In the 3rd grade we took a family trip to Chicago. Of course after all of these years, many of my memories blur together; however, one exhibit at the Natural History Museum of Chicago has stayed with me – a traveling treasury of Ancient Egypt. I knew at that moment that I must someday visit that amazing country.
Turning thirty seemed like just the right time to explore the only country with the last standing wonder of the ancient world. In fact, I actually found myself counting down the days with excitement and happiness. And, as we all know, living in a world of botox, chemical peels, and $300 an ounce face creams claiming to make our faces feel like baby bottoms, getting older is typically not welcomed with a giant smile.
Anna, Sara, Morgan, and Brett at Carmen
Before I start to share the details of our voyage to Egypt, I must first thank my precious twenty-something ladies in Beijing for including an “old lady” like me in their September Babies’ Birthday Bash! Below are some pics from the small group dinner at Carmen for tappas and homemade cupcakes (par moi) before the bigger party at The Beach (an outdoor rooftop bar with a sand covered dance floor).
Look how the cute 20-somethings pose for the camera, while the hungry 30 year old can't wait to dive into the cupcakes...
Realizing that I totally jumped the gun. Oops!! (Sara, Lauren, me, and Sarah)
Here is a recipe (courtesy of The Food Network) for the infamous Magnolia Bakery cupcakes that I used. I must admit that I still managed to down them at my normal rapid rate even after discovering the amount of sugar in the icing alone! See for yourself below…you might get a sugar high just reading it.
A Blonde in Beijing 
Mmmmm. Yum.
Looking forward to hearing about Egypt.