It is such a great Friday over here. We are heading into a long weekend, leave for the beach next week, and today I turn 30! Wow I can’t believe it. I feel like there is a stigma to dread turning 30, but the way I see it today’s The Big Day ready or not so might as well get excited and embrace it! I thought it would be fun to share 30 fun facts in celebration of my 30th birthday!

30 Fun Facts About Simply Darlings

1. Andrew and I started dating in February 2006 and have been together 15 years this September will be 8 years married!

2. Two foods I don’t eat at all are mushrooms and oysters.

3. I started my blog after a backpacking trip to Europe and thought originally it would be a travel blog. That was a little more complicated than I realized and converted quickly to Fashion and Lifestyle. However, traveling and exploring new places is truly one of my favorite things in the world. I have a list a mile long of all the places I want to go!

4. I have no tattoos, can barley decide on a paint color much less a permanent tattoo. I am open to them though, just never landed on anything final.

5. I wore a back brace in middle school and a little of 9th grade for scoliosis. My curve was 42 degrees and now I see a chiropractor and have since 9th grade. My curve has now improved to 35, which is actually pretty rare!

6. I played volleyball and tennis in high school and absolutely loved both! While I was in college, I helped coach volleyball and played on a co-ed league with Andrew. I now play tennis with my sister-in-law once a week and we enjoy it so much.

7. I have been a nurse for 8 years.It’s truly one of the most rewarding, heartbreaking, exhausting and incredible experiences in my life.

8. I was born in Alabama. My dad’s job relocated us to Georgia when I was in second grade.

9. My entire family is good as golf except me. My dad has one arm and has played in one armed golfer tournaments. He now plays every weekend in their neighborhood with a group of men who call him the “one- armed bandit” because they say he will always win when they take bets on holes. My brother played in college and is still amazing. Even my Mom can hold her own golfing with dad….. and then there is me.

10. I am an Enneagram 7 wing 8 – The enthusiast basically describes me spot on. Loves life and experiences but that wing 8 can come out sometimes and I can stand up for myself.

11. I maintained the Hope scholarship throughout college and graduated Summa Cum Laude from nursing school.

12. I originally went to school to be an Environmental engineer and wanted to build Wells for clean drinking water in Africa. I was ready to save the world just ended up going a different route after an internship. Still want to save the world but as a nurse.

13. We have no pets. We didn’t get them before Eloise because we traveled a lot and wanted to get a dog when we could be home more. Now we have a 2 year old and a baby on the way so I think our hands are full for the foreseeable future.

14. I absolutely love books. I always have an audiobook going and usually can listen to at least 1-3 in a month. When I am able too sit and read I usually have some sort of boring book about habits or discipline going as well as a good page turner.

15. My family is literally everything to me. I don’t know if it’s my Italian roots or what but they are my heart and soul I would do anything for them.

16. Speaking of Italian roots my Mom’s maiden name is Modica which is the town in Sicily that her family is from. They gave it as their last name when they came to America at Ellis Island.

17. I was never in a sorority in college.

18. Our dream is to buy land and build a forever home. I joke with Andrew that I want to be buried in the back yard!

19. We pray we get the privilege to adopt one day.

20. My husband owns his own State farm and is amazing at what he does and also TRULY loves helping people.

21. I love to garden. I plant an herb garden every Spring. Last year my garden was a fail, but this year we already have tomatoes and I am thrilled.

22. Andrew and I want to be great cooks one day. We watch Hells Kitchen and pretend we could beat everyone in the completion.

23. Orange theory is the longest membership to a gym I have ever kept and I have genuinely never enjoyed a workout like I do those. I didn’t workout at all with Eloise and it took me a year and half to ever get the courage to do something like Orange theory. I started August 2020 and it’s amazing! My plan is to start right back after my 6 weeks of post baby rest.

24. I could play a board or card game every night. I LOVE them so much.

25. I gave my first shot in Nicaragua on a medical mission trip.

26. My blog is from the verse Song of Solomon 4:7 – You are all together beautiful my darling there is no flaw in you. The key there is “in you”. It spoke to me so much of inner beauty that shines out. Always wanting to share that we can put on all the fancy clothing, designer bags and makeup on but if the heart is ugly and unkind that is ALL that people will remember from your impact on them.

27. I played piano growing up and whipped it out again during quarantine. Wow I am rusty.

28. I want to learn another language and speak it really well probably Spanish or Italian.

29. My mom is a two time cancer surivor and we want to do the 3 day walk one day.

30. I love Jesus with my entire heart and pray I represent Him well in this space every day.

What is a fun fact people may not know about you?