photo c/o Etsy
I'm a social butterfly who typically, loves using my birthday as an excuse to gather my people and do something fun. This year, I was meant to be in London with a group of my friends at one of my favorite pubs. Any other year, this would be a very normal way to spend ones birthday. Enter COVID-19. This year, many of us will celebrate unconventional birthdays thanks to this novel coronavirus. And while it's certainly not ideal circumstances to celebrate, I refuse to believe we can't have fun still. I was chatting with my friend Rebecca (who was supposed to be on a sailing trip in the Caribbean for her upcoming birthday). We started brainstorming some ways we could take our plans that had been cancelled and weave them into our at-home celebrations. I realize that even if COVID19 wasn't a thing, there are tons of people who celebrate birthdays at home for a variety of circumstances. So whatever your reason may be, if you're celebrating your birthday at home this year, here are some ways to make it a great one:
1. PICK A THEME
Since I was supposed to be living in Paris this spring (and since I've been thinking a lot about Italy lately with everything going on in the world) I decided I wanted to have a French celebration for the first half of the day and an Italian celebration for the latter half. Rebecca was supposed to be on a sailing trip in the Caribbean for her birthday, so she is opting for an island theme. While ours are both location based (given that travel is such a key part of our lives and something we are missing a lot), it felt natural for our themes to reflect that. Perhaps you have another location in mind (like a London tea party!) or, a theme that has nothing to do with location (planned around your favorite film?)
2. ENGAGE YOUR SENSES
Once you've landed on a theme, it's time to bring it to life! Try to think about all your senses as a touchpoint for planning to really make it seem that much more realistic.
SEE: Plan the decor! Festive balloons are appropriate for any occasion (opt for biodegradable!) Find some paper plates that coordinate with your theme (I found these for my French breakfast and for cake plates). Additionally, adding some festive straws or glasses that coordinate (I love these champagne flutes and Rebecca ordered some fun straws for her rum punch cocktails).
SMELL: I'm planning to light the candle that Hotel Plaza Athene in Paris gave me from a previous visit to remind me of my time there. In the evening, I'm going to diffuse some lemon oil to remind me of the lemon groves near Amalfi.
HEAR: Set the scene with an appropriate playlist (music is everything!) Here is what I'm planning for my French and Italian soundtracks (Midnight in Paris Soundtrack, Aperitivo Time + I also have some films I want to watch throughout the day, like Midnight in Paris (or one of these Audrey Hepburn films set in France).
Photo from the film “Funny Face”
TASTE: This brings us to our next point...
3. SET THE MENU
Arguably the best part of an at-home celebration… the food! Find dishes that align with your theme. Here's what I'm planning for both the French + Italian portions of my day:
FRENCH BREAKFAST: I have a bottle of champagne that I bought on a trip to Champagne a few years ago and have been saving. I am either going to make this quiche recipe that Rebecca gave me, or order some almond croissants from a local French bakery (honestly, I'll probably do both!)
ITALIAN APERITIVO + DINNER: I have some truffle honey I bought in Tuscany that I'm going to pair with pecorino cheese for aperitivo time (I'll use the leftover champagne from breakfast to make a spritz and listen to the previously mentioned "Aperitivo Time" playlist, which was the soundtrack to my Puglia road trip this past September). For dinner, I'm either going to make this cacio e pepe recipe, or order take out from a local Italian spot. *I'm also contemplating opening a nice bottle of wine I bought in Puglia, but it depends how much alcohol I can drink in one day!
4. LEVERAGE LOCAL BUSINESSES
Whether I cook myself or order take out will largely depend on my mood as it gets closer. Either way, I doubt I'll want to cook both meals on my own birthday, so chances are I'll order out for at least one. I know there are lots of great local businesses who greatly appreciate the support during times like this. So whether it's for food, ordering some flowers or any other ideas you can muster— try to pull them in where you can.
5. DRESS FOR THE OCCASION
Considering this is day 16 of being in lounge wear, I'm so excited for a reason to put real clothes on! I'm already planning to FaceTime/ Skype/ Zoom with my friends I can't celebrate in person with, so it will be a nice change of pace to feel like myself again! Even if you don't spend the entire day dressed up, putting on an outfit you love for your meal is a great way to treat it like a special occasion (and not another day glued to your couch).
I’ll likely wear either this green dress or this white dress for my at-home birthday. Both have been hanging in my closet untouched (I picked them thinking they’d be perfect for living in Paris this spring… but my Parisian/Italian themed party will have to do for now!)
It may not be the most ideal way to celebrate, but I’m still looking forward to making the most of a quarantined birthday with this list. I’m also looking forward to when this is all behind us and we are able to gather again (my friends in London have already been warned that we will be having a belated gathering!) I’m hopeful it will be on a sunny rooftop on a warm summer day that I would have never been able to have on an April day in London…
Sending you all virtual hugs and lots of optimism as we all continue to look for the good this season. There are still so many reasons to be thankful and celebrate this life- even if things look different right now.
Hang in there.
xx,
Whitney
