It's my birthday... and I'll buy it if I want to

I'm honestly not a huge fan of my birthday rolling around each year, because I tend to find things that draw unnecessary attention to myself extremely humiliating. And, I usually spend a good portion of the day freaking out that something horrible is going to happen and my birthday will be ruined forever. I know, ridiculous - but I have my reasons for paranoia. My wonderful grandmother died when I was a kid on July 3rd, so fireworks will forever (sadly) remind me of her. And an old boyfriend dumped me the night before Forest Park St. Patrick's Day (the NERVE!), which clearly ruined my favorite day of the year for awhile there. Birthdays fall right in to "pseudo-holiday" territory for me (like the 4th and FP St. Pat's), so the fear of it being a disaster strikes more often than not.

This year, I'm trying to have a brighter outlook on things seeing as I've heard 28 can be pretty awesome. I also made some nice extra money last weekend babysitting, so I'm thinking about buying myself a birthday present or two. We'll see. In the meantime, simply "window-shopping" online will do it for me. That being said, here's a nice little board of things I've wanted for a LONG time, along with a couple of new additions.

1. Dwell Studio for Target decorative pillow that I have been lusting over forEVER. I swear I've picked it up in the store 20 times, walked around with it, and then forced myself to put it back last minute because I don't absolutely need it. But it's just so perfect...

2. Keep Calm and Carry On poster that I have (again) wanted for way too long. Based on my description of birthday panic attacks above, I may need this little reminder even more than I originally thought.

3. An orchid - My herb garden is absolutely thriving, so I'm convinced I could keep a flower alive too!

4. The Wonderbar - No, not wonderbra, although I could probably benefit from one of those too. The Wonderbar pretty much sounds like heaven on Earth for my uber-sensitive, prone to breakouts skin. Priced at $40 for a teeny tiny bar (think hotel bar soap size), I would like to assume that the stuff is as amazing as it sounds. The tiny bar is said to last 6-8 weeks, so as a skincare products junkie, I say it's worth a shot.

5. Stella White Dial Watch by Fossil - I have worn the same silver Fossil watch for the last 5+ years, and have had the battery changed countless times when it stops. It stopped again last month and I've yet to get it fixed, and while I still plan to, I'm also really hooked on the chunky white watch trend going on these days. I love that this one doesn't have fake diamonds flanking the face like so many others do, and it'd be perfect for days like today when I'm in a simple tshirt and jeans!

6. Square Yellow Trunk - This is another one of those items at Target that I've picked up and put back a million times. I've been looking for ways to get pops of color throughout the house, and this trunk is PERFECT for that. The size is just right to slip under the end table next to the couch or on the porch, or would also fit under the console table in the hallway for a little trendy extra storage.

7. Fun cookie cutters - I mean, why not?

8. Long Branch Necklace - I love me some Etsy, and since I bought my first chunky necklace last week and am loving it, I now want more (surprise). I like the idea of this little piece that's different but still subtle.

Happy (almost) birthday to me!!