August 2021 (7)
- September 2021 (8)
- October 2021 (5)
- November 2021 (7)
- December 2021 (6)
- January 2022 (5)
- February 2022 (7)
- March 2022 (9)
- April 2022 (6)
- May 2022 (7)
- June 2022 (4)
- July 2022 (2)
- August 2022 (1)
- September 2022 (3)
- October 2022 (6)
- November 2022 (4)
- December 2022 (6)
- January 2023 (4)
- February 2023 (5)
- March 2023 (6)
- April 2023 (5)
- May 2023 (5)
- June 2023 (5)
- July 2023 (5)
- August 2023 (5)
- September 2023 (5)
- October 2023 (4)
- November 2023 (4)
- December 2023 (5)
- January 2024 (4)
- February 2024 (5)
- March 2024 (4)
Recent Comments
Happy (belated) birthday! Nice post to read, also. Oregon is beautiful according to your photo. I need to put it on my Places-I-Have-To-Visit list!
Wishing you a belated happy, happy, happy birthday, Marisa. You are so sweet and so inspiring and I hope your day was as sweet as you are. I am definitely reaching a milestone this week. I will turn 70 on Wed., June 17th. I look back and wonder where all the years have gone and how they could have passed so swiftly.
Happy belated birthday, Marisa!
This is LOVELY. Happy Birthday
Happy Birthday for yesterday. Wow!!!! Marisa I wish I new myself as well as you do when I was your age. It has taken me many years more to know myself. I love the things you love especially Pinterest I am crazy about anything creative and Pinterest is full of it. i live in South Africa we have Five Roses tea here, you may have it there, it is such a lovely fragrant tea.
Thank you for sharing. :-)
Happy Birthday Marisa! What a fun post you shared. You seem to be very happy at 30 and that is a great accomplishment. Keep up what you are doing it looks like it is working great. Thanks for what you do here. I know I don't visit often, but do love it. :)
Happy Birthday, Marisa! I hope this next year (and decade) will be one of your most awesome ever! Sincerely, a fellow Pinterest-panda-tree-and-dog-lover. :)
Happy Birthday, Marisa! How nice to get to know you more!
Happy Birthday!!
Happy Birthday. I'm sure the next decade and beyond will see you continue on your amazing life adventure and hopefully you will keep sharing it with us all.
Happy Birthday! Fun post.
Happy Birthday
Happy birthday
Happy birthday!!! What a wonderful post. Thanks so much for spending the last few of your 30 establishing and nurturing this amazing community we all enjoy so much. And I'm inspired by #14 - I'm so not there yet! Maybe I'll try to make it a goal to reach by 40 :)
Happy Birthday Marisa, and thanks for sharing such a wonderfull Blogpost !
Happy Birthday Marisa! Enjoy yourself. I love reading to your list. Thanks for being such an amazing person.
Happy Birthday! My 30th was back in March, but I didn't think of writing up a list like this....I should :D Thanks for the inspiration...AGAIN. Like I said before (or tried to, anyway), we are very different...and that's GREAT...but I love that we have enough things in common that I feel like we connect a tiny bit. (in a friend kind of way.....please don't think me freaky or something...) I hope I can eventually return the favor and give you inspiration, although I'm sure that's a ways away LOL
EITHER WAY................HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! I hope you have an awesome day and that the next several decades are as fulfilling as the previous ones :)
"Sincerest wishes come your way
On this very special Day
May this Birthday Ever be
Enshrined upon your Memory."
--From the book, "New Shoes" by Noel Streatfeild
Impressive list! (Keep thinking ... there will be more milestones in your future!)
happy birthday and here's to another 30!!
by the looks of it, here at PS, we're gonna be the coolest bunch of 30-something gray haired scrappin' ladies around! :D
Happy birtday! It`s a beautiful list. Have a nice day.
Happy birthday! You made a beautiful list.
Happy birthday! You made a very beautiful list!
Happy Birthday!
I turned 30 last December, and I found it to be a lot different than I imagined it would be. When I was 12, I thought 30 was SUPER old, and practically the beginning of the end. Now, though I, too, have (a lot of) gray hairs, I feel a beautiful balance of having a rather young body with a more seasoned mind. It's a nice feeling.
Happy Birthday!!
Happy Birthday! I turned the big 30 this year too. Best wishes! To 30 and beyond.
Happy Birthday!
A very happy birthday to you Marisa! I love your 30 at 30 idea. Our 30th wedding anniversary is coming up and we're throwing a party. May have to steal the idea for entertaining the crowd. This could be fun....
Happy Birthday! I wish I had thought of that when I turned 30 :) I think everyone here would agree with me that you are an amazing person and we are all thankful for creating this awesome community. Have an amazing day!
Happy happy birthday Marisa! I loved reading all these little details about you and your life. I hope you have a wonderful day! :)
Happy Birthday Marisa!!! Have a fabulous and festive day today! Xx
Happy Birthday, Marisa! What a wonderful 'time capsule' post. And I totally get the mathmatical type brain doing the crafty, creative thing. I like to think scrapbooking is a perfect meld of the two, science(=shapes, measuring), etc. with art(=pattern, color, design).
Have a blessed and beautiful day!
Happy 30th Birthday to you!!! Enjoy!!!
Happy Birthday!!
happy birthday, Marisa! love your crocodile bracelet
Happy Birthday! Thank you for sharing. :)
Happy Birthday Marisa! I wish you 30 more years of adventures, travelling, scrapbooking and loveliness to you, cheers!
Happy Birthday!
Happy Birthday, Marisa!
Happy Birthday, Marisa! I thought turning 30 was going to feel so much different then it did. Now, I'm almost halfway to 40 and that feels so much scarier to me! Enjoy your day!!
Marisa, My birthday is today also. Wow, an honor to share a birthday with you. Happy Birthday!
Happy birthday!
Happy birthday Marisa. Very thoughtful blog post. Have a wonderful day.
Happy birthday!! I wish you a more settled life so you can have a dog, having cute little creatures around is really beautiful! *heart*
Happy birthday Marisa! It's wonderful to read what 30 things are important to you know and it is good to know you are feeling comfortable with yourself and where you are in your life right now. Have a lovely day! ((Hugs))
Happy Birthday. Hope you have a wonderful time.