As many of my readers know, Kate Spade is one of my favorite designers. Some may even say I have an obsession – purses, clothing, shoes, jewelry, even water bottles – I can’t get enough!  Several of Kate’s products use the slogan, “Eat Cake for Breakfast.”  Sometimes I think she co-opted it from me – every year I eat cake for breakfast on the day after my birthday!  When I was a kid, I would argue with my Mom that it was totally acceptable – how was it different from eating a donut or a muffin or even pancakes drowned in maple syrup!  It was a logical argument and I was pretty convincing.

Birthday Cake Courtesy of my creative friend, and cake baking expert, NQ.
Birthday cake courtesy of my creative friend, and cake expert, NQ. She actually brought it on the bus from Boston to New York City! I definitely ate a slice of this for breakfast!

It’s not so much the act of eating cake for breakfast (although a nice slice of yellow cake with sugary vanilla frosting sounds great this morning), but what the phrase evokes – whimsy.  I love the word whimsy; whimsical.  I can actually feel the word when I think about it – I can feel joy in the little things.  Eating cake for breakfast is like having whipped cream on my white chocolate mocha – finding a slice of joy in a small action.

I received the best care package the other day from some colleagues. I laughed and smiled as I discovered, among other things, all kinds of candy, puzzle books, trashy magazines, a gift certificate for a much needed manicure, and even a toy for Sadie.  As I opened each gift, I felt my spirits lift; it felt like eating cake for breakfast.  In the moment, I let go of my frustrations and embraced the whimsy.

So, thank you, Kate, for reminding me to keep finding whimsy even in the midst of chaos.  I promise I will eat more cake for breakfast (so to speak!)!