Originally my birthday plans for this year included a picnic at Caccia Birch and a photoshoot in the gardens to show off my completed 1890s Antique Rose outfit but all of the weather services were so kindly predicting rain, rain, and more rain. I hoped against hope that they were all wrong and that the day would dawn bright and sunny, with proper birthday weather. Alas, I woke to drizzle that alternated with showers.
A grey, grey, wet day. Not proper birthday weather at all. Fortunately, with the help of Liane and Hannah, Plan B was hatched – a tea party style lunch at Liane’s followed by an episode of Murdoch Mysteries. Lots of tea and treats, and a chance to all dress up 1890s style.
After a quick trip to the supermarket to pick up some supplies (and some beautiful roses that turned out to be so close in colour to my dress my slight OCD tendencies were thrilled), I got dressed and made sure that I had all of my baking and cake decorating bits and pieces together. Liane picked me up and we headed back to her place where I borrowed her kitchen to indulge in my other favourite creative hobby and bake my cake (yes, I make my own birthday cakes most of the time and no, I don’t mind at all!)
We set up out little tea party in the ‘parlour’and again, my unplanned birthday theme of roses and those gorgeous colours came into play as we made use of some of Liane’s extensive (and quite impressive) china collection. Not only that, but the pomegranate tea also matched my outfit!
We chatted as we ate and drank our tea, catching up on different things that we had been up to since I moved out. We discussed our upcoming trip to the Taranaki Pioneer Village and, of course, the Oamaru Heritage Celebrations and the holidays that we’ve arranged either side of it. Memories of previous years were shared and remembered with fondness and laughter.
While we digested the lunch part of our party I headed back to the kitchen to make buttercream and decorate my cake. The pink rose theme continued as I piped the buttercream onto the cake, making roses around the edge and continuing it onto the top where I also popped a few icing roses that I had found at the supermarket that morning. Despite a slight hiccup of the buttercream getting a bit too warm, it turned out pretty well.
Liane and Hannah sang me Happy Birthday and I cut into the cake. I also opened presents at this time and was totally thrilled to unwrap the book that Mum and Dad bought me. I am now the very happy and proud owner of the new edition of Corsets and Crinolines by Norah Waugh. I have read so many blog posts from other historical costuming bloggers about the previous edition but have never been able to buy it for myself. So, now the brand new, hot off the press edition is gracing my bookcase, keeping all of my many other historical costuming books company.
We settled ourselves in the lounge with our pieces of cake and watched the first episode of Season 11 of Murdoch Mysteries. I got both Hannah and Liane hooked on the series when I moved in and over the course of about five months I think it was, we watched Seasons 1 through 10. One thing that I really like about the show is the costuming – as the years progress the clothing reflects the changes in fashion and doesn’t get stuck, like some shows, putting characters in several-years-old fashions despite time passing.
We were going to watch the second episode as well but Hannah had to go to work and I was starting to get tired. Liane took Hannah to work while I tidied up as best I could and packed all of my bits and pieces up. When Liane came back there was time to take a couple more photos and then we hopped into the car and Liane dropped me home.
I didn’t even have time to change before sitting down at my computer to skype with my sister and my nieces and had a long and lively chat with them. With a slice of cake handy and a spare candle, the girls ‘helped’ me to blow out the candle and they sang me happy birthday which was super cute and made me miss seeing them every day. It was great to catch up on where everyone was at up there and what they were doing.
Once we hung up I had a spare couple of minutes to change from my 1890s into my pyjamas before skyping with my parents for a couple of hours. I thanked them so much for the book and we caught up on their diy home projects, my work, and my trip to visit them next month.
All in all, despite the dreary rainy day, I had a wonderful birthday, spending time with both my ‘adopted’ family and my biological one. All of the love, and all of the birthday wishes I was sent made my birthday as special as if the sun had been shining the whole day. It just goes to show that the weather can be as horrible as it likes but it doesn’t matter when you’re spending time with friends and family.
Miss Temby 
What a wonderful day !!!!! :)) Just beautiful in every way :)) Dawn
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Just read a blog I think you will enjoy :))
https://perfumeprofessor.net/2017/10/09/fragrance-firsts-in-allure-oh-really/
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Thank you so much Dawn =)
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:)) :)) :)) I love your beautiful blog, your fashions, and that you made them all yourself :)) My daughters sew too — and years ago I sewed myself a Sioux Indian tipi, and lived in it!!!! Now I shoe horses — and the only way I could make friends with nailing on the horseshoes, was thinking of it as sewing!!! With very, very THICK thread! (NAILS!) :)) I still “stitch” my nails when I shoe, with great enjoyment in the process :)) Take care!
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