So last week, I received an email from my web host and they’re asking me for money to renew my domain subscription. I was like hang on a minute what? I paid you already, for the whole year! Don’t be ripping me off!
And then I realised that holy mother of God – thecattylife has been in business for one. whole. year.
Happy birthday, me!
It’s not like I was completely oblivious to my blog’s impending birthday. I remembered it was sometime mid-year last year that I started this blog, but blogging for me blends from year to year to yet another year, a virtual archive of memories that collects and collates, that brings me joy and hopefully, just maybe, it brings some of my readers a tiny bit of joy too.
Long before thecattylife, I had my blogspot, an ill-managed and terribly-designed blog which I started in 2004. It looked pretty darn ugly but it was my saviour, my confidant (well, it and the rest of the world) and believe it or not, my verbal vomit onto the interwebs probably saved me a trip or two to the shrink in my younger and more tormented days.
Blogging to me is sanity. Food is the luxury.
But here I am in 2010 with thecattylife, my pet project and excuse to eat out, cook and bake to my little heart’s content. Not only does it bring me a sense of peace and allow me to talk, or type, or talk and type at the same time as I often do, it has also brought a myriad of new friends into my life and most importantly, my parents love my blog. They send links to their friends! If that’s not rewarding, I don’t know what is!
*breathe* I need to pause, this is getting too soppy.
So. As we all know, here at thecattylife, I exploit any and every opportunity I have to celebrate via eating and today, I’m celebrating in utmost style by jetsetting my butt over to Paris to enjoy the long weekend and eat. Everything. Croissants and macarons and steak and — y’all just watch out for me now.
But I’m not leaving you guys empty handed either. To help celebrate my first birthday, Matcha Chocolat are giving my readers the chance to win a delectable box of premium chocolates – their brand new selection, the Jade Selection, which will be unveiled in June. It’s not even June yet! You can’t get newer than that, people.
I was lucky enough to sample Matcha Chocolat’s Emperor Selection which tantalised my taste buds. Aside from the quality of the chocolate used, the unique tea infusions and exquisite craftsmanship will blow you away.
The Jade Selection, which comes out on the first of June, contains 16 Tea Chocolates of the following variteties
- Sencha – white chocolate centre + sencha green tea + white chocolate shell
- China Rose – milk chocolate centre + rose pouchong tea + milk chocolate shell
- Liquid Jade – dark chocolate centre + green tea liqueur + matcha green tea + white chocolate shell
- Masala Chai – milk chocolate centre + Masala chai tea + dark chocolate shell
- Strawberry Summer – milk chocolate centre + strawberry scented tea + English Breakfast tea + dark chocolate shell
Shhh.. sneak peek of the Jade Selection:
image courtesy of Matcha Chocolat
My chocolate receptors are quivering at the very thought of this selection and I’m almost jealous you guys get to try it before me. Almost. Except I’ll be in Paris swanning through oceans of Pierre Hermé macarons so it’s likely I’m not all that jealous at all
Anyway, to be in for a chance to win this box of mind-numbingly gorgeous chocolates, leave me a comment and tell me which flavour in the Jade Selection sounds the best to you. Also, at this stage, Matcha Chocolat prefers to only post within the UK as these are fresh chocolates and don’t have an extensive shelf life, so I’m sorry to my international readers!
Ok! With that, I’m signing out, singing myself a husky Happy Birthday a la Marilyn, and wrapping up my day to start the long weekend.
Au revoir!