my day of cake*

*Please be assured that the cakes in the below photos were not all consumed in one day.

Here it is - 

The Birthday Wrap Up

I had no plans for Birthday Week or Birthday Day, and in the end, that turned out to be a good thing, as my Dad frightened us all with a health scare.

He's OK.

*sigh*

Thankfully cake is good for celebrating and eating in stressful situations.

And lucky I like cake because it was a key feature in this years festivities.

 

So now, the Birthday celebrations are over for another year.

And I am in a cake-coma.

xx

HOLY COW

Bet you haven't heard that saying since the 90's...

Here it is again for dramatic effect - 

Holy COW!

I know many people like to reflect on their life/dreams/goals at New Years.

But I like to look over my shoulder on the eve of my Birthday.

Only 4 sleeps to go and my head is spinning with thoughts and concerns about being another year older..

I will be twenty-eight. 

The past year has been anything but dull.. but did I get any wiser?!

I am certainly not where I thought I would be at this point in my life.

Am I learning from past mistakes?

What does the universe have in store for me?

How the hell did I get here?!


**Let's take a quick skip down memory lane** 

2010

3 years ago
On my twenty-fifth birthday, I ordered an amazing 3-tier cake and celebrated turning a Quarter of a Century.
I was married.
And I knew with a level of certainty that the years to come would include my husband and with some luck a baby or two.
My mum bought me a sewing machine, and to this day, I still haven't used it....

2011

2 years ago
Two weeks before my birthday, I sold the house that was supposed to be my family home. It took me less than 3 years to turn it into a home that I loved; and over 7 months to sell it.
I packed Miss Emmy up to live with my mum and then I launched in a Share House; with 2 beautiful friends who introduced me to G&T's and Dirty Dancing.

2012

1 year ago
I had just moved again.
Taking a leap of faith and launching into the world solo. Well.. Almost. Miss Emmy was with me and together we were invincible!
I had bought a new place to start a new life and my beautiful sister visited from interstate to celebrate with me.

2013

now
I have moved AGAIN!
I once believed that I was supposed to settle down and build a home in the one place.
Now everything I thought I once knew for certain was an illusion, and now I am trying to navigate a world with a brand new outlook. It's confusing. And scary. But also exciting and new.

I don't know if I am necessarily wiser. But I am definitely more open-minded.

Now facing the year ahead with my sister and puppy by my side, I feel like anything is possible.

And that in itself is the perfect Birthday gift.

xx

birthday month has arrived

I like to celebrate birthdays.

From small occasions that include nothing more than a nice dinner; to huge affairs involving balloons and cocktails. Not to mention cake.

There shall always be cake.

For my birthday, I have always loved commandeering more than my fair share of celebrations. I like to make The Annual Festival of Andie a merry occasion for all involved.

Drinks with work colleagues; dinner with family; lunch with friends. Food is always a significant component of my plans.

But on this first day of November 2013 – for once time in my life, I don’t have plans.

I think it’s going to be a quiet occasion. Nothing like previous years.

But there shall be cake. 

xx

it didn't fit...

It didn’t fit, it wasn’t right

Wasn’t just the size

They say you know when you know

I don’t know

I didn’t feel the fairy-tale feeling, no

Am I a stupid girl

For even dreaming that I could

Yes, yes - I am a Katy Perry tragic.

And beside the fact that I LOVE this song; it also seems a very appropriate way to re-launch Starts with Cupcakes.

"Andie in Wonderland" was like an impulse buy on a shopping spree.

It didn't quite fit, but I bought it anyway; and then it hung in my wardrobe for a while, but I never wore it.

Because in the end, it's about comfort. And Starts with Cupcakes just fits me better.

So here it is... Another makeover for my little blog as I wrap myself in an old favourite.

And I can tell you already - it feels good to be 'home'.

xx

June Challenge : Update #1

Isn't it ironic how certain blogs, people, advice come into our lives at just the right time??

Today I'm sharing an excerpt from a blog I came across this morning (after launching my No Purchases June Challenge). 

"Spend your money on what brings you joy and be frugal with everything else that doesn’t."

I love it when someone writes down exactly what I needed to hear (and action)!

I combed through what I am spending my money on and put them into categories:

BRINGS ME JOY 
(food, hello!)

SUPER IMPORTANT MUST HAVES
(home and contents insurance) and

NEITHER.

Everything in neither was then either eliminated completely or pared back to its most basic (frugal) form.

Read the full blog post here

Makes 100% sense to me.

When I decided to commit to the No Purchases in June challenge, I set my own rules.
Well.. just one rule really. No buying unless it's food.

This is about being conscious of my spending habits.

I am a serial shopper..

Feeling sad? Retail therapy!
Feeling happy? Buy new things!
Bored? Go shopping.
Celebrating? Mark the occasion with something new!

No Purchases June is about realising that I don't need stuff.
I shouldn't rely on things to make justify my feelings.

It's about LIVING.
So experiences are perfectly OK.

They are in that first category - IT BRINGS ME JOY.

And who doesn't want a little more joy in their lives!?

xx



image here

June Challenge

It's the FIRST of JUNE tomorrow.

I just want to give you a moment to let that sink in

.

.

.

. 

Because if you're anything like me, you're probably still wondering what happened to April; let alone May.

But this post isn't about time - whether fast or slow. 

It's about me setting a challenge for myself. And the beginning of a new month and the start of a new season seems an apt time to give it a shot.

Let me start with saying - I don't think this will be easy by any means. But I am going to see how it goes.

If it works - Good for me!

If it doesn't quite happen - well, that's OK too.

The Challenge??

No new purchases for a month.

I know it's not a new idea. Infact, there's a website dedicated to the concept.

http://www.buynothingnew.com.au/home/

But it's new for me.

I once came across a blogger who did this for a YEAR.

To her I say - Congratulations!

But to you, I say - For me that would be absolutely IMPOSSIBLE.

So the time frame is a month.

The first rule of Fight Club is : You do not talk about Fight Club

Not only is this true.. But it's amusing to me too since I work in advertising...!!!

But the light bulb moment for me was looking in my beautiful bowl from Brown Button Trading and noticing that it had somehow become a place for my receipts to live.

And my, were there a lot of receipts in that bowl!

Keeping your receipts : Good idea or fodder for that post-shopping spree guilt?!

So at the end of June this bowl should be empty and my bank account should look happier.

Oh, and just incase you're wondering - Food is not included in my challenge. 

(Hey - it's my challenge, so I get to make the rules!)

By purchases I purely mean "stuff I could live without" and food just doesn't make that list.

I suppose it's lucky that I bought a new winter blanket last week huh?!

Wish me luck or play along at home!

xx

Blogging, French and Yoga

It's been a long while between blogs.

This morning on my walk with Emmy I tried to come up with reasons why I haven't blogged recently that didn't include "I've been busy".

I think that's a lame excuse. It's lazy. Everyone's busy. 

Sometimes busy doing nothing.

My thinking of late has very much been - 

"If it is important to you, you will find a way. If not, you will find an excuse"

It's not that I have been making excuses for not blogging.. It's just that it hasn't been a high priority for me.

Am I uninspired?

No.. not really.

But as I have witnessed in the wider blogging community, other social media (think Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram) allow me to share things with others so my need to blog decreases slightly..

But today I had a legitimate "That's going on the Blog" moment.

Let me first explain that I have always wanted to go to Paris; And at the beginning of the year, I told a friend in casual conversation that I would like to learn French this year.

Well... Let's just say that it's May and this ambition is still very much in my distant future.

So far, I haven't actively made any attempts to pursue this dream.

Until now.

It's a little step. But it's a step.

I have 'liked' a French Word A Day on Facebook.

And I found the first word kind of appropriate.

Along with my yoga practice, I am learning that self control comes in many forms. My teacher often speaks of discipline and truthfulness.

Self control is relative to the mind, body and soul.

I am trying to be more mindful of this concept.

So there it is. A new blog post. Because I wanted to. Because I control my life. Because I have self control.

Relating blogging, French and yoga - It's a tenuous link. But it's there.

That's just how my brain works sometimes ;)

xx

Life Happens

Today I had some time to reflect on the last 4 weeks.

In summary I :

Went to Queensland; Survived a mass restructure at work; Had a hot Valentine's Date with my cousin Katie; Spent some time in the ER; Revisited my naturopath; Celebrated Emmy's 5th (!) Birthday; Had my sister come to visit (twice); Laughed at Josh Thomas at his Fringe Show; Went to Clipsal 500 (twice); Celebrated an engagement; Visited LukaMish at the Lollipop Markets; Became seriously addicted to buying things on Gumtree; Explored the Wayville Farmers Markets; Shopped; Had an Endota facial (pure bliss); oh.. and quit sugar.

It's been a busy time...

Let's have a look at that in photos :

Sunny Queensland (I heart you)

Flinders ER (Thanks for everything Mum xoxo)

Happy Birthday to my little fur baby

Clipsal 500 - Quality sister time xx
[Photo stolen from Bree :) ]

Stimulating the Economy one shopping spree at a time..

I Quit Sugar by Sarah Wilson
Yup - more on this later.

Experimental Baking - Sugar Free; Gluten Free

As for this weekend?? Well I've got a few things on my To-Do List. Op-Shopping included. 

Wish me luck.

xx

It Starts Here

Here it is - The ONYRP

(or Obligatory New Year's Resolution Post)

Everyone is doing it.

"Everyone?" you ask. "Would you jump off a cliff if everyone was doing it?"

Yes.

Well.. probably.

Depends why they're all jumping off a cliff in the first place. And if Jacob the Werewolf is there to save me.

Anyway, I digress.

Which incidentally is why I am posting my resolution on this here blog. Because I often become distracted by such things as sparkles and squirrels and sunshine and unicorns and cupcakes and..

Oops.. I did it again again.  

**sings**

Let's just get this whole resolutions thing out of the way, shall we?

Wish me luck.

xx

2013

Farewell 2012 - You were challenging and taught me many lessons; but you won't be missed.

Hello 2013.

I think we're going to be best friends.

xx