Happy Birthday, Gwen Stefani! You Have the Best Life Ever

Forty-two years ago today, Gwen Stefani was born in Anaheim. The No Doubt frontwoman, solo artist and fashion designer, is beloved as OC's golden child because even as she's risen to A-list levels of superstardom, she's always retained the girl-next-door vibe.

Except she's the girl-next-door who has sold more than 40 million albums (with both No
Doubt and solo), has her own highly successful clothing lines and is mother to Gavin Rossdale's kids Kingston James and Zuma Nesta.

So even though Stefani's family now goes on playdates with Angelina Jolie and kids and she still has better abs than anyone alive after four decades on earth, it's not hard to sincerely wish her a very happy birthday. And, after the jump, we count Gwen Stefani's blessings for her.

]
5. She Only Gets Cooler with Age
Gwen's effortless style from the stage to the catwalk never disappoints.

4. She's Loved and Respected by Everyone
From No Doubt fans (duh) to Japanese school girls to fashion designer Isaac Mizrahi to these huskies, everyone loves Gwen! 

3. She has No Embarrassing Moments from Her Past
Do you remember what you were like at 20? Stefani was as cute 20 years ago as she is now.




2. She Gets to Evolve with Every Life Phase
As the frontperson for No Doubt, she got to design clothes for herself onstage. When she became famous, she used her designing skills to put out two clothing lines:  L.A.M.B. and Harajuku Lovers. Now that she's a mom, she gets to design clothes for kids through Target under her Harajuku brand. The new collection will out in November and will be called Harajuku Mini.

1. She Still Comes Home to No Doubt
Even though the band just blogged that the new album's release date has been pushed back, we're just happy they're working on it. As they said on the No Doubt site: “Ideally our new record would be coming out this year but it's just not ready yet. We don't want to rush this album just to get it out. This collection of songs means everything to us and our only priority right now is to make sure that it's the best album we can possibly make. There is still more work for us to do…
We love our fans and are doing this for your ears and want you to know how much we appreciate your patience and support.”