Get your party hat on because we are ce-le-bra-ting! Screw the January blues, let’s get our party shoes on. The reason? It’s my birthday! Well, it was my birthday last Saturday, but it’s a women’s prerogative to extend the festivities, right? I rarely celebrate my birthday but this year feels different; 2018 has infected me with a new energy. I’m so excited for the year ahead and I want every moment to be something to be proud of. Too often, we let happy moments just pass by without celebrating them. The small wins and big victories should all be celebrated, life is hard and sometimes just making it through and feeling good about your day is enough reason to celebrate.
In my previous post, I shared some of the ups and downs I experienced during 2017. It was a challenging year but wanted to share what I experienced and show what lies behind the carefully curated feed and Instagram filters. Despite a rocky start, I ended the year looking forward to a fresh start; a little battered and bruised but looking to 2018 with positivity, strength and determination. I was so overwhelmed by the positive response to this post. I received so many lovely messages, DMs and comments from people offering support or saying my post really resonated with them due to their own journey through 2017.
Life can be hard and we all have our own struggles. While I embrace the ups and the downs – because you can’t have one without the other – I realised how important it is to amplify and focus on those highs. The highs get us through the lows and often they aren’t celebrated nearly enough. From now on, I’m celebrating life as much as I can. I’m going to start this with my birthday, celebrating my 33 years on Earth because I have a bloody amazing life and I’m truly blessed. Why wouldn’t I celebrate that?!
Society has a huge issue with age. Your 20s are treated as the golden era; the prime of your life. After 30, you’re supposed to dread your birthday, shave a couple of years off your age and complain about being ancient. This is absolutely ludicrous! At 30, you’re merely a third of the way through your journey in life. When I was approaching my 30th birthday, I was actually looking forward to entering a new decade. I saw my 20s as a time of exploration and finding my feet. I was thrust into adult life after I finished university and didn’t have a clue what to do! While my education had finished, I became a student at the school of life. I had a lot to learn; discovering who I was, what I wanted to achieve in life, what drives me, what I expect from love and all the little things that make me happy.
When I was approaching the big 3-0, I knew I was entering the new decade with a level of peace and self-acceptance that is often evasive during your 20s, as you’re struggling to find yourself. And now, I’m super proud to be 33. Life is a journey to discover who you are and what makes you tick, I see each year as a milestone of learning to love yourself more as you discover who you really are.
One of the most positive things to come out of last year is taking a huge step forward in discovering myself. And you know what? I decided from now on, I’m going to be me – unapologetically. I decided that I am not shrinking myself to fit someone else’s idea of who I am or who I should be. I shared this sentiment with my dear friend Nick, I told him “I’m done. I just want to be extra AF, no diluting or playing it safe”. And with that sentiment, I present to you my birthday outfit. An almost plain white tee with…some sequin flares. Extra AF, but unapologetically me.
Coat – Max Mara
Tshirt – KAWS x Uniqlo
Trousers – Missguided
Heels – River Island (similar)
Photography by Adorngirl.
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