Happy First Birthday, iCiNG!
[ 16 December 2007 ]
Shock, horror! Can you believe it? iCiNG is one year old today!
Happy birthday to us!
Happy birthday to us!
Happy birthday, dear iCiNG!
Happy birthday to us!
Here are some wallpapers to celebrate!
Version one: 1024×768 & 800×600
Version two: 1024×768 & 800×600
On this day last year, I published my first article on iCiNG: Fashion Help For Recovering Goths.
Since then, I have written 670 (!!!) articles on topics ranging from buying shoes to removing negative people from your life. iCiNG started as a site about fashion, but one thing I’ve learned in this first year of its existence is that clothing is nothing if you’re not happy on the inside. I started receiving questions about life as well as dressing up your curves — how to get out of a bad relationship, how to find a career that you love, how to appreciate life when it seems to be going a million miles a minute — & the possibility of not giving my readers what they wanted never even occured to me.
I’ve given away sweatshirts, striped underpants & sparkly nipple covers, fielded thousands of emails asking all kinds of questions, been head-hunted by the editor of Cosmopolitan magazine & woken up happy every day.
iCiNG has had over 2,000,000 visitors — yup, 2 million, half the population of the country I was born in — each of whom help to make the community the amazing, thriving, supportive & fantastic place it is!
How did I get to where I am?
“i want to do something worthwhile. selling soap & bath bombs & cosmetics, while fun, isn’t life-changing. i want to write & publish. i want to have a writing party on top of a building where all the incredible people get together with a bunch of typewriters & write frantically, & when the page is finished it gets thrown over the balcony into the masses of people in suits, the kids at school who are wondering what the %^&$ they can do now, the thronging traffic, the people who need it. i want thundering manifestoes, overflowing, i want to stick them to traffic lights & spray them on sidewalks. i know that lives can be changed through tiny words, shiny like beads, strung into a sentence. i want to be part of things, only i don’t know where to begin. so show me.”
(Journal entry from 2005.)
When I arrived in Melbourne in October last year, after travelling for a couple of months, the last thing I wanted to do was go back & work in an office or retail. My boyfriend & I had spent time in San Francisco, Seattle, New York, London & Oslo, as well as camping in the desert for a week at Burning Man. I couldn’t think of anything more painful than submitting myself to a mundane existence. I just didn’t want to do it.
We moved into our new apartment & I started thinking about what I could do for a living. My boyfriend told me about this guy, Steve Pavlina, who was making thousands of dollars every month from writing online, so I read his stuff. 10 Reasons You Should Never Get A Job actually made my brain pirouette. A whole lot of things started to click in my mind. I always knew that I hated working for other people, doing mindless tasks until some preordained time when I was “allowed” to go home & have a life of my own for a few hours. There had to be more to life! I also knew that I wanted to do something creative. I had wanted to produce a magazine for a long time, but was painfully aware of the horrific expense involved in doing so. Not to mention the waste.
I thought that maybe I could start my magazine online as an experiment of sorts. I would see how it went & see how I enjoyed it, & take it from there. Almost as soon as I started, the response was overwhelmingly positive. People LOVED what I was doing. I loved what I was doing! I loved being in control of my own creative destiny & constructing a place of joy & inspiration. The rest is history.
Not to make this like an Oscar’s speech or anything, but I would like to thank some people. (Which kind of reminds me of this!)
Thank you so much to… Simon 
! Richard Clark of Red Spider. Sarah Wilson of Cosmopolitan fame. American Apparel. james & august. Bristol6. Darren Rowse. Nubby Twiglet. Nadia. Alex. Tokyomade. The Bargain Queen. Audrey. & my friend Jacqueline, for prompting me to write the first article! MWAH. Thank you!
Okay, now that that’s all said & done, I would like to offer up a little something for my nonpareils!
To celebrate our first birthday, the fabulous & talented Tarina Tarantino is giving away a pink & black three-row neon buddha cuff bracelet (worth $170) to one lucky iCiNG reader!
All you need to do to enter is to leave a comment below extolling the virtues of iCiNG. What do you love most about this place? The style tips? The incredible community? Things I Love Thursday? The cupcake mania?! I want to hear it!
Be sure to enter your real email address, so I can contact the winner — who will be drawn at random on Thursday the 20th of December.
Once more, THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart for being a part of this & helping me to make iCiNG a reality. You are all amazing & I love you like mad!
Super-love & cupcakes,
Gala
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I can truly say that iCiNG has been such an integral part of my life this year. From the moment I stumbled upon it, I was fascinated, enthralled, enrapatured! It was the article on developing your personal style that got me really hooked – that beautiful, tactile idea of buying a clean, blank journal and filling it with inspiring pictures and quotes. It totally piqued my creative, aesthetic side – and since then I have thought about how I dress in a much more developed way.
Gala, you are a wonderful friend and completely inspiring. Thank you for creating this forum which has brought so many fascinating minds together. Hooray for Gala and hooray for all the wonderful nonpareils!
I love the hospitality and the balcony photo shoots!
I love the cupcakes! LOL, more cupcakes are needed in the world…i think it would be a much happier place :D
You rock~!
You wont believe how much i luv iCiNG. I can truly say it changed my life. I cant think of one day with out going on line and finding out what’s in here. I enjoy every article so much that i couldn’t pick one as my favourite. I get so excited about getting Cupcake every thursday that’s unbelieveble. =)
Gala your a very talented person im really glad you can share it with me and the rest of the world. You have made me seen the world with diferent eyes. Now every day it much more exciting and colorful because of you.
Congrats!
The best thing, for me, is the positivity that iCiNG extrudes. I love the way Gala always looks on the bright side of things, never puts people down or compains, and encourages us to do the same!
Hello Gala!
I discovered your blog in August as far as I can remember and loooved it so much I spent the following days reading every post, from the beggining to the latest. I aso remember your latest post was then with you wearing a fur coat and having cake for breakfast! Yeah.
So I think it was then when I knew I wanted to start something like this on my own. It took me till October to feel I can actually face posting on my own blog. This is how it started, you are one of my daily inspiration sources! My blog will soon be 3 months old, and I keep posting every day, it’s so rewarding.
One of the first thing I read in the morning with my daily coffee is your latest post. Today I took your style tip, sewn a heart on my glove and did a post for it.
Enough already, I’ll end my novel here. Happy birthday and sending all my grateful love to you!
what i love most about this website is that it’s always there for me! i know it sounds cliche but at the end of the day, i just want that one website where things just keep popping up unexpectedly, and i dont mean those annoying pop-ups :) – i found amazing and inspiring articles, links and opinions here!
i just love the simplicity of this website and great pictures are always a plus. AND knowing that Gala lives in Melbourne, makes me want to explore the city looking for those vintage and amazing finds! Cupcakes too, of course!
bottom line, i just love being inspired by this website ;)
Extoll the virtues of iCiNG? Where do I begin, or more importantly, where do I finish?
This blog is my favourite blog and I’m astounded by the amount of posts you’ve managed to write in such a short amount of time. I love this blog because your advice is imaginative yet 100% useful. It proves once and for all that style isn’t for sheep. I keep going back and re-reading Fashion Help For Recovering Goths because those colour charts are the best I have ever seen. I have linked loads of frustrated schoolkids to your School Uniform article, and I actually have a backlog of Things I Love Thursdays to read, because I want to go through all the comments and I haven’t had time recently. iCiNG has totally awesome commenters, some of whom also write great blogs.
This could be an essay, but I will stop, yet not before the conclusion!
I love iCiNG, thank you Gala for having the courage to put it out there and you deserve all the success you’ve had utterly and completely. That’s my favourite phrase at the moment btw: “utterly and completely”.
:D Happy birthday iCiNG!
What to say? I must say, I don’t always agree with you, and I don’t always find everything you post to be the best thing I’ve ever read. I have to say though, that your enthusiasm always gets me. You have this way of making the smallest thing seem special and worth celebrating, to make the world seem magical and beautiful. And that is a quality of yours, and of iCiNG, that is truly fantastic. Whenever I feel bad I visit your page and re-read my favorite posts, and it always makes me feel better. It’s like an injection of happy. So thank you for being you!
Oh Gala you must be so proud! And rightfully so! (Also, you look really cute in those pictures – I am on a huge blunt fringe kick lately and you are just adding to the temptation!)
I usually read iCiNG every morning because it’s such a positive energy burst right when I’m dragging my butt! Loving yourself and what you do is such a great way to start off every day – it really helps me keep my eyes on the prize! (Which is sometimes difficult when you’re a student buried under a heap of assignments and finals!)
My favorite feature is Things I Love Thursday, and I’ve carried it over to my own journal. My lj-friends love it and it’s starting to seep into their journals too! Your message IS getting out there!
xoxo
Dear Gala,
i read your posts since a few months now and will keep reading. It’s not so much your fashion-tips but especially the way you keep looking on the bright and individual side of life. I like your broad-minded and glamorous-punk way of thinking and encouraging people to do what they feel and love. That’s inspiring!!
Congratulations to you and iCING!
Liebe Grüße, Klaudia (from Germany)
I stumbled upon this cool website one day
When I’d got home from school and went from work to play
I was surfing the net and just filling in time
When up popped a blue haired, pink frocked chick- sublime!
With great interest I scrolled down the first page that day
And feeling excitement and thrills went away
to mull over the great things that cool girl had said
and the next day I picked up a Cosmo and read-
“Fashion Darling!” and then with a whoop I exclaimed,
“This is the girl with the great hair and name!
She promotes self esteem and just having fun,
and the Olsens, and cupcakes, Burning Man in the sun!
The community comments are special to read
women and men who’re strong minded and free.
There’s tattoos and high fashion, and advice galore!”
And then my prim listeners wouldn’t hear any more.
So iCing has brought me so much since that day
my obsession with what others think went away
Now I live and dress happy and carefree
‘Cause iCing allows me to just be me.
Thankyou Gala for the amazing power that you give your readers! iCing is a community that inspires others and promotes the most important values- self confidence, happiness and fun! (and a wee bit of Manolo on the side).
xxx
Grown up, liberated women such as myself often feel pressured to shy away from things which are traditionally associated with “girliness” and femininity. These things are often perceived to be frivolous and unimportant and women such as myself are afraid that if they reveal this part of themselves, they will not be taken seriously.
Icing allows me to indulge that girly girl inside. Gala, you are proof that a strong, intelligent woman can still indulge in sparkles, frills, pearls and cupcakes. Icing reminds me of the importance of play, fantasy and fun and inspires me to put aside time for these things and not just more “important”, “adult” stuff.
Keep up the wonderful work!
By the way, who drew the picture for that wallpaper? It’s really cool!
Yay! Happy birthday, iCiNG!
Gala, you are wonderful! :)
One of the things I personally love about iCiNG is the positive vibe of everything – the comments, in particular. There are rarely any negative or bitchy comments, and I believe this is due your positivity, Gala – it rubs off on people. Every day is a celebration and chance to have fun! It is rare to find a writer with such love and enthusiasm for what they are writing about, but I have most definately found one here!
The tips are so very useful and practical, and I have learnt a LOT simply by reading iCiNG. It continues to inspire me every day. It’s definately my absolute favourite blog!
Another thing I love about iCiNG is that, although many fashion blogs either pick on what celebrities are wearing or boringly state fashion trends or what is “in” at the moment, iCiNG succesfully promotes having a unique style, having fun, and being yourself! And isn’t that what really matters anyway? :)
Happy B-to-the-Day, iCiNG!
I believe the very first article I read here was something about dressing up short hair. It was written in such a fun tone that I had to check out the rest of the articles, and I was hooked!
I agree that the best part of iCiNG is its positive energy. I’ve certainly been through alot of crap these past couple years, and honestly, reading your blog has made things much more joyful. I think its because you just encourage people to focus on the positive, and with enough positive thinking, you start to change your outlook on life and what you can do. It’s like… fashion for your soul. Eh heh.
Not to mention, you are one of the few fashion blogs that embraces personal style rather than what’s in and out or dissing others for having a style different than yours. I think that’s very important for everyone. I never understood why what works for one person had to be what works for everyone or you’re unfashionable. Lame! There’s so many kinds of people, how can one expect only one style!
And lastly, I’d like to believe another fabulous part of iCiNG is the wondrously upbeat and lovely community you’ve built up! And I will include myself in that. :) Nary a snarky comment is ever seen.
So here’s to many more years filled with iCiNG love.
Has it only been a year? I feel like I’ve been coming here for advice and ideas forever!
i love icing because it has helped me become happy within myself.
for the first time in my life I am content with being as i am, of course there’s still things i’d like to change. but the point is i have learnt to love myself without the changes.
which, for most 17 year old girls, is a lesson not learnt so early or easily.
Your articles make me think creatively when so often I find myself consumed by the mundane. They remind me that there is more to me than my chosen career, which although I love is not 100% of me.
Your articles remind me that we communicate beyond just words but also with our appearance, expressions and energy.
Thanks.
I absolutely adore iCiNG.
Every day, I wake up and read the latest article that has been posted. You’ve created so much more than a fashion blog or a self-help site, you’ve created (from scratch, I might add!) an entire community, brought together because of one thing… our love for your writing. Be it the fashion tips, the constant references to Salvador Dali, Vivienne Westwood or the best damn cupcakes the city of Melbourne has to offer, we’ve all been with you and reading each article, hungry for your intellect and amazing linguistical skills. ICiNG really is a breath of fresh air as far as many things go. I’m so glad to be a part of the people who eagerly read the articles and I’m glad that you could create something so amazingly precious and unique from a single article. You’ve surpassed merely publising something (as you did a year ago when you wrote the first article) and created something dear to so many people’s hearts.
Happy birthday, iCiNG.
I wish you all the very best; from tomorrow to 20, 30, even 50 years down the track. You’ve created something brilliant and we all love you for it.
10 Reasons I Read iCiNG
1) It’s for everyone, not just boys, not just recovering goths, not just for young, hip things
2) Things I love Thursday!!
3) Extolling the virtues of cupcakes
4) The general style tips
5) Regularly updated and not with crap short posts (like mine!!) but with proper, “makes you think” posts
6) Seeing exactly what Gala’s wearing, thinking “Why didn’t I come up with that?” then looking at your wardrobe in a whole new light
7) The positivity coming out of all the posts. The fact that you know she’s had a bit of a tricky time but she’s come out of it in a fabulous way
8) Audrey’s articles, even though they don’t personally apply to me, I love them!! Gala’s open enough to let other people blog for her and what an excellent choice!
9) The beautiful pictures she finds for Style Tips. I will never understand how people do this, I’m really jealous!
10) And finally – to check what colour Gala’s hair is!
Oh my goodness, I remember I sent you a postcard last year congratulating you on your new exciting venture – I knew it was going to be big, but exactly how BIG I had no idea. I’ve loved watching iCiNG grow and blossom into the bona fide life&style guide it is today. I think one of the reasons behind your success, apart from the obvious (like you being überstylish & cute to boot and a great writer) is the fact you’re nice. No bitching, no putting people down, but encouraging people to be what they want to be and being it with panache. Here’s to many, many more years of iCiNG, かんぱい！You have my constant love and support x
iCiNG always cheers me up. It’s always full of uplifting articles/comments that encourage me to be unique and appreciate myself. There is lots of eye candy and brain candy. I love the welcoming atmosphere, the positivity and the general feeling of celebration. Thank you for doing this, Gala! And happy birthday, iCiNG!
I really love “Things I Love Thursday” and allthe things you do because you are the most positive person i know. Thank you very much for sharing your thoughts with us _
Happy birthday!!!
this is short-
that’s GREAT!
iCiNG is amazing and i should definitely congratulate you for making it! Gala, you’re an idol!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, iCiNG…...muuaahh!:D
I left a “cube” job this year. My life is infinitely better. I worked that job for two years, and it was mollifying my brain into split-pea soup.
Now I’m inspired, less tired, & dreaming.
After two years of being something for someone else, I am finally beginning to feel like myself.
A bit of “icing” on your life won’t spring to life & change it for you, but sometimes, if you spread a little icing on thick, the cake will follow. It’s like magic.
(Yes I did just compare myself to a cupcake. I am a devoted reader.)
Thank you, Gala. You are so far away & it is such pure chance that I should find you. I should think that it is probably close to the third most improbable event in the galaxy, if not the second.
I only stumbled upon iCiNG quite recently when I was in a dilemma about eye makeup. I didn’t know anything about it. Green or yellow, which one suited me? I found Gala’s email address and sent her lots of questions about my problem. The following day I looked on her site and was shocked to find that she’d posted a blog about it! I scrolled down and saw 20 other people had left a comment! I was really thrilled and amazed that someone was understanding enough to try and help me. I must of read the blog over and over again 100 times atleast. Now I have discovered a range of colours that suit me. I’ve realised loads more about makeup which I didn’t before. Gala’s blogs are truely wonderful, and reading through them I’ve realised that it’s okay to be who you are, and not the person I was pretending to be.
Seeing Gala’s wild hair, tatoos and amazing dress sense, it’s made me realise to take risks in life and live it to the max. Reading that you used to work in Lush, that’s my dream. I now want to grow my hair and get the ends in pink, which I wouldn’t be seen in dead before.
One last thing, I’ve had relationship troubles for a while now. I liked this guy called Richard who I’ve known for a while, but he lives 4 hours away. This guy in my school liked me, and I said no because I like Richard. But realising it’s okay to take risks, I said yes to Sean. Later I found out that Richard had never liked me the way I liked him. If it wasn’t for stumbling upon your site in the first place, I wouldn’t be where I am now.
So, my favourite thing about iCiNG is that it has the amazing ability to change people; In my case, it’s changed me for the better. Thank you for making me to the person who I am now.
Happy Birthday iCiNG!!! :-) I’m happy iCiNG exists and makes my life a bit sweeter every day! I love most about it that the topics dicussed here are so varied and always inspiring! Also I love reading the comments and occassionally adding one myself. iCiNG is just beautiful and intelligent and thus immensely fun! Thank you Gala!!!
happy birthday :)
theres a lot of things i love about this place, but first of all i really love how your articles made me feel. i try to find so hardly a unique feeling about myself and it was hard to realize that im a beautiful person in many ways, reading icing i not only found fashion tips (which i love and try to practice) also found a space where the power of being ourselfs in different ways is the key :)
i apologize bout my english, i try to explain the better i can!
im reading icing since a month or two, and i think i have read all your articles! and love each one cause in all i found a little advice that help me o keep me confident, o just makes me smile.
thanks to icing and you gala
happy birthday!!!
i really waaaant more years of icing love :)
I love iCiNG. period. Just because. It is one of the most brutally honest blogs/pieces of writing i have EVER read. But the diffrence is, that i LOVE iCiNG. It will always cheer me up in the morning seeing a new post. Because it is honest. But even more than that, its all comiong from the bottom of your heart Gala, It inspired me to write my own Asthetic Journal. Filled with outfits (dream and real) and style tips.
Happy birthday iCiNG i know that you’ll keep on inspiring. =D
Love and Lipstick,
Becky
I love iCiNG because it inspires me to be creative, to be unique, to be comfortable with myself and happy. iCiNG is innovative, it brings me things I would have otherwise never seen. It is an international community where all the readers can take part and join, all with many points of view and unique personalities. It provides me with advise and food for thought. It is fresh, cute, young but at the same time ageless. But best of all, what I love the most about iCiNG is gala, whose uniqueness, beauty, wit and smart advice encourages me to seek the most courious, strange and beautiful things in life. Everyday I look foward to getting on my computer and visiting this site.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY ICING AND THANK YOU GALA!
Awww happy Bertday iCiNG _
My jaw seriously dropped when I saw that there’s been 670 articles in only a year. Happy birthday iCiNG, and congrats Gala!
You have been doing SUCH great things for the world just by blogging. I’ve been reading a couple of the comments now, and over the months, and have repeatedly seen the same general messege conveyed- That this blog changed them in a few ways (I, myself, am included in there).
Anyways, my personal favourite part of iCiNG is the how-to articles and daily outfits. The how-to articles are rather helpful and inspiring, and I always smile whenever I see your outfits.
Happy birthday iCiNG!
When I recieved the Free Will Astrology newsletter this week, the homework assignment was to write about who you thought should be the “Person of the Year.” And yeah, I wrote about you. :)
Here’s a link to my e-mail…
( http://www.greatestjournal.com/users/misogi/55848.html )
Happy BDay iCiNG! “Can i compare thee to a summers day? thou art more beautiful and more temperate!”
I love iCiNG because I feel more stylish every time i read it. I love saving up my Thursday things and I love waking up in the morning, grabbing a cup of cafe, and starting my day with style.
Way to turn one iCiNG!
I love the tips,
and I love the pictures,
and I can’t tell you how many adorable pieces of clothing I have that I wouldn’t if I hadn’t discovered the websites through here.
I also desperately want to attend The Burning Man festival even though its on the other side of the country.
Oh, there are so many things I adore about iCiNG. Let me count the ways:
You’re fashion and daily outfits compel me to dress more like I never would have before.
You’re hair styles make me want to change my constantly, to find new ways to style my hair, and even tried a beehive once or twice!
I love the way you put links into your posts, it is like opening a little secret every time I click one of them.
And most of all, you give me hope that I too will be a great writer someday.
Thank YOU, Gala, for having a such a day brightening site. Happy 1st Birthday to the cheeriest site on the web.
A year already? Congratulation, iCING.
This must be the first comment I’ve made here.
I have no idea of how long I’ve been reading this blog, only that I got hooked the moment I started reading. Must have been some time before June, because I remember desperately trying to get to the site without an internet connection.
I found iCING while searching for something akin to ‘goth’, ‘fashion’, ‘colour’ and ‘tips’. And I came directly to your Fashion Help for Recovering Goths, an article I’ve treasured and read recently ever since.
I’m only 18 (17 when I started reading this blog), so I’ve barely had any time to find my own style yet.
After having almost only wearing pitch black and military green for a couple of year, you could say I wanted some colour into my life. Well, mostly just reds, browns, greens, purples and, erm, glittery things.
iCing’s been a huge inspiration on that point.
I learned how happy you can get simply by putting something sparkly into your outfit, I’ve found tons of inspiration for my own writing (Things I love Thursday!) and gotten so many splendid tips on how to deal with situations in life, and that there are other colours than pastels.
I’ve always hated pastels because I see them as camouflage for a weak personality, which I didn’t want to have – but still had until the age of 14. (Sort of representative of not having enough courage to use strong colours, and not being strong enough to stand out.)
I know better than that now.
So congratulations again, Gala darling, and thank you for so much. ^^
You’ve been an incredible role model and inspiration, and I’ve had so much fun reading your blog.
I’ve felt so much more self secure, happy and optimistic since I started reading, and I’ve also come to understand that there really is hope for the ones who can’t stand the thought of working an ordinary 9 to 5 job, while being bossed around for nothing.
So, with you in mind, I’m searching for a job nothing like the one I have now. One that won’t wreak my creativity, one where I can decide over myself. Because what I want, more than anything, is simply to do everything I love – writing, drawing, photographing and traveling – without anyone dragging me back down to the boring office jobs.
Oh, and if it’s possible, could you pretty please tell what it’s like to not have a standard job? Or alternately write something about the options when you want a job out of the ordinary?
Much, much love,
and a whole lot of glitter,
Chi
( chale-jaise.deviantart.com / flickr.com/photos/chi-doll / chi-darling.blogspot.com )
I’d be here all night if I tried to sum up what I love about iCiNG and Gala in a neat comment, so I just want to say something about the effect iCiNG has had on my life.
I found this site at a time when I was very unhappy indeed and felt as if happiness and positivity were always going to be beyond my reach. After four years of depression and anxiety, I’d pretty much lost sight of the optimistic, cheerful, celebratory side of myself. In fact, I hated myself quite strongly and didn’t really think I deserved to be happy. When I found iCiNG, I thought it looked like a nice, interesting style blog. I never expected that Gala’s words would affect my attitude so profoundly.
Gala, you rock positivity. You do. In a world where being negative is tolerated and often encouraged, you make it cool to love, to appreciate, to wonder and delight. You have this incredible outlook on life which comes through so strongly in your writing. Reading iCiNG, I feel as if I’m being encouraged to celebrate instead of denigrating, to find something to marvel at every day, to express love wherever I feel it, and to accept myself fully. I took your words to heart. A couple of months ago, when my depression was extreme, I read your second article on EFT and gave it a go. I felt as if a burden I’d been carrying for years had fallen away.
To sum up, what I love most about iCiNG is that Gala has given me the courage to stop hating myself and start living with joy, hope and passion instead. Gala, you are an inspiration to me, and I wish you all the sweetness in the world.
Happy birthday iCiNG! *
I made some very scary and very big changes in my life over the past year – I quit a job that was draining me and I was miserable in (without having the security of another job lined up), I ended a 5-year relationship that wasn’t fulfilling me, and I moved from living with a friend to living all on my own. While dealing with these things (especially the breakup) is still tough sometimes, I have never been so happy and content before with myself and my life. I feel like I’m finally becoming the “me” I always knew I could be if I didn’t let others hold me back.
I must say that iCiNG has been a constant source of encouragement, inspiration, and motivation. It’s amazing to have a strong young woman speaking her sparkly radiant cupcake-filled voice for others to hear and draw from. Your confidence has inspired me, Gala, and certainly helped shape my life for the better. Oodles and oodles of thanks.
xoxo
I can honestly say that I truly, deeply, love everything about iCiNG. Especially the style tips, “Things I love Thursday”, and the Carousel week enders. I’ve first heard about iCing through Problogger and immediately fell in love with this blog. It gave me more insight to the world of fashion and the importance of personal style.
I have very few girl friends, and the ones I hang out with aren’t very girly, so I really had no one to talk to about girly stuff and never really learned on my own but this blog makes up for that because I learn so much about being a girl/woman here.
Gala, thank you so very very much for sharing your world with us. Happy Birthday, iCiNG! And may you have many many more birthdays to come!
xoxo
Caroline
Happy Birthday from Slovenia! Yay!
The reason why I love you and your site… let me quote from a Things I Love Thursday:
“My stubbed toe — Usually not so cool (I walked into the trampoline, OUCH!), but it’s turning purple & I think it’s kind of sweet because it looks like it’s trying to match my hair! Maybe it just felt left out… I am giving it lots of love just in case.”
You have to be the cutest person ever and if I could have a big sister, I would choose someone just like you :)
Congratualations to Icing! I wish it many more happy years!
I love love love, Gala, that I can count on Icing every morning for a good start to my day. Sometimes you write about things that I don’t really have any special feelings for, but you’re always so energetic and positive and enthusiastic about everything that I try to read your column before heading in to work every day. Your positiveness is incredibly contagious! Icing is really a manifesto for happiness! You are doing something significant, and changing lives. Not to mention that you have helped reconcile me with pink…
HAPPY BIRTHDAY iCiNG!!
This is the rather large reason as to why i love this site!
Last year I moved from England to Canada, and made some really ridiculously stupid mistakes, but since I’ve found this website, its really helped me to deal with the move. It’s just something thats always there, that i can click on whenever I want, and I’ve found myself growing with anticipation each morning, wondering what sort of interesting article you’ve written!
Also, all of the style tips and Thing I Love Thursday’s have helped me to come out of my shell more and dress the way that I WANT to dress. I have to say in Canada, there is absolutely no real original fashion sense, if someone asked me to name some shops that i know of that have really interesting and cute items of clothing that are affordable to the average person, two would come to mind.
But from reading your articles day to day about how to be different with your style and letting your personality shine through your outfit, it’s really helped me and I’m having a lot more fun mixing and matching the items of clothing i already own than ever before!
So mainly, i just want to say thank you, thank you for reminding me that you don’t have to be dressed like another A&E sheep to get compliments from the people you admire and love.
THANKS GALA!!
:D:D:D
emails:
x.lizzay.x@hotmail.co.uk
OR
lizz.bristow@gmail.com
Congratulations Darling!!!!!!!!
I hope we can get more!!!!! Yeeep!!!!!!
Of all the things I love about iCING, one of the biggest one is the colors that you use and the bright, happy, atmosphere they convey.
I’m not usually a pink & pretty loving kind of girl, but the scheme with pastels and all sorts of feminine (but strong!) colors work really well to help show your fun-loving and exuberant personality, as well as help to make iCING a bright and cheery place for everyone who visits!
I love when I open this page I always feel like I am in a well organized and pretty little world, but then I realize it’s a beautiful world that actually exists…You are just so great at picking out the beautiful little bits to share with us. Thank you for that!
Again, I love love love the vibrant scheme of iCING’s page, the beautiful aesthetics you choose to share with us, and the way that the layout, down to the little hearts right below where I am typing right now, reflect your personality so honestly with us and it’s ability to make me smile, even when I am feely grouchy and dismal. Thank you Gala & Happy Anniversary!!
Happy Birthday, iCing!!
I adore this blog because, daily, there is something that Gala has written that applies to something going on in my life. There are sweet and frivolous things that Gala writes about, and then there are the, sometimes, heart wrenching articles that make me want to hug some young girl out there that has asked for her advice.
As a “recovering goth” myself, I can appreciate the sense of style that this blog exudes. The various iCing Dress Up days make me smile, because my daughter and I still play dress up. We have a box that we still contribute thrift store finds to that is now, and will always be, our “dress up box”. If we lived closer I am certain that Gala would be invited to one of our tea parties, where the only requirements are large hats, talking through your nose, and having a pinky out. :)
iCing also represents, to me, a sense of refinement for a younger age group. Though Gala writes about fashion, current events, advice, and things that she finds to be fascinating, she always admonishes her readers to behave politely, to find the best within themselves and others, and if you can’t say something nice then don’t say anything.
Thank you, Gala. iCing is a tremendous success. I wish you many more years of sweet cupcakes, fabulous vintage finds, and new friends.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! Now that’s out the way…I was only introduced to iCiNG a few weeks ago, but in that time I have become completely hooked! My boyfriend actually put me onto it, he heard about it through a friend and it was the best thing he has ever told me! He thought I’d like it due to the cupcake references and just the general lay out of the site. He was right. I bake constantly, it is something my therapist recommended and it was the best thing for me and finding someone else with a passion for Cupcakes is awesome!
Your motivation section has been the main influence that has kept me in University. I was so low and de-motivated and then along came Icing! :o) I now have progress charts up on my wall and I get rewarded with baking time and a picture of a cupcake every time I finish an assignment! Due to this my first assignment I got handed back was a 71% and was in the top three on my course! So thankyou thankyou thankyou!!
You have inspired me to be happy and comfortable with myself and that is something I didn’t think was possible!
Sunshine and Sparkles!!
I am so grateful to have stumbled across your site. I look at it every day, usually right before going to class, and it inspires me to have a good day — full of creativity, spontaneity, and cute outfits!
Your articles on fashion are fun, but I think what really keeps all of us coming back is your theme of self-love. I think we all struggle to some extent to love and cherish ourselves. In many of your articles, however, your motto is just that — be good to yourself!
Happy birthday, and hope to be reading you for many more years!
Hey, Gala! Happy first year iCiNG! I check your blog every day and although i dont deal with all fashion tips you give, this still is my favourite part. I love the different styles you show, the different ways to wear accessories, etc. The fashion part is my favourite, because i live in a small town in the middle of nowhere, and you REALLY helps me to find out about many more things to wear.
Also, i wnjoy the Things i love thursday, because its so random and inspiring!
Im not writing this just for the tarina tarantino thng, i write it because you relly helps me with all fashion stuff
Thank you!
:D
iCiNG has really changed me for good. And to imagine that I stumbled across it just beacuse I wanted to dye my hair pink n_n’. I’ve been reading iCiNG since June and commenting on it since July.
I love t.I.l.t. it is now a weekly tradition for me and it reallly has chenged the way I see things.
EFT has helped me like no other thing has ever helped me before. With it I’ve overcome my fear of driving, my insomnia, and I could make it through finals this semester.
I adore the weekly Carousel, it gives me something to do in between my free periods at school and when I’m just being lazy on a Sunday.
I definately appreciate and use all the advice that you’ve given me, I love that you always answer to our comments and our emails. That says loads of (even more) great things about you.
Las but not least I love Gala (yeah!) you are so freahs and great. You write incredibly well and you always have something good to say about everything.
iCiNG has given me a chance to meet great people from all around the world, see their persepctives, learn about them.
I heart iCiNG.
P.S. I love your tiara ;).
i love everything about icing. every time i go on here, i always feel good about myself. thank you so much!
Oh my goodness, one year! Wow – well done Gala! It’s funny – when I try and remember how I stumbled upon iCiNG one late night in August, I honestly can’t remember which article I first read…because, whichever article it was, it just led me to searching the archive and reading everything I could find as soon as possible. You have such an inspiring and joyful appetite for life, it’s magnificent. And you write beautifully. I can’t imagine my life without this website – it grounds my day, it allows my imagination to fly, it makes me so happy. Thank you and may there be many more birthdays!
P.S. When are you coming to London?
happy birthday !!!! confetti throwing sparkle into the air and yummy cupcakes :)
my favourite thing is that i always leave with a smile on my face, there is so much wonderful positive energy and i adore the style tips and the beautiful gala and i love love love your tiara :)
smooches!
happy one year anniversary Gala. You my dear have changed my life so much, to the point where I feel lost when I don’t get the check your site daily. Yes, I’m aware that sounds stalkerish. I’ve followed you for a while now, on LJ and now here on iCiNG. You are such a creative writter and have inspired me so much to write my own blog. And I love how you posts change nd fit to how I’m changing. It seems that whenever I’m have a life delemia I can alway count on you to have a article to help me or make me smile with your daily outfits, style tips, and ‘things i love thursdays’. You dear, are revolutionary and should be given an award for how great you are.
Happy 1 Year, Gala! You’ve made a positive impact on me that no one else has in a long time and you’re such a fun open-minded person that you’re hard not to love. I try to read everyday because iCiNG is…well…the icing on my day. :D
My favorite thing about iCiNG is the way it has completely transformed the way I look at myself, my friends, & the world. Gala, not a day goes by when you don’t affect at least one decision in my life, from what I wear, to how I treat people, to how I treat myself. You have helped me to grow up, to grow into myself, to become a bigger & better person with a bigger & better life. Because of you I am courageous and 150% myself all of the time. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
I love how you’re the most personal, most fun and most exciting blogger I’ve ever come across.
You motivate and inspire, and I don’t think you can ever stop.
Thank you, Gala Darling.
what i love about this place is its real. the things that come up here are apart of nearly everyones lives. and its safe, this place is huge now, and i feel ok about commenting now as i did when i started reading a year ago when only a few people came here.
thank you Gala
Happy first birthday iCiNG!
I’ve been reading this for awhile now, and I love every bit of this place, especially the pictures. When I first started coming here, I would just stare at the pictures and kind of drool on my keyboard. (Speaking of which, that second picture in the photostrip is one of the best pictures I’ve ever seen of you! You do a lot of the kind of wide eyed surprised looks in your pictures, and I’d never seen one of you just looking at the camera and smiling like that. It made me feel special~)
But now I like to really read your articles. And there’s always something to read that applies to what I need to know.
Things like learning about EFT (WOW!), your post on how to keep your head above water (a friend sent it to me and I read it every day), even your post on changing your name! Next year I’ll be changing mine and reading your article actually gave me the courage to go through with it, and to tell people about it with confidence. I was worried the name I’ve picked would be too unusual, even though it meant something to me, but…I love it, so I don’t feel silly!
It’s kind of weird to think that a blog could change someone’s life, but it doesn’t even feel like a blog, so much as going to talk to my best friend every day. The way you write, how you share your own experiences, and the way it seems like you’re just there for all of us…it’s different, and it’s great!
If this website were to be hosted by someone other than you, it would no doubt not hold the same qualities that we have all grown to love. iCiNG is what it is because of what I like to call the ‘Gala factor’. Whatever article you write about, whatever advice you give, it exudes confidence and a excitement for life.
I truly believe that iCiNG is helping me gain more self love, slowly and surely. With the steady guidance taken from iCiNG, nothing is impossible anymore.
We (your loyal nonpareils) thank you.
Congratulations on 1 year of inspiring the minions! May you experience continued success and many more years to come.
I love how your writing sparkles with enthusiasm and joy. it doesn’t matter what your subject is – you’re so gleeful and excited and positive about everything that it’s all wonderful to read.
I have so many websites that have become a “thing”. Since third grade, I’ve been an internet junkie. But most of them have been sites to talk to people. Sites where I could tell and talk to the millions that go there.
And I wouldn’t have found out I could enjoy a different type of site if I hadnt cut my hair. I was searching Google on ways to jazz up short hair, and word for word, I get this site. And what fun! The first thing I see is a person with a tiara! (Love!) and blue hair! (More love!) That’s basically me in escense, since I had just gotten blue in my hair when I dyed it, and I had been DYING to get a tiara.
I’ve been hooked ever since. I turn on my compuer in the mornings hoping there’s an article that I missed before I went to sleep. When I get home, I check to see if anything was posted during the day. I can’t stop. When I’m at my dad’s house with no internet, I crave for the next day I can go home, and log online. Like, it’s triumphed over my MySpace addiction. That’s a big deal.
I’d never would have gotten so into fashion without this site. Not to say I’ve changed myself a lot, but I think more about what I’m wearing, and I try to take the risks that I normally wouldn’t have. High school is so insane, and some days it feels like if you wear certain things, you will become a certain type of person. So I’ve always been one to skip through stereotypes and do everything I thought looked good. But I’ve learned when to tone it down, when to dress up, and how to add more styles, as opposed to stereotypes. I really loved the articles on preppy styles, because some of my friends are so anti. It shows that “cool” people can be into very different styles all at once.
I also would not have thought anything of Nu Rave. You gave great info, and so many links, and those links led to other links, and now anytime I see any neon clothing, I am determined to aquire it. I love looking of pictures of nu rave clad models. Or just normal people doing what they do best.
Another huge deal would have to be the love of the simple things that the site reminds us of daily. I read some of the articles, mostly the Thursdays and Carousels, and I get the urge to go watch clouds pass, or send my friends postcards, or let balloons float away to the sky. I am thankful that I am even lucky enough to have a computer to do anything on, because some people obviously do not, and some things that are mentioned on the site make me so grateful.
One final thing I have to say is that I feel beautiful on iCiNG. Again, MySpace is great and all, but people seem so much more interesting than you, and so much prettier, and so much better than what you can be. Not going to lie. Plus, I get sick of reading messages from people telling me to feed their egos. I mean, I do it. I’m like that. But it gets old.
I don’t feel that way on iCiNG. I feel blessed to be unique and beautiful as I am. I embrace my quirks, and it works for me. I was nervous to chop like, the 12? inches or so off my hair, but it fits my personality so much better. I love it. I loved the blue, when I had it in. I love that I’m not overweight, but I have curves. I’m not extremely tall. I have thin wrists and thick legs. It’s how I am, and I don’t feel the urge to chage any differently on iCiNG. If anything, I just want to embrace what I have even more.
Friends. Family. A colorful bandana. A really nice cup of tea. Bubbles. Color. American Apparel. Impromptu. Living life the way it should be lived. Loving those you love, and reminding them that you do. Treating everyone you can in a kind manner. Appreciating what you have. Working hard for what you don’t. Being unique. Being you. I’m sorry that it takes a “contest” for me to say this stuff, but I hoe you know that it’s true. Yes, I started writing for one reason. But now, I’m stopping, feeling really glad that I got to tell iCiNG how much it did for me for it’s birthday, while I go to my birthday party! I’ll blow out a candle just for iCiNG today, I promise.
Have a great day : ) ((Sorry this is like, the longest comment EVER. I got really into it.))
i adore icing. i’ve always been somewhat interested in fashion, but this blog has opened the doors to so much more. icing inspires me. i love that there are often links to other websites. i like seeing who influences those who influence me. gala, you have a wonderful personality. you’re charming and witty: an incredible role model for everyone!
super bonus: i’m a new mother in the usa, and more than once i’ve been online at 3am (feeding my daughter & keeping myself awake). i REALLY love that its already tomorrow in melborne & that means there’s usually an update. :) thank you for that!
Happy Birthday, iCiNG!!
Gala, you are a huge inspiration to me, not just because of this site (although it’s probably the most slinkster thing I’ve EVER found on the internet!), but because you are just such an incredibly cool person. Congratulations on all of your success, and thank you so much for sharing your coolness with the world.
You rock!
Hello, Gala! I only started reading your blog a few months ago, but it’s become one of my favorite activities of the day! I love dressing up but I often feel self-conscious or inhibited by what others might think, and iCiNG has honestly given me so many ideas and encouragement for finding the balance between the inside and outside of myself. I plan on purchasing my first pair of suspenders over winter break; I told my best friend and received a rather skeptical response and I absolutely cannot wait to prove him wrong. Baby steps! But I’ll get there. :) Thank you and I wish you the best for your bright future.
I love iCING because it promotes me to be me through my personal style and the choices I make. Every article you write is amazing and helps me gain a new outlook on things!
Thank you
Happy Birthday
Happy Birthday iCiNG!
I love this site because your advice and articles apply to each and every one of us, no matter how different we are. While I don’t dress like you, act like you, or even have the same beliefs as you, I can read your articles and get inspired to be myself. From the moment I first read an article on here, I was hooked. I check here every day for another fabulous nugget of your imagination and creativity. I can ask myself “what would Gala do?” and it helps me make decisions and be who I want to be. I love all of the positive energy this site gives to the world (especially Things I Love Thursdays). Thank you Gala for truly making the world brighter!
One of my friends recommended your site to me several weeks ago (when I was looking for an excuse not to start a research paper ;), and since then I’ve become an addict! You’ve inspired me to start my own blog, rethink my personal style, be more honest with myself and others, and so much more. I don’t know that I could have survived these last few months in Cairo (where women’s options for fashion and conduct are severely limited) without your daily dash of glamour.
Much love
Happy 1st birthday to iCiNG!!
Gala: I love your writing and your never ending enthusiasm, you are truly inspirational!! I also love your glowing personality and the fact that you have a lot of confidence in yourself and can always find the bright side of life.
x0×0
YAY. I LOVE iCiNG! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
I love you and what you do like mad too! SUCH a joyful inspiration!!
Thank you from the bottom of my (pink glittery) heart!
iCiNG has become part of my day, part of what gets me through the day. I get online, I read my emails & then I hit the Bowl. There are articles about thoughts I haven’t even been able to articulate to myself yet, inspirations at every mouse scroll. iCiNG never fails to cheer me on a bad day- to remind me that life is actually ridiculously awesome & full of options, that nothing is set in stone & that if I want to change something, I can. It’s not just the words in the articles- it’s the story of the birth of iCiNG, it’s the Cinderella story of the website-that-would-be-queen. Since finding iCiNG in August of 2007, I’ve managed to come around to the fact that what I want is completely valid- I’ve decided to graduate early, started wearing bright red lipstick to even the most casual events, cut my own hair into bangs, removed negative influences from my day-to-day existence & begun to chronicle my passions in a precious series of marbled notebooks, little black books—and yes!— Moleskines. Not all of this is due just to Galalee, the utter icon for all who aspire to a life of happiness, but my attitude towards all these things is totally, actually, ultimately the responsibility of this precious turquoise & pink nook of genius.
Happy 1st birthday, iCiNG!
Stay cool, all ye readers of wisdom, & most especially our fearless head pastry,
that sprinkle-covered delight,
that deliciously devious & delectable,
that super-sweet cupcake:
Gala Darling!
I love the way I get up every morning and get to see Gala’s happy-colored hair, look at some gorgeous pictures, read some inspirational articles, and then feel the warm fuzzy sensation that the day is going to be a good one and it’s all up to me to make that happen.
Gala, thanks for starting iCiNG – it makes me very happy every day.
I’m madly in love with this site because of all the completely fantastic and abundant information on everything. Gala exudes confidence and positivity that is utterly contagious. I, myself [a former cynic], have changed my ways to view life in a more positive light and I can say I have greatly benefited from it. It’s amazing the [positive] change that comes about when you alter one seemingly tiny [negative] part of your life. She’s a great influence to all. Happy Birthday, Icing! And congratulations, Gala! Thank you for being you!
I love the cupcakes and the photo collages! and of course the positive attitude and inspiration, happy anniversary!!
I love that you aren’t afraid to put yourself out there, or that you do it anyway. You help a lot of people, and your style is great! I also enjoy your daily outfits!
happy birthday icing!
Gala ~ you are the epitome of everything i strive for (um, not in a creepy way). and all of that was a dream that i thought couldn’t be reached.. what i wanted to be and how i perceived myself to be at the time were completely different things.
quite honestly, since i read your pink hair article at the beginning of 2007 i haven’t been the same since. you’ve helped and inspired me so much, and you continue to do so.
one day i’m going to be happy and lovely and best of all, myself…
wouldn’t be able to do it without you, m’dear!
Gala,
This post is so inspiring, YOU are so inspiring! Reading this just reminded me of how much hard work and focus and determination DOES pay off. I remember reading that you work morning till night, often six days a week. I’ve got this crazy nonstop seven day a week schedule and seeing your happiness and success inspires me to keep going some days.
It really is true that you become what you believe you’ll become- and you’re living proof.
Happy iCiNG Birthday and thank you so much for linking me above, I wasn’t expecting that at all!
May we meet in NY sooner than later…
P.S. The Virtues of iCiNG:
iCiNG is successful because it revolves around positivity; it doesn’t just tell us how to be happier and successful, it shows us through pictures, easy to understand articles, and proves its success through your own happiness.
We love learning to help ourselves just as much as we love to look at your daily outfits! Advice and humor and self-portraits (complete with a mini turban collection) oh my! You’re a true individual paving your own path of pink and turquoise iCiNG!
Lots of Love,
Nubby
Yay, Happy Birthday Icing! As I think you know, Gala, your blog is one of my absolute favourites. It’s funny that you say you had considered starting a magazine but were dissuaded by the costs involved, so instead began Icing, because I’ve found that Icing has actually replaced my magazine habit. I was spending over £20 a month on magazines, but I found them all intensely dissatisfying. They didn’t fill me with joy and positivity the way your blog does. I, my pocket and my soul thank you deeply for beginning your wonderful project, and I raise my glass to the next year of exciting, inspiring posts. Cheers!
I love iCing because of the positive atmosphere! So many other online communities (livejournal, etc.) are full of criticism and negativity. I know I can count on iCing to be the positivity I’m looking for. It’s so inspiring!
I love iCiNG because it never ceases to surprise me.
Even though it’s creator is a lot younger than I, I’ve never been made to feel as though I’m to be put out to pasture. It is like age and maturity are to be embraced, to be learned from. Not to be ridiculed. This is excellent for my ego :)
The links to incredible writers, artists, fashionistas and creators are second to none and have opened an entirely new world for me. There are many that I now regularly visit and I wouldn’t have known about them without iCiNG.
As for iCiNG itself, Carousel is my absolute favourite and I cannot WAIT for Friday!
Regardless of what the article is about, because of the diversity of the site it is always my favourite read of the day and I leave it as a treat for the last blog to be read.
Happy Birthday, iCiNG :) your first year was superb and I trust there are many more good years to come!
Ohh, you stayed up till midnight, you cute crazy kid!
I love the Daily Outfits, of course! I love your wisdom and sensible-ness. I love the way you take personal style seriously. I love your open-mindedness and all-prevailing positivity. I love the fantastic sites I have found thanks to your links. I love everyone else’s comments. I love the opportunity to share my own thoughts on topics I know about, from my lofty perspective as a 35-year-old (shh!). I LOVE (so much!) your NZ background; I feel comfortable and confident here, rather than worrying about having to explain myself or misinterpreting someone else the way I often do when commenting on “foreign” blogs. I love your prolific-ness and the way I always get a lovely surprise with every new article, even if it’s something I should know is coming (like Thing I Love Thursday). This is without question my favourite website.
Happy birthday darling! :) xoxo
Happy birthday!! :D
And I love everything about iCiNG, I really couldn’t choose a favourite thing. Anyway, thank you for the inspiration!
And OMG, you were in Oslo! (Yes, that’s my town. ;))
When I first read an article on iCiNG, I had just had a year and a half relationship end on me in a rather nasty way. I felt like my life was over, as cliché as that sounds, and I couldn’t calm down enough to stop crying. Then, my friend Liz sat me down in front of her computer and had me read something on relationships ending on this site.
Ever since that, I visit almost religiously. I’ve tried EFT a few times and I think it’s actually starting to help. :) I love the fashion tips, the how to’s, the life advice, but most importantly all of the interesting things you and the community have to say and the generally happy-making feeling that this site induces.
If not for this site and a few really amazing people in my life, I don’t think I would be the happier, better adjusted person that I’m becoming today. I have just been waiting for an opportunity to express how much i love iCiNG and this seemed like a good opportunity to do so. So… Happy birthday and congratulations!!! :)
I think what I love most about it is that I didn’t believe it all at first. I mean, I ‘get’ your advice, don’t misunderstand – it was the attitude & exuberance behind the Icing Bowl that confused me.
I was surprised & a little put off by the positivity that simply dripped out of every entry. “How can she keep that up all the time?” I thought to myself.
Slowly but surely, I realized that everyone is able to see the world through their own view. So, why NOT interpret events in a more positive or kind manner? I