Queen Elizabeth II Birthday

Although the Queen's official birthday is celebrated in June, today is her real birthday. Happy Birthday Ma'am. The Queen is 84 today and in my opinion an inspiration to us all.
I've put together a small display of some of my souvenirs for her birthday, they are shown on a hand embroidered coronation tablecloth which I will show in detail on a later post, it is so pretty. The backdrop is a coronation sampler. A coronation brooch, which I sometimes wear is at the front and of course a mini Gold Coach and horses.

A new addition to my collection is this pretty cup showing the Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret rose. Went to a large local trash and treasure market last Sunday and that's where I found this little treasure. The saucer is missing and the picture a little scratched but I am thrilled with it.

A beautiful hand embroidered sampler showing part of the Queens first Christmas speech in 1952. This was an ebay purchase and another of those must have items, never seen one like it before.

Part of the embroidered Queens speech, it was in the book of all the Queen's speeches I received as a Christmas gift.

New stamp issue every year to celebrate the Queen's birthday and this is the issue for 2010. Lovely photo of her I think.

Today is also the birthday of a friend and her middle name is Elizabeth.

Happy Birthday P.F. Lucky you, sharing a birthday and a name with the Queen.

My middle name is Margaret so I suppose that will have to be close enough.

Charlotte on Shark patrol

Charlotte is looking for that shark, she's sure she saw it go past just a minute ago.

Don't worry people, Charlotte is looking and will sound the alarm and alert the newspapers as soon as she spots that fin.

Emily wants nothing to do with sharks, won't even look out of the window.

We watched "Jaws" together on T.V not long ago didn't we Emily? I think Charlotte was having a sleep that day....

It's all about ME!!

Still thinking about Jean Baggott's book which impressed me so much, so I found a photo of me when I was the same age as Jean in the pic on her book cover.
My photo was taken when I was 10 or 11 and I was at an Eisteddfod in Sydney. I was having elocution lessons at that time so I would have been reciting a poem and I still have the certificate I received on that day.
Don't remember the poem but I do remember the dress. It was mauve organdie with tiny white flowers and was made by my mother. I'm sure my hair ribbons would have matched my dress. My hair would have been put in rags overnight so I would have curls next day. My slight smile would have hidden my true thoughts which always seemed to be somewhere else, most likely thinking about cats and palaces etc.
Ten years on and here I am again. No bare shoulders or cleavage for me, but still looking a bit dreamy.

Below is a pic. of my grandson shaking the tablecloth after last Sunday's lunch, so between the dreamy little girl in the top photo and the boy shaking the tablecloth real life DID happen.

Today's headlines.

Only a juvenile according to the paper but this is the same type of shark featured in the movie "Jaws." This must be the reason I love to look at the lake but never swim, fish, go boating or prawning in it. While I am writing this the aerial patrol helicopter is out looking for the shark, to chase it away before it grows bigger I suppose.

Well I can't swim anyway, perhaps that's a good thing!

No one can complain that this post isnt varied enough. Ive been through memories, sharks in my lake and now Emily caught being a bad cat.

Yes, I turn a blind eye to Emily drinking water out of the sink but this time she has gone too far. My fault I suppose, I left the bowl I microwaved my porridge in next to the sink and Emily does seem to like porridge.

Girl on the Wall a Life in Cross stitch

I bought this amazing book from Amazon U.K as I don't think it's available in Australia yet and I couldn't wait to read it. Jean designed and stitched different parts of her life on 32ct linen and made a very large tapestry of her life and then wrote the book explaining what each section meant. Jean explains in her book that although she lived a very ordinary life she has lived through many social changes and times.

The book has a pullout section at the back showing the tapestry and each chapter of the book relates back to the tapestry. Jean is not too much older than me and she does make me wonder about my own life story. Is there more to me than collecting Royalty , my cats and my cross stitch? Will need to think about that.

Meanwhile here is my own attempt at history, a cross stitch millenium sampler.

This was D.M.C kit I bought in London and worked on 16ct aida.

It starts with the battle of Hastings in 1066, goes through major events in the last 1000 yrs including the death of Princess Diana. Here I must admit I dropped one event and put the last one as Australia votes No Republic in 1999.

The bands running between each peice of history are based on the Bayeux tapestry. I would love to see the bayeux tapestry, it is on my long list of things to see/do before I die.

Another sampler I stitched for the year 2000, this chart was in a magazine and once again I dropped an event so I could fit in my grandson's names.

Click on the pics to see more details of any samplers but especially The Girl on the Wall. I hope she writes another book with even more details of her life.

Yes Charlotte you do look cute helping me empty the shredder, hope that wasn't my life story bestseller you just shredded.

Queen Mother's hat

Computer problems have stopped me posting for a while but I'm hoping I can slip 1 pic. through.
I missed the 8th anniversary of the Queen Mother's death last week so thought I would show the bear I dressed for her 100th birthday. Charlotte and Emily are so good with my collection but for some reason Charlotte cannot leave the netting on the Q.M's hat alone. Mostly the hat stays in the wardrobe and the Q.M stands hatless. Charlotte knows the minute the hat is on diplay and is on to it like a flash, as pictured.
Will now press publish post and cross my fingers!!!