So my birthday is coming up soon, (actually now I think about it, really soon!) which means that it's time for the annoying 'what do you want for your birthday?' questions, from everyone you hold dear.

Gone are the days where your birthday came and you were surprise with the lovely collection of gifts. Now days, you have to come up with your own ideas. You can't just say 'nothing' because then people will do one of two things;

1. Take you seriously

Or

2. Get super dooper frustrated with you and then wait for you to actually come up with something.

My go to answer is a KitchenAid because it's true. I would love a KitchenAid but they tend to be a bit out of peoples' price range.

That usually is enough for people to either come up with their own idea or realise I'm not going to be as helpful as they hoped because I don't really want any physical 'stuff'.

Which gets me too my point for today...

When I was much younger, those lovely gifts weren't always as lovely as I'd hoped. I'm not going to lie and say they were the greatest things I was ever given. I was polite when I got them 'thank you! It/They are lovely' but honestly I almost hated being given certain things and every year without fail I would get something that fit in this category. 

But now, reflecting on those gift are some of the things I enjoy most these days.

I'm beginning to suspect that my friends often knew me better than I knew myself...

Example 1. Candles

Just some of my collection!

There is rarely a day that goes by where I don't sit, writing, blogging, baking, whatever it is (except maybe sewing because that could get dangerous) without a candle burning. There is something soothing not only in the smell that fills the room but the flickering flame that puts my worries at ease and allows me to breathe and move forward.

And yet for years I complained about getting given candles. What use was a gift that burnt and then was gone with no remains to remember it by? What use was a candle that was so funky you never really wanted to burn it? How could people not know that I NEVER used candles!

And so I left them build up...

Now I have quite a collection which I have the pleasure of burning my way through with gay abandon! Like I never once wondered in frustration what kind of people enjoyed candles as gifts...

Example 2. 

This is the one that really got me. When I began to wonder if my friends were mind readers...

Recently I was looking for a light cardigan to go over a summery vintage dress I was wearing. Being one of the first nice day in spring I was not prepared for the temperature and was beginning to get frustrated at my lack of useful clothing (but more on that another time) when I stumbled across a cardigan that a friend had given me for my birthday one year. I had put it up the back as it was a cut that I thought was never going to work for me, and there it was. Just when I needed it. A perfect match for my outfit. 

So my conclusion is that;

1. My friends must be brilliant mind readers who seem to know me better than I know myself.

2. I am never going to be one of those people who throws out gifts after they have been given because you never know if someday they may be the PERFECT thing!

3. That the truthful fact of the matter is you should always be polite and grateful when receiving gifts. No matter how silly they seem at the time, because someday they might be absolutely perfect!

xx