November 12, 2007
sometimes it's totally worth ordering your own cake
Citrus Chantelle with ladyfingers, Masse's Pastries, Berkeley, CA, Canon Rebel XTI
This was the tastiest cake I have ever eaten, and one of the prettiest. (Although I do have fond memories from childhood of grocery store cake straight from the fridge the morning after.)
When I posted about my neurotic relationship to my birthday I didn't realize I'd be in such good company! I appreciated all of your comments and funny stories... It seems that part of adulthood is doing some self-parenting along the way. Up with self-parenting! In the end, my birthday was truly special, spent with some dear friends and complete with lovely gifts. In partiucular, some awesome books: The Silver Spoon
Some other fun indie artist gifts I received are a camera strap (from Boho girl) a custom pendant with a pic of Ben inside (thank you Thea!) and an pin board from Ideal (I plan to use this as a manifesting tool for the coming year)
Posted on November 12, 2007 10:59 AMVery interesting... as always! Cheers from Switzerland.
Posted by: Dog training at November 22, 2007 09:37 AMNever got a chance to say it --- Happy Birthday!
Posted by: kristine at November 16, 2007 09:37 AMNever got a chance to say it --- Happy Birthday!
Posted by: kristine at November 16, 2007 09:36 AMHi Andrea-
Have you heard about www.goodreads.com? It's a great way to share book recommendations and get new ideas for books to read. Email me and I'll invite you to become one of my friends so that you can see what I and my bookclub are reading. Our last selection was Water for Elephants, which everyone loved.
Posted by: Liana at November 16, 2007 08:26 AMhappy birthday juicy-girl!
i LOVE your idea of buying yourself the birthday cake. who better would know what to get?
cheers to a fabulous year.
Posted by: swampgrrl at November 16, 2007 04:56 AMHappy Birthday Andrea!
Here are some Canadian book suggestions from a Canadian. My two current faves are The Birth House By Ami McKay and Lullabies for Little Criminals By Heather O'Neil which won the CBC Canada Reads competition last year. Both amazing reads. I will be reading Water for Elephants next as my husband said it was the best book he read in a long time. Enjoy!
Posted by: Rochelle at November 15, 2007 05:21 PMWow. Wow. I'm sitting here feeling like you've given me a wonderful bonk up-side my head (really, it's a good thing!). So I can go ahead and get myself my OWN birthday cake, and take charge of my day, rather than feeling blue that no one else did for me on my day what I do for them on their day! No more being a martyr to my own birthday, but instead I can be the birthday queen I want to be! Thank you, thank you, thank you -- for blogging about this, for sharing your wonderful photos and ideas, and for granting us all the permission we need to take care of ourselves and enjoy!!
Posted by: Jennifer at November 15, 2007 09:29 AMWhat a great shot!
Posted by: littlepurplecow at November 15, 2007 05:28 AMDear Andrea,
Hello from London, UK! Firstly, fantastic blog - such a pleasure to read and look at the beautiful pictures. Secondly, wishing you a shining year ahead. And lastly, a very special book to read would be 'The Smoke Jumper' by Nicholas Evans, which has singlehandedly the power to make you feel like your heart fills up with light and fresh air! It's a gripping story too. Enjoy! :)
Posted by: Inna at November 14, 2007 12:57 PMdropping in to wish you the happiest belated birthday. i should have guessed that you were a fellow scorpio. i too have planned most of my birthday celebrations, but that was mainly so that i could have the halloween theme i so love. have a lovely year....it has started just so nicely with that cake and the gifts. smiles.
Posted by: mamie at November 14, 2007 09:28 AMOh Andrea I'm so glad my pin board gift came at your birthday!!
It will help you with new energy and inspiration. It was made with love, how could it not?
Love to you and best wishes!
Posted by: kim at November 14, 2007 09:18 AMOh Andrea I'm so glad my pin board gift came at your birthday!!
It will help you with new energy and inspiration. It was made with love, how could it not?
Love to you and best wishes!
Posted by: kim at November 14, 2007 08:15 AMOh Andrea I'm so glad my pin board gift came at your birthday!!
It will help you with new energy and inspiration. It was made with love, how could it not?
Love to you and best wishes!
Posted by: kim at November 14, 2007 08:15 AMI am a big believer in celebrating birthdays...mine and others. Sadly, my husband does not share this belief and for years MY DAY was just another lonely, disappointing day. Until I hit 50 and a few lovely friends (who knew it would pass unnoticed) surprised me with apple-tini's, a tiara and a boa...It taught me that I don't need to wait for someone to celebrate my day...This year was number 54, I made a big dinner and my own cake...and sang my birthday song surrounded by my two littles (and one grumpy husband). With or without him, it was perfect.
Happy Birthday Andrea!!! Celebrate BIG!!
Happy Birthday!!
Books I love:
"Tales of a Female Nomad" by Rita Golden Gelman
"Something More: Excavating your Authentic Self" by Sarah Ban Breathnach
Book recommendation: Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close - tender and engrossing. One of my faves ever. Happy belated b-day.
Posted by: carlyn at November 13, 2007 01:25 PMhappy belated birthday!! i hope i will run into you sometime soon :) and that cake looks great - we ordered 4 kinds of mini-cakes from Masse's for our wedding and it was quite the hit.
Posted by: rena at November 13, 2007 11:21 AMA late birthday wish from me to you! Hope you had a great day. I'm thrilled to see that we are born on the same date:-) but I'm 3 years closer to 40 than you....I'm happy to have my birthday at the same date as a wonderful woman like you Andrea. Here's a cheere for you from Norway; hipp hipp Hurraaaa!!
Posted by: Gry at November 13, 2007 10:58 AMThat cake looks amazing. What kind was it? I have been reading a lot of books about the Middle East, more autobiographical or stories about journeys. I feel like with everything going on in the world, I should know more besides what the news tells me. Recently I read "Searching for Hassan" by Terrance Ward. The story is about an American family's journey to find an old friend in Iran. Well worth the read.
Posted by: andrea_frets at November 13, 2007 10:47 AMHappy Happy! Thanks for all you do for me!
One book I'm reading right now is Learning By Heart by Corita Kent (are you familiar with her)?):
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0553344455
It's kind of an older book, but I find her writing and her creative exercises very inspiring. It's a book I'll keep around and play with.
Posted by: simone at November 13, 2007 09:32 AMHappy Birthday Andrea!
Posted by: Shannon at November 13, 2007 08:45 AMHappy Birthday Andrea!
Posted by: Shannon at November 13, 2007 08:45 AMThe cake looks gorgeous -- almost too good to eat! And I love the pendant. I'm going to put it on my wishlist.
For books, I like any non-fiction by Anne Lamott. I also loved (although I haven't read it in years) The Moon by Whale Light by Diane Ackerman.
Posted by: Alesia at November 13, 2007 08:17 AMMy book club read Water for Elephants I lOVED IT!! It is now one of my favorites.
Posted by: Fran at November 13, 2007 04:32 AMAndrea what a yummy looking cake!
its making me hungry just looking at it.
Posted by: m at November 13, 2007 03:36 AMthanks for the great link to the necklace -
Ben is the best advert ever!
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=7844278
Happy Birthday, you gorgeous gorgeous woman!
Posted by: shelley noble at November 12, 2007 10:59 PMThat is an awesome photo of you with the raised eyebrow!
Posted by: Anna Kuperberg at November 12, 2007 09:02 PMThese pictures are priceless; the cake looks especially yummy. I'd have no problem ordering my own, if I felt I had to, too. Last time I felt there would be no birthday cake, I baked it, and that just wasn't worth all the fussing! Order it; yes! See? How great does that look? Yum :)
Posted by: Wendee at November 12, 2007 08:42 PMHappy happy birthday, happy happy birthday.
Your cake is beautiful, but not as beautiful as you!
Posted by: maggie ann at November 12, 2007 08:23 PMHappy belated birthday Andrea!!
That cake! Lovely.
Happy birthday Andrea! :D
happiest
birthday!!
Man, that cake! You are the queen of ordering cakes.
I am so drooling.
Happy belated birthday! I hope you had a beautiful and easy day...
As for books, I am currently enjoying Nigel Slater's The Kitchen Diaries.... I also whole heartedly agree with the recommendation for Super Natural Cooking and Apples for Jam. I found both utterly inspiring and haven't been disappointed with a recipe yet.
Wishing you a great year ahead.
Posted by: Emily at November 12, 2007 07:35 PMokay, one book recommendation although i am still reading it...
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life by Barbara Kingsolver. I am loving it.
wow but you are one hot yummy mama!
no book recommendations since i am reading all baby books at the moment, in fact, i should be asking you for recommendations... hee hee
xoxo
happy birthday andrea. your cake looks fab. wow. right now i'm really enjoying the inheritance of loss by kiran desai.
Posted by: shari at November 12, 2007 06:24 PMYour cake looked so divine!! Glad you had such a wonderful and happy birthday :)
Books make such wonderful presents.
I too am reading "Water for Elephants." I am enjoying it so far.
Other current faves: "Eat,Pray,Love" and after seeing the movie... I just bought the novel of "Love In The Time of Cholera." I'm sooo... looking forward to reading it as well.
I recently read a really inspiring book! "Creating a World that Works for All" by Shariff Abdullah. What if we could really create a world that worked for everyone!?!? He made me feel like it was possible.
Posted by: Maggie at November 12, 2007 05:27 PMoh yeah to that cake!
Posted by: patricia at November 12, 2007 03:46 PMyou are so freaking beautiful!!!
am glad your birthday was magical
and then some.
i love the book stargirl..
even though it is a kids book.
i am pretty sure you would like it too.
many blessings
for the nest 36 years...
mccabe x
Posted by: mccabe at November 12, 2007 03:45 PM"Water for Elephants" is great - you'll love it!
As for books, my favorites (which almost everyone has already read) are "Life of Pi" and "The Time Traveler's Wife".
Happy belated b-day; glad you had such a nice day (and such a nice cake, too!)
~denise
Posted by: denise at November 12, 2007 03:04 PMI just finished reading "The Way the Crow Flies" by Ann-Marie Mac Donald (She also wrote "Fall On Your Knees"-- an Oprah pick a couple of years ago)....it was SUCH a beautiful, tragic (at times), moving and also uplifting story...it's a LONG book - just over 800 pages -- but I could NOT put it down. She writes so, so well.
Posted by: Samantha at November 12, 2007 03:00 PMYou look beeyoutiful. Congrats, congrats.
Posted by: Dr. S at November 12, 2007 02:53 PMHappy Birthday again Andrea! Hope you had a good one. You look great for 36!
Posted by: Robyn at November 12, 2007 01:51 PMI can't wait to hear how you like the silver spoon. Sounds like a great cookbook but I like to get new cookbooks only after I know people who own them and have tried them out.
I love that pin board. I was trying to find something to use for a manifesting project I too am working on for the new year and I fell in love with all of them instantly.
Thank you for sharing.
I'm glad your birthday was as special as you are.
Jenn
Posted by: jenn at November 12, 2007 01:04 PMis it possible to love you any more than i already do? i just fell harder.
seeing that pic of you made me miss you too much! how i wish i could have been there to tell you to make a wish. gorgeous cake, btw.
i am so glad you got a pendant from Thea. she so fricken talented and i'd love to see a photo of you with it on!
Posted by: boho girl at November 12, 2007 12:41 PMHappy Birthday!
My top recent reads (sorry I can't remember the authors, I have a problem that way):
A Brief History of Tractors in Ukranian (fiction)
The Golden Spruce (non-fiction)
Enjoy,
Elise
Posted by: Elise at November 12, 2007 12:24 PMRe The Silver Spoon:
I have the cookbook and love it. Since it's so big, I found it a little daunting at first, but then was offered a couple of specific recommendations, and that broke the ice for me. So, in that spirit:
Farfalle with Smoked Pancetta, page 289. We only allow ourselves to have this once every month or so, but it is SO good. My kids beg for me to make it. They swoon, they crowd me while I cook the pancetta, they refuse invitations from friends if they know I will be making it, they devour every bit. They'd lick the plate if I'd let them.
Carrot Risotto is also on regular rotation.
Enjoy it!
Posted by: jck at November 12, 2007 12:19 PMHave you read West with the Night? Inspiring.
Posted by: Blythe at November 12, 2007 12:16 PMHappy Birthday!!! I forgot to comment on your last post. Where did you get that cake? YUM!
And those are some kicking gifts!
Posted by: Maya at November 12, 2007 12:15 PMCookbooks: Supernatural Cooking (Swanson), Apples for Jam (Kiros). You must find a copy of Apples for Jam and flip through it, if not for the recipes then just for the most luscious cookbook design I've ever seen. And Supernatural Cooking is a life-changer for me (and it's not just because I know Heidi. :)
Fiction: Eat Pray Love (Gilbert), The Historian (Kostova), Peter + the Shadow Thieves (Pearson/Barry), In the Shadow of the Wind (Zafon). Loved Water for Elephants.
Non-Fiction: How to Pick a Peach (Parsons), Garlic + Sapphires (Reichl).
Posted by: jen maiser at November 12, 2007 11:46 AMI think you just inspired me to order my own Masse's cake for my 36th birthday on Sunday. That looks delicious!
It's comforting to see that other people are as neurotic about birthdays as I am. I haven't had a "happy" birthday in years. My husband is really great with the every day stuff, but awful at holidays/birthdays. I am also terrible at voicing what I really want...but I think what I want most is to not have to plan things for myself. I want a day where something special, yet totally unexpected happens. Knowing that I won't get that just breaks my heart.