Crazy Birthday/Wedding weekends!

Contrary to popular belief, I haven't fallen off the face of the earth or gotten lost in the blogosphere... I've just been ultra-busy! As a private teacher/tutor summer is when I have the most work. Add to that visits from family and friends and a wedding, and I'm wondering how it is I actually have time to sit down and this now! :p

These past three weekends have been particularly nutty (in that crazy fun sense) as I've gotten to celebrate my birthday on each of them! For a year in which I hadn't planned on celebrating it much (because it coincided with a friend's wedding), that's delightfully surprising! My parents took me out to my favourite French restaurant on my Saint's Day (once upon a time a big deal here in Spain, but now only a few "names" really celebrate, I never have), the weekend before my birthday since we figured we wouldn't be able to do anything "proper" on THE day because of the wedding... So we had delightful meal à trois, too much wine, and then following the family tradition off to a movie with my Dad (Knight and Day, fun!). They surprised me with a gorgeous watch as a present. My Dad said he was tired of seeing me always with my stainless steel Swiss Army watch and thought I needed something a bit more elegant:

He's got good taste hasn't he? ;o)

But as my birthday weekend (and the wedding) got closer I had this nagging feeling that I really wanted to do something special on the day itself. I have a slight birthday superstition in that I like to celebrate my birthday on my birthday... and I want ALL the candles on the cake! So I convinced my personal chef (a.k.a. Dad) to whip something up (filet mignon and homemade mac&cheese for the first time in forever!) and a friend (the only one not in the wedding group of friends) came over and joined us for a bit too much food, some candle blowing...

and a little Crazyness... :p

Then it was quickly get dressed (had my hair done in the morning, another rare occasion for me, I usually go to the salon for a cut when required) and made up and out the door to be dropped off at the hotel where the bus was picking up the guests to take us to the Church and then party. I couldn't believe this wedding was finally happening! I hadn't realised when one of your best friends gets married and you're in town (as opposed to another country as I have been for all my other friends' weddings), there's a whole lot of celebrating and going-ons for a long time beforehand! So there I was, all excited for the big event, camera in hand (until the battery died 1000+ photos later):

or hugging the bride...

or losing myself in the music (in this weird instance Blur Song#2)

Plopped myself and my aching feet (no problem with my ankle, hurray!) into bed at 7am, then got up to head over to the groom's parents' "casa de campo" for a post-wedding bbq with close family and friends!

My dad has declared this to be the "never-ending wedding" since we've been doing stuff (parties, get togethers, spas etc.) since early June! :p

Thought that was it for the crazyness... but on Sunday night I headed over to join my two girlfriends (bride + other brunette in above pic) for drinks as it was going to be our "last night" together in a month due to various travel arrangements for each of us. In the bar I met up with a different friend who was surprised to see me and hadn't I gotten a message from B saying they were staying up in the "casa de campo" because someone had hurt their foot and they were having too much fun teasing him so we should go up there? *sigh* I said, since I'm already here ok... grrr... I get there... and

SORPRESA!!!!!!!

A birthday celebration!

They really got me this time! Absolutely not a clue! And chapeau to this friend who got me up there, great actor:

and B who coordinated it all:

Hugs all around to the lot of them!

No problem blowing out these candles (had a bit of trouble with the other cake):

Then a fashion show courtesy of some very original presents:

I've taken the first to a tailor to be altered a bit since it was a bit big (straps) and a bit too much cleavage for my taste... he'll leave just enough though. ;o)  My dad says "it takes guts to wear that dress out in the street!" and I get the feeling he'll call me "little orphan Annie" whenever I wear it! :p  I wish it were ready now so I could take it with me to Mallorca tomorrow!

I'll try to get back to some regular blogging asap... I still have tales to share about Hogueras, the World Cup, Fishy stories... When I get back from my week off I'll have fewer classes so more time for you guys! ;o)

Which reminds me... one of my New Year's resolutions was to start up a new blog, dedicated to my travels. And since I'm about to spend a week in Mallorca (and then the Fall in Belgium and perhaps -Inch'Allah!- January in New Zealand) this seems like the perfect time to launch it! I've been mulling around names and wanted some feedback. What do you guys think of "Cris Crossing the Globe" as a blog title? I don't know if the intended punning is too heavy, it's not the kind of thing I usually have a feel for. I had also thought of "Adventures of a Crazy Globetrotting Redhead". I'll be sharing travels as they happen, and also re-living previous trips to places near and dear to my heart (anyone up for a trip to the Antarctic?). I really want to find a name that feels right... I didn't give this Blog's name much thought and sometimes I regret the choice... Any opinion on those two? Any inspired suggestions?

I hope you all are enjoying your summer as much as I am! I'm exhausted but in a good way!