A Birthday Interview, with me 🎈
13 reflection questions to kickstart a new, beautiful year
It’s birthday week! For my family, it’s a bit like second Christmas, celebrating my brother in law on June 9th, my husband on June 12th, and me and my dad on June 13th. I’m blessed to share my birthday with a couple of family friends and Gemini season with many, many loved ones. I feel very lucky to be among this group.
In my two years of writing on Substack and decade plus of writing on the internet I don’t think I’ve shared many birthday-centric reflections. So let’s do that this year!
I was looking for some ideas, and came across this post in The Women Artists Birthday Project from
. It was the first result I clicked on and I loved it so much! It was like stumbling into a hip, sexy, interesting coffee table book.
Jackie ended the post with twelve birthday questions for her friend and colleague (also her birthday twin)! They were such thoughtful prompts and I hope she won’t mind that I’m lovingly borrowing them to interview myself. Since my birthday is on the thirteenth, I’ll add an extra one at the end!
When is your birthday?
June 13, 1983
Two things you love and one thing you hate about birthdays.
❤️ I love birthday visuals: balloons, confetti, pointy hats with pom-poms, cakes covered in sprinkles, fizzy champagne, and fancy party outfits. My mom always made a big deal of our birthdays (still does) and I remember how special it made me feel to see a “Happy Birthday Michelle” sign hanging in the house for most of my childhood Junes.
❤️ I also love that birthdays give you a prompt to connect with the people who matter most. A few years ago I removed my birthday from Facebook, and it has made text exchanges and calls so much more meaningful. To hear from my childhood besties, my college buddies, and friends I’ve met over the last decade — all on the same day — is incredibly special.
🙅🏻♀️I dislike that there’s so much negativity around aging and I’ve been working hard to change that narrative for myself. This documentary, If You’re Not in the Obit, Eat Breakfast has been one of my favorite pieces on living a long, full life.
I often encounter cockroaches on or near my birthday. I hate them. But I also believe that seeing one is a lucky omen. What are your birthday omens & superstitions?
I laughed at this question because I was thinking that I never see cockroaches until I remembered: I literally saw three this morning! Here in the south, they’ve rebranded them as “palmetto bugs.”
I’m not a big superstition person, but I do believe in positive signs, God/Universe winks, and love drawing every parallel I can about anything and everything. I think we are so much more interconnected than we are able to understand and love that so much magic happens in those voids that are invisible to us.
Your birthday dinner. You can invite any 3 women artists, living or dead - but they get to decide your menu and decor.
You know I love a dinner party question!
Iris Apfel because we can all be inspired to dress artfully and expressively.
Edith Head. Whoops! This is really turning into a costume party.
I’m doing a 2-for-1 with culinary artists, Julia Child and Ina Garten. Both are inspirations to me in many ways, lovely examples of fellow childless women who lived (and are living) to the fullest. Plus, we’ll have extra leftover cake to take home!
Describe the ideal edible birthday treat.
My mom always made strawberry shortcake when I was a kid, and I still crave it every birthday.
When we got older, my family switched to Funfetti for all of our birthdays, which I also crave (all year).
Most recently, my in laws made us homemade ice cream cake and we’re doing it again this year. A new tradition is born, and my love of sweets rides on!
Someone has ten dollars to spend on you for your birthday. What should they get you?
Easy! A book.
Write yourself a three-sentence birthday card.
Dear Michelle, Shine your light. Yes you can!
Favorite birthday scene in a movie, book, or other visual work of art?
LOVE this question! The first thing that comes to mind is this book I used to love as a kid, called Panda Bear’s Secret. Panda and his grandma plan a surprise party for Panda’s mom and it’s just the two of them going through the day, prepping, wrapping gifts (that heart-shaped card 🥰) and making a cake.
For your next birthday, I give you a plane ticket to anywhere in the world, but you have to go alone. Where?
I love my alone time, but not when it comes to travel. I’d take the shortest flight possible so I can turn around, come back home, grab my husband and then jet off to London!
F*, marry, kill: frosting, piñata, bounce house.
F the bounce house.
Marry frosting.
Kill the piñata (and it my case, I wouldn’t, because I’d never swing hard enough to break it open).
What does another year mean to you?
There are so many positive, helpful things I’ve learned about myself and life as time has gone on. I love the thought that another year means another chance to discover new things, to grow, and refine.
Last one, stolen from the Proust Questionnaire: If you were to die and come back as a person or thing, what would it be?
A shimmery star in an inky sky, among a bunch of star-shaped loved ones.
Michelle’s lucky thirteen bonus question: describe your ideal birthday.
I think I lived it this year! I had a slow creative morning, heard from many loved ones, Facetimed with my family and wished a happy birthday to my dad. In the afternoon, my husband and I watched a documentary about ABBA. I painted my nails red, got dressed up and we went out to a fancy dinner with friends. The night ended with a gorgeous thunderstorm.
We kept the party going the next day, doing a joint celebration for me and my husband at my in-laws. They made us our favorites, chicken parm and an ice cream cake, and we watched The West Wing. A dream weekend!
✍️ Creative Exercises/Journal Prompts
Reflect on past birthdays. What are the ones that stand out to you, and why?
Write yourself a three sentence love note.
Imagine your perfect day — then do it!
☀️ Five good things
When we can recognize the things that bring us the most joy, we invite more of them into our lives. Here are five things that made me happy this week. Share yours below!
Five good things that happened this week:
We kicked off the week with dinner and sweets at Cake Bake Shop, a new restaurant on Disney’s Boardwalk.
Laura and I recorded our final episode of our podcast’s Spring Musicals season, The Sound of Music, with special guest star Kat, AND I dressed up like the Baroness. I can’t wait to share this one!
My little herb garden is thriving! I have big plans to make a batch of pesto next week.
My sisters surprised me with a champagne delivery.
I am still in the middle of so many books, but nonetheless, I was excited to have two more join the ranks from my library waitlist: Dream State, by Eric Puchner and Mansion Beach, by Meg Mitchell Moore.
💬 Share your intention
Whether it’s a giant leap, a tiny to-do list item, a habit change, or something else, there is power in accountability, and this is a safe space to share your aim. Some weeks, we’ll fail, others we’ll soar, but with support, we’ll always keep going together.
Until next week, get out there and make something beautiful.
Michelle
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Happy happy birthday, Michelle! This was so much fun!
What a fun read! I enjoyed getting to know the festive side of "Birthday Michelle".
I admit that I had to look up Funfetti. (Where have I been?! 😂 😋)
Love that so many beautiful and magical things happened this week in your birthday world. ✨