Hello

This summer, I’ll be turning 50.

I’ve been thinking about what I’ll do to celebrate, and I realized I have no memory of my 21st birthday.

When I turned 40, we hung out in our back yard with friends, grilled burgers, and drank mai tais. Yum.

For my 30th, the kids were super little. We rented a bouncy house and got a giant birthday cake. I wouldn't mind something like that again. :)

My 21st? Well… um…

It turns out I have no idea what I did.

I’ve known Art since I was 14, so I figured I would ask him. His memory is typically a lot better than mine. So as we walked through the neighborhood for dinner at the local Thai place today I said, “Do you remember what we did for my 21st birthday?”

Crickets. He had no clue.

After a pregnant pause, we dove into an in-depth conversation about what the heck happened in our early 20s! With a lot of thought and re-tracing our steps, we sketched out an entire timeline of those years - summer jobs we worked, apartments we lived in, cars we had, which friends were around at the time, and which friends we hadn’t met yet - all in an attempt to spark a “party” memory that included all of the right features… but we couldn’t do it. There was a flaw in each attempt.

This fleeting-memory stuff is tough to handle. I never meant for that day to disappear, and I sure would love to revisit that time in my mind. But we have no photos of my 21st birthday, so it’s probably gone for good. It’s strange, how easily something that felt so important at the time (I mean, it was my 21st birthday!) can just… slip away.

These days, I don’t leave it to chance. Around my birthday, I like to create a self-portrait to mark the moment. I tend to alternate between a simple headshot update and a reimagining of myself in a whole new context. Whatever the plans are, I always enjoy having an excuse to get my hair & makeup styled.

In 2021 I got dressed up in my ruff collar and victorian gown - and eventually converted that image into the mural you see on the back wall in our studio.

In 2023, I went crazy and leaned hard into the rock star vibe with crazy hair and shiny outfits. That’s what you’re looking at above.

In 2025, I “Cornered” myself because how could I not participate in my own cool project?

Technically it’s time for a new headshot in 2026, but since I’m turning 50, I’m really excited to mark the moment with something truly special. I’ve come to value having a photograph that anchors a moment in time. Each portrait is something I can return to later - not just to see how I looked, but to remember who I was and how I felt.

And maybe more importantly, it gives me the experience of stepping into something completely different, even if just for a day.

As I started thinking about how I wanted to mark turning 50, I knew it couldn't be ordinary. Around the same time, I connected with an incredible floral designer who’s just as excited as I am about creating something completely other-worldly. Our conversation and collaboration have blossomed into The Bloom Edit. We would love for you to join us on July 17th.

Not every moment has to disappear.

If something about this speaks to you, now is the time to step in and put your hand up for this immersive experience.

I’ll be opening booking very soon, starting with invitations to a small group first. There will only be six spots.

You can join the first-access list to get your invitation by filling out this form.

Thanks,

Lara Grauer

Owner and Photographer

Lara Grauer Photography

206-724-2177