As my daughter said to me "ha. you're 36 now"... step by step guide to birthday-ness...

1. make a few calls. send a few emails. get the birthday ball rolling.

2. get waxed. get a haircut. get a babysitter. get your bags packed.

3. book an awesome hotel (good girl Pip)

4. obligatory 'me n my sister in cafe' shot (i could fill a book with our cafe shots)

5. what you see here is a 'baby YO' hand pose. It's a long story...

anyway, chillax in a most bodacious city.

6. gather friends around you. (i am skipping the photos that say: 7. drink wine. 8. drink cocktails. 9. EAT so much good food. 9. talk so much that you looooose your voice - yes, really. 10. run around a hotel lobby in various states of shoe and non shoes)

11. gifts!

12. more gifts?

13. family (now my birthday & life is complete)

14. you don't think i'd fail to list cake, did you?...

CAKE! and plenty of it.

15. another gift... ummmm, 'coz i'm worth it'?

16. he deserves an embarrasing shot of himself on the cyberlink because he is a bad boy.

(brotherfish in old plastic highlights cap that the kids had out as part of their superhero costumes)

17. did i say 'the kids' superhero costumes'?...

make that, the kids and grandma.

18. be home. recover. catch up on work. recover.

shake a little bit during the alcohol withdrawal period.

recover.

happy birthday me.

The Art of Tea, Manchester...

MsFish

and MrsB

Tea & Food

Happiness

Friendship x

Dearest Friend...

Thankyou for (yet another!) fantastic weekend.
You have made a very hectic lady, very happy. And a fairly dis-jointed family feel a little more 'glued'. Thankyou for the time, the effort, the DETAIL, the love that you put into our stay. It was all noted and all appreciated.

Thankyou for being 'oh so' pretty and fun. Thankyou for looking so good in that shirt (i must get me one the same...)

Thankyou for the sweetest Birthday presents and for making my birthday as relaxed and as lovable as i wanted it to be.

Thankyou for playing, buying, wearing and enjoying! all those crazy glasses. I even KNOW you are wearing yours today! You must have known i wore mine to drop the littleone at playgroup too?

I could eat you in these glasses with your fantastic pink Mac x

Thankyou for tea and cake and talk and laughter and sharing cheese fondue.

This is me .... always watching you! (Life thru a lens x)

Thankyou for sharing your home and your family because, even though i know you love us too, sharing your home can be an invasion of sorts, and always a little bit worrying...

Thankyou for letting me have the greatest 'chubby cuddle' i have had since mine was 8months old and pleeeaasssseee forgive me for sharing her gorgeousness with blogland when she isn't mine to share at all.

To my Dearest friend,

thankyou, thankyou, thankyou.

Yours, Monday morning, sad but happy, still a little hungover, woozy with love for us all, enjoying the thoughts of what we'll do next time....

K x

Appendage...

I bought Gocco cards: from HIM And...Teddycat!!! from HERE

And i cannot wait to show you the photos of my crafty friend MrsB..... x

hahaha - meet Sally x

Me and Sally at the Whitworth Art Gallery - Manchester Mafia Craft Fair!!
She told me "That will come out blurry" - Sally is just so darn CAPABLE! and organised and clever and ...tiny! I expected someone soooo tall and this little Dachsund ran up to me and gave me the cutest cuddle, i was smitten x

The ManFish and ToddleFish standing outside - phew, what a building! gorgeous x
Sally serving customers: Sallyent

GreyGoat - you know fantastic silky knickers and scarf tops (my friend Toni is maybe buying one in the near future...)

Lady who uses lots of 'Harris Tweed' - saving up for her trip to Marrakesh (I've been to Marrakesh actually, it is amazing - i back packed Morocco in my heady youth)

Crazy Button lady who was wearing a lovely colourful skirt and tights. I liked her stall... well it was buttons!!!!

Megan Price and hubby / partner - she is a stunner! What a corker. Stylish and uber-sexy. I bought some Gocco print cards from the Man - Mr, MrP.S!

Naturally i had a coffee or 2 but i was in a rush because i wanted to spend time with my lovely friend Antonia and family..... x What a well presented fair x Nice to kiss you Sally x