Szu-Yuens.. Wedding Birthday Bash ..Tule overload!

Szu-Yuen didn't want to do just an ordinary birthday, she was pretty keen for an excuse to watch her wedding video a few more times.

So no your not seeing a crazy wedding without the grooms your seeing a bunch of girlys with a damn good excuse to dress up in wedding and bridesmaids dress's. AND eat cake and listen to LOTS of ABBA. We certainly did watch the wedding too - which was lovely, but also Muriel's Wedding too.

It was a hilarious afternoon.

Cakes, home and handmade by Szu's herself
The Birthday Girl!!
Crazy brides and belles...
The full monty!
Mari with cakes

Katy and Natasha, 2/5ths of the the Ladies who Lunch

Bingo, and its all the threes...

Yes on Monday I celebrated my 33rd birthday, the birthday that I had mislead myself to believe I was having last year (yes I do have trouble with counting and numbers, its why I am an accountant - god bless spreadsheets). It finally came around.

Sunday I was lucky enough to have friends who don't mind crossing London in monsoonal tourential downpours wearing wellington boots - yes they did wear them - to enjoy a cosy pint and sunday roast. Bless them all it was a lovely cosy afternoon.

Me at my birthday lunch at our local - the Dartmouth Arms

On Monday Mark and I went ice skating at the Natural History Museum, as its my favourite rink of all the ones in London. Luckily for us a Monday night is relatively quiet, though you always get the odd crazy skater, ie the person who cannot skate and attempts to throw themselves from end to end and usually in front of anybody who might fall. I got a bit of backwards skating in, so I have remembered my lessons and they were not wasted at all.

Me skating around the Natural History Museum

After that we went for a wander in the ice cold conditions to the Winterwonderland. On passing a chatty Christmas moose, we admired gorgeous mini wooden chalet houses in the German markets, watched crazy people on the rides braving the cold, Mark devoured a German sausage and me a roast pork roll. We could not finish without a warming drink, so on failing to find the Winter Pimms stand hot chocolate with Baileys was in order. We had pannekoeken for dessert to finish of the evening - yum yum!

Winterwonder and the talking Moose....of course!

Winterwonderland, my attempt at another award winning photo; what do you think?

Us at Winterwonderland

My Birthday Day

Today I celebrated my birthday with a few friends at a local gastro pub in Battersea where I live called the Westbridge, which does the most yummiest roast. I have since become quite addicted to them.

It was a lovely day, and I feel very spoilt, here are a couple of pics.

Another year has just whizzed by .... alas I turned 31

Yes it was my birthday on Friday and thankfully I was spoilt as I don't think my 1st Birthday in London (does that make me only 1 in London years....) would not have been such fun. I got lots of lovely texts, emails and cards from home, thanks Laura, Amy, Av, Jenni, Mel, Michelle, Tasha, Rosanna, Renee, Mum and Mum, Scott, Michael, Chris and Saroeun.

Av and Jenni sent me some gorgeous lillies, which arrived on my birthday and are just starting to open up today. They look lovely with my roses, that I brought myself to celebrate my passing the "Life in the UK" test, more on that later, so step one to my next Visa is done.

I have a nice selection of cards too, most of which arrived in time for my birthday too. Royal mail was on form for a change, so feeling more hopeful they have cleaned up their act I actually went down to the post office the other day and got a few things posted off (fingers crossed). Hopefully they get there prior to Xmas along with a few Xmas cards that got sent out too.

At work, I did try to hide when my birthday was and I nearly got away with it. However, I must have let it slip a couple of weeks ago to one of the girls who actually made a note on her calendar! Damn it. So I got the standard work place humiliation which consisted of the entire office of around 40 people turning up at my desk (well my bosses, whilst I was in the middle of a heated discussion with him) with cake, donuts and lolllies, all belting out Happy Birthday to me. Well you can imagine that despite my knowing it was going to happen I was still stunned, and blushed a fabulous shade of red, that a lobster would be proud to show. I also got a box of chocolates and a card signed by everyone in the office.

It's an amazing cultural change from where I used to work, that is for sure - but you gotta love it, as it is moral boosting. There was talk of taking it away as it costs about 20 quid for each persons birthday, but seriously, I think the birthday extravagance of this company is imbedded in the company charter, much like the constitution, so would cause mass outrage, uproar, and possibly a full office revolt if it was taken away.

At lunchtime we had a casual lunch out at a local restaurant, very last minute and only just a few of us, but when time came to pay the bill, they would not let me pay. Lovely, very spoilt.

Friday night saw me meander out the door at a little before 6pm, which seriously in that office is an early minute on a Friday!! A few of us headed to Roundhouse, a pub in Covent Garden - in the pouring rain I might add (and its never ever rained on my birthday) - for a couple before heading to Doon Bar in the Albanach Pub on Trafagar Square for the proper celebrations. Lots of my lovely English friends were there so I was a very happy camper for the night and managed to get in lots of chats, drinks, presents, dancing and even a Tequila.

Alas it had to end and after much dancing and chatting the night was over and a cab was hailed. There was no hangover fortunately, lots of water and stuffing my face at 3am with cream cheese with ham and sundried tomatoes on crackers, saw to that.
The next morning I was a bit slow, a bit tired, but happier that I had moved to being 31 years old with a good time had!! Plus I was off to Worthing to see Anne so more fun was going to ensue.... the bonus was that it was brilliantly sunny too.

Anne's Girly Birthday Lunch

Last Sunday on 30th September it was Annes birthday, so I went down to visit her for the day, to have lunch with all her girlfriends at a lovely pub at Shoreham by Sea. It was a gorgeous day for it too.
The Birthday Girl...



View from the Pub...it was so sunny and bright...a bit chilly out in the wind though..

It's My Birthday - Lisa's 30th Celebrations

Well I had a fantastic night and am so glad I got to see so many of my friends all together all in one place. I know it was a school night, but you'll have to blame; partly, me for being slack in organising it earlier, that Kylie bird who had a concert on (who does she think she is) and Xmas parties for booking out the Archer on a Friday night!!!!

Aside from that it was a great night and thank you very much to all you lovely bubbly people who came along to wish me well for my entrance to the - Dirty Thirties....well cannot wait for .......bring it on!

See below for all the fabulous photos of the night. Love ya's all - Lisa :-) xxxxxxxxxx


Me with my Cherry Ripes to take home...yummo

John with his wife Sue and Rossco

Me and my business partner and friend extraordinaire, Amanda

Mike, Chris, Scott, Mark, Saroeun and ME!

Lisa, Scott, Emma and Matt - Funny!

Me with Andy, Anne and Maryke

John and a very happy Melly poo.

Me and long time friend Davey Baby

Cutting the cake

Girly pals - Mel, Eva and Lisa

Me with my yummy cake

Ahhh soo cute - Chris and Saroeun

The boys, all together now.

The cake

Me and lovely Polish Princess Eva

Lovely girlys; Renata and Sue

Soon to be newly weds, Tuti and Brad

Melly making eyes

Lisa and Kelly, see you in the UK darlin'

Cute couple - must be us!!

Cutting the cake with token appreciation at Mark having already turned thirty - hahahaha

Roy and Sue - the pending proud grandparents of lovely Heathers bubs...

My darling friend - Jen...miss ya lovey...