Birthday Hooky

Since my work generously gives you your birthday off, I indulged in playing "hooky" on my special day on Thursday.

The day was low-key, just as I wanted. As you get older, the realization knocks you on the head that simple pleasures and what's authentic is more key to happines than, say, the big to-do.

With that in mind, I enjoyed a latte at Peet's while people watching and flipping through magazines I got at the newsstand (such a weekend thing for me!), talked and texted with family and friends, ambled into a favorite boutique and bought a stellar summer dress on sale, oh, and then walked to the Montage Beverly Hills hotel for a massage I booked on a whim. The spa was gorgeous, and enjoying the relaxation room, steam room, sauna, and salt water pool was an ideal way to round out the afternoon.

Then it was off to The Avalon, a hidden gem hotel in Beverly Hills with cool mid-century modern flair, for drinks around the retro kidney-shaped pool.

After all that, I don't feel so bad about turning 30. I'm, gulp, embracing it...

Molly and me in front of our cabana at The Avalon

I love The Avalon's retro vibe -- they filmed scenes from Dreamgirls here