37 Down!

I was gonna call this post "Time Marches On" but that sounds so morbid and I'm not actually upset about getting older.  I own my 37 years!  That said, birthdays have never really been a big deal for me.  I like a good free dessert as much as anyone but aside from using it as an excuse to go to Disneyland with Lil, I usually don't care too much.  

This year was a little different because Matt and I went to Dialogue, which I knew would be a real experience.  I was so excited and it did not disappoint.  The menu was 20 courses deep with some truly crazy combos (toasted dandelion stem with maple syrup?!) but everything worked so well.  We also got to sit at the counter, facing the chef and his assistants while they prepared everything.  We got to ask some questions, learn about the process behind the menu and the preparation and generally observe the genius of a James Beard-winning chef.  The whole restaurant only seats 18 people and it's kind of a production to find the place and get in, which was fun for such a one-off experience.  It was all amazing!

I've also gotten into a birthday tradition of going to Sephora and buying myself a shit-ton of beauty products to make me feel better about the general decline of my face with age.  Guess what?  It works!  Money solves every problem!  I keed...

This year I switched it up and did my shopping spree with Beauty Counter over at Andrea's web-shop. (Side note, she also recently started a blog about clean living without alcohol which you should read.)

I have gone through several non-toxic purges over the past few years but two old toxic staples keep creeping back into my house: 1) actual bleach wipes (they work so much better than the non-toxic environmentally friendly ones); and 2) makeup and face creams.  Andrea & Beauty Counter can't help with #1 but they could with #2!  I went a little wild and got the Countermatch night & eye creams, Skin Tint foundation & concealer, and Hibiscus blush stick.  I also joined the beauty club, which came with a free product that pretty much paid for the membership so I was stoked.  I had used their Dew Skin a few years ago and actually didn't like it because it was streaky and didn't blend well but the Skin Tint is amazing and using the retractable foundation brush was key.

To top it off, Mishel, who works at the Honest Company, gave me a sample of their new mascara, which is the bomb.  I am good to go.  For the newly initiated, Josie Maran also makes truly amazing argan-based lotions, creams, and oils, which I've used in the past (though I don't like her foundation, which gets cakey and settles into pores and wrinkles).  I think I'll use a combo of different Beauty Counter, Honest Beauty and Josie Maran products going forward.

Anyway, I find that by treating myself to a good meal and some beauty goodies, I don't really mind the earlier-mentioned decline of my face.  In fact, getting older has been pretty awesome.  I was looking at my wedding photos with Lily last year and she remarked "Mom, your face looked so young and smooth!"  It did!  But I think about all the living I've done in the past 12 years and I'll gladly trade that for this.  :)

When I first saw this photo I was a little freaked out because CROW'S FEET!!!!  I spent a few minute bemoaning my reckless college days where I'd bike through Santa Barbara with no sunscreen and no hat and no fucks given.  Arg, self; why did I do that?  But after a few minutes I got over it because 1) I'm generally a pretty confident person and self-pity isn't my thing, and 2) I live in LA where celebrity dermatologists are a dime-a-dozen and I can always buy myself a new "Real Housewives" face in a few years.