Long ago (yesterday, the 11th) and far, far away (use google maps) in a land called London, there a lived a girl who had a beautiful birthday. Her day began when a handsome prince, and an uncharacteristically cheerful sunrise, woke her.

A box came.

A very sexy bunch of flowers lay inside – from queens of neighboring realms. (Thank you Mrs. Buffy and globetrotter Kassi! It was almost like you were here laughing with me, except we skipped the part where we all pretend there are not tears in our eyes when we have to say goodbye. And seriously, just look at how these sunny ladies work the camera!)

The birthday girl had lunch with her handsome prince, the king and queen of a magical land called South Carolina (cue Emily and Kerry), and the princess of a place called Kensal Green (that’s you Janita…). Unfortunately the prince, the king, and the princess were kidnapped from Covent Garden to an ugly place called Work. The queen rescued the birthday girl and whisked her to the Primrose Bakery where the safety of tea and cupcakes awaited. (Didn’t she do a fabulous job?  I am sure this makes my family very proud!)

After tea and cupcakes, the queen took the birthday girl to a play called Plague over England, at the Duchess Theatre where they considered very deep issues and a complicated historical tale.

Just before twilight, after the queen left the birthday girl entering a misty clearing called Leicester Square, bright lights and the sound of music drew the girl toward a large crowd. There she helplessly snapped photos of Kiefer Sutherland and Reese Witherspoon – being trapped in a crowd of Monsters vs. Aliens premiere enthusiasts.

(Pictured above, that’s Kiefer’s ear in the middle there, mom.)

(Stay focused on the partial face there in the middle…)

(Yeah, in the middle there, barely recognizable.)

(At about 2:30 you might catch a glimpse of someone famous and/or handsome… wink, wink)

Monsters vs Aliens from Drew Huddleston on Vimeo.

When the girl escaped she ran home, relieved to find the prince waiting with the lovely ladies pictured below. (Pay no attention to the sweet post-it notes he left me last month for no reason…)

Alas, the girl looks not one day older this year. (You nod and close the book even though I have already told you about the grey hairs this adventure has given me.) And she lives with her prince happily ever after. (In a place where you can visit – all the cool people are doing it.)