Happy Birthday ArmyWife (she's not even close to 40)

While it was a shame that ArmyHusband couldn't be here to celebrate her birthday he did well and truly make up for it with beautiful Tahitian Pearl and Diamond earrings.

And so started ArmyWife's last birthday in Sydney before the new posting next year.

After breakfast with her SIL(the Divine Ms M) and the kids ArmyWife had lunch with the EasternMax family, got her gift from us (see scarf above, do you remember an earlier post about this?) and then all the girls went off to the Diana Exhibition at the Powerhouse.

Fabulous. Oh the dresses, the WEDDING DRESS up close, the diamonds, the condolence books EN MASSE from around the world. Plus all the LITTLE DETAILS that speak of her life like her diaries, her school reports, the dining records from Althorp House. Some of it you've seen. Much of it you haven't. I could go on.

We had a lovely time then we went back to the EasternMax residence for a chicken roast dinner and Fairlie's blueberry cheesecake Tart.

Happy Birthday ArmyWife!

We can't believe you are leaving - at least you will be living at a convenient half-way point to our trips to the Snowy. Sniff.

Precious Boy

I have one child who has always been very conscientious (takes after her dad) and one child who has always been, well, a bit more of a free spirit, perhaps a little less conscientious, never does his homework.

So this morning when this child - completely of his own volition - made his own bed (even stacked his teddies neatly), tidied his room ("so it's clean for Grandma and Grandpa to see") and wrote out 25 Christmas cards for his class-mates (again, I stress voluntarily, actually asked me if he could do it) my little heart went awwwwwww....

Trifecta

First we heard about Queenie's excellent effort in getting a Class Prize for General Excellence at her recent Speech Night. Then Domestic Goddess' daughter Fashionista got a Class Prize at her Speech Night. I can now report that we have a Trifecta with KelpieBlossom taking out the Special Award for Citizenship and General Proficiency at her Presentation Day today.

You go girls!

Not to be outdone, Padawan Learner's Year 1 class shone in their final assembly item yesterday. Their fabulous teacher Mr B plays guitar and accompanied the class as they sang Aussie Jingle Bells loud and proud. Rumour has it that they were going to finish their class item with a rendition of Smoke on the Water but Mr B thought he might be in trouble with the school Principal if he played Deep Purple at a school assembly.

We parents would've supported you Mr B! *

* in breaking news it seems the new Russian president would also have supported the playing of Deep Purple at the school assembly!

Maker's Mark

I'm branching out. I'm being daring. I'm trying a new stitch.

It's an eyelet stitch and, despite the errors which may be obvious to the good knitters out there (the bulge at the top is the window latch it's hanging on), I'm quite proud of myself. I think the errors add character and prove that it's home-made.

My only problem is that the pattern now calls for me to decrease stitches in pattern. Eek. Help. If I don't work out how to decrease a pattern that actually adds a stitch every stitch then this will end up being a knitted square rather than a hotwater bottle cover*.

When I finish my knitted creations I give them to someone accompanied by this tag pinned on with silver ribbon. Inside the tag I put the details of the garment, sometimes I give it a name. I own up to my creations, mistakes and all with my Maker's Mark.

*Yes, you read right. A hotwater bottle cover. I love hotwater bottles. My kids use them all through winter and we take them away with us in the winter as our ski club doesn't have electric blankets. Cosy. When I asked for a pattern for said hotwater bottle at a knitting shop the assistant (who was at least 50) didn't know such a thing existed. Surely, surely she grew up with them? Apparently not.

The Secret Life of an Old House

Do you like peeling back old wallpaper to discover the previous lives of your house? Are you a house detective? I know some of you are from a current discussion at Sheep's Clothing.

When we re-painted our early Arts and Crafts (1919) home earlier this year we were able to do our fair share of detective work.

We found apple green paint under the wallpaper in our bedroom.

This original (C. 1920) hand-cut wallpaper border was under two other layers of wallpaper in our upstairs hall.

The only thing holding up the plaster on this wall was the wallpaper... (the wall literally peeled off!)

The downstairs walls were painted a delicious brown colour. This paint was wallpapered over in 1959 according to the notes left behind on the wall.

Not so secret now. What secrets has your house revealed?