Today is our dear Music Editor Stef’s 31st birthday! This is a really exciting occasion because if there’s anything that makes you feel better about where you are in life than turning 30, it’s turning 31. Trust me, I speak from experience.
Anyhow, Stef turns THIRTY ONE TODAY! Stef is a very special human. She’s a founding member of Autostraddle.com and has worked all five A-Camps, serving as A-Camp Family Band leader and Get In The Van Icon. Stef is an amorphous weirdo who has many life passions, including Selena, darkness, vegan nonsense, t.A.t.U., her cat that I’m allergic to, and The Spice Girls. Stef knew everybody before they were famous. Stef and I have broken up as friends like 3-4 times in the past seven years, but it’s all good now. The first time I met Stef, it was when she got Carly and I into a Northern State concert. The next time I hung out with Stef, we went to a strip club. Stef accidentally ended up in the same place as Kate Moennig twice in 24 hours, which means Kate Moennig was probably stalking Stef. Stef is Mel B’s personal policewoman. Stef knows where to get an inexpensive vegan lunch in your area. Stef will send you drugs in the mail. Hahahahaa jk no she won’t. (Yes she will!) (Of course not! That’s illegal!) (I’d never!)
So here’s the deal: we recently put out a call for a new intern and applicants were required to submit a cover letter and a birthday card for Stef (to show off their photoshop skillz) and there were something like 40 applicants so that’s a lot of birthday cards! We were so impressed by the applicants that we ended up hiring three interns instead of one? But we also wanted to hire everybody! Regardless, although there were variations in other aspects of the job, one fairly universal aspect of every application was that you made a really sweet and creative and interesting birthday card for Stef.
I wanted to share at least some of them here with you today — for Stef, but also for you, the world!
So, Happy Birthday Stef, love Autostraddle and a bunch of really talented Straddlers.
by Tango B.
By Natalie M.
By Kelsey O.
By Jane W.
by Mack D
by Megan W
by Alex R
By Katie G.
By Raquel
By Bri P.
By Nani A
By Caitlyn B.
By Heather W.
By Amy L.
by Raquel
by Allison T
by Laura D
by Rachel W.
By Quinn SK
By Taylor B.
By Nikki
by Cecelia
They got you a Birthday Bomb
i feel like you deserve an A+ First Award for always being First
If I’d known Stef was right behind me, I would have given her precedence
oh my fucking god you guys <3
best post of all time
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, STEF, YOU PERFECT HUMAN, YOU!
the tweets one though… shit, I need to go follow you on twitter!
Couldn’t have said it better myself. HAPPY BIRTHDAY STEF YOU DELIGHTFUL ANIMAL YOU!
All the cats were meowing Happy Birthday Stef this morning.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ScOGcdWuPM
This’s sort of terrifying but also very relevant?
you wonderful thing, my GF is gonna get the scariest surprise ever
This is like, my next goal in life. It would be weird if it were my ultimate goal, but somewhere between getting a steady well-paying job and buying a home, I would like to have the straddleverse crowdsource my birthday cards. Happy Birthday Stef!!!
Big thumbs-up to the ridiculous talent on this website and the abundance of cats.
I have so been looking forward to this post! It exceeded my expectations. I really have no idea how y’all are going to be able to pick just one intern.
PS. Happiest birthday Stef! Cheers!
I’m going to retire from the internet now. It can’t get any better than this.
That was probably the most fun I’ve ever had with photoshop, and that was definitely the first time I’d ever scrolled someone’s instagram just to collect pictures of their cat. XD
Happy birthday from another freshly 31 Scorpio!
I AM SO PLEASED.
happy birthday, Stef!
*insert picture of dapper yet unpretentious cat here*
Should I be thrilled or offended that someone photoshopped K Stew over my face?
i think you should be thrilled that somebody photoshopped your body onto K-Stew’s face, probs
Happy Stef Day!!! <3 <3 <3
steffffffffff
“Oooooh Scorpio / they say I’m shrewd in a feud / I don’t quite break or bend / I can see through your soul / And out the other end…!” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6_VAiznSTc Joyeux anniversaire!
This is AMAZING. I want to cry. I am crying. Autostraddle! Stef! Members! Everything!
Happy Birthday Stef. Happy rest of 31 too. Your thirties are the best, enjoy them all. Love.
Oh my gosh this is the best and I love the stalking that went into it. Happy birthday, you weirdo human <3
Stef, I don’t know you personally, but all of these photoshops and cats and glitter and Joan Jett sure gave me the hots for you.
Enjoy the 31st! I hear 32nd is better though. Just not as much as 33rd. And then again, the 34th, I hear, is legendary.
31!!!!! Woo!!!! 31 club!!!! I feel like I learned so much about you from these weirdos’ photoshop projects, Stef. Wow.