Apart from taxes, we all have something in common - birthday's. Ideally they are a wondrous time filled with love, joy, our nearest and dearest. If the love isn't there, it can become a time fraught with emotions and hurts. I sincerely hope none of you have had one of these horribly sad or lonely birthdays.

Anyway, it was my birthday last week and luckily, it truly was filled with love and my very dearest people. My father (who happens to be one of the loveliest men in the world) was on a mission to make sure it was my best birthday ever. My step brother and sister were there with their fabulous families and I had little children leaping on me and yelling and even trying to sing "happy birthday". It was heaven.  And then we got down to the serious task of Opening of the Gifts. I received a book (good), a fish biro (cute!), handwash (yummy!) and a purse (interesting!). And then came the Big One.

Earlier this year I was in Rome and nipped into Dior for a quick "ooooh, lets have a look". Everything was beautiful and magical, just as you would expect in a little piece of heaven.

And then the world melted away. All that was left was me and the bracelet - the bracelet I have wanted all my life but never realised. Darkness covered the earth, a spotlight fell on to myself and the new object of desire and silence muffled all human traffic. I was in love. Yes, I know it's materialistic but what the heck. Anyway, roll on several months and my father asks what I want for my birthday and I send him the link. 

Roll on another month and I have little people yelling and jumping on me, people singing and a cake ablaze with 32 candles (ahem) wandering around the room as the gifts came out. And then in my hands was The Big One. I ripped the paper off in a frenzy and there was .... the nastiest bracelet I have ever seen in my life. This was not the fragile gold hair of a chain with a single tiny diamond. This was a phenomena of a scrap dealer's ID chunky gold affair. I was aghast. Needless to say, three hours later I was in the jewelers getting it changed. And joy - they can copy my Dior bracelet! So in a month's time, when people are gasping and saying "oooooh" and "ahhhh", I will lie and say "Yes, it's a Dior".

My handy life hint: always make sure you have your friends around for your birthday. If they can't be there, make sure they mail you. And if they forget, forgive them. If they are always banging on how much they love you and they forget, hmmm.

http://www.diorjoaillerie.com/