On June 19th I turned the ripe ol' age of 37. Officially making this the first birthday that has totally freaked me out. I'm not sure why 36 didn't have me hiding under a blankie and pondering self-medication, but a few weeks ago, when I said my new age out loud, it just felt like a clerical error. How can I be this close to 4-0, especially if I still get carded at bars, and my soul sends signals that it's still nineteen. Yet I also know that if I continue to stress about the inevitable, I'll get wrinkles. So, I'm choosing to celebrate my years on Earth with a retrospective of something that makes me happy . . . cake! Here's a timeline of birthday sweets I've scarfed (though sadly no cakes were documented during my punk or goth years, as I was too busy dieting for my wedding to Nick Cave and fantasizing about impending doom to think about anything having to do with birth). My late-90s and most of the 2000s are also absent due to a tragic harddrive theft years ago (hypnotism may be the next thing I try to get over this). Thanks mom & Dad for always singing Happy Birthday to me, even as I rolled my teenage eyes.
Top and above: Stuffing my face at my 1st birthday party c.1976, Woodland Hills, CA (loving the round mauve sunnies and my mum's striped sailor tee). Below: My holy childhood trinity of Mickey, Snoopy, and Hollie Hobby (1977-1979).
Above: Party at McDonald's (which I had to cry and beg my mom to let me have, as she hated for us to eat fast food) c.1980. Below, Left: An ironically tacky pink cake held by high school friends Kelly & Jill, at a '70s themed birthday beer fest (thrown while my parents were out of town, and also in celebration of our friend Pat joining Nirvana), c.1992. Right: Celebrating and pouting through My 18th birthday, N. Hollywood, CA, 1993 (during a Jean Harlow obsessed period).
Above: With stylist Scott Free and designer Pegah Anvarian in my coconut bra and Betty Grable 'do during a luau themed pool party at Chez Brandt, c.1995 (I did feel a little pissed when Gwen Stefani copped this hair/make-up vibe later on). Note the giant glitter paintings of Dorothy's ruby slippers, Boy George, and a Big Top Pee Wee posters adorning the walls of my parent's kitchen.
Above, Left: Family party for my 19th, in our old Valley Village, CA dining room. I'm wearing a Cynthia Rowley denim halter dress, and cherry barrette adorning my Madonna "Rain" video/Edie Sedgwick inspired hair cut. Middle: Brief pink juicy sweatsuit phase after breaking-up with a longtime beau, and pretending all was normal. We went to Casa Vega in Studio City for the first of many birthday flans. Right: Another flan at El Compadre (followed by one of their epic flaming margaritas), Hollywood, c.1998?
Above, Left: Another party at my parents old house on Morrison St. in Valley Village, c.2005 (with what is still one of my favorite cakes . . . Raspberries & Creme from Urth Café). Right: With the lovely Christina Caruso at the legendary Elaine's in NYC (R.I.P.!), c.2010. Below, Left: Plastered on Nigori at a sushi joint in Westchester, c.2012. Below, Right: Blowing out the candle on my most favorite dessert of all time . . . the warm nutella, olive oil & sea salt pizza at Pulino's, NYC, c.2012.
And a hip-hip-hoorah too all my fellow Geminis! Most especially; Marilyn Monroe, Gena Rowlands, Cyndi Lauper, Walt Whitman, Laurie Anderson, Josephine Baker, Prince, Siouxsie Sioux, Irving Penn, Sandra Bernhard, Paul McCartney, Stevie Nicks, Jamie Oliver, M.K. & Ashley, Boy George, Isabella Rossellini, Michael Cera, Sun Ra, Jacques Cousteau, Gene Wilder, Johnny Depp, Nick Drake, Carey Mulligan, Queen Victoria, Modigliani, Rosalind Russell, Isadora Duncan, Harvey Milk, Ann Wilson of Heart, Brian Wilson, Michelle Pfeiffer, Bob Dylan, Peggy Lee, Roger Ebert, Brooke Shields, Judy Garland, Vincent Price, Dashiell Hammett, Levon Helm, Angelina Jolie, JFK, and Nicole Kidman.
Above: Another shot of the long dreamed about nutella pizza at Pulino's with fave ladies, Christina Caruso & Hayley Kaufman, c.2012.
yum!! nutella pizza sounds fascinating. I also love the little carousel cake at the top - every year I tell friends I want that old school bakery birthday cake but we always end up at some fancier place...will have to buy one for myself next year!
By the way, 53 (me) is no different in some ways from 37 - it still sounds weird, and you still feel far far younger most of the time. Which is good I guess!
Happy belated!
Posted by: mlle patty | June 24, 2012 at 09:38 PM
Happy belated birthday, Jennifer! That first cake is amazing, what a great one! Also, your look in the luau party photo is A++ You're such a glamour queen!
I think it may be something about the "7s"... because I'm about to turn 27 and I'm thinking for the first time about how close I am to 30, not that it's bad at all, just so weird!
Oh, and my friend is visiting from Seattle and we are both such lovers of your book, we did a Vintage LA tour last week!
Posted by: Danielle | June 29, 2012 at 01:17 PM
Merci for le b-day wishes. Even though I'm organic/farm-to-table food obsessed, I'll always adore old school bakery cake. That frosting makes me weak every time!
Posted by: J.B. Taylor | July 07, 2012 at 12:08 AM
Danielle, So happy you appreciated my crazy luau look. Wish I could still spend that many hrs. a day on make-up and hair : / I'd love to know where you went on your VLA tour! What location was your fave? Did you discover some new stuff not in the book? Do tell!
Posted by: J.B. Taylor | July 07, 2012 at 12:11 AM