Cake Day

Ok, I’ve had enough of the snow. Truthfully, I had had enough of the snow several weeks ago, but apparently no one has told Edinburgh that it is supposed to be approaching spring. So Tuesday morning we woke up to this funny, flakey, white stuff tumbling from the skies. All night I had heard the wind whistling through the streets and rattling our windows and to put it simply, all day, it was freezing. It was one of those ‘definitely stay in doors and keep warm’ days. So I did.

Luckily this day of freeze coincided with something we, in this household, have been very much looking forward to. For the past month, as part of a healthy eating experiment,  Fraser and I have given up all forms of sweet food, this included biscuits, cakes, sweets, sugary drinks and, most painfully for me, all forms of chocolate. I love chocolate and have missed it greatly these past weeks. But, Tuesday, this self-imposed ban was finally over. And to celebrate, I decided to bake a cake. A delicious chocolate-orange cake.

The absolute best way to be reunited with sweet food, I can tell you! So the snow and rain continued throughout the day, but we didn’t mind, we had cake.

They say it’s your birthday, nananananananaNA, (Or, Nanananana NANAaaa BIRTHDAY)

I’ll be honest, I wasn’t really looking forward to my birthday. Not because I thought it wouldn’t be memorable, or I wouldn’t have fun. It’s the age. I just don’t feel 24. But 24 I am. And on the 21st of July I celebrated my birthday.

.

I can always rely on Fraser to make sure I have a good time and am expressly forbidden from complaining about being another year older. I know he made a real effort to ensure that I had a special day, and I am very grateful for that. And you know what? Depite myself, I actually really enjoyed it.

.

..

The morning started with opening cards and presents. Thanks to everyone for the cards and birthday well wishes. And to Fraser for my very amazing presents. I loved them all! That’s the part of birthdays that always has that same special feeling, when you see little parcels wrapped up you get just as excited as you did as a child.

Then one of the lovely surprises of the day. Fraser banished me from the kitchen for about half an hour and surprised me with my all time favourite soup, he knows that is the best kind of lunch for me. A great surprise as I had no idea what I would be getting and it made me very happy.

We then went for a little birthday wander and ended up at the Grassmarket at the Jazz and Blues festival.

    

That was a nice surprise. We had a look around the shops, the stalls and listened to some music. It was sunny and warm, my first birthday in Edinburgh where it hasn’t rained.

  

And THEN, it was time for what is fast becoming a little birthday tradition. Bibi’s Bakery. Seriously the best cupcakes you have ever tasted, no word of a lie. Princes Street was very busy but we pushed through the crowds to get to these jewels.

   

And then, as it was so busy, we took them home to devour them. Let me just take a moment to remember how delicious they were.

      

I chose a Smarties one and a chocolate-orange one.

  

Fraser chose a cookies and cream one and a banoffee pie one.

  

Then we got ready to go out. We went for dinner at my favourite restaurant and finished the evening off by watching The Dark Knight Rises (which we both greatly enjoyed, very good of the studio to time the release for my birthday.)

  

So all in all here’s the story, I can’t promise that next year I won’t get that nervous feeling as I inch closer to my birthday, thinking that in my head I am still 21 or something. But as the years go by it also gets easier to remember just how much fun I had last year on my birthday and that the year that followed was filled with so many more great memories. And you know, it’s worth remembering that no matter what there will always be cupcakes.

Special thank you to this guy

for making this girl

a very happy birthday girl!