As part of our 5th Birthday celebrations we asked all of our Donna Ida girls to tell us about their favourite birthdays. Here is Donna Ida Guildford Manager, Cecilia's...
This is me on my 5th Birthday! I thought it would be only appropriate to write about this particular one, as we are celebrating 5 years of the Donna Ida Empire! It was one of my favourite and most memorable birthday celebrations EVER.
My beautiful mum had organised my first big birthday party and had invited all my school and neighbourhood friends. As a surprise my Aunty Sheila and Cousin Moyra were visiting us from London. I was born and raised in Greece to a VERY Greek Father and CRAZY Irish mother - I know, quite I fiery combo! For weeks leading up to my birthday and having watched the Aristocats tons of times, I had begged my parents for a Siamese cat. We lived in an apartment in the city centre of Athens and pets were a HUGE no no....
My second wish was a baby sister, which apparently mum said I couldn’t get for the exact day of my birthday…. highly disappointing!
The morning of my birthday my Aunty Sheila handed me a beautifully presented gift bag and card. Inside was the cute dress I'm wearing in the photo! I still remember how beautiful I thought it was - she had bought it from Harrods. It was a traditional little girl’s red and white polka dot dress with a red satin sash that tied at the back. Mum had accessorised it with a red satin Alice hair band and white lacy socks and black patent Mary Jane’s. Of course it had to be my party outfit.
After hours of dancing, playing, singing and overindulging in candy, chocolate and fizzy drinks, I blew out my birthday candles (wishing and praying for a cat)! Mum and Dad presented me with a box wrapped with metres of red ribbon!!!
I GOT A CAT - I was ecstatic :) I really did not expect it, especially as I was denied it for weeks!
As a little girl being an Aristocats and Alice in Wonderland fanatic it was the perfect combination for my special day. I got a cat AND a stunning twirlie dress. Truly unforgettable!
I named my very own Siamese cat Minx and I adored him, so much so that I used to take him for walks around Athens on a dog lead! No other cat would let me do the things I did to Minx - I used to dress him up in dolly clothes and push him around in a baby pram!! But he still loved me, as he slept on my pillow every night and kept my head so warm!
The day after my birthday, mum was painting a chair out on our balcony and I found a can of blue spray lying around on the floor. While mum was on the phone, I decided I would give Minx a makeover and spray him blue - what was I thinking of? My perfect Siamese cat had blue fur to match his dazzling blue eyes.
Petrified that mum would catch me red-handed I thought it would be a brilliant idea to put Minx in the washing machine to clean him up and hide the evidence J
Thank God Mum came to the rescue a while later as I had closed the door of the washing machine! Minx was still alive! A year after that I had to give Minx away but instead I got what I truly wanted – A BABY SISTER – beats having a cat any day!...and no I didn’t put my sister in the washing machine.