Hi everyone! I wanted to share some of the gifts I received for my birthday this year! Now, I do want to say, I am not trying to brag or anything at all. I did love my presents but I want to share them because I’m excited and happy about them, not because I’m trying to make anyone jealous or anything like that at all.

Before I continue, I am blogging every day this month in honor of my birthday (I’m doing a great job at convincing everyone I’m not conceited aren’t I…) and I’m calling it #BirthMay! I’m having a great time blogging every day, and I hope you’re still enjoying it! I still have a few days left in May that I haven’t decided what to write about yet, so let me know if there’s something you’re interested in!

First up, I think I’ll start with two presents I bought myself. I bought myself A Court of Wings and Ruin, the third book the Sarah J. Maas’ series, A Court of Thrones and Roses. I loved the first book, loved the second even more, and I know I’ll love this one the most. I have yet to start it as I know I’ll obsess over it. I wish I had read it this weekend but I didn’t get the chance. I’m very worried about spoilers so I think I’m just going to suck it up and read it on a week night. I’ll need a Starbucks run in the morning!

I then went to Barnes & Noble again to go get another book for myself as I got a 20% offer. I was going to go get another of Sarah J. Maas’ books, this time the prequel to the Throne of Glass series she writes, as that’s the last book I need to complete the series in my collection. Once I saw the next book that went out the window.

I walked by the Spanish books section and fell in love with the cover. I opened it up and loved the art inside as well and had to buy it. Frida Kahlo: una biografia by Maria Hesse was too cute to pass up! It is more of a middle grade book I believe but I like to practice reading Spanish and it was adorable. I love Frida Kahlo and actually, the photo I feature the most on my blog that has my face on it is at Frida’s home in Mexico, Casa Azul, that I visited last summer. It is now the site of a museum dedicated to Frida, her life, and work.

Frida and I are very different, and I sometimes feel like I shouldn’t like her, especially because of her political views. But I can’t help but admire her strength and the raw emotion she shared with the world though her art. I’m so excited to read this book!

Now my coworkers didn’t get me a gift per say but they did decorate my desk again this year! I found it hilarious how it happened! Two of my coworkers that I’m closest with always get to work before me. So I assumed they did it and when I thanked them they told me they didn’t do it! I was sure they were lying but they maintained their story and said they got to work early with every intention of decorating but they arrived and it was already done! Another coworker arrived and she didn’t say a word, so I was further confused. It wasn’t until two more people arrived that I finally found out that the last three people to walk in the door had been the mystery decorators, including the one that walked in without saying anything! Ha! I seriously love the people I work with! Also we need to work on our communication skills!

I picked up my Sephora birthday gift which I’ll include here. Normally I’d put it in a haul post but I don’t really do those anymore since I’m on a self-imposed spending freeze (except for the books). If you join the Sephora rewards program you get a gift in your birthday month! I chose the Caudalie gift, which includes a Vinosource Moisturizing Sorbet and a Vinoperfect Radiance Serum. The makeup option was Tarte but I typically chose the skincare as I feel skin care is harder to test without samples than makeup.

Oh and even Starbucks got me a gift! I got a free food or drink item for my birthday! I don’t know if it’s because I spend way too much there and they felt bad or if it’s a reward for everyone who signed up for the app. Either way, thanks for my Venti Strawberry Refresher Starbucks!

My parents were lovely as always. My mom got me a few clothing bits, a few makeup bits, and then she picked out a beautiful pair of earrings for my dad since he’s so incredibly busy at work right now!

 

For the clothing I got a blue shirt with ruffles on the sleeves, cute socks, and a white swim cover up.

Make up wise I got Physicians Formula Sexy Booster Va Va Voom Volume Mascara (whew, quite a name!)  and Physicians Formula Eye Shadow Quad in Canyon Classics. I’m excited to try them out as I haven’t tried anything from this brand in a really long time.

And the earrings are cute and came with an adorable card as well. I absolutely love the earrings and they look so beautiful! My sister got matching earrings which I love because they feel like they’re a set!

And my sister got me some amazing presents! I could have cried. For real!

First she gave me the cutest little jewelry dish from Charming Charlie that says “My sister is just like me only better”. It’s adorable! And funny because I think the same about her!

She then gave me a Harry Potter tea set! It’s two cups with matching saucers. One is the Marauder’s Map and the other is Platform 9 3/4. I love them so much and they’re pretty sizable so I can’t wait to use them for some tea! I actually had admired it in Hot Topic and my sister was apparently freaking out inside (we were there together) thinking I might impulse buy it. I mean, then I’d just have a set of four so I don’t know what the problem would be! 😀 But she knows me so well, I really did love it in the store and I love that I have it now!

And lastly, she got me another jewelry tray and it’s Chip from Beauty and the Beast! My favorite Disney movie and now I have my own little Chip. He is so incredibly cute! She said it was the only one she saw at Hot Topic (on a visit without me haha) so she snatched it up and bought it for me. I really love it and I can’t wait to put all my jewelry on Chip! And quite possibly sing to him! 😀

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And those are my birthday gifts! I do love them and I can’t wait to enjoy them. I’m writing this post the day after my birthday so I might have used some of these already.

Let me know what your favorite birthday gift has been! Was it something you received or something you gave? I’m curious!

Thanks for reading!

Pamela