Are you ready for September's Birthday Bonanza?

Carpe Diem

In an essay on birthdays for The Gentlewoman, Sophie Hastings notes that the Ancient Romans were the first to celebrate the anniversaries of mere mortals - it was only gods and pharaohs before that - and that it was not until the 12th Century (!) that this applied to women as well as men - consider it a civic and feminist duty to celebrate yours and everyone elses..

September's Birthday Bonanza

This is by far the most popular month for birthdays according to my friend The Internet. Approximately 22 million people worldwide will celebrate theirs today, and the most common birthdays in the world are September 9th, 10th, and 15th. Famous September babies include Zendaya, Sophia Loren, Beyonce and Colin Firth.

Whether turning one, or one hundred (and anything in-between) we have a stylish card for the occasion, including our playful new Streamers design in your choice of two hand-painted colours...

It's All About You

Not everyone loves a birthday. It can be a challenge to acknowledge the passing of time, or as an introvert to suddenly find yourself the centre of attention, but in honouring the birthdays of ourselves and others, we acknowledge and celebrate everyone's uniquely special place in this world. Never listen to anyone who says they don't or won't celebrate - send a card at the very least so they're not sitting glumly at home feeling forgotten, they will notice and be grateful, even if grudgingly!

Give Something Special

Read on for Scribble & Daub's guide to four kinds of versatile gifts that will delight anyone at any age...

1. Something to read...

Books are always a good idea. Think about what your person loves and find a beautiful, rare or unusual tome on the subject - don't forget to write an inscription inside to mark the occasion and remind them of you every time they open it. Birthday cards also make great bookmarks!

For kids, try to find something a bit different to the usual suspects - this beautifully illustrated trio are favourites in our house: The Wonderful Egg | A Nutshell Library | Harold & the Purple Crayon

Bestow the gift of a life lived more fabulously with a copy of Modern Manners - it covers hosting, gifting and birthdays, alongside an idiosyncratic and informative collection of gratifyingly short essays to amuse and inspire bon viveurs everywhere.

2. Something to Eat

A sweet treat is an ever reliable choice - Boissier's juicy Jelly Bears are great for little ones, or for slightly more sophisticated palettes, try this pretty tin of cherry Love Hearts (we will be re-stocking our virtual shelves with more of Boissier's chic confections in the coming weeks...)

Sous Chef is a great source of European condiments and confections in great packaging - a really good bottle of olive oil or a fancy jar of mustard is always going to be appreciated.

3. Something to look forward to...

The best gifts are those that keep on giving - a friend once gave me a huge bag of wild tulip bulbs and now every year they appear and I think of her.

A highlight of this week was seeing Miranda Sinclair's work with photographer Polly Brown for the latest issue of World of Interiors magazine (see Richard E Grant as a chandelier, above), prompting me to resubscribe after many years' hiatus. I'm excited to return to a slower pace of image and content consumption, one silky page at a time.

A subscription to anything - flowers, coffee, chocolate - makes a really generous and wonderful gift - be sure to post a card to let them know it's coming.

4. Something for nothing...

Print a great photo and put it in a frame, include the promise of a few hours of baby sitting when you write their card, make a posy from your garden or a local hedgerow (forage responsibly!), or ask all their friends to contribute a song to a personalised mix tape or playlist...

There are so many creative ways you can make someone feel special without splashing cash on a gift, just don't scrimp on the card - homemade is best of all, Scribble & Daub a close second - written with a proper ink pen please!

Be Prepared

My two nieces have birthdays this month, and hot on the heels of school holiday chaos, even I can be caught short. If you find yourself similarly stuck, keep a birthday box on your desk, or a stash of blank cards close to hand. I'll be drawing their cards tomorrow - and popping a lottery ticket in each one for fun.

Happy Birthday to all the virtuous Virgos and lovely Libras, and good luck to everyone keeping up with the birthday card dispatches this month!