Team. A birthday story for you.

Potential tingles. Potential cringe. Proceed at your own risk.

I thought I was going to have a chill afternoon hang sesh at home with Sarah and Annette, my chosen family. Throw in some homemade chocolate-covered strawberries and I’m done. Perfectly content. THEN… every hour… the doorbell rang. It wasn’t packages being delivered.. it was people. MY PEOPLE. 😳🤯

My present was MY PEOPLE. 😭🥰🥰🥰 (The only thing I ever really want.)

My sneaky, thoughtfulAF partner, Ken Stanek aka @studionumbernine, organized the whole thing, knowing I don’t care about stuff. That I care about connection. Love. Laughing with my people, telling stories and making dumb jokes, hugs, dorky timer photos and .5 selfies to keep forever, adding new memories to our intentionally always growing list of life.

Add in a video from others who couldn’t make it in person and I only cried tears of joy and love like 18 times over the day. Obvs.

THANK YOU all so much for all your love on my birthday this year. For every single message, in every form they came. They matter and absolutely make a difference for me. I am humbled and truly so so grateful. 🙏🏻

This might sound strange, but if you want to give me a birthday “present”…

Go follow Ken’s stuff. Even better, book him for a commission. He’s at 1847 followers on Instagram. Maybe we can get him to 2000. That would be cool. 🥰

He has made one skydive in his life. Way cooler, he’s made thousands of beautiful paintings, pithy quips and events to bring people together in community. He is a full-time watercolor artist. He does pet portraits, people projects, homes, businesses, book illustration, live-drawing at events/weddings/whatever. All kinds of creative commissions. His stuff is GOOD. It makes me happy to share him with you.

Or don’t follow any of his stuff and just take the tingles I hope you get from this story. That’s great too. This is simply what felt inspired for me after a day I will not soon forget. Aka ever. Like never will. You get it. 🤓

 #thisis46 #fuckyeah

Much love,

PS. Obligatory .5 selfies and timer photos. If you want to see all of them, go to this post on my IG. 🤓