alison 郭欣慧

42, so cute, and still out here learning new skills!! may this next turn around the sun be slightly more chill than the last. i love u.

if you, like me, are always trying to find hope when things feel exceptionally bleak, maybe you, too, have someone who always knows how to make you laugh. today, katherine maria helgason is 40, and i have had the extreme privilege of knowing and growing alongside her for all of those 40 years. over the next 40, i imagine us living next door to each other once again. i’ll bring the hearing aids and taco bell. so, just so you know, there IS good in this world, and it looks like a bossy little blonde pirate.

we sang happy birthday to Gary but that’s private business.

scroll back and you’ll see that a year ago my wish was for more sweet times with buds in 2025. well, i got my wish, but it came with a side of cancer (personally), loss, and other destabilizing horrors (locally, globally). i’m stunned by how friends and family have shown up for us when i couldn’t say what would be helpful (i still don’t really know, but a lot of you do!). i am really and truly L I V I N G and, as it turns out, i am not afraid to use turning 40 and having cancer as a way to get my loved ones to give me attention and soup ¨̮ a big, wet, sloppy thank you to everyone who brought or sent us food, let me witness their wedding (my bff got MARRIED!!), shared compelling and informed details about why i should participate in the clinical trial that i joined, shared their cancer journey, sent snail mail, sent flowers, sent gift cards and gifts, lounged with me while i dealt with the effects of chemo, listened to me talk about clay and/or yarn, took me sailing, suggested 90s action movies or good books, made a whole dang gorgeous quilt that i will cherish forever, came over and watched movies or trash tv, traveled from afar to visit (the west side even?! from minnesota?!), rubbed my swollen legs, made pies with me, drove me to appointments all over LA, let me MEET THEIR BABIES!!!, sent pics of their babies and/or pets, brought their doggies to me, entertained me with their (very wrong) ideas about food enjoyment, went mini golfing with me, celebrated my 40th, came over to do crafts, video-called in craft sessions, left me gifts at the studio, took walks with me, sanitized our house, had us over for meals and holidays, helped eat Graham’s baked goods, made sure that Graham was cared for, et cetera forever. i’ve learned that unfortunately i am a spoiled princess which is something my parents always warned against while being the issue’s biggest contributors. my advice to you all in the new year is to simply have the best people in your life – it really makes it much easier to face dark times. and again, my wish for 2026 is more sweet times with buds (and much less of the other bullshit).

news to absolutely no one: going through chemo SUCKS and i do not recommend having cancer! however!! today was my last cycle and it has me reflecting on how dang lucky i am to be able to receive care from the excellent oncology team at ucla and my penguin cold capping therapist in a world where care is not accessible to everyone. this is also my reminder to you, my friends & fam, to go and get that thing that’s been worrying you checked out and see your primary care regularly because early detection sounds a bit easier to handle! @jacobhuelster took this photo of me as an ailing platypus when he came to take care of us and i have so much more to say about this at a later date.

forever grateful to my glendale community college pottery class for reshaping my technical skills, pushing me out of my comfort zone, teaching me that i can make stuff that is not my style, making me fall in love with oxide washes and sgraffito (!!)… and for getting me out of the house each week even when my legs don’t remember what they’re meant to do. this lil’ guy didn’t make it past lid release, but now i know i can make him again on purpose.

for a brief moment on sunday, the LA rain stopped so we could see our girl get married. i wasn’t sure we’d ever see the day because no one has ever made Emily smile this way until now. congratulations @johnnyknoxville , you got the best one.

i may or may not be ‘roiding out right now but do YOU have a best friend who is this f*cking brilliant??

thank you for taking this doofus off the market 3 years ago, @instgraham —i love you the most. may we get our shit together enough to actually order some physical prints of our wedding photos in the next 3. . and yes i’m still obsessed with our photos by @aaronricephoto @aaronriiice

i knit this cardigan for G at great risk to our relationship and i am taking the time now to put down in writing that—should we ever divorce—i will be taking this sweater in the settlement. . . #dracenacardigan #sweatercurse #magpiefibers #magpiefibersswankysock #magpiefibersfeather #paulapereira

hello! i have boob cancer. prognosis is good & i am ok! i start chemo today which will go through the end of the year. then, surgery. idk if i’ll do a lumpectomy or a full mastectomy. unless you’ve gone through this process, please refrain from weighing in or asking a lot of questions. i hope to be much more open to discussing breast surgery one day, but i’m not right now. i’ll have radiation and anti-hormonal treatment following surgery. i may not be very responsive to messages but i do appreciate Good Wibes (my momma’s pronunciation is the only pronunciation). @instgraham could also use some love & support as he takes care of lil’ ol’ high maintenance me, though he has never been great at responding to messages. ALSO: if anything is currently worrying you about your health GO GET IT CHECKED OUT. please? for me? you might have to fight through a very wiggly health care system, but it’s worth it. our sister-in-law has kindly set up a meal train. info in highlights.

please pray to the kiln gods for this broken lil’ knobby knee toe freak