My niece Miss R turned 18 earlier this month, exactly 4 days before my birthday. 

18.  Jeez! 

My sister thought that giving birth to her on my actual birthday would be a wonderful birthday present for me.  Like hell!  All you Taureans out there would understand me here - we like our own special day.  Just one day each year for ourselves.  Every year my family goes through the same thing - the fight for which weekend we will each celebrate our birthdays on because we won't share.  Typical Taureans and typically girls. 

Now I don't know if it's just because its her 18th or maybe I'm just getting old but this year I wasn't so fussed.  Next year is a big "0" birthday for me so I'll be back to not sharing again very soon, but just for this year and only this year, I was ok.  So we headed to one of my fav spots.  Ladro in Fitzroy.

Delicious pizza, yummy wine, great service and a very special birthday cake - Burnt Butter Cake with a Chocolate and Cinnamon Frosting (recipe to follow soon).

After rolling out onto the street, I needed to walk off all that food, so I walked home via the beautiful Carlton Gardens - one of my favourite gardens in Melbourne.   I'm in love the streets of the inner Northern suburbs.

Happy Birthday to us Miss R

xx