Thursday, the day before my birthday, at the newspaper office:
Me: “Oh no, I still don’t have plans for this year’s birthday mani.”
Tatin: “Oh no! That’s really important.”
And no, she wasn’t being sarcastic.
And so we spent the next few minutes trying to think of what I should wear on my nails on the day I turn 31.
Tatin had the brilliant idea of doing a mani that would make my nails look like my birth stone.
Tatin: What’s your birth stone?
Me: Opal. And I hate opal. I’ve always hated it even when I was a kid.
Tatin: What?! But it’s so pretty!
And so I googled it.
Me: Oh my god, why does it look pretty now?
Tatin: See!
We checked my inventory but still couldn’t decide on a birthday mani.
The answer came hours later, in a pretty pretty package.
A pretty pretty package Jill handed me when midnight struck.
A pretty pretty package with a little bear sitting on top of it.
I opened the pretty pretty package and went completely nuts when I saw this.
And when I say completely nuts, I’m not kidding.
I think I started to freak Jill out a little.
But how can I not freak out?
How awesome are these shoes?
And it’s not just the cuteness.
This pair of shoes and I have a long and kind of funny history.
Dr. Martens came out with its first Sanrio collection in 2010. I loved loved loved the 1460 boots. I thought they were adorable.
But I waited too long and didn’t order them. By the time I realized I really really really wanted them, it was too late. They were nowhere to be found. I was heartbroken.
Then, earlier this year, while Jill and I were in the US, we decided to order new pairs.
And I thought it was fate because Dr. Martens had just come out with its second Sanrio collection.
But Jill looked at me like I was crazy. She found the pair too cutesy. So I ended up ordering another pair of Dr. Martens which I loved, even if Hello Kitty’s face wasn’t on it. And it was cool because it kind of matched Jill’s new pair.
But I have to admit I still thought about the Sanrio pair. A lot.
Last week, as Jill was ordering a pair of Shoreditch Dr. Martens for herself, she asked if I wanted to order another pair too. I tried looking for the Sanrio pair. But I couldn’t find it anywhere. Once again, I was heartbroken. And I blamed Jill.
“You should have let me order it in the US, now it’s gone,” I wailed.
I had no idea that she already had the pair squirreled away in her closet.
She spotted it at the Dr. Martens store in Rome and bought it.
Yes, she’s beyond awesome.
And that’s not all.
Remember how she bought me the gorgeous shades from the YSL Noirs Couleurs in Greece?
I didn’t know it then but she also got me YSL’s Duo No. 5.
This is Duo Favorite Chic.
And it’s pretty pretty pretty.
It’s been on my wish list ever since I first saw it online – and thanks to Jill’s thoughtfulness, I now have it.
So pretty.
Even Planky liked it.
And instantly I knew I was going to use the duo as this year’s birthday mani.
With Deborah Lippmann’s Happy Birthday, of course.
And so I did my nails while talking to my mother who called from Vegas to greet me.
Love.
I’m pretty sure Planky likes it too.
Just like he likes my new shoes.
I wore my Sanrio Doc Martens to my birthday dinner and drinks.
I love them, they’re super comfy.
When I opened the present, after I was done freaking out, one of the first things I said to Jill was I need to buy new socks. I said my holey old favorites aren’t worthy of the Hello Kitty awesomeness.
I opened my gifts when I got home last night and our friend Michelle’s gift made me laugh.
Socks! Socks that are pretty, colorful and, most importantly, free of holes.
They’re perfect. I love them so much.
Because seriously, this was the pair of socks I wore on my birthday.
I should be ashamed, I know.
But not anymore.
Because I have awesome socks! And awesome Sanrio boots! And YSL on my nails!
It’s more than just the thrill of beautiful new things that completely rocked my world – it’s the thoughtfulness, the love, the care that touched me to the core.
Thank you, Jill. Thank you, Mich.
More than anything I can put on my feet or wear on my nails, it’s your presence in my life that is the biggest gift.
