My 30th Birthday Celebration / Photos and Thoughts on Gathering

I know, this seems to be the birthday that just won’t end, huh? This is the last post, I promise. I wanted to share photos that the kind and talented Rincy took before and during the dinner party I put together for my 30th birthday back at the start of December. Michael’s basketball schedule got in the way of having the dinner on my actual birthday at the end of November, so we had kind of a pre-holiday season party instead. It was actually the perfect way to kick off the festive period – sharing a meal with some of my favorite people.

Rincy shared the photos on Decor8, an interiors blog that I’ve been a fan of for a long time. Rincy writes a monthly column over there about the joys of leading a simpler life. She asked me to share a little bit about the inspiration for the celebration, and I’ve included the full text of that below.

When I moved to Ireland just over five years ago, there were a lot of things that obviously necessitated adjustment: driving on the other side of the road, not being able to buy anything in bulk at the grocery store, those kinds of things. What didn’t take any time at all to adjust to was how the Irish celebrate the Christmas season. They gather, they linger, they spend time around a table or a fireplace. They chat and sing and time stands still for a few hours. 

Long before my 30th birthday, I knew exactly how I wanted to celebrate: a dinner party with as many of my close friends and family around one table, sharing a meal, laughing, chatting, lingering over glasses of wine and birthday cake. I wanted a little piece of that pause in time where no one has anywhere else to be but right there.

My dear husband knows me well and found exactly the right space to use: The Centre for Creative Practices in Dublin city centre. In the basement of a several hundred year old building, the space is home to an arts centre dedicated to connecting and promoting immigrant, experimental and emerging artists in Dublin. On the exposed stone walls hung their annual winter art show, and I was so proud that Dublin has a space dedicated to such incredible talent.

I asked a handful of friends whose work I have long admired to bring the space to life. We chose mint, white, copper and dark green for a wintry and fresh look. It was festive, but calming, with lots of space for conversation and fellowship.

Claire Ryan created incredible floral arrangements. Federico Riezzo, who runs my absolute favourite Dublin cafe, Coppa, cooked dishes that made us all feel at home. Kate Packwood baked a cake that blew everyone’s minds – toffee coated green grapes adorned the top and the crunch/squish texture when you bite into one is indescribable. And Ciara O’Halloran put it all together into the most perfect winter celebration. 

On the day of the dinner party I pulled my car over by the coast of Dublin Bay and trekked down to the water line. I pulled out a big old piece of driftwood and squeezed it into the back of the car. We suspended it above the table, and from it we hung the most beautiful geometric Christmas ornaments, sourced from another of my favorite Dublin shops, Article. The pièce de résistance, so to speak, for our little winter wonderland.

Candles placed throughout the room twinkled and sparkled. My friends and family came and sat, made themselves comfortable. We held hands around the table while my husband prayed grace over the meal. Then we ate, drank wine, shared stories and laughed. Time stopped for a few hours; there were no phones or work. We were right there, together, celebrating exactly the way I’ve learned to in my time in Dublin. Truly present, with nowhere else to be but right there.

I will be forever grateful to the people who helped make this evening so special. You can find all their talent right here:

And now, we can put that 30th birthday to bed! It was well and truly celebrated, and I’m excited for what this 30th year will bring.