Birthday Afternoon Tea

Yesterday was my birthday!
Woke up to sparkling wine and chocolate outside my door, went downstairs to a salmon and eggs breakfast, hung out with my flatmates all afternoon. Left for Afternoon Tea at Bea's of Bloomsbury (Another Tea & Cake London find, actually!) that Bella so kindly booked for us. The sun was out all day, I don't think it rained once.
Tea was amazing; baguettes, cupcakes, brownies, marshmallows, scones with giant amounts of cream and jam. I had a hibiscus and blackcurrant tea that my be my new favorite (or maybe Birthday Teas just taste better?). We chatted our way through the treats, managing to finish all but three cupcakes.
Feeling high on sugar and just a bit (okay a lot) full, we wandered past St. Paul's to London Bridge for the train home, me stopping and sighing over London's views every ten feet (look at those lights!).
At home more cake was waiting - a carrot cake with mascarpone frosting that Bella had whipped up earlier. In true tradition, there was a cake chop, which my flatmates seem bewildered by but is now totally normal to me. And then there was more cake eating.

I honestly couldn't have asked for a better birthday. I was worried, before I came to London, that my birthday would be spent by myself in a cafe with a book. Instead I've made the nicest new friends who treated me like a princess and had the most amazing day, made even better by wishes from friends and family back home.
Thank you thank you everyone who made my day so amazing. 24 couldn't be off to a better start!