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!
Love letters & feather headdresses,
Tags: gala Add Gala on Twitter!
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 was stuck in a way of depressive thinking that has been tagging along with me even after I have shed that particular era of my life.
The new Allison has surrounded herself with more positive influences, & bright colors & soft fabrics & makes creatures to make the time go tick tock tick tock until she can work legally in Canada. Galadarling.com was just the beginning of discovering a road of positive outlooks + influences…
So yeah, what I love most about it is that at first, I didn’t like it at all (yet kept coming back…) & after a sufficient Icing baptism – I’m a total convert. Thanks Gala.
I became completely enchanted with iCiNG and you, lovely Galadarling, about a year ago when I stumbled upon your blog through fashion is spinach dot com (http://www.fashionisspinach.com/). I had just started getting excited with fashion again, due to the fact that my former roommate was a fashion major and just because I finally realized that I had lost touch with my artsy fashion-ista side! I had become the boring undergraduate who would wake up and roll out of bed and run to class in sweatpants. Such actions don’t do well for one’s self-esteem!
Then I found your lovely blog, along with many others, including the blackcigarette (http://community.livejournal.com/blackcigarette/profile) community on LiveJournal, and suddenly I became inspired all over again.
However, not only have you inspired me fashion-wise, but your positive attitude and inspirational articles on doing what you really want with your life have also encouraged me even more to continue pursuing my dreams!
Happy birthday iCiNG!
First off, congratulations Gala on a fantastic year! I love your site – it’s always a ray of sunshine in my day. I love the positive energy, the pretty clothes, and all the love I see here every day. You are an inspiration to all of us with different coloured hair, with crazy ideas, and who love fashion and style! So, thank you for a fantastic year, and here’s to many more to come!
I first read your piece-linked through a Wellingtonnz LJ community-about tattoos. Then I read your piece on “Recovering Goths” and from that day on, was absolutely hooked. This blog is what I have been searching for; funny, fresh, funky, sometimes sad, inspirational, a little off beat…You never take yourself too seriously, but you manage to make me think hard and differently about the world.
A beautiful person teaching others to be beautiful-inside and out-as well.
My fave parts? Inspiration, daily outfits and carusel.
I love icing because it’s inspired me to be beautiful and confident every day of my life. Every time I read an article I discover a new reason to celebrate, hold a spectacular party just for myself, do something extra special, and make batches of beautiful cupcakes. My favorite thing is Things I Love Thursday, because it gives me an excuse to give the little things I love the attention and recognition they diserve. Thank you for this year full of wonderful words and I’m looking forward to this next year so much!
Congrats! I have been a dedicated reader for about 7-8 months now, and I have never been disappointed.
Icing has been a dependable source of inspiration for me. whenever times get a little rough and the world seems gray I know the lovely Miss Gala darling has posted something that will cheer me up. Icing has no doubt changed my perspective of life. I used to be quite judgmental and at the same time I often was ashamed of the person I was. Now I feel everyone has an interesting story to tell, and I shouldn’t judge others until I get to know them. I love icing, because there is something for everyone, no one is ever left out. Icing also helped me get through a real tough time in my relationship. The exact time you posted about EFT (the second time around) I had almost broke it off with my boyfriend of three years. EFT has helped me through the hard times, helped me forgive, and now we are happier then ever. I feel I wouldn’t be the same person without icing. Thank you so much for being such an inspiration and a positive influence.
I just love Gala and the inspiration she(you) provides. :)
It’s always interesting to see what Icing has for me every day. I especially like Things I Love Thursdays and Style Tips.
Happy Birthday Icing!
Happy B-day iCiNG!!!! Thanks a lot for existing….:D
What I love about iCiNG? First of all, you Gala! You’re an amazing, someone to look up to :) (really, after my sister, you’re the most stylish and cute person ever :D). Second, Things I love Thursday, because everyone puts really cute things and is great to say thanks! And third, all the how-to’s and inspiration; some of your articles have really help me, specially the ones about self-development and love :)
Thanks!
The obvious virtue of iCiNG is that you give your readers confidence to be who they want to be. Correction; you reveal the confidence they already have that has been deadened by years of judgemental attitudes from all sides, including their own. You might be writing articles on fashion, or how to end toxic relationships, or any number of things, but what you are reiterating is that it’s OKAY to be who you are; in fact, it’s fabulous!
You don’t only do this through your articles. You do this through following your own dream in the first place. When you see someone doing what they love and having a grand time of it, you start to think “Hmm, if she could do it, surely I could!”
Besides all this, my favourite part of iCiNG is that I feel that you are my friend. Honestly, you could be writing to a small circle of LJ friends who have been with you for years instead of two million (!) people. I don’t know how you do it, but instead of intimidating me with your awesomeness, you make me think that if I ever ran into you on the street, I would be like “Gala!” and you would be like “Let’s do lunch!” I love how you reply to comments left on your entries. I emailed an entry for a contest to win a hoodie one time, and I wrote about how I’m finally starting to take chances with my wardrobe, and even though I didn’t win, you replied to me with a very nice note about how you’re happy for me. And how many entries did you receive for that contest? This is why I keep coming back to iCiNG, why it has a button on my bookmarks bar in Firefox. You treat your readers very well.
Thank you for your many, many articles. You definitely had a big hand in this shy tomboy slob sort of person turning into a much more confident, happy, sexy-androgynous tomboy. (I didn’t comment on that article, but it’s my favourite of recent memory.)
Congratulations on a year. I definitely plan to be with you for this next one, and I wish you even greater success.
Hey Gala!
What do I love most about iCiNG? I think I love most that you’re inspiring and a steady source of inspiration, at that. I have your website set as my default webpage and read your articles first thing every time I’m online.
I first discovered your website because I added you as a friend on Livejournal and I saw a link to here. The best part about your articles is that you are down to earth and you’re not afraid to take chances doing new things. And let’s face it, how can someone not love Things I Love Thursday?
It’s great that you answer people’s questions in your daily articles. It creates a sense that you really do care about helping each of us, and that’s important to us readers. :)
PS-Thank you for writing in the past about EFT. I’ve been using it when things aren’t going too well & when I start feeling like things are too difficult to handle. I even introduced it to my yoga classmates!
Hurray for iCiNG! I’m so happy for you Gala. This is such a wonderful and happy website. I hope you have many more birthdays to come because I doubt I could live without you!
xoxo! Keep up the good work!
Well after reading the article and amazing comments mine feels woefully inadequate, however I feel I just have to say it….
Your site, from the advice to style tips is so down to earth and lovely. Reading anything from here is like having a chat with a good friend over a cup of hot chocolate. You never talk down to your readers and most of all you put a genuine smile on my face. Since reading your blog and taking your advice I’ve felt myself be more confidant and happy and daring. Not just from the straight advice, if anything your blog is a constant reminder of Daring to be Yourself. To me this is so important and I really can’t express my gratitude for you writing this blog.
Somedays I’ve felt down, depressed, knackered…and I’ll check out your blog and as if by magic an entry of yours makes me feel so much more better!
Thank you, thank you, thank you I really hope that iCiNG will never end any time soon!
thanks for everything Gala,
Zainab
I love the site name “Icing”. I love the cute pink heart website icon. I am a fan of the “Daily Outfits”, the fashion + beauty how to’s, and random style tips! The most important thing is, there’s always something positive, colorful, and happy whenever I come to this site.
xoxo
Amy
this is my most favourite website in all existence.
i know its many others too.
without you gala we would be mindless and lost!
thank you so much for your existence,
and quirky ways :)
I love it when you answer people’s questions, and your daily outfits. I’m so glad that you ended up as a blogger.
iCiNG is my hands-down favourite website because in my head it becomes this girl, with huge heart-shaped sunglasses, wearing a kimono with a tiara & dispensing wise advice written on the back of sparkle-drenched purikura & old postcards of pin-up girls (who have a bevy of moustached lovers waiting off-camera). It’s what makes my day feel sparkley & full of delicious, ambiguous possibilities; it makes me feel full of magic & daring & the capability to be mind-blowingly happy.It makes me feel perfect & beautiful & captivating & amazing just the way I am. iCiNG taught me about primer & my colours & corsets & purikura & hyacinths & notes from the universe & gossip girl.
Many happy returns!!
Happy birthday to iCiNG and congrats to you Gala on your success with such a wonderful project.
Though I’m still relatively new to iCiNG, I am so glad I have discovered it. I first stumbled upon it when it was reccommended in Cosmopolitan. It piqued my interest and since then I have been greedily ‘lapping up the iCiNG!’
Gala, you have become a heroine of sorts to me, especially after reading your old livejournal entries and witnessing the gradual change in your views and beliefs. You represent happiness, in a way, because you have found how to be happy with yourself and do what you love. This is such an incredible achievement, and for this I truly admire you. You & your articles inspire me to make my life better & more worthwhile.
I often have trouble expressing myself in discussions, particularly with my parents. This is an area where you have been especially wonderful. Your article on university and how it’s not the end of the world if you don’t go, or put it off for a while, clicked with me and made me realise it was ok, and I didn’t need to feel guilty all the time. I still couldn’t find a way to communicate this to my dad without getting upset and flustered, so I sent him a link to the article. He came in to my room after reading it and actually understood. It was such a relief. He then forwarded the link to my mother, so she could understand too. I have my plans all worked out and know what I’m doing – but not being able to explain things in a conversation without getting upset was really hindering me. So thank you so much for that article. It helped me more than you would ever believe.
iCiNG is so full of useful articles and advice. Articles that stand out to me are your pieces on moving in with a boyfriend & settling into a new city, since my partner and I are moving together next year.
My skin will forever worship you after reading your skincare pieces and getting me off my bum and establishing a skincare routine. I’ve been experimenting with make up more and want to start a make up course since being inspired by how much you’re enjoying your course.
In short, thank you Gala. iCiNG has helped so many people and I’m so lucky to be one of them. Here’s to many more iCiNG birthdays!
Gala!
I remember chatting with you one year ago (was it ONE?! it feels like ages) and you told me that you had a special surprise. I was delighted to wait for said surprise, because you were always one of my favourite LJ friends.
Initially, in the early icing days, i know i commented much more, but as my time has lessened & my net access has been limited, i don’t always have time to say what’s on my mind.
But what has always been important, throughout the first year of Icing, is that it has been a cornerstone for me on the internet. You seem to have an uncanny way of writing about what is relevant to my life & putting a wonderful spin on it, so as to make me smile.
Icing has also been important for me in another sense – as you may (or may not) know, i have post traumatic stress disorder, and sometimes after a particularly traumatic trigger, i would actually sit down & look at icing to comfort myself with a bowl of ice cream or french fries. Something about the comfort food combined with the aesthetic appeal & your words helped me to overcome particularly rough moments & move forward with my healing.
Thank you so much for putting so much beauty forward in the world. I love you, Gala! I hope that Icing is around for many years to come.
Champagne, love & ninjaberries,
Mary Bee
Happy Birthday Icing! What I love most about Icing is the positive attitude that it has. It has a very uplifting approach to EVERYTHING..even when it comes to not so pleasant things. Plus, Gala, I just love your style, and your approach to life. It inspires me to not be afraid to do my own thing..fashion wise AND life wise. What I need is a WWGD bracelet. Because whenever I feel down or have a problem to solve..I think “hrmm..what would Gala do?” I know it’s cheesy but it helps me to rise above things instead of being pulled down by the negative. Thank you SOO much for being brave and doing you own thing. You are really helping a LOT of people. kiss kiss
HAPPY BIRTHDAY ICING!
well. i’ve read through most of the answers above, and they are really hard to top. -buuuuuuutttt….i do have some things to add.
-everything at icing is about being positive. making a change in your own life. it’s like, the only way to know that you are progressing is to make sure you are better than you were yesterday. it’s all about being productive and pro-active. gala knows that everybody has those awful, disgusting, i hate everybody sort of days…but she gives us stylish-and truly helpful ways to kick those days in the butt!
-icing doesn’t only cater to those 5’10’‘ 100 pound girls. icing gives everybody a chance to be beautiful! tattooed, curvy, alternative, tomboy, etc.
icing isn’t just a webzine, it’s a way of life. it says that everyday, every moment, and every person can make their lives beautiful. it is a support system for those who need some encouragement, or a purple/pink punch of cupcake covered power after a long, awful day.
there are little changes that people can make to help themselves live an amazing life, and icing brings them to the surface.
there are so many things i love about icing. i’d honestly cease to exist on a daily basis if it weren’t for icing. lovelovelovelove.
I love how everything you write is so upbeat and positive, and how you can make just about anyone feel good about her/himself. Plus, I love cupcakes, and so do you. ;)
Congrats Gala! There are 3 things I always check when I get on the internet – emails, facebook and icing. Sometimes more than once a day! Your website has reminded me to focus on all the awesome things in my life – and every Thursday I’m reminded to think about it. I had a huge clean out of all my clothes I don’t wear and I have a clothesline set up in my room for pictures so I can change them all the time. I am obsessesd with Etsy since you introduced me to it and I no longer make an effort to hang out with negative crappy friends. You honestly are inspirational! Thank you so much Gala, and all the best for year two!
Before reading icing, i did love clothes. I saw people on the street that i envied because of their style or what they we wearing, but i always though i could never look like them. After reading icing, i realized that I could. Because of Gala, i have looked at every single thing i own in a new way and i have begun to wear things that i never thought i would even take a second look at. Thanks, Gala!
The thing I love most about icing?
The positivity.
The end!
YAY FOR GALA! I love it all, I love the most; your amazing vitality and your unique sparkiness that is reflected here at Icing.
Thanks Gala, your a fantastic role model and really are so authentic
I love reading iCing because it makes me FEEL GOOD ABOUT MYSELF! The 100 other RSS feeds never do that for me, so that’s why you are the first one I click on always whenever I see an update. =]
My favourite is your daily outfits because again, it makes me feel like experimenting and not feel embarrassed to go crazy with my outfits! Especially when I’m new to Melbourne and haven’t gotten used to the different dressing yet!
And thanks for introducing Things I Love Thursdays because they just brighten up my day. Congrats on the anniversary! I know how amazing and proud you must be of your baby!
xoxo。
Dear Gala,
I discovered iCiNG one mundane day while half-heartedly browsing the wardrobe remix pool on flickr. Your photo caught my eye, and i’ve been an iCiNG addict ever since!! I adore you, I really do. You seem to be just bursting with positivity and love and zest, and it inspires me ever so much! I’ve always wanted to be able to live passionately, to feel as though I am truly alive, and you are helping me to do that. This comment may sound a bit mushy-gushy, but it’s all true, I promise. This modest website makes me feel like I can do ANYTHING! Thank you ever so much, Gala! You are making the world a nicer place.
luff!!
Happy Birthday iCiNG and congratulations Gala. I found this site after noticing your pink hair photo on livejournals pinkhair community and being drawn to you, a look in your eye – like you knew something. Then I followed your link to iCiNG and I started to find out what you knew!
I’ve since recommended your site to many of my friends as I really appreciate the aspirational tone of the content. Many links have been followed and my bar is now raised!
I think like many of your readers, I find your style advice and explorations much more interesting than the mainstream sources. But also enjoy that it’s not all dark and fringe.
I really look forward to your updates and love that you’ve set such a positive tone. Many blogs you’d feel intimidated commenting on, but your precedent has really fostered a warm, sweet online community. I can’t wait to see what you do in your second year, bring it on!
3 cheers for Gala!!!!
This site is helping me find my inner strength. Always positive and affirming!
I love this site, currently in Melbourne at this very moment as part of my Schoolies trip… I failed geography and went the wrong way. But anyway the article on cupcakes has actually become the defining direction of what my friends and I will do.
Happy Birthday!!
What do I love about iCiNG? Just about everything. But I’ll go into more detail.
1) I love the feeling of excitement and anticip-ation (rocky horror picture show is love) i get when i type in galadarling.com & see that yes, there IS another brilliant article for me to devour.
2) I love that iCiNG is an articulate, indepth guide to being beautiful. Not just on the outside, either. iCiNG has aided me in feeling more confident about who I am by giving me the tools to efficiently remove negativity from all aspects of my life. I can now deal with horrible situations in a much more refined way, which benefits me in both the short run and the long run (i tend to feel bad about what i’ve said…very bad). I like to think that this newfound confidence is reflected in what i wear and how i wear it. since soaking up the iCiNG, i have been told SO many times that i have an amazing dress sense and that people love what i am wearing…even my semi-goth friend likes how i wore something from (deep breath) SUPRE!
3) I love that Gala doesnt take herself too seriously. She is one of the most beautiful people in the world (serial) but is not snobby.
4) iCiNG feels like an expression of thoughts I have floating around in my head, but they haven’t quite developed yet. This doesn’t make much sense, i know. “You write it, better than I ever felt it”.
5) how i squeal everytime i receive cupcake emails, and how they always seem to come when i’m getting kind of down, and everything turns around from there.
6) how iCiNG has opened my eyes and allowed me to see that being conventional and well behaved and conservative isnt always best for YOU. people may expect it, but it doesn’t always feel right to YOU. iCiNG makes me feel like if i am acting with my best interests at heart and not hurting anyone in the process, nothing i do is “wrong”, just because someone else wouldnt do it, or it wouldnt be their cup of tea.
7) how i can spend literally hours on iCiNG and never ever get bored, and afterwards i feel so enlightened and everything seems soooo much brighter.
8) in short, iCiNG is like my bible. I live, breathe, eat it. I never get bored. I always want more. ‘Tis an addiction, but a good one.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY iCiNG! and thank you gala for pretty much being the best everrr.
I really enjoy your online magazine. It’s really put my life in a new direction—-a positive one! Though I do enjoy your fashion articles, the most helpful to me, were your suggestions of getting ones life on track. I even signed up to Notes from the Universe (which I enjoy everyday)!
I really feel like I was in a rut and stagnate. Your site provided all these suggestions and links to other self help sites. While I haven’t found my calling, I know changing my perspective and old habits are leading me to a new way of thinking and a positive direction! My old life was one that required a lot of strength to get through but it left me with negative thinking in my present life. I appreciate all the positive vibes you give because that’s where I want to be in life. You’ve given me a gift, in a way, the tools I need to put my life in the direction I want it to go.
Your fashion stuff is a bonus because I love fashion! Your links to street fashion are great too! I read your site everyday.
Anyway, Thank you, Gala. You’ve done more for me than I ever expected when I clicked this link!! Happy Holidays! :)
Happy birthday iCinG! And, Congratulations Gala! I must say you have inspired me in so many different ways it is unbelievable. I have been stuck in a degree I cannot stand for three long years, and I come home upset and distraught about where my future is headed. I have always wanted to be an editor/writer but have always thought there is no work for people interested in those things!
Gala, you have shown me the way and taught me that us freak-haired girls can make it big in the world and make our own way. Since reading your blog I have decided to start studying some English literature and writing classes interspersed with my other boring degree requirements. I will follow my dream Gala, and it is because of you!oh my, Gala, where do I start??
I discovered this site last october looking for ways to dye my hair, which I have never been happy with. I have never been happy with myself, and have always thought changing my appearance was the answer. Icing helps me realize that I, myself, need to shine through and that changing my appearance, while fun, does not fix the problems in my life.
Your fabulous take on life and fashion also lifts my spirits when my day is dreary- iCiNG adds so much color and spunk!
Thank-you so much!!!
xoxox Jill
i pop in nearly everyday for the sweetest dose of fun &solid advice. thank you heaps!
Congratulations on making it to one year :-) So very proud :D
Why do I love Icing so much? I think it’s because I just enjoy your personality and it inspires me to try to do what I believe in. You’ve given so much tips and it proves that Kiwi’s can really do anything.
Also you prove that you can follow your dream :-)
I mean this is no uncertain terms you have changed my life.
*To know that fashion is for me, not for the uber-skinny uber-cool, uber-femme or uber-famous. *That aesthetic and personal style actually are a part of my life already (it just doesn’t look or feel like everything else out there) and there is a community of people out there just like me! * That living your dreams is possible, attainable and to live them is not only thrilling but inspirational for everybody around me. *To have not only broadened my horizons (EFT? androdgny?)but to have helped me realise what great things I have in my life every Thursday and the potential in me to be a sex goddess and leader! * Since reading your blog roughly 6 months ago I have- overhauled my wardrobe, increased my positive thought process (EFT baby!!) started a volunteer job doing what I Love and am firing on all cylinders about some exciting creative projects me and my friends have in the works.. *Emailing you personally about the break-up of a relationship and some tomboy advice left me quite nervous (am I being too much of a geek? What must she think?) then you not only Wrote back!! You also posted an article within a week!!
*That you work hard, do what you love and do it from an honest, positive heart-felt place with compassion for your readers is the most amazing quality about Icing-You! I could go on but I won’t.
xxooo Big fat 1st Happy Birthday cupcake flavoured kisses & Tacklehugs to you Gala & Everybody else out there on Icingland. aint life grand? xxoo
Gala, it seems like you get mentioned almost every day around my house. My boyfriend is probably sick of hearing about iCiNG! It’s so nice having a big happy dose of positivity from you every day, and you’ve gotten me through some confusing times this year. (Thanks for linking to Steve Pavlina, for one)
Your site makes me smile, even when I feel like poo. Thank you!
Seeing as I live on the other side of the planet & shipping would be seriously pricey – I’m not entering :-) But I wanted to say thank you for all the care & attention you’ve put into iCing & enriching your life. It’s always inspirational to see people living their live fearlessly & joyfully!
I was directed to iCiNG just after a really painful breakup. It was just what I needed! In the four months since then, I’ve found so many inspiring and positive things here. I’ve learned to think more positively, and to be stylish to boot. I couldn’t be more grateful for the style, confidence, and positive thoughts that you’ve helped me to find, Gala. :)
Gala – happy birthday to icing and thank YOU! for the wonderful content and daily inspiration. Thanks, also, for the link to Steve’s site. That article is now making MY head spin…. it hits so many nails on the head, it’s crazy. Especially this:
“One of the greatest fears you’ll confront is that you may not have any real value to offer others. Maybe being an employee and getting paid by the hour is the best you can do. Maybe you just aren’t worth that much. That line of thinking is all just part of your conditioning.”
From being a closet zinester, aspiring photographer, emo kid in high school to working in a hospital where I wear “career apparel” (go to cintas.com and gag), I feel like my creativity is absolutely null and I constantly tell myself I am not creative or worthy, the best I can do is to learn a trade and try to work myself up the ladder in a sense, that I am doomed to a life of mediocrity and struggle. Strangely, I feel the thing that made me feel the worst about myself was going to film school. That whole experience made me think my ideas were crap and turned me on the path to fear, self doubt, and a life of “normalcy”. Yikes.
At any rate, your site and wonderful references have set me on a new path to recovery! ha… It is now my goal to kick aside my fear and start living courageously.
Happy, Happy, Happy Icing Birthday Gala! You must be so wonderfuly proud! And thank you for letting me interview you earlier, and be a part of your first year. What an honour!
I read your site every single day without fail (it’s on my google feed reader) and Im always using all of your great advice. I even started calling everyone “beautiful people” or “lovely” when saying goodbye after i fell in love with how you sign off with “super love & cupcakes” and I wanted something fun like that to end my conversations!
so, to wrap things up, congrats lovely!
Oh you beautiful, stylish lil cupcake – Happy Birthday to you and to iCing … and here’s to many years ahead! I have no doubt you’ll be around brightening days and bettering lives when I’m an octogenarian with a blue rinse and a gambling habit :P
All my love and congratulations!!!
Thankyou for a mighty fine year of iCiNG!
I’ve been around reading (and occasionally posting) since the very beginning after you advertised the site on Melbourne Maniacs. I must say – I’m hooked. This came as a surprise to me first off because the me of a year ago had very little interest in fashion. I was very much a jeans and tshirt kind of girl. Now I have fun dressing up, just for myself. Not everyone digs the way I dress but I’ve learnt to not care what others think and only aim to please myself. I got back into dying my hair strange colours at the beginning of the year and my boyfriend at the time treated me like dirt because he “didn’t find me at all attractive anymore because I looked like a freak”. Needless to say, I dumped his sorry arse and it was the best decision I ever made. (It was a bad on again/off again long distance thing where I was always made to feel guilty because I was the one that had to move interstate mid-relationship. I saw him briefly a few weeks ago and he’s gone really strange and the new me couldn’t figure out what I’d ever seen in him!)
Now I have hot pink hair (pink being a colour I never would have been seen dead in not that long ago!) and I experiment with makeup and frock up. I’m even contemplating my first pair of heels because as a recovering tomboy, I’ve never worn them.
I recently went to a burlesque night where I won best dressed of the night – despite not actually dressing up! I was wearing what I’d put on that morning. Some people had even hired costumes! I won a sparkly tiara and immediately wore it for the rest of the night.
I’m now far more comfortable with who I am. I used to be far too concerned with acting more ‘adult’ because I’m constantly surrounded by people a lot older than me. I’ve since found that there’s nothing like a batch of cupcakes and an afternoon of jumping in puddles to get everyone else acting like children too. I now know how to distinguish my serious work self from the rest of my life so it doesn’t take over!
My favourite part of iCiNG is definitely Things I love Thursday. The past few months I’ve been posting my own on my blog and so many people have told me they love Thursdays because they like seeing what I’ve written. I find it impossible to be unhappy on a Thursday. No matter how busy I am, I take time out to write my list and make a photo collage. It’s made me realise just how much I have to be grateful for and how much I adore my friends and family. I now am far more open with letting them know too. A friend of mine is going through a rough patch at the moment and was at home feeling very sorry for herself the other day. I rang her at 2am (knowing she was awake anyway) to tell her how much I loved her and what an awesome person she was.
I love how diverse iCiNG is. I may not agree with everything you write, but that’s ok. In fact, it’s good that I don’t agree with everything! It gives me far more to think about.
I love reading everyone’s comments and seeing how different everyone is. I’m especially excited when you reply to something I’ve written
So here’s to you Gala and another million more years of iCiNG!
I can say with absolute confidence that, for me, the best thing about iCiNG is the quirkiness of the community! Earlier this year I was in a boarding school I hated feeling isolated and suicidal, I tried to take my life twice. But then whilst reading a cosmo I dicovered this wonderfully alternative chick who ran her own website…COOL!! Since then I’ve been an addict.
I love that iCiNG promotes positivity!
I love that iCiNG gives everyone a chance to express their opinions!
I love even more that you never have to be scared about peoples reactions to the!
I love the cup-cake mania!
I love the alternative world that this has opened me up to
I love that iCiNG has shown me that there are people out there who don’t think that having a mediocre job and a mediocre life is ok.
I love that the ideas shared in iCiNG gave me the confidence to change my school courses from what I thought I would need for later in life to what I know I love doing!
I love that iCiNG has made me feel supportive and accepted.
I love that iCiNG has shown me that I am a good person and not a nutcase, I love that sense of confidence!!!!!
Oh, and my family love iCiNG because now thhey don’t have to wait for my school to call and say I’m in hospital again, they wait for me to call and tell them how much I’m enjoying my new creative courses!
You add an insane amount of colour in to my black and white life, literally.
Thank you
I love the style tips and I LOVE the positivity! Thank you Gala.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY ICING!!! :D
Pops champagne
You are a visionary fashionista Gala.
I love everything about Icing!
Thankyou Gala Darling and everybody who contributes to Icing,
allthough I dont know you all personally I feel as though your all great friends just by reading TILT and everyones comments.
Gives me a really positive start to the day. :)
THANKYOU!!
Love love love!!
Hooray! Happy Anniversary!
Thank you for bringing beauty into my life.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY ICING and CONGRATULATIONS GALA!!
I discovered your site only recently, on ICING DAY and it was love at first sight! What is not to love about your site with its positive feeling, helpful advice and brilliant colours!
Here`s to another year of ICING fame!
Love Lulu
xoxoxoxo
I love icing and i love Gala from the bottom of my heart. the things i love most about you dear icing is the way you always seem to know, the advice, style tips and the coolest links, that i need right now. you always always hit a spot with me.
i found your sight on a whim and frtom that moment i have become a daily icing user always craving for those sugary fixes, and i adore my weekly cupcake to my inbox!!
i love printing off style advice, and adore your EFT articles. I love things i love thursday, as im always delighted by the creative people your hide in their.
your links are awsome, and i now love foto_decadent on live journal and many other little blogs that you share with us now and again.
OH gala i cant wait, to see more from you in the future, and i cant wait for your second birthday, im sure ill be style savvy and bursting with creativity by then!!
thankyou and Love!
xx
I lovie icing for the out of the box fashion advice. Many fashion websites are selling a particular look, but icing is all tips about how to rock whatever you want.
This is a magazine that accepts that we’re not all the same body type and that we don’t want to look the same, but still wants to give practical help. The advice is not a list of products to buy and info on ‘it’ bags, but a place where the countercultural meets the cultured and makes beautiful music. It’s become my daily perk up.
Happy Birthday Icing!
I love the individuality, the vastness of you articles and the fact that everything is just so pretty. It’s like a feast for you eyes, the little pink hearts, the turquoise writing. It truly is like icing, something sweet that makes everything tasty and better.
So thank you gala for a year of galadarling.
xx
happy birthday icing! my favorite is Things I Love Thursday because it makes me stop and think about everything that is making me happy…..and by the way your blog always makes me happy :)
I love the cupcakes. I’ve always had a passion for baking, and I love that you glamourise it. Pretty? Pink? Sprinkles? All of them! It’s sad to say, but my love of slighty ‘strange’ things makes me feel a little alienated at times. I’ve always been a individual person, but sometimes it’s nice to know that my passion is somebody else’s passion too.
I love the girlyness, the slight wackiness, the caring, the fun, the thoughtfulness and the happiness. Oh, and the hearts.
I love the voice at iCiNG! I love how every article rings with positivity, regardless of the subject. I can always count on this site to bring an element of self-acceptance and confidence!
I’m sixteen. Going on seventeen. And I can truly say that Gala has helped me through so many hard times.
At my age, there are so many things fluttering manically in my mind- Will I ever be truly happy again? How do I actually grow up into an adult? What am I going to do with the rest of my life? And importantly, what shoes will I wear whilst figuring these things out?
Gala has somehow helped me find the answers every single one of my questions, whilst maintaining her smiley, cupcake-love demeanor. Oh and that last question? Two words- Manolo Blahnik.
This year has brought so many changes to my life, in school, in my relationship, in my family- I first dipped my finger into the deliciousness that is the iCING bowl at a really hard time in my life (my dad had had a stroke.) It almost magically appeared on the screen of my laptop in my dad’s room- I was greeted by Gala with her tiara topped purple hair, and began to read. The taste was incredible- uplifting, positive, sugary-sweet but so real.
I really can’t thank her enough for what she’s done for me, and how she’s shaped me, mentored me, and supported me without even realising it.
I know that with her words, some really yummy cupcakes, and a litte confidence I can take on anything this little increasingly-hot-ball-of-life can throw at me.
Gala gave me the answers.
i love the cupcakes, i love how the articles always seem to relate to my life, and i love watching your hair change colour and style every so often! and i also love the sparkly nipple covers i won.
happy birthday :)
xx
this site had made my day better, made me realize my dreams of becoming a fashion designer, this site made me what to study, want to learn, want to be better.
i love the daily fashion photos they are awesome :)
hey Gala! Congrads on the one year anniversery! I came upon this website about 6 months ago when I was looking for advice. I felt a bit lost in my life, and I knew that I needed to change. Since then, I’ve found your articles very helpful. A few months ago I broke up with a guy who was making me miserable, and I used your article about break-ups to help. I’ve also started using EFT, and I found your demonstration very helpful as well. I love everything about ICING. From the fashion advice, to the Daily Outfits, International Dress Up Day, and relational advice, I find myself checking everyday to see if you’ve written anything new. Thanks for writing, you’ve been a blessing to me.
Love, Miss Katy
my email is: heykayslay@aim.com
HAPPY FIRST BIRTHDAY ICING! :)
And Congrats and Thankyou Gala on bringing joy and sweetness to my life everyday!
happy first birthday iCiNG. and well done gala!
i have to say that i read iCiNG every day and am always so in awe of your positive life affirming advice.
my boyfriend and i broke up on thursday and i have been reading through your articles on relationships to help me through.
thanks so much for being so very amazing. i hope you keep doing this for a really long time.
hugs beth
Wow, you look absolutely STUNNING in those photos. No lie. I love the way you did your makeup, and the way the pink cardigan looks in contrast to your hair! Plus, the little horsey candle. Hehe. It’s fantastic.
Gala, there is something truly unique and amazing about this blog, and I admire you greatly for taking the risk of starting this site, and deciding to be your own boss. My favorite thing about this website is that it completely inspired me to give a hoot about what I’m wearing. Ever since I read “Top 5 Ways To Define Your Own Personal Style”, and my first few Daily Outfit posts, I realized how much fun I was missing out on by being innovative and unique with clothing combinations. Since then, I feel like a brand new person…one who almost has a full knowledge of what looks good on me, and what doesn’t, and what kinds of styles I like. It’s been SO much fun to experiment, and the thing to prompt all this wardrobe excitement was you! Above all, though, your positive, upbeat attitude and optimism keep me coming back for more. You don’t put certain people down or certain body shapes, and reading your blog never puts me in a bad mood, only in a much, much better mood.
Thank you!! Please don’t leave the internet. I think I might start having heart palpitations if you do.
gala, you’re a champ. iCiNG rules. that is all.
HAAAAAPPY BIRTHDAY iCiNG!!!!!
i’ve been reading this almost since the start. i remember coming here a little less than a year ago, being amazed by whatever the most recent article had been and just spending the next hour or more reading all of your previous articles. i was amazed by you as a person and as a writer. everything you wrote appealed to me SO MUCH. i had never found a blogger i loved as much as you.
i love this blog for so many reasons. it is one of the very first websites i check when i first make my way on to the internet. you give the best style tips i have ever read, making sure that your readers will stay true to themselves and you always value individuality to the fullest. you’re always so bright and optimistic (sanguine is a vocabulary word i had this week that would perfectly describe you) and your site’s content has never, ever let me down.
also, recently, iCiNG is what introduced me to Gossip Girl and i was instantly hooked, and i’ve gotten my best friend hooked, too! it’s nice to be able to have a little something such as a TV show to brighten you up when school’s trying to keep you down. and i thank you for bringing such a delight to my attention.
you are just such a fantastic person, Gala, and i’m sure you have changed a great deal of peoples’ lives, maybe in the smallest ways or the grandest ways. i know you have really had an impact on mine.
hope you’re…well, i KNOW that you’re celebrating this monumental event in style ;) have a fabulous weekend!
Hi Gala,
This post has had a big impact on my life and the way i live it. You strive to let us know life is worth LIVING! The impact it has had on me is the fact it teaches how to be the best person one possibly can be. I have always been a very different person and Icing celebrates differences within the world. That is what i love the most about Icing. It’s a breathe of seriously fresh air in a world so caught up in just exsisting. You have taught me to be grateful and your sense of fashion is incredible. Icing is fun, beautiful, inspiring and definantly does not conform :) You and ALL of your articles are inspiring! HaPPy BiRthDAy! you deserve every success you have achieved and many more in the future! xoxo
I love the inspiration I get from seeing a new outfit every day, and the fact that I’ve been convinced to get a little more daring with my own clothing!
I’m not in it for the contest but Gala, you have inspired me to make an effort to be as positive and happy as I can possibly be, because truly positive, uplifting people are rare, and wonderful to be around.
I also love coming here to read the comments, because you’ve helped set the tone for a wonderfully positive atmosphere, full of happy commenters with delightful, insightful things to say.
Sorry to use the word positive a million times, but it’s why I love iCiNG!
Also, we have strikingly similar handwriting…
Oh iCiNG, Happy Birthday!
I love the fact that people are not pigeon-holed here. Intelligence and being true to ones-self are rated highly.
And Gala makes me … laugh.
I love the tone the articles are written in, the inspirational prose, the cute as a button layout and the consistent discussion of cupcakes (oh, the sugary goodness). Thanks Gala , for providing a place I can go when my economics assignment seems way too hard and dull. The best part is that after hours of reading this gem of a site, I don’t feel like I’ve wasted time. Merci beau coup iCiNG, you bring gaiety to my day.
I LOVED your article for Tomboys.
It’s all about the grooming baby! And soon I will be asking for advice on how to make a head full of curly Kidman hair look well groomed and lush every day, espesh when you want a change and to go a bit shorter, but you have to be out of the house by 7am!
I also loved the tip on notes from the universe. Me and the Universe are BFF now.
What I love the most is the daily dose of optimism.
You write about glamour and fashion without ever being superficial.
This really is a site that understands the holistics of beauty and wellbeing and how everything connects.
Happy Birthday iCiNG! I love, love, love this website. It’s the first site I check for updates every time I go on the internet. The best thing about iCiNG is of course Gala. You’re one of the coolest chicks I’ve ever seen! I love how you’re unapologetically cool, original, and you’re not afraid to be yourself. You give awesome advice and I love the amazing outfits you pull together. Thank you so much for this website, I get excited every time I see a new post on here!
Love, Jem xoxo
I love your visual style, its bright but not overwhelming. Your hair is awesome Oh, and I love the cupcake recommendations, especially as I’m a fellow Melbournian :)
i love your site. i love all your tips and i love all the links to cool stuff! your hair is lovely and i love how you always sign off love and cupcakes!
I am always moved when you talk about the life behind your style— I especially loved your recent article about “life after school.” It’s great to hear someone’s story of how they came to be who they are, and what adventures took them there. Your success as a person who has paved her own way and said no to “boring” is inspiring! I am also a fellow LUSH devotee (mmm, Happy Hippy and Ceridwen’s Cauldron…) so I love hearing tidbits about the store and the products. Finally, I love your holistic and positive approach to style— I love that this is a lifestyle blog rather than a fashion trends blog or a blog about celebrities, with zero negativity! Keep it up, gorgeous.
happy birthday iCiNg!
What I love about iCiNg:
It’s is so positive. As you said it just don’t teach one about fashion, but it has life tips as well. It’s help me just let loose and have fun instead of thinking of what others think about me.You’ve help me realize that I want to live it up and break away from the mold and life a colorful life. You have articles here on everything from big issues like living together to small tips. Some of my favorite articles are the style tips(which remind me of D.V.‘s lists. I told you-you got me obsessed) and the things I love Thursdays. Thursday used to just be another day to get through as quickly as possible to get a little closer to the weekend,now I actually look foward to it.
Keep being your fantabulous self Gala and help inspire others. ((hugs))
What I love most about iCiNG is that I’m surprised whenever I come here. I never know what I can expect to find but I love everything that I read in its own way. I come everyday, and I have to say that my life is a bit brighter with you in it!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY ICING
i LOVE you!
Thank you Gala for putting so much time and effort into creating this website. I truly love knowing that I have somewhere to go everyday where the outlook is positive, the creativity flowing and there is an endless supply of beautiful photos to feast my eyes on!
The youtube posts are awesome also. It really makes me see you as a real person and the things u do as reality. You have shown me that my life can be colourful and exciting also. It’s just a matter of perspective.
Love and sandy feet xo
HAPPY BIRTHDAY! i love that icing is a ‘place’ in cyberspace where i feel safe writing about the things I love, or things i’m upset about, or anything… because everyone on iCiNG is an amazing, kind person. Icing’s full of compassion & humour, and it’s a vibrant community for girls & guys who just love to be themselves.
I think that’s the best part. We all just want to be ourselves and have a good time in life & be good people, and having somewhere to share, encourage & celebrate that is amazing!
Even though most of us haven’t met eachother physically it’s great that the majority of us feel secure enough to ask questions, comment, message eachother etc.
Icing is also very open & involves everyone, not just the amazing Gala! – I love that there’s such a mixture of things to pick & choose to read: style & life advice to real-life success stories with holistic therapies, how-to articles, a day of the week to look forward to sharing our happy-things, and the comments are always fun, i love to read what films & music & books other readers are into and go and check them out too!
I also love the minimalistic approach to advertising – i know you won’t but PLEASE don’t ever sell out! I love that, in a materialistic ‘magazine’ world where basically all we pay for is Advertising-in-a-book, iCiNG keeps it real!
we love you Gala!
Icing has helped me to develop into the person i am today. i was once a punk, goth and pretty much someone who had no idea about fashion and make up. this site has given me ideas, tips and everything else to help me create the “new” me that iam so proud to be! instead of my best friend refusing to go shopping with me, she now rings and begs me to help her pick out an outfit! Icing has given me a new perspective into the fashion world (and the world of romancing yourself of course hehe!)and life in general!
Thanks Gala
Kylie xxoo
You are unique.
You make me feel good
You make me think differently
You make each day seem fabulas
You tell it as it is – no secrets here
You are inspiring
You ooze enthusiasm
But most importantly, You do what you love and your happiness shines through your writing and makes me feel warm.
Thank you for what you are doing here.
I love it.
Gala, what a wonderful site you have. Congrats on the one year birthday.
I can’t remember how I found you, but after reading your blog religiously everyday for the last couple of months, as well as going back through all the old archives whenever I have the chance, I can truly say you’ve inspired me to make a few changes in my life. You seem to have an endless amount of knowledge on all sorts of topics and, even when you mightn’t have a clue, you still have a go at helping someone out. I’m yet to email you with a question, but I know that if I ever do you will do your absolute best to help me out.
You’re such a stylish, happy and inspiring gal, I can’t thank you enough for the pleasure you’ve brought me over the past few months and I can’t wait for the two year birthday! :P
Ally
xo
I Love the advice and virtual friendship and comfort the website gives. It has taught me to dress in different ways. stumbling upon this website has been great, now I’m addicted. Can’t wait for your second birthday!
This site rocks. Thatisall. :)
Congratulations from Germany! What I like most: The variety of topics. No need to say more.
Good luck trying to read through all these and then picking some lucky gal (or even less PC but totally sweet- some lucky boy) to win that bracelet. Here goes nothing.
The reason I continue to check this site could have something to do with being a Saggituricorn / Capriturius (born on the cusp) but is more likely to have something to do with these:
* The articles hit me where it hurts. Not in an “ouch” sort of way, more of a “I love this article so hard my spleen feels like it might rupture” sort of way..
* Your outfits inspire me to get dressed each day (although rarely before 4pm) and even prompted my joining of mystylediary.com
* And in a parallel universe we might have been the same person. We were both born in Wellington (which is the 3rd most beautiful city in the world apparently), we both are somewhat fond of dying our hair extra-terrestrialistic colours, we both have a love of fashion, photography, Flight of The Conchords, writing, makeup (especially liquid eyeliner) and tattoos, and we both like you! Thats got to account for something.
So even if I don’t win this, (of which the liklihood is small) I’ll still remain a pasionate iCiNG reading/part time astronauting/cloud shaping/bracket using fan.
Your BBF/Pal/Chum,
Nadezhda “Smells Like Teen Spirit” Sim
xx
P.S I think Cookie should win this. She sounds like a doll :)
Wow, everyone has pretty much summed up my feelings already…this site rocks! It really gets my creative juices flowing, lemme tell ya. I also like how you not only give fashion advice but great advice on how to deal with certain life/relationship issues. It’s always positive, too. Which is great for a Negative Nelly, like me ;) This site has definitely helped me look on the bright side. Things I Love Thursday is the best thing ever. So Happy Birthday, iCing and here’s to lots more of them :)
XOXO
Happy birthday, i love that quote you said about the typewriters, im going to use that quote on my myspace.
congratulations so much darling! xxx kisses.
Hi Gala, and happy birthday iCiNG!
I discovered iCiNG as my last relationship was going awfully bad, and I was terribly unhappy. Your tips on how to find the beauty in everyday, and happiness in simple things absolutely saved me at that moment in my life.
I think I have been reading it almost from the very start, and I love the variety! Particularly I love the links to other fantastic blogs though, or sites that I may not have otherwise found.
And the other thing I love about iCiNG?
It’s birthday is the day before mine!!! So happy first birthday iCiNG, and happy birthday to me!! :D
xx Ames.
Personal inspiration, a renewed sense of playfulness and creativity, and a newfound love and appreciation for the cupcake.
Thanks Gala!
I adore iCing in so many ways . . . and who would not? I love the quirky fashion tips that help me to look good while not looking like everyone else. I love the interesting articles on style. I love the inspiration that teaches people to be happy and to appreciate yourself and others for who you are.
I love that articles are usually posted late at night (I am from the US) so that I have something to procrastinate with.
I love that iCing doesn’t judge, and that it teaches others not to judge either.
iCing is just all-around-fabulous.
I enjoy Things I Love Thursday.
And how often you post.
It’s lovely to have icing for lunch everyday.
xxx
My favourite thing about iCiNG i have to admit is the fact that it isnt blocked by the school filters, which infact manages to block everything so when i have to suffer the daily task of ICT, which is extremely boring i can escape into the world of Gala and the hour goes ten times quicker. Sometimes i sit and laugh out loud which attracts some strange looks. The second thing is you have made me dress for myself first and for others second, before i used to care what other people thought and dress to be something that isnt me, but now im so much happier because i wear what i like and not what others like. And i found out that although others wouldnt wear my clothes, they actually like them. :)
Big CONGRATS to you Gala. Keep up the awesome work!
Happy Birthday iCiNG. Congratulations Gala! We can never thank you enough for all of your love, support, beauty and daily greatness.
Champaign and sparkles to you on your special day!
Lots of love from us to you!
d and m
xx
A very happy first birthday to iCiNG and many many more happy returns :D
Thanks Gala for this wonderful blog!
Happy happy birthday iCiNG! thank you so much Gala :]
iCing is like NIRVANA...
it has honestly influenced me and changed me into something better.
Sweeaaar!!
peace out Gala!!
thanks for spreading word!!
i just spread the word of your bday…
go me!!
may iCing go on to, if possible, a million more bdays!! spreading hearts and joys!!
I love iCiNG, it adds an extra bit of sparkle and inspiration to my day (and life) that makes me smile. x
iCiNG! A recent discovery but something I’m so glad to have stumbled upon! Cupcakes, colours and most of all, inspiration – what more is there to life!? Happy Birthday, iCiNG and here’s to the years to come! ♥
I love Icing because it is real. It is not only serious when it feels the need to be but it is funny & light hearted. It is inspiring & reliable. I love how Gala has devleoped it into a somewhat personal blog that can relate to many people.
Congratulations Gala! Happy iCiNG BIrthday!
I love iCiNG because it is so endlessly positive and celebratory. It encourages everyone to remember the good things in their lives and to aspire to be fabulous, to achieve their dreams and live their life. And to do it all looking magnificent! It is there for people who need a bit help in difficult times and is always insightful.
The thing I love most though is the sense of community. In a world where positivity, creativity, appreciating what you already have and enjoying living your life – now, are not always encouraged, it is nice to know that right here there is a whole community of people who do. Always willing to offer suggestions and support and remind you that the world really is a wonderful place.
Thank you.
Living in an especially humdrum community, like i do, it’s tough to find creative inspiration, but your website is DEFINITELY a source of it!
All of your articles have helped me in some way or another, and I think that you have a brilliant way of knowing just what people need to read.
Happy birthday to icing, and thankyou, Gala Darling!
What I love most about iCiNG is the feeling I get in my stomach…the feeling of butterflies and fluffy kittens and everything nice..waiting for the next day’s articles. And thinking “What else can she possibly think of doing next?”. I also love how much iCiNG has helped me in my day to day life; If it’s cutting out negative people,loving myself,style tips, or just organizing my closet. It is also great how iCiNG doesn’t just help me but the millions (2 million people to be exact and hopefully many more)of people who read it everyday.I love iCiNG because I know it will always have something interesting to be read on those cold and rainy days. I am happy to be apart of iCiNG’s first Birthday and may it live on for many many many years to come.
P.s. Thanks Gala for spending time to write such meaningful and positive articles.
;]
What I love most about iCiNG are the unique features like Carousel and Style Tips and Thing I Love Thursday. It’s the little things that have a lot of value. The little things that can make you smile and inspire. Things like “design yourself a new signature”, finding links to websites about how to “Discover Your Personal Mission” and just always finding the time to take a step back and feel love and gratitude for yourself and your life that define iCiNG, as well as help start off the day on a good note.
Happy Birthday. I’m glad you were able to do something that makes you happy. I think more than anything else, that’s the important thing.
holy wow! a year, really? time sure flies… i have checked this site daily since first discovering it… i dont even know how long ago. at the very least it was 9 months ago, so i guess ive been around for a while… but what you are asking is my favorite thing about icing? why, of course it’s you, gala. lol it sounds cheap and cheesy, but if you werent the great and wonderful person whom you are, this site would not have anywhere near the following that it does. so good ups, gala, and keep listening to my hometown heroes, atmosphere. if it werent for them, i never wouldve found you in the first place! (int’l dress up day…)
congratulations again, keep it up!
Wow!One year huh? Well,I’m so glad that you decided to make Icing. You can’t imagen how excited I get when I come and visit Icing. You are such an insparation!You are such a wonderful person,you make everyone feel like a million bucks.Thanks once again and I hope you had a wonderfully,delicious Icing birthday.
Sugarlumps and sprinkles!
Happy birthday to icing! I found this website about 4 0r 5 months ago and I check it almost every day. Even though I don’t comment much,I’ve grown an appreciation for this site.
My favorite things about this site is the articles,ecpecially the ones on relieving stress,finding confidence in yourself,and even dressing for yourself.Your acticles couldn’t have come at a better time.Thank you,gala darling!
The world needs more Gala Darlings. Thanks for sharing your fluffy candy fabulous lifestyle and making yourself a part of my own.
Thanks for helping me grow.
Happy birthday, Icing…
and many more!
The past year has been rather hard for me. I got married this year, you would think it would have been joyous and butterflies all year. However, I was disowned by my family, bounced around between jobs, homes and I’ve stopped talking to most of my friends. It’s been a pretty miserable year.
When I found Gala Darling over the summer my life changed. I continuously bookmark the articles, take notes, follow the advice and print out ideas from the site. Style wise Gala is like a muse to me, I wish I could get away with the clothes you wear! You’re an utter inspiration to me.
Now, whenever I feel down I just open up Gala Darling and read myself into an inspired mood. I absolutely adore the site. Thank you so, so much for creating it.
Congratulations on your first anniversary, here is to many, many more to come!
Happy birthday Icing!!!!
I just find you today, well I must check hole a year because for the statements it must be addicting.
If you wanna check my blog http://searchingtheinnerme.blogspot.com/
Happy Birthday iCiNG!
I can honestly say that I come here everyday to relax and read the wonderful words that you have to say, which is usually really good fashion advice. Its part of my morning routine, every morning I wake up , get a coffee, and read iCiNG and the news. I don’t think that I have gone a day without looking at this website. Everything that you do on here is so cute, the cupcakes, the things I love Thursday, and I can’t tell you how much I love your daily outfits. I wish that I was able to make as cute of outfits as you.
Anyways I really love the work that you do here Gala. And I’m excited to see another years worth of new stuff.
Thank you so much for everything that you have done on here! iCiNG has helped me through a really hard year and I’m thankful for the work you do here that helps me love every day. =]
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!
i found this web site while in the search for some hair help , and now I have fallen in LOVE with it!!!!
I have been reading as many articles and I can and I have no intensions on stopping!
The question one should be asking is what DON’T I like here! Ever since I first stumbled upon this website, I’ve been eager to read each article with as much anticipation as the next. Things I Love Thursday has instilled appreciation into me on a massive scale, and without this blog I would no almost nothing about the Law of Attraction or EFT, which both work miraculously! I’ve been treating myself far better since reading many of your articles, become more grateful for what I have… not to mention how my fashion sense has developed in such a relatively short amount of time!
All in all, iCiNG has done nothing but good for me and has served as a muse for my creative soul to boot!
Best of luck for iCiNG’s next year!
happy birthday! i can’t believe it’s been a year! for me, iCiNG has been more than just a website – when it first started, i was in the middle of a horrendous, self-destructive relationship, and your articles gave me the strength and courage to get out of it. this year, i have grown up exponentially. i’ve stopped drinking, which was really starting to affect my life; i’ve become a lot more responsible for myself, as well as becoming more independent (i like to call it “good at life”). i’ve become a lot more creative and comfortable with my own sense of style, strange though it may be(!) of course, i can’t attribute all of these changes to iCiNG (i would like to take a little bit of the credit myself!), but i can without doubt say that it has helped me a whole lot. quite honestly, i feel like iCiNG has changed my perception about my life, myself and the people around me. gala, i’ve told you this before but you are an absolute inspiration, and i’m so, so proud of you! xxx
hi gala,
you have no idea how much you helped me throughout the whole year! thank you for your motivation to embrace life every single day! congratulations to ICiNG!!! yay for your lovely combination of fashion, advice and inspiration … well done!
hope you’ll keep posting! ***
What I love about Icing! Even after a day of horrible monotiny and boringness, I can come home and realize once again how wonderful life is and how much I adore it! This year has been a crazy one, what with a new high school, breakups, my parents separation, and my sister moving across the country, and I can’t thank you enough Gala, for continously bringing a smile to my face! I have never known a more upbeat or charming person! Please continue your fantastic work! Your website, as Victoria Beckham would no doubt put it, is major!
congratulations and THANKYOU sweetheart! you and icing have changed my life in ways too numerous to mention. big love to you gala and long live icing! xoxoxo
hi gala! i’m a 21 yr old gal from NYC and just stumbled upon your blog after perusing some LJ hair dying communities ;D i haven’t even been on your site for 15 minutes and i can already see that what you have here is absolutely wonderful and inspirational. i couldn’t agree more with your resistance to a mundane existence — my boyfriend and i both have big dreams we are trying to pursue (writing for magazines, owning a bar/venue..) while currently doing time in accounting and dentistry =/ but we want more, and we are determined to have it! people so often give up on what they love because they feel they need to make the big bucks, or surrender to occupational monotony just to get by. it’s wonderful to see that someone who dared to want MORE is having her dreams come true, and doing so much to spread happiness (and cupcakes!) and to help others to live more positive lives. cheers to you, gala! may you have many more years with iCiNG and doing what you love! <3
HAPPY BIRTHDAY ICING! much love from the mitten.
There are so many things I love about Icing that I am not even sure where to start! Gala you have been an inspiration to me because through you I have found that there is nothing wrong with expressing exactly who you are and just doing it. Although I was never ashamed of the way I dressed I hated the feeling I got when people would look at me and go “?” and without finding icing I am sure it would of still bothered me. You are an inspiration to many young women all around the world! Just keep doing what your doing and im sure there will be many more icing years to come! P.S wanna do an article on vegan cupcakes? I swear they are just as good :P
Congratulations!
Can I just say you look so photogenic all the time – something I just can’t pull off! x
IcIng has truly made me a nicer person. your posts about seeking out the good in the world have really changed my view. in the past i’ve often been one to look for the darker side of things. i’m really trying to change that. you are an amazing inspiration to those of us trying to see the the silver lining, rather than the clouds.
thank you!
(((big hugs)))
muah
amber
what i love about icing:
the inspiration it has given me to start actually putting into motion my version of gala’s fulfilling, joyous project. i am always so doubtful that the non-standard jobs i yearn to do will actually bear fruit, but you’ve proven it can be done. and it’s a darn good site that always gives me food for thought or, at the very least, eye candy! thanks, gala sweets.
you don’t have to enter me in the drawing; i’ll let some other lucky nonpareil win. just wanted to throw my two-plus cents in.
The best thing about iCiNG is how inspirational we all feel after reading your articles. I always feel happy and optimistic. I’m always prompted to start a new project. I’m always in the mood for a cupcake.
Yay, congratulations!
WOW! Congrats! You’re doing a great job and I love icinng:) And: My birthday was on the 16th Dec, too:)
I first came across iCiNG in August, after reading your column in Cosmopolitan. I was intruiged by your individuality and amazing style. My life has improved, drastically, thanks to you. I love the way you’re a real person who actually writes articles about questions people have asked (CAMP!). I love your Style Tips, a small way to brighten up a boring day. But most of all, I love Gala :)
HAPPY BIRTHDAY iCiNG! xxox
Honestly, iCiNG has given me the inspiration I needed to dismiss the black cloud hovering over my being for so long. I can’t even remember how I came across this enchanting site – everything happens for a reason.
I Love >>>
♥Things I Love Thursday! – my most favourite
♥Gala, you’re gorgeous photos
♥Inspiration
♥Madame
♥Style Tips
♥And of course those scrumptious Cupcakes!
I love you Gala, you’re a beautiful soul – Thank You.
I’m heading off to the US on Thursday, so if I dont get the chance to wish you all well… have a wonderful Christmas filled with happiness and joy and a New Year full of promise!
Remember,
Friends are like the gravy on the turkey at a Christmas feast – they are the sauce of life!
A very Merry Christmas my saucy ones!
Lots of Love & Kisses
♥Sammi ;P
xxox
I found your site, Gala, by doing a search for scarf-wearing tips. You hooked me with your optimism, cheerfulness, sweetness, great tips and insights, your open-hearted entrepeneurship and… your absolutely beautiful cuteness.
I love everything about iCiniNG, but if I have to point to specific things, here are my current faves:
- Your reviews – your voice is unique and I feel like we’re getting the real deal.
- Your advice.
- Your love of cupcakes.
- Carousel.
XOXO and Happy Holidays,
Lucy
Happy, Happy blog birthday! And Happy Holidays too, while we’re on with the well-wishing—looking forward to another year of cupcake love.
iCiNG has changed my life..
i discovered EFT which is one of the main reasons I am happy today.. plus all the other inspirational goodies you post remind me to be thankful and keep me in gratitude. thanks Gala, you are the best =)
A friend of mine told me about your site, I couldn’t be happier that she did! I go here first thing every day. I send links to your advice to other friends of mine. Everyone I know loves you now! Thank you for having decent advice and a great sense of style!
You are an inspiration for all the robots out there living life in their own way. You have showed me that a hobby can be more than just a hobby. I have more faith and confidence in myself because of your style tips, even the tips about how to walk better! Your words are encouraging and now if i want to wear fluro pink stockings outside of my house i’m not worried what people will think about them and instead i reap in the compliments with a big smile. Happy Icing Birthday and Congratulations on this wonderful blogging empire.
HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY iCiNG!!! You’re truly an international style/lifestyle child! xoxo
Happy Birthday iCiNG!
I stumbled across your corner of the world by chance and I’m so glad that I did. I adore everything about iCiNG (how could you not? ;) but what I really love the most of most is how you are so enthusiastic about fashion and living life to the full. How you believe in being who you want to be and how you are so willing to share everything that you learn with us. You are such an inspiration in so many ways.
I’m so glad that I found iCiNG.
You rock!
hugs
Oh… you guys are amazing. Reading this page brings tears to my eyes! Wah!
Hello There Ms Darling,
My little message will not be long, nor will it be prolific / prophetic. I am simply writing to tell you how fresh and lovely your contributions are. I, like you, am a young writer trying to find meaning in this mess of my twenties. This past year has been a struggle, to say the least. But iCing is terribly positive and encouraging and helps me stay focussed. So thanks! Cheers to you, Ms Darling. Good luck in all you do!
Sincerely,
Christine Montesano
Austin, TX USA
Oh Gala,
I don’t have an older sister, and for the whole 17 years of my life I’ve been looking for role models that could be like older sisters to me. When I was six years old, I walked five miles home after school every day for a month because I was too scared to take the school bus — the bullies on the bus would pull at my rainbow-colored pigtails. One day, I decided to walk to public library instead — it was seven miles away but I knew that if I returned home, Mommy would scold me for walking by myself in the snow. I found Vogue magazine and it became my inspiration and my little source of beauty and hope — something to look up to, to aspire to.
Flash forward this year, I’ve gotten published a few times, interned at a few places, but for a while I felt rather empty. I stumbled upon your blog after breaking up with my boyfriend of 2 years — became addicted to everything you say — you’re almost like the big sister I never had, in a way. You give helpful and fun and useful advice, and you make your readers feel good about their selves. After reading your blog for a few months, I’ve truly become happier, more fulfilled, more motivated, and more content with life.
iCiNG is…
cupcakes with pink butter cream icing and those yummy metallic balls. the click click clacking of an old typewriter. chocolate fondue with melting marshmallows. an overflowing flute of bubbly pink champagne. a stack of old books full of wise men’s quotes. a bucketful of glitter. lying on the grass and stargazing. watching clouds. dressing up. dancing barefoot. excessive glamour. old movies. a never-ending moleskine journal. arty photographs. thespian language. glass beads. vintage scarves. a handful of sequins. chinese silk. mismatched cups and saucers. meadows. daisy chains. letters and mail that give you butteflies in your tummy (good butterflies, not bill butterflies). a roadtrip down infinite roads. wandering round the streets of paris without a map. candy canes and sherbet lemons and rhubarb and custards and pick ‘n’ mix. pages of glossy fashion magazines. dreaming. pretty foreign letters and words. the quilt your grannie knitted you. dancing like no-one’s watching…
my stream of thoughts… it may not make sense but i’m extolling the metaphorical virtues my love.
congrats gala darling! much love,
Molly-May
I’ve never really followed a blog as thoroughly as I have done with iCiNG. It’s a treasure trove of excellent advice, photos, fashion, art, etc. I think the one thing that stuck out to me when I first visited the site was how personal the posts were. You aren’t afraid to admit your faults, but you always turn them around in a positive light. This has been my problem for my whole life, I always see things pessimistically. However, I believe iCiNG has really helped me view the world more positively. Things I Love Thursday, Daily Outfits, all these contribute to my perceiving things more optimistically. I look forward to these posts, and each post contains something new to me. I think over time, the anticipation of posts has developed into the anticipation for new days.
I came across iCiNG in Cosmo magazine and have been quite addicted to it ever since!
Thank you Gala for sharing you writing talents and making our days just a little more worthwhile with you fantastic fashion and life advice!
I have to say that I’ve come to enjoy my daily reading of this blog. You are my current internet crush! :) I love how you’ve always got the positive spin on how you write. I love your fashion tips, since I’m the type of girl who so desperately needs the help :)
You’re awesome Gala. Don’t ever forget it.
Without any hesitation I can write that iCing has definitely changed my life. As an ex-goth and self confessed pessimist I have been inspired to start valuing positivity through reading iCing (though I’ve only been reading it since September!).
Through the positivity and enthusiasm you display for fashion and life I have begun to start unwiring myself from years of thinking it was cool to be negative! You are certainly a role model for me and countless others (which is so different from what is perpetuated by the negativity that pervades the internet). You are an amazing person!
Anyhow, that said… I congratulate you on your successes and hope you continue to grow and achieve like you deserve to. Please never stop!
XX
(Sorry for the excessive use of exclamation marks)
I love iCiNG, because it inspires me to live a beautiful, fullfiling life.
Happy Birthday iCing!!
One of the weird things I love about the iCing project is simply the layout and colours of the page. When I’m in a bad mood there is something about looking at pink and sparkles and cupcakes and scrolling through lovely pictures that just makes me smile.
I also love that you respond to my emails Gala, and ‘talk back’ to the comments people make – it’s good to see that you care enough about your readers to interact with them, something you couldn’t do with a magazine format.
well i just came across the site today, and it already looks like i’ll be spending some time on here…interesting stuff.
x
I loveeee this site! It has opened up my eyes to a world of colorful hair, makeup and outfits I would have never dreamt of. It is the perfect website with advice, good quotes, fashion and international flair!
I just realized somehow I got a comma in my email address…..sorry. so I’m just reposting with the
CORRECT email. :[
What I love most about iCiNG is the feeling I get in my stomach…the feeling of butterflies and fluffy kittens and everything nice..waiting for the next day’s articles. And thinking “What else can she possibly think of doing next?”. I also love how much iCiNG has helped me in my day to day life; If it’s cutting out negative people,loving myself,style tips, or just organizing my closet. It is also great how iCiNG doesn’t just help me but the millions (2 million people to be exact and hopefully many more)of people who read it everyday.I love iCiNG because I know it will always have something interesting to be read on those cold and rainy days. I am happy to be apart of iCiNG’s first Birthday and may it live on for many many many years to come.
P.s. Thanks Gala for spending time to write such meaningful and positive articles.
;]
Hi Gala! In the path month, I’ve managed to read all your posts, recommended them to a bunch of friends, and I loved every minute of it. Your site provides inspiration on blah days, and just spreads all around cheer. I love the advice columns as well; many times they apply to me!
Thanks for creating and writing such wonderful articles!
My favorite part about iCiNG is Things I Love Thursday because without it I would have never discovered foto_decadent which I am not obsessed with so thank you Gala for that. iCiNG has inspired me to be more daring when I dress… I have started shopping with a new outlook and thinking more about what I wear. It’s fun to come up with all the different possible outfits. iCiNG comforts me because it is proof that no matter in what nook of the world one is (mine being Peru/South America)... style is possible and style can be defined so many ways. Anywaays… thank you Gala… I am glad breesays linked to you once upon a time on buzznet, otherwise I wouldn’t be able to read your blog and become inspired everyday.
i love the array of colour and fun it brings my otherwise boring work day! i can transport to a world of love and fun here… mwahhh to gala – plus it reminds me of my home, melbourne, which i miss dearly living in sydney! happy birthdayyyyyyyyyyyyy xox
I used to subscribe to you on Bloglines, but decided last week I wanted to delay gratification and have a hit of you every Thursday… I’m always blown away by the things you come across and tell us about. You’re awesome. Happy 1ST birthday! Wishing you many hugs and iced cupcakes :)
hmm i just tried posting a comment so i hope it doesn’t double post…
happy birthday iCiNG!!
i’m so proud of you, gala! you have done such a wonderful job with iCiNG!
i think what i like the most about iCiNG is that all your articles hold your real opinion and you seem so genuine and honest about helping people out & giving them tips. i love that you’re not afraid to be yourself, you write about whatever the hell you want to write about and say whatever you think.
total inspiration!
I love the photos, of course!
i have to say, i love the fashion articles, because you sure dress outside of the box, and as a sixteen year old from montreal, i love to get inspiration from your wonderful outfits! i love the ‘things i love’ articles, because it’s always fun to read your explanations for every item on the list
i am totally totally inspired by you and your site.
you truly truly rock.
i love you
♥
:D
WOW 245 comments! I have to say – since I read this post about a week ago my brain can’t stop ticking! And ’10 reasons you should never get a job’ really helped too. New goal for 2008 – have a crack at starting something up for myself! This post made me think how I don’t want to work for someone else for the next 35 years – I want to work till 4am if I feel like it, I want to take a day off if I feel like it! 2008 is where it’s at!
we share a birthday!
dec 16 is a special day :)
happy belated birthday haha _