Project 289 - Day 256 : A Party Semi-Bigger Than Ben Hur

Tonight was the Big Party Night! (including it appears liberal use of capital letters and hyperbole)

I gathered 11 of my closest friends, including my gorgeous guy (he and I pictured above at Kinsela's enjoying pre-dinner drinks)....actually more factually my gorgeous guy gathered them all together, having asked if we could organise what for me is usually the night of nights birthday-wise. (Although it was hard to get past the glorius loveliness of Cafe Sydney on the night of my birthday itself.) He was extraordinarily Secret Squirrel about things too, disappearing for much of Saturday to "do something", before spiriting this 'something' into the boot of my friend Fahmi's car (prior to picking me and my housemate Aidan up from my place) and then taking it to the restaurant while Aidan and I walked ahead to Kinsela's on Taylor Square for pre-dinner drinks. Naturally I was as curious as it's possible to be (we extroverst will be like that!) but I trusted him to have done something fabulous and lovely and so I meekly complied with any and all requests to look the other way.

Pre dinner drinks were great. Everyone turned up in stages and so I had a chance to talk to pretty much everyone, open the presents in a relaxed manner (5 x JB Hi Fi vouchers....do my friends know my place of addicition or what?!.... full DVD set of "Black Books", "Run Lola Run" on DVD and a book that was brought all the way from San Francisco by my observant friend Waz who saw me pick it up, look very interested in it, before putting it back again... I did want it but decided I should be good and not buy everything I saw on the first two days of my trip!), and have a couple of my favourite drink, Smirnoff Black Ice Vodka....mmmmm....

Suitably pre-sozzled, I walked arm in arm with my lovely guy all of 1 block down to Cantina's, a fabulous tapas restaurant that caters to large groups and does it brilliantly well. The food was, as always, delicious and copious in it's quantities (love the chorizo, the mushrooms and the haloumi/red capsicum dishes especially), I caught up with some friends I did see as much as I wanted, and bless the builder of the restaurant, I sat opposite a window! So, well lubricated on sangria, with delightful conversation ringing in my ears, and my friends around me, and the tables cleaned up, I was well into the swing of the night when the lights dimmed and the most gloriously funky cupcake stand ever appeared before me, sparklers going mad all over it, cupcakes filling it's every shelf with a riot of colour.

Despite knowing there was a surprise of some kind organised, I was nonetheless gobsmacked by how amazing it looked (see below), and there are pictures showing my jaw scraping the floor clean of any dropped tapas (OK that is just a gross image but my jaw was hugging the tiles baby!!) as I took in just how colourful and fabulous it all was, and just how much trouble my beautiful loving caring guy had gone to, in time, effort and love. I was blown away.... and the best part was the cupcakes tasted divine! YUM!! I love my beautiful guy more than I can adequately express in words, but at that point I was over the moon. What a perfect gift!

Grinning from ear to ear, I left the restaurant with my friends, and after a quick conference on the footpath, we decided to ditch the plans to boogie and sashay the night away, and instead, headed for a new coffee bar, Coco Cubano, right at the opt of Oxford Street for yummy iced chocolate drinks, lattes and sparkling conversation and hot men watching. It may not have been as high octane as the dancing but it finished the night perfectly - my friends around me, my love next to me, something chocolatey in my hands, and a lovely crisp cool night. It's about as perfect as a birthday celebration gets!

The entire gang (bar Ingo who took the photo) fathered in the fabulous art deco room of Kinsela's hotel