Thursday 26 June 2014

The Colour Collaborative: June: Birthday


You know, I've struggled to write this post.  It's odd, normally I have plenty to say, more ideas than I know what to do with, and after a little mulling over of things I know what I want to say.  But birthday, well, I've found it tricky.  I had a couple of ideas that evaporated as soon as I tried to write them down.  And so the days ticked past and my mind was strangely blank.

The word birthday is one that's used often in this house.  When the little people find something they think they'd like, they ask if they can have it for their birthday.  The littlest boy is particularly fond of adding things to the list.  It doesn't bother him if the actual day is ten months away, he seems to find it reassuring that eventually the time will come when all of his dreams will come true.  Of course, most of the list is forgotten, just a couple of the better (and more realistic) items are given.  But he is always thrilled with what he receives.

The excitement builds for weeks beforehand, and then in the last few days it reaches fever pitch.  Plans are made, a little outing, a treat of a pizza out, the choice of cake, the gifts he might receive.  The idea that he will be king for a day.  In fact, he's king most days, but on his birthday it's legitimate.

The colours of his birthday are bright.  Primary reds, blues and yellows.  There's nothing muted or sophisticated.  The cards, the paper, the compulsory balloons are all strong, certain, happy colours.

When it comes to grown up birthdays though, it's all rather different.  They're not really celebrated round here.  There might be a cake and some cards, but otherwise the day unfolds as normal.  A birthday just doesn't seem the same when you're an adult.  I'm not any good with New Year's Eve either.  I think I have a bit of anxiety when the big dates arrive, the ones that require retrospection and introspection and evaluation of all that's been achieved and thoughts of where next.  I know, I know, I'm overthinking it all again.  But it occurs to me that that is why I couldn't think of anything to say on the subject of birthday.  I've lost the childish joy and squeaky can't-sit-still excitement.

What I need is to forget the tasteful neutrals and sophisticated themes and grown up expectations and go back to yellow and red and bright blue, and have too many balloons and a nice day out and my absolute best cake.  Then maybe I'd be looking forward to my birthday, and I'd be able to write and write about it all.

So birthday, I shall try harder this year.  I shall look for the joy and the excitement and I shall make it all happen.  I'll blow up some yellow balloons and put red icing on my cake and wear a blue party hat and tell everyone they have to do what I say all day.  I can't wait.

How about you?  Any birthday angst, or is it all fizzing wonderment?

To visit the other Colour Collaborative blogs for more of this month's posts just click on the links below.

       Annie at Knitsofacto                                           Gillian at Tales from a Happy House

       Sandra at Cherry Heart                                       Jennifer at Thistlebear

                                          What is The Colour Collaborative?

All creative bloggers make stuff, gather stuff, shape stuff, and share stuff. Mostly they work on their own, but what happens when a group of them work together? Is a creative collaboration greater than the sum of its parts? We think so and we hope you will too. We'll each be offering our own monthly take on a colour related theme, and hoping that in combination our ideas will encourage us, and perhaps you, to think about colour in new ways.

22 comments:

  1. Oh so very true!!! Your little guy sounds so much like mine when it comes to the big day! I am much more like you about my birthday....no attention no big deal but hey...why not!?!? I hope you do wear that party hat friend! Wishing you a lovely new day! Nicole xoxo

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  2. Hi CJ! A beautifully written post... I do enjoy my birthday but usually just ask for a few hours to myself - not for quiet contemplation, but for a bit of rare frivolity. Maybe a new magazine or a bit of retail therapy (again rare) with any birthday money I've received. More often than not it's sod's law: I have money to spend but can't see anything I want.
    Anyway... There's always nice food, fizz and family involved at some point. I hope you get to indulge a little on your birthday this time around.
    Sarah x
    PS I don't really like New Year either!

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  3. You have put my own thoughts into words. But my most recent birthday which was a big one was spent just as I wanted doing what I loved best and somehow now that I am 70 I felt more sense of celebration than on any previous birthdays. Maybe because the thought that a birthday should somehow match other people's expectations with parties and lots of gifts and filled with fun is no longer of any importance and any future birthdays will be quietly relished and appreciated (to be alive at all being a miracle worth celebrating!) and spent how I like rather than how I used to feel was expected and which never quite matched up to expectations! It's your birthday do with it what you will and if colour and fun are your thing then go for it and if not then so what!

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  4. Oh my, all angst over here. I'm almost embarrassed to say this but... I don't usually celebrate my own birthday. Haven't felt that excitement for years. Having read this though,I may do things differently next year..

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  5. I'd not thought about it like that before - but you are so right. Lots of angst and no red, blue and yellow balloons and wonder for me. I shall try and change it! :) It reminds me of a Dove (?) advert I saw on Facebook - asking when was the last time you smiled when you looked in the mirror? It was only when they showed children looking in a mirror I realised they always smile or laugh at their image, as adults, and maybe teenagers, that doesn't happen. Maybe we should relax a bit more! x

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  6. We are pretty good at celebrating round here, mostly because when my husband was growing up his family didn't celebrate anything - and still don't. So we make a big effort to celebrate anything, we still celebrate our engagement anniversary every year after many years of marriage, and of course our wedding anniversary, birthdays are especially important as they really were not big celebrations for my husband before we met. We will celebrate most anything with a raising of a smile and a glass of water if nothing else, it doesn't have to be a big thing, just an acknowledgement, but red yellow and blue would add a lot more to any occasion, especially a birthday! xx

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  7. We don't celebrate birthdays as we prefer to not dwell on the mounting numbers. We do, however have a little treat of some sort - an outing or meal out but we do this on other days too so in a way it isn't especially a birthday treat. I'd guess most people I know don't even know when my birthday is!

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  8. Hmm you have got me thinking I do look forward to my birthday and I choose food to cook that I love and sod anyone else that doesn't.........my husband is often away so it is usually me and the children and now that they are getting older they do help me to make the day special. But what colour? I would say as my birthday is in the autumn that my birthday is about reds, gold and orange.

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  9. Next time it's your birthday, tell everyone about it for months in advance, write a list of gift ideas, INSIST that someone plan you a party and bake you a cake. That's what my daughter does and it seems to work! It's such a shame that we think birthdays aren't worthy of celebration when you're a "grown up". My father in law said something similar to me once and I nearly spat out my tea. Not under my roof!! I think you should stamp your foot and be queen for a day next birthday.

    Now New Years Eve - I loathe it! I too get all reflective and "what am I doing with my life, what have I achieved" etc and other self indulgent nonsense. I resent the way everything is ticketed and twice the price, with crappy set menus, and you have to plan it all in advance... We tend to stay in and eat nice food and drink nice wine and often go to bed early. x

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  10. There's only one of us who gets excited about birthdays in our house and that's Eleanor. In fact, we were only discussing birthdays the other day and remarking on the fact that Daniel used to threaten to walk out of a restaurant if we embarrassed him by taking a cake, just like me, whereas Eleanor would have every diner in the restaurant singing Happy Birthday to her if she could. I definitely think birthdays lose their appeal as you get older, and New Year's Eve definitely does, it all comes round just too quickly for my liking, I'm not enjoying the years whizzing past at all.

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  11. Hmm birthdays for me are not my favorite. When I was 20 years old my boyfriend of 3 years dumped me on my birthday and then my birthdays seemed to get worse every year... bad shit always happens haha. But besides that, birthdays remind me I'm getting older and give me anxiety about that. And birthdays, along with large holidays like New Years Eve, give me anxiety because I'm always so afraid I would celebrate/appreciate them like I should and I get all worked up that I'll have a bad time or whatever. I still celebrate my birthday with a night out with a bunch of my friends, usually about 20 or so, and we have a good drunken time haha BUt really when I think of birthdays I think of celebrating my daughter's birthday, not mine! And for New Years Eve I booked us a Disney vacation (christmas through new years day) so I mean really I HAVE to have a grand time since I"ll be there! Regardless of the holiday!

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  12. I don't particularly enjoy New Year's Eve but I looooove my birthday. It's all about fun for me and I always enjoy myself. I love celebrating birthdays, whoever is having them. My kids' birthdays are usually pretty low-key but we try to make them memorable if we can. I just need to get better at cake-decoration; my cakes always look pretty terrible. :)

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  13. I love a good Birthday ! I don't think I'm too fussed about getting older and my girls have always been good at making Birthdays special. I think for your next birthday you should let us all know when it is and we can make a huge fuss of you on that day.
    Kate x

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  14. A lovely post which bought back some fond, if now long faded, memories of birthdays when I was a littlest boy. It's been a long time since I celebrated my birthday other than here online which is good enough for me nowadays. Flighty xx

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  15. You have to celebrate grown up birthdays too ... someone should pass a law! The Mr and I only have two set days, apart from Bank Holidays, that we always take as holidays from work each year, our two birthdays. And there's always something fun to do, even if it's just a walk on the beach, and there has to be cake. I'm with Gillian ... time to remind your gang that you deserve pampering and a party too x

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    1. I meant to add that I struggled with this one too and that I've really enjoyed reading what you came up with :)

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  16. I've had a patch where I've fallen out of making any birthday effort (for myself that it). An early January birthday falls far too easily into the Christmas and New Year hang-over period to get very excited about, even to me. Of course, as a child none of that mattered, and birthdays were still fun and fabulous. I tried to convince everyone to let me move it, but they didn't embrace the idea. But I've turned my thinking around and am now starting to try and make my birthdays something a little more special again, I don't need much to make me happy after all!

    S x

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  17. I do think that birthdays are always something that you hope your friends and family will make a big deal of and it's always disappointing that they don't.. but my family is pretty good about celebrating with me. I still hope for a big hug surprise party with cake and lots of people.. not happening.. lol! ((hugs)), Teresa :-)

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  18. You should be pampered at least one day in the year CJ and what better day than on your birthday? When my girls were young I used to do the parties, make cakes, go for days out, lots of balloons, etc. and when it came round to my birthday it was a day like any other. Now they're grown up they make me a cake and pamper me and it really is rather nice. I'm not good on New Year's Eve though, we generally stay in and have a drink (maybe) and I'm lucky if I make it to midnight! Happy Colour Collaborative birthday and have a great weekend.
    Jane x

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  19. I've always had shocking birthday angst, particularly the "5s" and "0s". The older I get the better I'm getting though, but yes, unless it's a big number birthdays are just another day. I do hope that you have a wonderful day and celebrate in primary colours, oh Queen of the Day!

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  20. grown up birthdays in our house are low key but still special. A day off work, definitely cake, an outing to somewhere beautiful (last weeks big hill!) , probably a picnic, perhaps a small token gift. A day to recharge your batteries.

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