you gotta walk like an elephant, run like a beaver: my birthday celebrations

There's only one time of the year where I like to be a self-confessed attention seeker and that is my birthday! The rest of the year I just don't confess to it.  Believe me, my nineteeth was no exception. I had a quaint, albeit quiet, weekend where I just chilled out with some of my favourite people and had a nice bit of childish fun.

top, car boot sale £1 | beach bag, charity shop £2

Naturally, I had a sort of birthday weekend! On Friday, Luke and I ventured to our local Italian for some gorgeous food! I was a horrendous blogger and didn't snap photographs of my food because, as well as being a blogger, I'm a complete impatient fatty ;) With a gorgeous creamy funghi crostini and tagliatelle al salmone right in front of me can you really blame me?! I wolfed it all down and loved every second of it. We thought we'd better end the night there before we slipped into food comas but the waiter, being the generous Italian that he was, wanted us to taste the desserts so he chucked in a Tiramisu for free ;) We ended up waddling home with happy bellies but with that slight inkling that spontaneous combustion was possible at any time. I spent Saturday enjoying myself in one of my favourite ways to do so - nosing round the car boot with my best friend, Ebony. It was sun drenched and full to the brim with sellers so it's safe to say we were in our element. We spotted the usual strange offerings, came across the usual annoying sellers and managed to track down some pretty lovely things. Although, I think some of us EBONY! have got to the point where we've bought so much at the booties that we now need to take the place of the sellers! I found that perfect beach bag on the shelf in one of my local charity shops and knew it had to be mine! Anyone else found any too-good-to-be-true items in the charity shops lately?

We had a lovely picnic in the zoo before embarking on our epic tour of all the animals. Thankfully, all the birds stayed away. The last time I went to a zoo I cried my eyes out because a goose was watching me eat. I'm such a tit. Stand out animals of the day? Always Orangutans and, of course, the baboons. Is it natural/unsickening to admit that my family and I trailed back to watch the baboons fight/shag/groom a few times before leaving?! If the tomfoolery of baboons isn't entertainment I really don't know what is! Luke had never been to a zoo before WTF, I KNOW! so he was pretty alarmed at the sight of a chunky baboon wacking its willy out and chasing suitors around but I think he's recovered now - just. Little fun Bee fact for you - I celebrated my first birthday at a zoo too ;) I had a whale of a time, particularly when it came to singing S.Mouse's hit 'You at the Animal Zoo' all round the park - much to my mother's un-amusement. Here's a few photographs of animals that actually wanted a camera strewn in their face. Check out this sexy ass Camel ;)

I was massively lucky on the ol' gift/££ front this year. I've realised that if you tell relatives you would like spending money for your holiday you end up in the green, whey! I mainly got dosh this year as that's what I was after but I also got some awesome gifts from my close ones - as pictured below. I couldn't find everything to photograph. Everything just gets put in my room then immerses itself amongst all the older stuff. Luke got me some awesome stuff like the travel journal I'd blogged about and some bright yellow shorts that I massively wanted. They make me feel like a superhero! Mamabear has a habit of tracking down some of the strangest CD's in existence for my birthdays so that explains the Hoff CD. It's quite hilarious really; we listened to it all the way to Paignton. Dear Jesus! Ebony painted me the cutest painting about our relationship. It's about two flowers that are planted near to one another but not close enough to touch. I love our creepy relationship; I really do. Luke's actually worried that I'll run off with her. I think that's why he made me a super lovely card - complete with my beloved cherry blossom! Don't you just love birthday creativity?

I'm going to leave this epic post at that! If you've read all that - well done and get a hobby! To reward you for your efforts, here's a photograph of Luke and I proving that we are the sexiest couple in the whole of the South West! I'm off to go get my hair done now - eek! Have an awesome rest of the week! I'll be back Friday providing I've bothered to start sorting holiday stuff out by then. Keep smiling!