Happy Birthday to Me...

My only birthday wish is to eat everything on my blog without gaining weight! Hahaha, I have everything a lucky happy girl could ask for... I just wish for a wicked metabolism!

 

Surprise Cupcakes did NOT help my self-control

I started my birthday week not very excited for the upcoming big-day. First off, it was exactly 10 years ago when I turned 18 and had a ginormous celebration, or debut, to ring in my "adult" status. Fast forward 10 years later, and we're definitely nowhere near the free-spirited teen phase. Secondly, I was not so chipper on turning 28 because it will be the first year I can NOT call myself "Mid-Twenties". Now I am definitely in my "Late-Twenties". Barfbags.

However, my week did not turn out as I planned it out to be. It is quite difficult to surprise me, usually I do the surprising. So it was a pleasant and unexpected day when my office surprised me with a mini-birthday party complete with cake, balloon-hats and spaghetti & fried chicken and harana (serenade) from the boys.

 

Estrelles Caramelle Cake

They admitted that it felt impossible to drag me out of a lunch meeting if our interior designer didn't pull me to look at "curtain samples"

 

Then, for the weekend, Mr. S surprises me with a trip to Singapore to eat our hearts silly and...

To watch Lion King! Sorry no photography during the show, it was fantastic, though. More about this trip in the coming days...

 

When I got back to Manila, I had a joint birthday bash with Nicola, a good friend whose birthday is only one day early from mine. Celebrating with surprise tiramisu bowls. Yumyum.

So happy Sea Princess Tessa could make it! And look at our lovely colors! Lime, Grape & Cherry and Lemon loud.

 On the eve of my birthday, I arrive at my office to find ANOTHER surprise from my office with recycled tarpaulin + balloons and cake! What's up with everyone and cake?

Later that day, I treated the entire office to Max's for Chicken-All-You-Can! My initial count was 50 people but we ended up being 80!

Another cake to blow!

When I woke up on my actual birthday, I was greeted by Jimmy Choo playing with some ribbon. How do you feel bad after looking at this mutt?

I had lunch at my favorite restaurant, Cyma in Shangri-La, and I was treated to some birthday ice-cream. I love my Cyma family :)

I was almost over-birthday'd out, but my mom decided that we must celebrate ONE more time! I got hold of my new found catering who served delicious Japanese food at a great price.

The women I grew up idolizing. Think I'll age as gracefully as they are?

Adobong Balut

Some of my favorite "presents" are not what you'd expect. #1 is a big pot of Adobong Balut aka duck fetus. My grandma from Pampanga cooks this herself and even delivered it to the house. AMAZING, buttery and cholesterolliffic at the same time.

Girlfriend Carla could not make it and sent me beautiful flowers, alongside a strawberry cheesecake from New World Hotel. Beautiful!

 I swoon every time I see a brown box with TFs name. Yay!

 I must say my brother Jerico has outdone himself again and has since added to my collection of Lumix cameras... ok ok ok I will buy you a sous vide for YOUR birthday!

 And I thought that all the birthday blessings would end today, but I arrived at my office with another delivery of roses, a mango torte, and other greetings from friends and business associates.

I'm not gonna lie... I have a little bit of a self-pity moment every time my birthday happens because I always thought birthdays after childhood meant one year closer to the end of the world. But now... I'm not so sure. I am overwhelmed by the magnitude of love and blessings given me during this week. I even took time out to respond to each and every birthday greeting I received be it the 234 facebook notifications I received. I stayed up til 3am for that one.

  I realized that life does get better with age. Maybe not as irrational, spontaneous or overwhemling as my early 20s, but hey, it's only Day 1 of my late 20s. A lot could happen... and you know a lot can definitely happen to ToT.

Salute!