Wednesday 7 November 2018

WOW: That Birthday Buzz

WOW = WIPs On Wednesday
Hip hip hooray! These roses are counting the years of my life, that's why there's so many of them! It's a whole armful but I'm not complaining, it's good to be alive! I celebrated my birthday over the weekend and whilst I was still feeling a bit drab from my head cold, I had a really beautiful day at home with my family. Every year I always say that I don't want to celebrate my birthday because I think I'm too old for all this fuss. Actually I think birthdays are best for children, once you're an adult they feel a bit silly to me. But every year my family just ignores me and carries on celebrating it regardless. This year I put my foot down and demanded that if anyone was planning to buy flowers, they had to be potted plants because I'm over bouquets. I've had too many bouquets lately to celebrate my design finishes and I find that I'm always worried about them dying. Well, they ignored that demand of mine.. but given that roses were involved, I'll forgive them 😸
This is my most useful gift of the year: it's a pot of thyme. I love herbs and thyme is something I use so much of. I have grown it myself, but its always been stringy and knotty whilst this pot is lush and springy, it's the nicest thyme I've seen.
Those of you who follow my Instagram will have seen that we bought a cake this year. Really, this is something I want to stop doing. The problem is, I'm completely out of practice. I just don't do any baking and haven't done for about 20 years and although I'm always planning on getting back into baking lovely family occasion cakes... well, I simply haven't. I've been quilting instead. Obviously this has to end or we'll never enjoy real cake again.
I've been all around town over the past 5 years looking for honest to goodness quality cakes. And I can tell you that every single time it's been a let down. I don't know what happened to proper cake bakeries, but the cakes on offer these days just aren't authentic enough. This cake was horrible. It contained layers of custard that was the cheap and nasty flour and sugar kind rather than the egg kind and the taste was, well, awful. Then whole of the outside of the cake covered in a kind of sickly, sugary mock cream. Just awful. We only took a few bites of the slices and the rest went into the bin. It was such a waste of money and a disappointment too.

On a happier note, when I was clearing out my cup and saucer cabinet last month, I re-discovered this autumn rose design that I've been carting around me with for over 30 years. I've always loved it. It's so romantic and the brown and yellow tones seemed so fitting because I was born in autumn so it made sense to have some golden roses to use during the fall season each year. Well, for as long as I can remember, my DDs have never liked this tea set, I recall that they have previously used the words 'ugly' to describe it. 
Well, what a turn around this year was! Suddenly they both set upon it and declared they they had never seen this autumn rose set and what's more, they think it's beautiful and love it very much. Really, I don't know what to think! I'm just glad that my cupboard spring cleaning has proved useful - I have my cups and saucer sets on rotation and there'll be more gems like these making a reappearance after many years of neglect. 

Today I'm going fabric shopping with my DD because I'm in a pickle over what fabrics I want for my new BOM design. I thought I knew, but nothing feels right. You know how I am about fabric selection - it's going to be a long day!

What's Your WOW? 



14 comments:

  1. Happy Birthday! And, I always leave the cake making to the professionals! Yum!

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  2. Happy belated birthday! Fall colors are my favorite and I LOVE that cup and saucer. Your daughters have now seen the light! Can't wait to see what you've come up with next--your blog is such an inspiration to so many of us!

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  3. Wishing you Happy BIrthday - mine is this time of year too. Sorry you have been disapointed, yet again, by your cake purchase. If you really don't want to start baking again, perhaps one of your daughters could take on this birthday chore for you?

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  4. Happy Birthday Esther I hope you have the best day ever as you deserve it. You are an amazing woman with all that you share. I can relate to store bought cakes and cannot believe that they make them look so gorgeous and taste so awful. Congratulations and a very Happy Birthday xx

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  5. Happy Happy belated birthday Esther What a stunning photo of YOU and the flowers, that sure has to be the biggest bunch of birthday roses Ive seen??? You look so happy the family sure did spoil you. Your lovely quilt is a stunning back drop for you and your roses all those colourful 1/4 triangles LOL Hugs Glenda

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  6. Hope your day was all you wanted it to be, minus that cake. I think that Autumn Rose design would be glorious on a quilt (hint, hint).
    I had to pause when you said you were born in autumn, then I remembered you were born in the UK. :)
    I'm going to be 66 in January, and I celebrate every year. I enjoy it, because it's one of the few times my kids are actually in the same room at the same time.

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  7. First of all, Esther -- HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Your life is truly a blessing to so many. We should all be eating cake with you in celebration! Second, I am in the same boat as you with the baker's remorse. The thing is, there are only so many hours of leisure at our disposal and we have to choose how we use them. I have been meaning to bake homemade cookies for several weeks now and it just doesn't seem to be happening. Yet cakes and cookies are quickly eaten and forgotten -- your beautiful quilting will outlive your family. I think you deserve a baking pass. :-) HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

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  8. Happy belated birthday Esther. I am glad you are over your cold. I am adding you to the many talented persons I know who were born around this time of the year.

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  9. Happy birthday!! Your roses are so beautiful, and yummy cake ;)

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  10. What a gorgeous bouquet. Your sweet smile says it all. Hope your birthday was happy, in spite of the lousy cake.

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  11. I honestly agree with you on all points - BUT when you get a beautiful bouquet of roses, and so many, well WOW, HAPPY BIRTHDAY.

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  12. Beautiful roses! Happy Birthday.

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  13. Oh Esther I have the same complaint about bakery cakes...I think they all use mixes of some sort. If I were nearby, I would make you a cake with lots of eggs, real butter and 7 minute frosting...baking is one of my hobbies. However, I just dream of making quilts as beautiful as yours.

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