#this is 43

[mandoalorian]

he’ll never see this but wishing the happiest of birthdays to the man who has brought me so much happiness during a time when i needed it the most.

i only became a fan of seb in march of this year, but the crazy thing is, i feel like he’s always been in my life.

when i was a pre-teen i watched gossip girl every friday evening. when i was in my first year of university, i watched black swan pretty much every single night (i related to it big time). and in 2022, i literally had the same recurring nightmare about steve kemp from fresh.

and yet it took me all this time to actually watch the mcu and fall in love with bucky barnes, and subsequently, sebastian stan.

i’m so grateful for him and the many, many smiles he has put on my face. and through him i met one of my best friends in the whole world, @notreallythatlost. life is crazy. but i am thankful to be alive, and thankful that i get to exist in the same universe as him.

happy birthday sebastian!

this is 43. ₊˚ෆ

[kabillieu]

I had an unpleasant birthday last year because we were in the middle of moving, so I didn't get to do anything fun, and I didn't even get a cake, and I had to do moving chores all day. It was the pitts! And because I'm still childish about wanting to have nice birthdays, I've been mad about it all year.

So far today has been much nicer! Normally I make a caramel cake for myself, but now that we're back in the land of caramel cakes, Dominic was able to order one for me, and it's pretty good! This morning we went and fetched it from a strip mall across the beach, then we went to the estate sale shop. Now I'm reading the New York Times while Riv naps. I'll probably try to fit in a walk before our sitter comes, and then Dominic and I are getting sushi at our favorite sushi restaurant here, and then if we can get a ride share, we're going to the Flora-Bama because it sounds fun to me, and it's my birthday after all.

[lillianfromaccounting]

Day 4 - I learned that Devon Sawa wrote a better line than JJ Abrams in the Casper movie (SOOOO MUCH BETTER)

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[lillianfromaccounting]

Day 3 - I learned what cottage bakeries are (when you run a bakery business out of your home) and that they are finally allowed in the state I live in (they relaxed the rules during covid)

I have always loved to bake and at many times in my life, my dream job was to have my own bakery.

I was at a crossroads a few years after college. I was working at a job I didn't love and thought that going back to school to change my career was the answer.

I had narrowed it down to culinary school for baking, massage therapy school, or business school for accounting.

I spoke to my parents about it, and while they were like "It's your choice", they did steer me towards the more "practical" field of accounting.

Growing up, we didn't have a lot of money. And while my heart always has a place for a bakery, there's a part of me that refuses to go back to that feeling of financial uncertainty. So I went for accounting. I don't regret it. It has allowed me to provide for my family, which is a big priority for me.

At some point, I researched the possibility of selling baked goods out of my house, like small orders here and there for neighbors and such, but it was illegal in my state. You had to have access to a commercial kitchen. So I let that dream float a little higher in the sky.

I am older and wiser now, and know that my wares are not "sell at a bakery" level yet. And I understand that running a business involves a lot of administrative work as well.

But I'm really excited to learn that the *option* is available to me, if I ever want to seriously pursue it. And just knowing that I have the option made my day.

[lillianfromaccounting]

I turned 43 the other day and the day after, I learned a new skill that I thought was super impactful for me. I thought, what a way to start the new year, maybe I will try to intentionally learn something new every day for a year.

But then I was afraid to say it aloud because I thought, well if I tell people, then I am doomed to fail.

But I also learned something new today, without trying. I probably learned several things but these things are going to stick with me.

So I decided I will post them here. For my own record keeping and also maybe I'll keep myself more accountable.

Day 1 - learned how to fold thin rectangular fabrics (fitted sheets, tablecloths) in a way that I can tuck the ends into a pocket so that they are self-contained.

Day 2 - I learned several new things today but the one that will stick with me forever now is that Lance Bass' legal first name is James. And that his spot on N'SYNC was originally held by a guy named Jason.

Let's see what tomorrow brings.

[thesargasmicgoddess]

This is SO TRUE. I had an unmarried, childless, unemployed 30 something tell me she was "SO EXHAUSTINGLY BUSY" with the one "elective" class she's taking...literally what she always defaults to to show how busy her life is.

And I laughed. I didn't mean to....but I laughed. I couldn't help myself, and I gave no fucks about whether she was offended or not. I couldn't believe that with all of the freedom and opportunities in front of her, she chose to see "exhausting" and "busy" as what describes her life.

(And while this image/quote addresses moms, I think this is true for anyone who juggles many hats: dads, caretakers, guardians, etc)

Don't get me wrong...I get wild weeks with crazy overlapping schedules from school (kiddo and mine), work (hubby and mine), and life (throw in friends, extended family, pets, health & wellness stuff, basic shit to keep life running) that I could call busy.

But I honestly just love seeing it as a beautiful chaotic blessed adventure because life should be fully lived. My 40s have taught me how to thrive, enjoy taking risks, and be even more alive--and a lot of that starts in the mind.

I'm not saying one is better than the other, and I'm not saying I don't get exhausted or frazzled. But those are not my default thoughts when I look at my busy life. I just feel grateful and truly blessed. How depressing it would be if I simply looked at every little thing as busyness and exhausting. I guess that's the power of perception. Perspective and mental resilience is something that I think is invaluable at any age.

Onward. And cheers to all the crazy adventures life has to offer ❤️

[thesargasmicgoddess]

💯💯

The older I get, the more I believe that life is too short to leave things unsaid or undone. Especially the things that scare you and give you butterflies. Growth does not manifest in a bubble. ✈️❤️📚📉