Oui, mes petites, it’s time for Things I Love Thursday! The biggest, happiest, most fabulous, ooey-gooey lovefest this side of… well, Burning Man maybe! Those of us in the northern hemisphere are experiencing one of the most beautiful season changes right now, while those of you in the antipodes (hello, Friday!) are watching spring come to fruition! How could you not be delighted?! Join with me in this week’s TiLT — my last list aged 24! Shocking!

The things I love this Thursday, in no particular order… Drumroll, please!

Porch swings! More specifically, the one I’m sitting in right now to write this! There is dappled sunlight & people walking around & beautiful houses all the way down the street. It’s amazing. There is no better place to write a gratitude list from, I swear, especially while listening to the Legendary Pink Dots. I am a major swing fan, so having one right outside the front door at my disposal is pretty much the best thing ever!

Arriving in New York at midnight… & being greeted by a dozen cupcakes from my favourite cupcakerie in NYC… & a cute boy to share them with! Awwww, geez.

Fashion week madness — It has been super-fun. I haven’t logged hundreds of hours in the tents, because I value my sanity too much — ha! — but the time I have spent there has been fabulous. Yuli has totally taken care of me & shown me a really good time, as well as showing me plenty of tricks of the trade for next year! It’s really, truly fabulous to sit in on the shows, & even more interesting to observe the general scene. I love to see what people are wearing, listen in on their conversations & soak up the atmosphere! It’s a different world inside the tents — so much so that when you walk out onto 42nd Street, you almost get culture-shock. I’m really loving the whole experience & think next year will be even bigger & better!

My New York experience in general — I am having a damn good time, oh yes! Highlights so far include “trend-spotting” at a party for Tattoo Society magazine, holding hands, eating dinner at Pure Food & Wine, luxuriant lounging on the world’s largest velvet couch, sleeping in a lovely cool bedroom, walking blocks & blocks in uncomfortable shoes but not minding because my company was so hilarious, American accents (I love them, okay?), getting really dressed up all the time, non-creepy strangers on the street telling me I look beautiful, sweet phonecalls & hugging people I haven’t seen in too long (like, omg, a whole month!)!

My birthday outfit — No, not my birthday suit, my birthday outfit! Mmmmm. Yes ma’am. I bought a dress & shoes from Betsey Johnson the other day, & I cannot wait to wear them. I took the dress out of its garment bag last night, & I actually squealed. God, I’m so excited. The whole outfit is totally Barbie on acid, it’s amazing. Plus, you know you did good when you send a photo to your mother via email, & when she looks at it, the first words out of her mouth are, “Oh, WOW!” I also discovered that the free underwear I got at the Betsey show has a glittery cupcake on the front with a candle stuck in the top — hello, birthday knickers!

Impatient by Will.I.Am — It’s like the story of my life. Which is not to say I’m not enjoying the present moment (apologies to Eckhart), because I am, yes I am! But I am also super-excited about the future. There are always so many amazing things on the horizon! I can’t wait to see a certain cutie who gets back to the city tomorrow, & I get to see Star (who I met on my birthday in 2006!) tomorrow night too! I’m going to embrace my Virgo soulmate on Saturday morning, before we run all over the city collecting birthday supplies, & then we’re going to have big decadent partyyyy, then elope to Vegas for our honeymoon… Seriously, way too exciting, & way too much awesome for one girl alone to handle!

Will.I.Am in general — Honestly, the whole Songs About Girls album is phenomenal, though my favourite tracks are Ain’t It Pretty, Spending Money, Over & Heartbreaker. So good it warranted a heart-shaped bullet-point all of its own!

The official Gala tribute cupcake made by my brilliant friend Jess, who unfortunately can’t be in New York City for my birthday bash on Saturday…

Honourable mentions: Watching Grease on the plane; using my Helio phone again!; hanging out with Timmy Crunk at Auckland airport (aw!); sleeping on the plane with the blanket covering my entire body, including my head; kissing; beautiful warm weather; compliments which make me blush; big packages in the mail; watching fashion TV at 6am & talking over the top of it; antique handcuffs; pink stains in the bathtub; colour un-coordination with an entire house; my bags from Femme Sud!; making new friends; raw dinner dates; glossy black manicures; Coilhouse magazine (it’s a beauty, you should snap it up!) & their mention of me in their acknowledgements — awww!: realising my signature looks like it says “Galaxy“!; slightly terrifying energy drinks; hanging out with my birthday twin (same day & year!); preparing my “things I did the year I was 24” list; fashion week swag bags; genetic miracles; the 9/11 tribute (pretty beautiful), & um… cute boys in general! I am a fan.

How about you, gorgeous?