B-Day Bonanza - Pt. 2

One day doesn't really feel like quite enough, when it comes to my birthday. So, this past weekend I kept on celebrating with a day-long below-23rd Street excursion with my archaeologically-inclined pal Kristin.

And, let me just say that between Steak Tartare at Blue Ribbon Bakery, her thoughtful gift of Averna Amaro, and a girly girl shopping spree that took us from the ultimate den of scent and sensibility - Aedes De Venustas - to the chock-a-block makeup circus that is Sephora, we had a rip-roaring time.

By the time 7:30pm rolled around, we knew that the day had only begun. We headed over to Temple Bar, a lounge that harkens back to a much more civilized era, and sipped on civilized cocktails with another pal, Ms. T. Then we meandered through Nolita until we stumbled upon the D.O.C.-approved hot spot L'Asso. There, we upped the day's ante with some wine and an 18" pizza masterpiece, topped with thin slices of portobello mushroom, pesto, cheese, fresh rosemary, and truffle oil.

When we could eat and drink and gab no more, I grabbed a cab. Loaded down with perfume samples, a few cosmetic treats from Sephora, a couple of slices of leftover pizza, my bottle of Amaro and a big smile on my face, I zipped off home still feeling like it was my "special day."

C'mon. Why shouldn't a girl get to turn 21 for two days in a row? Or two years in a row for that matter. Or 5 years in a row for that matter. Or...Well, you get the idea.

So, there you have it - Happy birthday to me!