WEEK TWENTY-THREE

Where do I even begin? This week was beyond amazing. The weather was GORGEOUS, and even though I didn't do that much actual sightseeing, I had a very active week full of fun, friends and memories that will last me a lifetime.

Let me start by bragging on my main squeeze for a bit...

James made a serious effort to make sure my twenty-seventh birthday was one for the books. Y'all, I basically got two whole weeks of Birthday Queen service! James handled the laundry, cooked AND cleaned the kitchen all while being very sweet, patient and loving to me. He, hands down, went above and beyond the call of duty. Did he need to treat me like a helpless child to make my birthday great? YES!  #helpmeimmarried No, but it certainly made me feel very special and I am so happy that we set this precedent in our relationship! wink!

Monday, I woke up with James and headed off to Oxford Street to do some camera shopping. Yes! I am getting a camera for my birthday! I know nothing about cameras, so I went to John Lewis to get information and try some out. Once I was sufficiently confused, I walked around Oxford for a bit and then worked my way back to the tube to head back to Islington. Monday was the only day it rained last week, but it was worth it because I was able to get some awesome shots of a double rainbow over Chapel Market.

 It was beautiful out on Tuesday, so Kristen met me in Islington to take Oliver for a walk around Highbury Islington fields. After our walk, we went over the Alwyne Castle and grabbed a drink and a snack before our Bachelor date. The special thing about this Bachelor date is... SOME OF THE BOYS CAME! James and Paul decided to grace us with their presence and join us for pizza. Paul even made us cookies from scratch!

Wednesday was my actual birthday, so I decided to pop into the Castle and enjoy a beverage on the rooftop terrace and catch some rays.

James came home at 5:00 PM (which was a super surprise) and he brought me some tulips. 

black like my soul. love them!

A few weeks ago, I was invited to a press launch of a new restaurant in Hoxton called Made in the Shade. I didn't have any set plans for my actual birthday, so the timing worked out perfectly!

When James and I got to the restaurant around 8:30, there was already a big crowd. We were greeted at the door by friendly staff who gave us our drink tickets and urged us to enjoy ourselves. Will do!

My first impression of the restaurant was that it reminded me of a speakeasy with the dim lighting and wooden bar. I thought it had a nice, laid-back feel. Though I am not particularly familiar with the renowned names behind this new establishment, I was impressed with the mixology and we both enjoyed our drinks thoroughly. Our favorite part was the huge ice cubes. They cut all their cubes from a huge block of ice, and it definitely adds a bit of sophistication to your drink! As for the canapes floating around, we didn't get that many, but what we did try was delicious! We loved the Caribbean twist! I would recommend checking this place out! Here's the website: http://mitshoxton.co.uk/

We had such a great time chatting with some Brits we met at our table that we stayed longer than we expected. Everything food-wise was closed, so we just grabbed a frozen pizza from Sainsbury's and called it a night.

AHH! THE WEEKEND!

A bunch of us girls had plans to check out this London club for an upcoming hen do, or as Americans say, a bachelorette party. My friend did as most Londoners do and organized the night through a club promoter. Everything was in order-- name on list, free entry before 11PM, table for six and free drinks throughout the night. Sounds nice right?! Think again.

 NAME AND SHAME TIME!! 

BEWARE OF PAUL, A CLUB PROMOTER AT NO. 5 CAVENDISH! HE WILL TELL YOU ANYTHING JUST TO GET YOU THROUGH THE DOOR! DON'T GIVE THIS PLACE YOUR MONEY!

Paul totally misled us. He promised our group of seven free entry before 11PM, a table and free drinks all night. What we actually got was us waiting in line for an hour (in heels), paying cover, being forced to pay to check our coats, no table, shitty drinks and poor service.

I left within twenty minutes of being there. It wasn't my scene. It was a very immature crowd, but I left mainly  due to the fact that Paul blatantly misrepresented this club. I thought the whole point of a club promoter was to PROMOTE the club, not make up lies just to get people in the door and take their money. It was an absolute SHIT night. I will never go back, and my friend is not using their club for her friend's hen-do. Needless to say, the highlight of my night was ending up at McDonalds.

Saturday morning, James went out and got us coffees, breakfast, and some snacks for the day. We stayed in watching football and working on our computers. We just wanted to relax before heading out to Modern Pantry for my birthday dinner.

Dinner was at 8:30PM and we had a wonderful time. The food was delicious and it was nice to catch up with everyone over our three hour! dinner. We went over to the Giant Robot for some drinks until about 1 AM and then headed over for some late-night pizza and games at Ali and Paul's to finish off the night. We stayed out wayyyyyyy later than we should have, but it was worth it!

James and I went to Sunday brunch at the Breakfast Club in Islington. The weather was the best that I have seen in London and the streets were flooded with people out and about. Living in London teaches you to appreciate the sun, so when the sun comes out, so do the Londoners!  Brunch was delicious and we were able to sit outside and enjoy the sunlight. 

After brunch, I met up with Kristen in Chelsea. We walked around a bunch and found a couple places to sit and have a drink. I experienced my first Pimm's and I loved it! Definitely a spring/summer refreshing drink!

Once the sun went down, we met up with James for an easy dinner at Nandos and finished up the evening with a bit of Snog (frozen yogurt). Perfect end to a wonderful week.

Bye, bye Birthday Week! See you next year!