Happy Blog Birthday to me! (With maybe a present for you!)

Devouring Texts is one year old today you guys! I realise that other people might use another 'b' word to describe this day, but I really can't deal with that word, mainly because it sounds so ugly, but also because, well, it's sort of inaccurate. I mean, an anniversary would suggest that I was married to my blog, but that would be seriously weird- it's more like my little baby, only it can't actually survive without me (well, it can but it wouldn't learn any new things) so actually it's kind of like my little foetus that's still being all parasitical and stuff. Since, 'happy one year of being a foetus!' is sort of, well, gross and weird, I think we can all agree that a blog birthday is the nicest way to put it!

So... should I get all soppy now, or save it for later? I think I'll get it over with out of the way, and then we can all move on with our lives and pretend it didn't happen (or that it did. Whatever.) So, when I started this blog a year ago, I was all miserable and unemployed and I more or less felt worthless and like I literally couldn't do anything. And I didn't really think a blog would do anything about that, and I saw it as more of a hobby then as a shiny beacon of hope and possibilities, but without being too much of a sap about it, that's kind of what it became for me, especially when I was really really miserable. So, a year ago, I couldn't really have imagined what it would come to mean to me, and I really couldn't have imagined all the awesome people I would meet (as yet only internetly, but one day I will find you all and hug you!) because of it. And while I could physically have done it without you, I really really wouldn't have wanted to. At all. So that's a great big THANK YOU to you if you're reading this right now.

There, that wasn't too bad, was it? Shit got a bit real, but on the whole I don't think I embarrassed myself too much! Probably more embarrassing was the fact that I made blog birthday cupcakes for myself (see above) but actually, I feel pretty great about them because 1) they took almost no effort to make, especially because I made a ganache instead of frosting (sounds fancy, but really it's just chocolate, milk and golden syrup all heated), and 2) they're vegan which means they have negative calories, and the actual cake bit is sugar free, so they don't give me weird sugar crashes if I eat them on their own (don't ask. It's not pleasant). I was going to post the recipe here, but then I remembered that no one ever really likes my recipe posts (WEEP- and also it's not even my recipe) so I couldn't be bothered! If you would like the recipe though, then you can email me and you SHOULD because they're AWESOME.

Anyway, that was going to be your present, but actually, I've decided to give some things away! What I'm offering is a copy of Little Women and one of Good Wives to one lucky lucky winner who really really wants them (Note: I'm relatively sure this is all published as one book in the US, hence my giving them both away at once. Also, I wouldn't want you to miss out on what happens in Good Wives, because oh my gawd, shit goes down that you wouldn't believe [and I still refuse to]). Anyway, so, if you want them, just leave a comment on this post saying hi and stuff, as well as leaving me an email address to contact you on so I can get your address if you leave the best comment  are randomly selected. I will post internationally, so if you live anywhere but the UK you can still ask me for them (and also you are SO LUCKY!) And let's say it closes by, ooh, Sunday? Sunday feels good. Announcement on Monday. Also, if you don't  want to win them, feel free to still leave me a comment telling me you love me. Because those are my favourites!

So, I'm heading off now to eat whatever blog birthday cupcakes I have left. Thank you again for reading and commenting, and just generally making a girl feel special. Now, here's to another year of awesome blogging fun and general joyfulness. I hope you'll all be here to share it with me, because it really wouldn't be the same without you.