twenty-seven

I spent a good healthy portion of my birthday lying around the house and relaxing.
There was also the following:

An emotional release/breakdown with my husband. The good kind, don't worry. He held me and stroked my hair, while I processed what the last year has meant to me and what I'd like to see happen this year. The topics ranged from career goals to the fact that I found my first gray hair and varicose vein this week. It was that kind of ugly cry where you finish out feeling refreshed. Amen?

Manicure + masque + magazine time on my bed. Essie "Infatuation," cucumber, and the December '12 edition of Real Simple. The masque is still stuck in various parts of my hairline, even days later. I tried to enlist my husband's help with the removal process, but he was rather disgusted by the way it pulled away from my face.

Some quality time at my mother-in-law's. No, really! I got to meet some extended, out-of-town family for the first time. The kids had a blast playing with cousins, and we were able to sneak away kid-free for a few hours. The dynamic that's developed between my heart and my husband's family over the last year or so will never cease to amaze me.

Handbag + lipstick + lotion shopping at the mall. I'd been doing research for weeks, and it was fun to bring Chris along on the big day. I laughed to find other girls gawking at one store when Chris said, "Oh is that the oyster color we saw on Kate Spade's website?" A gal with amazing hair gave me an amazing hand massage while I waited to pay at Aveda.

A surprise hibachi steakhouse dinner with my parents. My family has celebrated birthdays at the same restaurant since before I can remember, and it was really special to have Chris divert me away from our usual sushi joint to join my parents for a memorable evening. They pulled out all the stops - the cake and the Japanese birthday song and the polaroid, which my parents took home to add to their collection.

All in all, it was just the right kind of birthday. Thanks to all of you who wished it so!