Dear Thirty Nine Year Old Joy,
Dear Thirty Nine Year Old Joy,
It’s 2010. Today we’re Twenty Nine Year Old Joy. It’s exciting. My Facebook page is exploding with birthday wishes. Cool but mostly gross.
I’m making a birthday cake. That’s what that big mess is all about.
I’m writing you, Future Joy, just to say hello and remind you of a few things. A lot can happen in the ten years between us.
This is your twenty nine year old self, Joy. You dye your hair with henna and wear tie dye tank tops. The exposed bra strap…. well, I hope we’re not still doing that. Not super classy… your mama taught you better than that.
Twenty nine year old Joy daydreams about being either Angelina Jolie or a butt kicking Russian spy. Both would be ideal. I’m going to start wearing a lot of sexy black turtleneck sweaters now… that should get us halfway to making our dream a reality. Ten years from now we’re a Russian spy… aren’t we? Awesome.
This year for my birthday I’d either like a kitten or a bottle of bourbon. I’d settle for a crepe pan. Am I being a brat? Yes.
I have to get back to the cake I’m baking for us, Future Joy. I hope you’re doing rad things on this day in your life. Rad things that may or may not include wrangling small children, feeding kittens and shoe shopping… well, that’s if you haven’t gotten the whole Russian spy thing worked out for us. I’m kinda counting on that, so…. yea.
Love,
Twenty Nine Year Old Joy






269 Comments Add A Comment
happy happy happy birthday!!!!
Happy Birthday Joy! I hope this is your best birthday year yet! Thank you so much for all the recipes and advice you have given and continue to share with us. Your site continues to inspire me and countless others. You rock!
woohoo! happy birthday Joy!
HAPPY BIRHTDAY JOY!
I too baked my own birthday cake on my birthday, it was my 18th, and i wanted something special. I figured the only way to get exacctttly what i wanted was to create it myself! :) i like your style&& I hope you had a wonderful b-day!
Happy 29th birthday to both of us! Does it kind of freak you out that this is the last year of your 20s? It is kind of freaking me out and making me feel a little old. Was 18 really 11 years ago? Ugh. Thanks for your great blog, the awesome strawberry cake recipe, and sharing your birthday with me… maybe I should go write a letter to my 39 year old self. But then that means that I’m just as close to 39 as I am 19 and that’s scary.
Happy Birthday!
BLESSED BIRTHDAY! Hope you’ll always be baking such great yummilicious goodies :D Just love your awesome ideas!
Happy Birthday Joy!!!!!!!!!!
Happy Birthday Joy. I hope that you are having a great birthday.See i should so look into baking my own cakes for my birthday, maybe next year for 30th, until then it is more then ok with me to have someone else worry about said cake. Today i was honored by a skors cake, is it a bad thing that i am on my 4th piece? and intend to make #5 my breakfast?. i have a year to slowly work up to eating my baking if i want to bake a cake i will eat. What did you make yourself? Love your blog, so glad i stumbled upon it birthday sharer :p.
Happy Birthday, Joy! I hope this year brings good things your way.
Joy, you are inspirational :) Love your style. You should totally be a Russian spy! Maybe becoming one could be your 39th birthday present (or any birthday between now and then). Happy birthday.
Happy Birthday 29 year old Joy, I love that, like you, I also buy vanilla in bulk(smart and final?) I get mine at Costco.
Happy Birthday, beautiful Joy!!
PS: Rejoice in the child-free bit of life that’s yours for now. I’d invest in house plants and furry pets, they are good training ground for future small people (ie: kid) stuff.
PPS: Tye die will never go out of style.
Happy, happy day to you JOY!!! :)
I hope your day has been filled with lots of laughs and good times! (I LOVE that you wrote to your future self….SO cool…..just one of the many reasons I enjoy perusing your blog! I also SO love your recipes…especially the chocolate cupcakes with the best chocolate icing ever!!!!!!!!!! hmmmm…I hope your cake was outta this world yummy!)
Happy!
Thanks Joy…I have a birthday coming up and I think I’ll write a little letter to myself as my special treat.
Hope this birthday was a happy one!
Happy Birthday Joy, hope you had a fabulous one x
Happy Birthday Joy! I am totally depressed about turning 27 next month so am glad you don’t feel the same way – look to the future and embrace the possibilities.
Love your unfailing optimism & your classic brownie recipe!!
Happy belated!!! i hope you had a RAD RAD RAD DAY!!!
Hi Joy!!!
I´m writting you from Spain
Just stop here to wishing you a very happy birthday.
Have a whole year full of cakes and beautiful things and keep your blog as beautiful and plenty of great recipes as you have now.
I´m am following you in silence but a 29 birthday makes me say hy!!! and a kiss
So…keep on like you´re now and everything will arrive…
lots of kisses and cakes …
dolores
Happy Birthday Joy! While it kinda sucks that you have to cook your own birthday cake I know that it will be AMAZING.
Happy Birthday!!! I’m turning 29 this year also. :(
I love your blog- thanks for writing it. ;)
Have a very HAPPY and SPECIAL birthday.
Happiest of birthdays to you, Joy! I hope you’re around for a hundred more – I should like to grow old with you, it would make for lots of yummy treats around the house! :)
Happy birthday!
I think you should eat nothing but cake on this glorious day. enjoy!
witty as always! hope u had a great birthday joy :)
ps – how was the cake? :D
I missed this yesterday!
Happy happy birthday Joy, I hope all your dreams come true this year -xxx.
Happy Birthday Joy!!!
Happy Belated birthday Joy the Baker!
My birthday was just 3 days before yours, and well I had to make my own cake too :)
Did someone say cake????? Looooove cake!!! Joy, have the greatest birthday ever!! You’re only 29 once so enjoy!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!
happy 29th! i hope you get that kitten that year! xoxo
Congratulations on your 29th birthday!!!! Like always, great writing and awesome inspiration. :) My best wishes for you y que cumplas muchos más!
Too much talk about cake and not enough about bourbon!
Happiest birthday wishes to you, Joy!
happy birthday joy.
Happy birthday, Joy! I hope your cake turns out awesome. You are truly a baking inspiration!
Happy birthday Joy! I hope you enjoy your day to the fullest (and of course enjoy every crumb of that delicious cake you’re baking).
Thanks again for being such a happy joyful inspiration (yes, that was a lame pun on your name and it wasn’t intended. I’m just too lazy to delete.)
Happy Birthday!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOY!! Hope u have a wonderful day! xxx
great post!! Happy Birthday
Happy Birthday, Joy–and super-early birthday greetings to 39-year-old-Joy, too…this date finds both of you celebrating accomplishments big or small, wishes that have come true, and excitement about the future :)
HAPPY, HAPPY, HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOY!
unfortunately, I’m only turning thirteen this year… :( so I can never hope to be as baking experienced as you… and as for my own cake, I’ve got three younger brothers and sisters whom I have influenced and most of them want to make my cake!! so cute. My “old” (15 and 14) brothers don’t want to though… “too girlish”…:)
Much love! Have a good one!
Happy Birthday Joy! I cant get you any bourbon, but here is virtual kitten: >^..^<
Happy birthday!!!
Thank you for creating such a lovely space : )
I’d like to invite you to win a piece of my fine art through a giveaway on my blog.
http://walterhelenaphotography.blogspot.com/2010/05/whp-giveaway-two-of-twelve-clouds.html
I wish you all my best.
WHP
Happy birthday Joy! I’m 39 this year and the years between 29 and 39 have been amazing. There is no doubt they will be for you too. Yours is the first blog I’ve ever followed and I look forward to every post. Keep it coming!
I loled @ the kitten or a bottle of bourbon wishes. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
Happy Birthday, Joy!!! Wishing you many happy years and happy memories ahead.
happy birthday beautiful! may this year be the best one yet!
Happy birthday 29 year old Joy! And happy future birthday 39 year old Joy!