If Carlsberg did Birthdays... (Part 1)

With four days of celebrations and more to come, I thought I'd give you a little rundown of what I did and where, just because I'm so overwhelmed by it all, I have to share!  Seeing as we did so much I’m going to break it down in to four parts…

Thursday – the day itself!

The highlights:

• early morning card opening with my Boy.
• birthday bling
• homemade macaroons
• Biscuiteers delivery
• afternoon tea
• wearing red for the first time
• beeeeeeoooooootiful gifts
• surprise cocktails and dinner with the girls
• table dancing!

I started off the day a bit tired and hazy after a rather late evening at work on the Wednesday, and then ridiculous train delays, so it meant all my birthday prep (nails, packing, etc) took me late in to the night. Mr G came home early from his night shift and woke me with cards and his present – some SERIOUS birthday bling!

Birthday Bling from the Boy!

The conversation went something like this

Me: is that diddy bag from you?

Mr G (in a no-sleep daze): muh

Me: that is not Mulberry handbag-shaped. That is jewellery shaped.

Mr G: yuh

Me: this is both risky and exciting…

Mr G: buh

*I unwrap the blingiest ring since the engagement bling came my way that snowy day in NYC*

Me: OMG…

Me: OMG!

Mr G: uh?

Me: I LOVE it. Totes amaze!

I then proceeded to stare at it all day in a way I expect new mothers do with their newborn child. The boy done good!

Biscuiteers arrival from Jasmine!

So anyway, I digress! I toddled off to the station, treated myself to a birthday Black Forest hot chocolate, spent the commute answering calls, texts and Facebook messages from all my buddies and then spent the rest of the day working really hard (obvs!), collecting personal packages from the mail room, including my birthday dress and a beautiful personalised Biscuiteers biscuit from my friend Jasmine, nibbling Nora's homemade macaroons, having a long chatty lunch (totes) and then enjoyed a scrummy afternoon tea with my work girls in our in-house bar and café on Level 4 (which I refer to as “the resort” floor)…  having seen them all only a hour previously for a big lunch, it was rather indulgent to then stuff my face with dinky sandwiches (with crusts removed), scones and mini pastries, but hey, you only turn 30 once!



mmmmmmm macaroons



The girls bought me a beautiful, delicate Alex Monroe bracelet from Astley Clarke (the home of the other little blue box to get excited about). So lucky!

Afternoon tea

After tea time, and a brief return to my desk, I took myself off to the loos (Boots advert style) to get ready for my surprise night out with the School Girls.

Blue birthday box!

It was all kept top secret from me and Kim B was the chosen one, sent by Kim S to collect me from the office and deliver me to the secret location. With a red herring clue thrown in by Kim S about the lack of time “to go home to change” and so I had to get changed at work, I assumed we were heading back out of London and to somewhere near home and it was only when I clocked the Oyster come out of Kim’s pocket (we recently saved ourselves £500 by removing Zone 1 from our annual season tickets) that I realised we were to be partying in central London.

Kooky cocktails at Foundation

A quick tube hop from the Wharf to Covent Garden and we found ourselves in Foundation having pink champagne and kooky cocktails in jam jars, poured from tea pots and served with custard creams or in margarita glasses with the salt replaced with popping candy.  What made it even more surprising was that Lucy had said she was working late (a lie) and burst in with a birthday balloon, and Liz, Caroline and Kim S trekked all the way to London for the night out (Katie and Kim B already being Londonites!). We were having a great time, catching up, opening presents (SO many gorgeous presents – my girls know me so well!) and drinking our cocktails, when an announcement was made. I had to drink up. NOW!

And that was that. I went to the loo and returned to find all my bits and bobs had been packed up and we were on our way…

…to Circus!!!!!

drinks at Circus

I’d been going on and on about this restaurant and bar since I’d seen it on the last season of The Apprentice. I considered it for a work Christmas party venue (and discounted it on the basis of the potential nudity… after the previous year’s, uh, mishap!) and so was desperate to find another reason to go.

And my girls got me in!

Totes amaze.

Girls at the top table

They were so sneaky on arrival in not letting the waitress see us to our table and ushered me through to the bar where we had some more bubbly… and then they unveiled the last surprise of the night – we were on the Top Table, the table that the performers use as a stage throughout the evening. It’s so hard to get booked in on here, and when you do, it costs you an arm and a leg in cheeky set-menu costs, but somehow they managed to not only get us on there, but got us the option of the a la carte menu.

just your average entertainment - two girls and a hoop!

It. Was. Brilliant. Contortionists, girls hanging from hoops, dancing brides, fire breathers… they were great. Even better that the menu is full of Asian cuisine (my fave) and as we watched the glittery girls and guys perform their hearts out, I was stuffing my face with assorted dim sum and Thai green curry. Yummy scrummy in my tummy.

After the whole restaurant sang happy birthday (to a number of other people as well) and I’d blown out the candle on my jar-cake, of course we Essex girls were the first ones up and dancing on the table.

"all the single ladies..."

And that was where we stayed until I had to drag the Yummy Mummies (Kim S and Caroline) in to a cab to make the last train home.

I finally made it to bed at 2.30am overwhelmed and emotional at the birthday love I’d received and the effort everyone had gone to for l’il old me.

Totes emosh!

Table dancing at 30 - aging disgracefully!

Part two coming soon, plus a more detailed review of Circus in the coming weeks!