Today is my birthday. It’s also my mixer’s! She turns a year young; she was given to me on my birthday last year. My friends all chipped in to buy her for me, and after years of baking with a handheld Sunbeam, I finally experienced what it’s like to see ordinary batter transform into magical stuff under her capable beaters.
We’ve been through a lot, my mixer and I. I couldn’t have survived the past year without her machine-humming my cares away, without her transforming the best of myself into gifts for many others. Cookies of every shape and kind, cakes of every flavor and fancy, candied confections and divine desserts. Even mashed potatoes!
My mixer and I thank everyone who have been part of our eventful and interesting lives in the past year—family who partook of our culinary projects, and friends both online and off who have kept up with our adventures in flour and eggs. On our birthday, we wish all of you the kinds of magical stuff we try to bake into each cake and cookie: laughter, and love, and wishes for a delicious life.
Happy birthday to us!
—-EDIT—-
When I got to the office this morning, this was on my door.
And this is what I saw inside:
NO WONDER Pam kept looking into my office by the end of the day yesterday, asking when I’d leave. Thank you Alicia, Eric, Bona and Simeen (oh, Pam too!) for staying late to deck out my office in true Twilight style, and making it look like a thirteen-year-old’s bedroom. I’ve never felt younger! 
August 27th, 2008 at 2:08 am
Happy birthday, J! The Horlicks Malties are on their way to your doorstep. Ohh.. had I known it was your birthday, I could have sent a present alongside!
August 27th, 2008 at 3:34 am
Magandang Kaarawan sa iyo Othomnesssesssess! H-U-G-G-Y!! Miss you! (eat an extra serving today, yip!)
August 27th, 2008 at 9:22 am
Happy birthday!
*big squishy hugs*
Lovely mixer! Happy birthday mixer too ^_^ I wish my kitchen was bigger to fit such useful contraptions in it
August 27th, 2008 at 1:29 pm
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!
August 27th, 2008 at 1:44 pm
Happy Birthday manang J and ms. mixer as well!!!!
Indeed I can attest to the fact that you indeed bring joy and laughter, comfort and delight to the people around you. I have been the recipient of that love for all these years and truly, I am grateful that you love me so.
May your dreams come true. Will keep you in our prayers most especially today. Any specific prayer requests?
Love you! HUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUG
August 27th, 2008 at 7:23 pm
*woot*woot*
happy birthday J!
may all your magical wishes come true!
August 27th, 2008 at 9:18 pm
Happy Birthday, and hope you have had a good day. And oh! Cheers to the 1st year of the mixer, may you live long life too.
August 27th, 2008 at 9:45 pm
What a wonderful post friend! It radiates joy and gratitude. You are loved all around friend! TANTI AUGURI! Feliz Cumpleanos! (I lab the poster of Edward with the “Maligayang Kaarawan” bubble. Ang galeng!!!)
August 28th, 2008 at 12:01 am
Hi!!! Happy Birthday!
I saw the comment you left on my blog. Hi swap partner!
I won’t be here long in the US. I leave on Sept 1 at 7:40 a.m. (I’m not sure that helps any).
August 28th, 2008 at 1:09 am
Uy J! Long time no see, just got that Facebook notification email and here you are with a website and everything. Happy birthday!
August 28th, 2008 at 3:09 am
hi! happy birthday to you.
napadaan lang po!
August 28th, 2008 at 3:22 am
halu! happy boitdoi!
*burp*
teehee.
August 28th, 2008 at 8:09 am
Happy Birthday to you and your KitchenAid!
August 28th, 2008 at 11:24 pm
Happy birthday! Dropping by from Sheng’s page. Your header is so cute. =)
August 30th, 2008 at 10:19 am
Belated Happy Birthday J!!!!
Your officemates are so thoughtful!
I liked how they merged the Breaking Dawn chess piece and “J.” Haha how cute! 
And happy birthday to your mixer too!
August 30th, 2008 at 4:20 pm
your mixer looks so cute and festive! never thought i’d say that about a kitchen appliance…happy bday!
August 31st, 2008 at 5:22 am
Just joining the barangay to say API BERTDEI! Your mixer looks sexy, as I’m sure you do as well, you curly you.
August 31st, 2008 at 9:03 pm
sino ang marunong magtagalog dyan? i love edward’s maligayang kaarawan! beats “huwag po!”
August 31st, 2008 at 9:37 pm
J! belated happy birthday to you and your mixer! i hope you have a great year ahead!
September 1st, 2008 at 1:09 am
Oh wow, your co-workers are really sweet! That is a very nice gesture.
Belated Happy Birthday!
I would love a mixer like that too. Its been in my wish list for awhile now.
September 1st, 2008 at 2:51 am
Mimi
- Thank you, thank you–for the greetings and the malties. You made my birthday doubly special.
Ms Nina
- I love you and your Iggy (well, maybe only a little) THIS MUCH!
Sinta
- I love big squishy hugs, thank you!
Elmira
- I feel the love, thank you!
Mitz
- Thank you for eating all of my cooking experiments.
Odette
- Thank you for wishing for MY wishes to come true!
Sheng
- The mixer is revving up its beaters in thanks for your bday greets.
Via
- Rob Pat = hotness
Jen
I hope you had a fun time in the US, and at Jo-Ann!
- Hello, Swappie! I’ll just send your stuff to Manila.
Paulo
! Pau! Oh goodness, glad I’m bumping into you online. I’ll hop over on to your neck of the world wide woods soon enough.
Blue Rose
- Salamat sa dalaw, sa uulitin!
Hags
- That’s a birthday burp!
Jess
- We thank you for all the Charlottesvillian birthday wishes!
Wits
- Thanks for jumping over from Sheng’s. I hope to make my way to your neighborhood too. My brother designed my header. That’s an actual silhouette of me.
Toni
- I know, it’s kind of insane how much people at work know about the Twilight obsession. Buti na lang my mixer isn’t quite as obsessed (as far as I know!)
Jen
- YOU thought about giving me the mixer last year. You don’t know how often I thank you every time I use it.
Fatima
- Thanks for the curly compliments. My mixer insists she is straight-haired, but we all know it’s just because she’s been canoodling with my flat iron. Hehe.
Ross
- I had mentioned what “happy birthday” in Tagalog is, and they used it in that pic. Haha.
Caryn
- Thank you, the great year’s already started with birthday greetings from friends old and new, and from Japan!
Leah
That mixer changed my baking life, I hope you get a chance to own one too. Hope to pay you a visit soon, too! 
- Thanks for the belated greets and the visit.
September 2nd, 2008 at 2:18 am
Belated happy birthday!!!!! *hugs*
May this year be a wonderful and dreamful one for you.
September 2nd, 2008 at 6:34 pm
can’t help but comment on the add-on pics, what a treat!!! so sweet of your colleagues to go the extra mile just to make you feel special!