True happiness, which comes from not having everything but the recognition of the abundance of small and big blessings, is the one thing I am glad to have. After all, happiness is an inside job. And day by day, this grateful attitude pulls me through even the most difficult of times. Recognizing each of the small and big steps in life as the miracles they are is something I try to do every day.

But this weekend I was celebrating one of the big miracles; turning 30! Yes, I finally reached the beginning of the third decade of my life! Turning 30 for me came with a whole bunch of feelings; sheer joy, a little anxiety for all the goals I set for myself by 30, even a hint of melancholy in the midst of all the excitement for what this decade has in store for me. But above all, I feel immense gratitude for being alive and having come this far, for all the things that went right and the lessons I learned from those that didn’t, and for yet another year filled with so much good and abundant love. To top it all is the brand new blessing growing inside me, and finally we’ve got a bump! I would never take any of this for granted.

I spent my birthday weekend at Lake Naivasha Country Club surrounded by family, nature, and animals, all my favorite things, courtesy of le hubby who is never short of surprises. ? I had a great time! Waking up to the sound of hippos, for instance, is not something anyone can just ignore. Taking strolls to the lake accompanied by zebras, impalas and wildebeests is also not too shabby. The delicious buffet and the lovely ambiance at the restaurant did make my day a little more special. It was the kind of break of I needed and the best way I would have hoped to celebrate my 30^th. Of course, I thought I’d take a few shots in my birthday dress and as you can see I kinda I got carried away. ?

Speaking of, currently, this pretty velvet dress may easily be my wardrobe favorite. The fabric is so light and comfortable but still not in a flimsy way. The trumpet sleeves give it a little bit of oomph too.  I love how much it stretches hence super comfortable for my bump. Since I don’t plan to buy a lot of maternity dresses, lately super stretchy fabrics have become a popular pick for me. So you will be seeing more of those in the near future I hope.Hope you’re having a great week! Thanks for passing by and stay elegant.

Xoxo

Dottie

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Outfit details:

Velvet dress with trumpet sleeves: Kipusa Klozet

Mini-bag: Jumia

Shoes: Primark