Its my party and I'll cry if I want to ... but I don't want to.

I did warn the world, I would NOT be celebrating this year, having made the impenetrable decision of staying at 21 for my foreseeable years. I mean what have I got to look forward to, the marching of crows feet across my face or the foxy bingo wings?

The harsh reality is that once your passed the age of consent on all things remotely interesting, birthdays suck ass. It’s just another day. Though you can’t even just pretend it’s just another day because your childhood birthday experiences have programmed you to get all excited about this stuff. Eurgh!

Its not that I hate birthdays (unlike most things on this planet) I just feel kinda unworthy of so much unnecessary attention. (OK now I definitely sound like im looking for attention!) But I seriously think thats why I may have just had one of my best birthdays on record. The fact that I really wasn't expecting a dime, yet so many people went beyond the call of duty to make my day so memorable.

After a raspberry Jelly breakfast and a morning of opening all-sorts of floral and big bow adorned gifts; Including a beautiful new Nikon, an underwater Iphone case, a microwaveable snugly frog and a handmade footlong candle, sweetly decorated in some classic Juno lyrics.

I then spent the new born autumn day, bouncing from casting to casting. (Or should I say tumbling? as those handsome yet devilishly lethal heals, proved quite the cringing disaster.)

My partner had been nagging my little lobes off for the last 6weeks, about the whats and whereabouts Id like to do to celebrate the turning of the two little ducks.

In typical 33rd birthday fashion, I put in a request for some hearty ethnic grub, and tickets to see  the opening showing of 'Taken 2'.... AKA 'Liam Neeson 2'. But not whipping a woman off her size twos really isn't really in my better half's blood. So at 6.40pm, with my hair freshly 'Meg ryan'd' and my makeup shit as per, an unorthodoxly slick and unusually luxurious black cab navigated its way into the Northern Quarter. Wait a minute thats not a black cab... Thats a chauffeur driven Mercedes S-class!!! arghhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Now a few years ago, I would of criticised such behaviour as pompous and outrageous, but that was a few years ago and oh my, boy could I get used to it now!!! :)

I think my smile may have engulfed the entire back seat, it was just such a kick ass 'Pretty Woman' moment. Although Julia was off to the opera, and so It did cross my mind we could be a wee over kill for the Curry Mile. The journey took longer than expected and we was entertained by the chauffeurs celebrity exploits (hello HEAT magazine!) until we arrived at the 5million pound oriental oasis. The VERMILLION.

OM actual G! Possibly the most sophisticated and stunningly designed establishments I have witnessed.

Mixing gorgeous Asian antiques with uber modern architecture, its just the very definition of Post-Modern at its finest!

Sipping thai cocktails to the sounds of Cafe del mar, benaeath the misty romanticising lighting, you really do have to kick your self to be reminded your in fact in Hulme not Shanghai.

And the food, oh the food!! 5 courses of gastronomic heaven. I think ill be satisfied till tuesday.

What a night!...

Oh and then there was 'Taken 2'. What a money-wagon bag of crap!

Neeson gave Miss Rosie Huntington a run for her money, on the convincing stakes, after her car crash performance in the Transformers.  

ps. I heard that Hollyoakes are recruiting...

But I did rather enjoy posseing two rather cosy premier seat tickets, of which I fully loathed in the moment of asking the sheep faced teens to shift there chubby butts. :)

But the highlight of the evening was saved right until the very end, when my equally klutzy boyfriend stood in a small cauldron of salsa sauce. His once stylish suead brogues will for ever now be Nacho scented and remind me of such a brilliant 22nd birthday.

 Thankyou Boyfriend, thankyou World!

Have a lovely weekend.

I"ll be jetting off to Switzerland for mine :)

WithLove Raphaella x