I didn’t know whether or not I would end up writing this blog post. Me, Marie, the eternal planner, I had to throw my schedule down the window when I took a break, when I decided to self-host, when I anxiously waited for my 1 000 blog posts (yes…that’s an accurate number. Oops. I can’t shut up, can I) to migrate over to this little new blog you’re all reading now.
Hi, if you’re reading this, I adore you.
It’s funny, last year on that day I wrote about how things change in a year and…now I feel like I should insert a joke here about the state of the world, but I don’t have it in me, at all, especially not today, so we’ll let this pass. Today’s my birthday so… let’s celebrate?
As I said it before, I thought long and hard before writing this and I’m doing it in a rush because I realize I actually want to do it, so. It’s my blog, isn’t it? I’ve been doing this kind of post the past two years and I’ve realized: I enjoy looking back at these posts. Seeing what has happened and these little things I can feel a little proud of.
Here’s to hoping you enjoy reading this, too and maybe get to know me a bit better with this, too!
- Went to London in November for my birthday (I have the best sister ever)
- Celebrated 5 years of blogging
- Spent days battling train strikes and exhaustion
- And seasonal depression
- Spent New Year’s out of my comfort zone and had! fun!
- Got a physical ARC of one of my most anticipated reads of all times and cried
- Saw my favorite band of all times live after 10 years and bawled like a baby
- Went to Paris to see them and spent the weekend there with my sister
- Went to Strasbourg again and ate the fattest pancakes alive
- Battled the current state of the world
- Finished Draft 4 of my contemporary/mystery WIP
- Started a bookstagram account and still wondering now how I feel about it
- Drank a whole lot of tea, as always
- Had my sister read my 2 WIPs and said they were good (!!!!!!). Maybe she’s biaised? I’ll take it
- Spent days and weeks stuck in anxiety and overthinking spirals
- Went to Lille again
- Went on my first road trip with my love
- And visited the lovely Normandy
- Started co-writing a new story with my sister
- Didn’t feel like I was good enough for anything
- Visited Frankfurt with my sister for the first time
- Submitted my WIP to Pitch Wars
- Self-hosted my blog (and screamed a lot about it)
- Celebrated 4 years at my current job
- Quit my job
- Cried a lot
- Lived, Read, Loved, Survived
My goals for the next year:
- Be kinder to myself and practice self-care
- Write more and try to make my writing a priority a little more, too
- Just breathe and live
Hi, I feel old, I feel young, happy birthday to me, I guess!
When is your birthday? What are some of your personal goals? I’d love to know!
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This was such a lovely post, Marie! I hope you have the best of days!!! Love you and happy 27th!
Thank you Kat, I love you!! 🥺🥰🥰
Happy birthday! Wishing you the best day! <3
Ahh thank you so much!! <3
Happy birthday!💖
Mine is on July 29th.
Ahhh a summer birthday, that’s so lovely!! Thank you soo much <3
Happy Birthday, Marie! You’ve been a huge inspiration to me ever since I started my book blog, and I love your content (so so much)! I hope you have a great time, and ilysm!
Oh my god thank you wow 🥺 this means so, so much, thank you so much!! 🥺
Hope you have a very special day, and I am quite amazed at all you have done over one year, considering the state of the world.
Ahh Sam thank you, you’re so sweet 🥺 I feel lucky to have been able to travel a bit before everything!
Happy Birthday!
Thank you so much!!
the happiest of birthday to you: you deserve it!! you achieved so much this last year, you should be so proud!! i wish you all the best, all the successes you could dream, and much more again. HAVE A NICE DAY AND ENJOYYY 💛💛💛
ahh thank you so, so, so much, you’re the sweetest 🥺🥺🥺
Have a wonderful day!! 🙂
Thank you so much Nicole!! 🙂
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ONE OF THE MOST WONDERFUL HUMANS EVER! Hi I adore you and I hope you’ve had a good day <3 My birthday you already know is in November hehe and personal goals hmmm I think one is being kinder to myself, talking myself up the same way I talk other people up. I've done a lot better with it the last year or so though. I have many other personal goals though hehe, anyway sending you virtual cake and much love!
AHH Clo hii thank you I love you! 🥺 I really think we should remind each other to be kind to ourselves, it’s something I have such a hard time doing on my own. Thank you! 🥺
Happy birthday, Marie!! This post is such a lovely reflection on the past year – I absolutely love seeing your pictures, they’re giving me travel fomo! Your goals for the next year are something I too would like to work on, I’ve noticed recently how hard I am on myself and how my confidence has taken such a hit because of it. I feel like we could all use a lil more self-care and love! I hope you have the best 27th year, sending lots of good birthday vibes! ♥♥
Once more, I wish the most beautiful of birthdays to you, my dear Marie! And I always love to read your stories, they never fail to make me smile a little… or a lot hehe. I hope you enjoyed today and I wish you the best in this world! 💛😇
Happy Birthday! I hope you have an amazing day!
Thank you so much! 🙂
Happy Birthday! I don’t have much goals but I’m looking forward to decorating my new house when we get possession after 2 and half years and I also want to got for self-hosted site.
Happy birthday again! 🎉💕 I loved reading your reflection about the past year and how you also included pictures 😊 I definitely need to focus more on self-care & make some more time for writing as well!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARIE! You are like the older sister of the book blogging community, I hope you had the best day🥰❤️
Aww Erin thank you so, so, so much!! 🥺🥰
Happy birthday, Marie!! All the traveling and floofy pancakes, I’m jealous 😀 I really love this idea of reflecting on the past year. I don’t think we do enough reflecting and it’s nice to see the good and the bad all at once. It’s like that saying, you can’t make a good portrait without a few shadows. (side note, I also went out of my comfort zone on New Years and also had so much fun! Three cheers for making a comfort zone wall into a comfort zone fence with space enough to slip through for a jaunt)
Laura @BlueEyeBooks
Ahh thank you so much Laura, I’m so happy you liked this post! I agree, it’s nice every now and then to reflect on the past year and see how we’ve grown that way, to 🙂
Thank you!!
HAPPPPPYYYYYY BIRTHTDAAYYYYY, MARIEEEEE!!!!
As you SHOULD know, you are wonderful and amazing and such an inspiration, and I adore your blog and you with all my heart!! Thank the universe for an amazing 27 years of your existence! ❤️ Congratulations on your selfhosted blog!!
TIFFANY I LOVE YOU 🥺 thank you so, so, so much you’re too sweet 🥰
Happy birthday, Marie! May today, and the year to come, be full of laughter and joy and adventure! 💕
Thank you Mary!! 🥺🥰
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!! 🎉💞😊
Despite COVID and everything going on in the world, it sounds like you had a good year! I love how you were able to look back at a lot of the positives!
My birthday is next month and I’ll be 27 too!
Here’s to 27!
Thank you so much! It’s been… well, eventful both in a good and in a bad way, really. Thank you! Happy early birthday!! 😀
You’re welcome! 😊
I can understand that.
Thank you! ☺️
Happy birthday, Marie, and best wishes for the year to come!
Thank you so so much Angela! 😀
HUGE Happy Birthday! You’ve achieved so much and I can’t wait to see more from you 🙂 Have an amazing day!!
Ahh thank you so, so much, you’re so sweet 🥺🥰
Happiest of birthdays to you, Marie! I love these little recaps and snippets so much and imagine they are great to look back on. I know 2020 has been hard on us all, but you are doing great and ILY.
Kal thank you so much, ily more and I’m so grateful for you 🥺🥰
Happy birthday, Marie! I love reading this post, it gives a glimpse to what you’ve experienced and I agree, it’s crazy how many things could happen and change in a year. May this year brings you more happiness! <3
Thank you so much!! I’m so happy you enjoyed reading this, thank you <3
Happy Birthday!! I love posts like these!! It’s fun to see what people are up to, the highs and the lows, over the course of the year. Considering the state of the world this year, it looks like your year was pretty great!!
Ahh thank you Michelle <3
What a life, what a journey, wishing you nothing but the best of the best for your upcoming year! May you eat a lot of cake and sing your heart out! Happy Birthday! 🎉❤️
Thank you so much!! 🙂
Marie omg I LOVE YOU AND HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! So glad to *virtually* know you and read your fantastic posts. I have all the admiration for you xoxoxo (also LOVED reading this post!!)
Ahh thank you so, so much, I’m so grateful to know you, too, I adore you <3
HAPPY FREAKING BIRTHDAY! It’s so wonderful to look back at the good things in life while acknowledging things aren’t perfect either. I hope you have a great 27th year on this planet!
Ahh thank you 🙂
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MARIE! <3 🙂
Thank you so much!! 🙂
Happy birthday, Marie!! 🥳 I hope you had a lovely day, just as brilliant as you 💖 You’ve accomplished SO much, and I’m sure there are even more amazing things out there, waiting for you to grab them and conquer them and discover them! The world is yours 💕 I’m so glad I met you and, in your birthday, I wanted to thank you for everything you do for the community and for being the most supportive, amazing, bright, funny and wonderful friend you are 💖💖
Marta thank you so, so, so much, you’re too sweet and I’m just so grateful to have you ah, thank you so much 🥺😭😭
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MARIE! <3
Ahhh all your travel photos look so lovely! And I’m amazed by the writing progress you’ve made in the past year — that is something to be proud of! I wish you the best with your goals for the upcoming year, and I hope 27 treats you well <3
Happy Birthday Marie!! 🎉 I hope you had a wonderful day. ❤️ Also, I really enjoyed reading all the things you achieved in your past year.
Oh thank you! you’re so sweet <3
Happiest birthday, Marie!! Hope you had all the cake you wanted and some nice presents. 🙂 Congrats on all you did this year, I’m glad you had some really nice memories in between all the horrible stuff in the world.
Veronika thank you so, so much, you’re so sweet 🥺
HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARIE 💓 looks like you’ve done some awesome stuff this year and can’t wait to see what else you get up to in the next year!! My birthday is May 1, and right now I’m trying to adjust my goals so they’re less about material gain and more about self improvement.
Thank you so much!! 🥺 ahh that’s lovely, that’s definitely what I always try and aim towards, too! <3
i know i’m late but HI happy belated birthday, i hope you had an amazing day, and reminder that i love you!! i’m so happy to see all the great things that happened this past year for you, and i hope you can take care of and love yourself because you deserve it 💘💘
MAY thank you so much I love you so much 🥺😭😭 I hope so too, I’m trying my best day by day <3
Enjoy your 27th year, love. You deserve all the best xx
Thank you so much!! <3
Happiest of Birthdays, Marie! *hugs and hops* I love how honest you are about the moments that weren’t so great this year… I think it shows how life really is full of so many ups and downs and that’s okay! That said, your blog looks GORGEOUS and I’m so happy for you self-hosting!! I’m also so happy you got to do some amazing things, and I can’t wait to see more from you in the future! 🤍🤍🎉 (Regarding self-care… I’ve been journaling almost every day and doing yoga every week, and both have been amazing for me!)
Ahh thank you you’re so sweet 🥺 and thank you so much for the advice, I really need to pick up journaling and see how it works for me sometime <3
so i read your other post before this one, and while I said it already, i’ll say it again. HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY. I’m so glad to have found your blog and have created this friendship with you throughout the years. Congrats on going self-hosted. It’s a huge step for your blog, and I’m extremely happy for you. I hope you had an amazing birthday/birthday weekend, even with all the craziness going on in the world. Sending you all the love xx
Melina | http://www.melinaelisa.com
Thank you so much Melina! I am so, so grateful and happy to have met you, too 🥺💕
Happy belated birthday!! Reading your post was very heartwarming; thank you for being one of my greatest inspirations in blogging 💖 I know this is late but I wish you all the best and I hope you had a wonderful birthday 🥳✨
Oh thank you so much!! That’s so, so sweet of you to say, thank you 🥺🥺
oh i hope you had the best birthday, sweet friend. forever so proud of you, your blog, and being able to call you my friend. sending you all the love in the world, always. <3
Oh Mel thank you so, so, so much <3 I hope you've been okay, sending you all the love! <3
Aw Marie, happy belated birthday!! I hope it was a wonderful one! You certainly have done a LOT in the past year, which is extra impressive, considering the year hah. I think this year is extra important to kind of look back and treat yourself kindly, and I am so glad you did that! And I hope this next year is wonderful for you too, full of much happiness- you deserve it!
Ahh thank you so, so much Shannon, you’re too sweet <3 <3
Super late on wishing but I hope as I reach your age I hope I achieve half of the things you have achieved.
Love Priyasha ❤🎈
Aww, thank you so, so much, you’re so sweet <3 <3
Oh, I’m so late here, but you know I always adore you!!! 🥺 I hope you had a beautiful birthday, and you enjoyed every moment. All my hugs going to you ✨✨✨❤️
Ahh thank you so, so much Sofi <3 <3
Marie!!! I’m sorry I’m so late to this but happy belated birthday! Congrats on all you’ve accomplished, and I hope you have a wonderful year <3
Oh Annie no worries at all, thank you so, so much 🥺🥺 I hope you’ve been doing okay <3