out of the 27 club

this birthday was was one of the happiest days of my life. as is usual from our get-togethers, juan and i sprang into hosty action and cooked up too much food.  beautiful roses and tulips from him and nati filled every water pitcher and vase i had, and then some. it was one of the most colorful tables we've ever put together, and my favorite.  here is all before half of the food came out.

featuring mom's new placemats!

as previously mentioned, i didn't succeed in buying something for myself every day last week. honestly, treat yourself is a great credo to live by in this phase of life, but i can't undo years of putting myself on the back burner in seven days.  had to start somewhere though.

two fridays ago: i ordered myself some makeup from sephora. two bite beauty mini duos in both the bright and neutral shades, a black eyeliner from urban decay, the best damn lip balm i've ever used from tony moly, and my nars lip pencil gift. these two are amazing.

the mini-sephora "haul" sans the lip balm

two saturdays ago: it's been a while since i bought something from hautelook, but i found a set of brushes, blending sponge, and kabuki brush from crown brush, and all for a lot cheaper than they appear on the website. in my quest for less skin irritation, i need to invest in a good set.  still waiting on these babies.

two sundays ago: from amazon, i finally snagged the donut pan, ice pop mold and measuring cup i've been scoping out, as well as the color me calm coloring book.  

friday before my birthday: with a birthday coupon from pacifica, i bought two nail polishes in nirvana nirvana and crystal orchid, a matte top coat, and their concentrated concealer. while my skin's been a mess this concealer's been the only thing it'll tolerate in terms of cover.  can't wait to paint my nails!

but the little gifts to myself are nothing compared to the kindness that family and loved ones have shown me. this time of year always reminds me that i am so loved and knowing the people in my life makes the hardships more managaeable and the good times that much sweeter. this is one of my goals for the year: to nurture those friendships and relationships and to openly communicate whenever i am capable.  

twenty-seven was a mess. so many lessons learned, valuable friendships repaired, and growth, painful as it might have been. here's to happy number twenty-eight!

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this week: i'm strutting everywhere.  because i'm an old lady.  because i'm a bad ass.  because i get ish done!

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