The Quintessential Birthday Post
Y’all. I had a birthday! The big 2-7. And I made a boxed cake and decorated it and got a smudge of frosting on the side. Whatevs. Messy tastes the same.
And on my birthday I put a shot on Instagram of my cake and sometimes I think that my Instagram shots are better than my real camera shots. Because I don’t really care about much besides being in that moment when I am using the ol’ iPhone. I’m not worried about who will really see it, nor am I worried that the lighting is right. I’m just stoked that I get to photograph my life and keep a record of it, so that I can look back and be pleased with the things I’ve seen.
And while I may take photos with my phone, I’ve turned a new leaf in my 27th year. I’ve deleted Facebook and Twitter off my iPhone, because it was becoming a bad habit. I kept checking them without thinking about it, and it was driving me crazy. I was driving myself crazy.
Hold down. Shake those icons. Delete. Done.
Do you know how good that feels? I’ve rescued the sound of the coffee machine as it brews early in the morning. I’ve gotten back the feeling of using my imagination. I’ve re-trained the art of conversation between strangers. And I’ve made my whereabouts and tasks at hand sacred information, something that has been lost on so many of us.
But I still Instagram. Because I want to document what I do each day. And I want to look back and remember how I was feeling and what I did to really live that day.
And that’s also why I have this blog. Welcome! (Do you like what I’ve done with the place? If you are reading in RSS, click out of it and check out my new design!) I want my blog to be a chronology to thoughts I’ve had, emotions I’ve experienced, things I’ve eaten, photographs I’ve taken, fears, joys, and failures. I want baby Chip, when has inevitably grown up way too fast, to be able to look what I’ve written and get a glimpse of what we did, ate, saw, and talked about when he was growing up.
Oh, and my husband got me that necklace for my birthday from The Vintage Pearl. Those three rectangular charms are the longitude and latitude coordinates of places that are important to us: the place we had our first kiss and he proposed, the place we got married, and the hotel we stayed in for three weeks before Chip officially joined the clan. Places are important. Landmarks are essential.
But because I’m 27 and finding numerous gray hairs each day, I’ve made a list of “20 Things to do Before I Turn 30″ so that I truly keep living. Drumroll please:
1. Learn to play a song on the guitar
2. Go with my husband to Hawaii
3.Make a music video as a family
4. Run a half marathon
5. Finish first draft of book
6. Buy a stranger’s groceries
7. Visit a bee farm
8. Make a Baked Alaska
9. Make a chandilier
10. Spend the night at the bottom of the Grand Canyon
11. Visit the pier in Ocean City with my family
12. Take dad to the Kentucky Derby
13. Wine tasting trip with the ladies
14. Go luxury camping
15. Take a rose petal bath while sipping champaign
16. Take Cy on a date to see a band perform at Red Rocks
17. Become true, real life pen pals with my dad
18. Cook a live lobster
19. Make a mix CD of all my favorites that everyone HAS to hear and send it to those closest to me
20. Knit Chip a sweater
Happy Birthday indeed.
P.S. I’m still formatting posts etc. I’m human so it’s going to take me awhile.
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Gayle — November 14, 2011 @ 12:06 pm
As someone who just turned 35 (I was the same age when I had my daughter as you are!) I see the value in a list. And I love the blog. Great job!
Lora — November 14, 2011 @ 1:04 pm
Happy birthday! That cake looks delicious and that necklace is so thoughtful and stunning. what an amazing gift.
Maria — November 14, 2011 @ 3:10 pm
Happy Birthday! Love the cake and I love Instagram photos! Too fun! The new looks great too! Yay!
Rene - Epic Baker — November 14, 2011 @ 3:19 pm
Happy Birthday!! Those pictures look awesome! I haven’t gotten the touch yet for instagram. I love the gift he gave you, he clearly put in a lot of thought to it! I have go to Hawaii on my bucket since I haven’t been there yet! I’m hoping to do a half marathon in March, but lordy, we’ll see if *that* actually happens. Hehe.
Bev Weidner — November 14, 2011 @ 4:04 pm
Happy Birthday, Bonnie – what whaaaaat!!
Rachel — November 14, 2011 @ 5:53 pm
Your cake is beautiful, Instagrammed or not. What a great birthday present to yourself – disconnecting from Facebook and Twitter on your phone!
Happy birthday!
Katrina @ In Katrina's Kitchen — November 14, 2011 @ 6:22 pm
Happy birthday! This was a truly moving post. And I looooove your new design! *mwah
food librarian — November 14, 2011 @ 6:25 pm
Happy Birthday! Lovely photos, thoughts and goals. Have a great year. -mary
Stephanie — November 14, 2011 @ 6:25 pm
Happy belated Birthday!
I so love your to-do before 30 list! It’s awesome, especially #19.
Rachel @ Baked by Rachel — November 14, 2011 @ 6:27 pm
Happy birthday!!! Love the goals but especially love the necklace!
Julia — November 14, 2011 @ 7:08 pm
You’re lucky I didn’t eat half that cake on your birthday. Can you post the letters you and your dad write? I bet they’ll be ‘pee your pants hilarious.’ Cuz that’s how your dad rolls.
Lisa — November 14, 2011 @ 8:09 pm
A. I want to be included on this wine tasting trip AND the mixed cd. And thanks B. John has cooked many live lobsters and other sea creatures if you need a coach. Oh, and C. I used to know how to play the chorus of jingle bells on the guitar.
Lisa — November 14, 2011 @ 8:10 pm
I don’t know why that says “thanks” before B.
Tammy — November 15, 2011 @ 1:19 am
i supes heart you!!! esp. your list! Happy Birthday!
Nutmeg Nanny — November 15, 2011 @ 3:32 am
Happy Birthday friend! I hope it was extra special and filled with lots of love and joy
I love that necklace. I sorta want to strongly drop the hint to Art that I would like something like that…haha
Andrea Vincent — November 16, 2011 @ 4:08 am
Love reading your blog! i will miss your facebook posts cuz thats how i see what your doing! i was wondering y i hadnt seen ya post lately. Great list! you have inspired to do the same! I just turned 30 and i think that i need to have some goals too! i will keep reading! can’t wait to see what you write next!