But enough of that. Yes, I am an adult. I don't know how I feel about this. Half of me says "eww" and the other says "aww ya!". So basically it comes down to me being a conflicted mess who just needs to realize that she has no choice in the matter and needs to accept it and move on. Do I know this? Yes. Am I going to follow my own advice? Haha, no.
I wasn't really in a... well, celebratory mood this year. I wanted a low key birthday. I really just wanted a day to chill. Did I follow through with that? Well not completely but sort of.
I woke up early and after getting dressed and doing my hair and makeup I left my room and went out to get breakfast. When I got to the dinning room I saw a box on the table. When I went to open it I saw a piece of paper. I barely read any of it before I started sobbing. I didn't even know exactly who it was from until hour later. I knew it was friends but I couldn't see the names through my tears. As I looked through the box full of my favorite things I kept trying to go back and read it so I could see who was so amazing, but every object I looked at brought about a fresh wave of tears. Yes, I am an emotional person who cries when people are kind to me. It was an amazing present. The hugest of "thank you's" to my dear friends who put that together for me. I love you all so much more than you'll ever know. Ya'll are amazing.
After going back to my room and wiping the mascara off my cheeks and reapplying all my makeup (thanks guys ;P) we headed off to mass (best way to start a birthday, or any day really). That afternoon I went and saw Cinderella with a darling friend (sister from a different mister rather) of mine. I can't believe I waited so long to see that movie. I absolutely adored it. Not only was there a lack of anything "bad" in it, it was full of "good". Do you get what I mean? I feel like so much of the time I end up watching movies only because there's nothing "bad" in them, not because of the "good of the movie". I can say without a qualm in my heart that I was 100% pleased with Cinderella. Fangirled over it. The acting was brilliant, my only complaint is that they made it without waiting for me. Seriously they should have waited a bit and casted me instead of Lily James. ;)
After the movie I came home and baked my cake with my mum. I think that's my favorite part of my birthday. Just spending time with my mum baking.
My cake this year? Well I didn't take any pictures...sorry. It was too boring looking. But! That does not mean it was a boring tasting cake. It was an amazing cake, a splendid cake and a perfectly me cake. Carrot cake. I love that stuff.
I have been craving a good piece of carrot cake for months. It all started a while back when they had a carrot cake sample at New Seasons. I tasted heaven that day. It had been much too long since I had eaten something that... well, perfect. When I was younger I had carrot cake for my birthday for at least three years in a row, but than my tastes changed and I wanted something... fancier. So for years, I dabbled around in different cakes, mainly focusing on the decorating. But this year to go with my simplistic wants I went with a very simple carrot cake, no decorations no fluffy unnecessary sugar. Just a simple carrot cake with a whipped cream dream cheese frosting.
Now I know almost any carrot cake recipe would be splendid, but my favorite is the Nourishing Traditions recipe. If you're not familiar with that cookbook, it's a wonderful book. It's all about soaked grains and making food more easily digestible. The carrot cake is a very dense one. Not a light fluffy cake. Rather heavy, dance and extremely moist. Oh and did I mention, not excessively sweet? In the past we've always used a normal cream cheese frosting recipe with this cake, but I really wanted something lighter, and less sweet. So I found this great whipped cream, cream cheese frosting recipe. It only had about a quarter cup of powdered sugar in it. So barely sweet at all. I loved it. There was none of that feeling sick afterwards because of the sugar overload. Just a mouthwatering delicious semi-sweet cake. Perfection in my humble opinion.
Okay, now I'm going to shock you all. I did not blow out candles, avoided all but one awkward picture and I even avoided being sung "happy birthday" to! Yes, yes I know ya'll are probably glaring daggers at me now. "What's a birthday without candles and being sung to?" Well, it's a much less awkward event I can tell you that. No weirdly sitting there while everyone stares at you, no huffing and puffing at 18 candles that don't want to go out. It was good. And no one can tell me otherwise.
To finish the day after the kids went to bed I crashed with my parents to watch the last episode of season 5 of Downton Abbey. A very good way to finish a very good day. Now we just have to wait till September for the next season...
So to everyone who made my birthday special: Thank you. You guys continually surprise me with your love and affection. I am so blessed to have each and everyone of you in my life. You are all in my prayers and I thank God for you all. Cheers to another year!
~Alyssa <3
