My Birthday Soireeeeee!

bit dark but it brightened up...

 Yesterday I had an absolutely gorgeous little birthday barbecue/garden party.  It was a casual, relatively last minute affair but I was overwhelmed by the amount people who battled the multiple tube line closures to get to us and boy-oh-boy I was showered with beautiful cards and gifts! Each indivdual card and/or pressie was so thoughtful and perfect.

I genuinely wasn't expecting anything at all - I always think the fact people come to toast your birthday with you is a gift in itself, everyone's so busy and nobody wants to travel across London at the weekend but turn up they did and I had a ball!

We had dressed up the garden with the bunting I had made, the lanterns and fairy lights my lovely friend L had lent to us and my wishes for sun seemingly answered, we fired up the barbecue.

I served 2 types of cocktails (Jasmine Delight & Gin Fizz) out of teapots into my new little Frost French glass teacups. The cocktails and cups went down a storm, I made several teapot loads throughout the day.

The Big One did one of his infamous quizzes and despite a controversial scoring debate 'The Asian Connection Team' won.

A round of ice-cream cones, complete with strawberry sauce and hundreds and thousands later we lit all the candles outside and R&K gave me the beautiful gift of a wish lantern. I wrote my wish on it, lit it then we all watched as the lantern floated away carrying my wish high into the night sky.

There was rain, making us each grab cushions and rugs and run in (several times), but that just seemed to add to the party spirit, people set up camp in almost every room and then would mingle. I just floated from space to space chatting to everyone I could.

It was one of those perfect parties where people drop in throughout the afternoon/evening making the dynamics in the group constantly change.

I am so very lucky to have (so many) friends from all different walks of life and each of them seem to love meeting and chatting to each other whether it be for the first time or not.

I love my friends, they are my family and when I have days like yesterday they each make me feel that I am family to them as well.

Thank you to you all, you made my birthday, each and every one of you!

"Friends are relatives you make for yourself."

  ~Eustache Deschamps