Princess Goes Potty.... Again...

Hello Dhaaarlings...

French Silver Chamber Pot with a very wide flange...

After yesterday's peek into Princesses Tea Pot mania I thought I'd introduce you to another

  

"Interesting Specimen"

 from my collection... by the way the answer to yesterday's question 

"What is missing from the chamber pot?"

the answer was...

"P"

Being the usually observant lot that you are I was amused that no one spotted the mistake in the first picture in yesterdays post...  there wasn't a prize... 

but if you did spot it... you didn't say so... not to worry... let it go Princess....

Now where was I?....

Oh... that's right!

Today... I would like to introduce to you my "Chinese Crab Pot" 

Another somewhat dubious purchase from a stall holder during my travels in China.

Being the Cancerian that I am... I was immediately attracted to the little crab that is the handle for the lid of the tea pot.

Originally it was black in colour with a set of six matching tea cups... 

And once again... on arriving home I decided to wash it prior to use...

Big Mistake!

As I scrubbed away...  to my horror....the black which I had thought to be a matt ceramic glaze finish... began to wash away in the warm sudsy water...

On investigating both the pot and the cups further it... seemed that the Bisque wear had been coated with something resembling boot polish! 

It simply washed off! 

Despite the fact that the pot this time actually held water (no leaks) and poured quite delightfully... I have never been game enough to use it for fear of what I might ingest!

The cups have long since been broken or thrown out during the course of several moves.... 

...and the Crab on the lid has lost a leg due to a rather unfortunate altercation with a flying fork!... 

I had some rather exuberant friends over one evening for a dinner party... 

Of course... the champagne flowed and as it did... the more it was consumed and the more exuberant my guests became.  One friend in particular is forever waiving his arms about during dinner conversation as he becomes more excited by the tale he is telling at the time.... and this time... while building toward the punch-line for his big finale... let go of his fork!

... said fork went hurtling through the air (looking like it was almost in slow motion) and clattering into the shelving behind him which held my display of Tea Pots and other assorted ceramics. After all the tinkling and clattering the fork finally came to rest... you guessed it... on the Crab Pot... 

Fortunately... The Crab was the only casualty from this most memorable event.... hence the resultant leg loss! (Of the Crab... Not the Friend! He still apologises profusely when we catch up and I make a point of laying a setting at the table minus a fork!)

So my darlings... the "Crab Pot" has joined the ranks of other useless things (Like the Houseboys) laying about "The Palais" looking pretty and gathering dust. But like the Houseboys I just can't seem to part with it!

Useless Tea Pots!

 Do you see a theme brewing here?

Georgia On My Mind.....

Hello Dhaaarlings...

Finally after much delay in obtaining appropriate supplies...

Princess is proud to announce that the Winners Prize from the Fabulous Frock Competition and Winter Ball is now completed and is winging it's way to the lovely

"Savannah"

It is a signed original of one of my dress designs which came to fruition for a Very Pregnant Bride.

It was certainly a challenge at the time as you may well imagine.... Made from Silk Dupion at $80.00 a meter I was beside myself with worry that I would make a mistake and ruin the fabric. Consisting of an under gown(Creme)
and over gown with train (Brown) requiring about 14 metres of fabric without the lining for both gowns. The design was quite complicated with lots of knife pleating and the brown over gown caped around to the front joining at the waistline and held in place by a panel of hand stitched beading on contrasting fabric at the  front waist. Hanging from the panel were seed beads, clear tear-drop crystals and assorted small feathers in various shades of creme and brown.  As it turned out these things were the easy part and the very least of my challenges...

 Being 3 months gone at the first fitting the "Bride / Mother to Be's" body shape (naturally) continued to change throughout the whole process.... from fitting to fitting measurements had changed... requiring many returns to the drawing board,  re drafting of patterns, alterations... many sleepless nights and much teeth gnashing and hair pulling!

 (Mine, not the Bride's)

However... by the time the wedding day arrived at 6 months gone... things were pretty much touch and go as to whether her shape would change again overnight and that the dress would still fit on the day!

Fortunately for the Bride she didn't... and fortunately for me it did!... 
The wedding plans all went off without a glitch!... 

(I'd had awful visions of Princess... following the Bride down the aisle stitching her madly into the frock to cover her rapidly expanding girth!)

I met her again some months later while shopping well after the baby had arrived, and again she thanked me profusely for my effort.

I was very proud of my work, and despite the challenges thoroughly enjoyed the experience... though I am a little weary of making another wedding gown...
I think the first question I'll ask be... Not.. "What do you see yourself wearing on your wedding day? But...



"Are you Pregnant?" and if so  the next question is "When are you due?"

Savannah my darling, I hope you like the artwork and can appreciate my sense of attachment to it... It has been an absolute pleasure for me to revisit the adventure...

Enjoy! 

Some Thank You's....

Hello Dhaaarlings...

There are a couple of Quick thank you's that I feel I must make on the receipt of some lovely gifts from fellow Bloggers

My first thank you goes out to Mr Lx, Lola and RJ

For the lovely piece of Vending Machine Artwork.

It is delightful and in my colours too! I'm going to find a very special place to display it. 

There were also some lovely post cards included in the package...

 of Austin, Texas!

How did you know that I love collecting postcards MR LX?

I shall add them to my wall collage... I love the colours!

My second thank you goes out to The lovely Miss Mitzi Flange...

for forwarding these talent filled objects...

from the Infomaniac Thrift Shop Auction... Bidding Wars...

thank you Miss Mitzi you have helped me to rekindle some old flames from my youth! Along with the surprise gift of 

"The very Best of BANANARAMA"

A total boon to my CD collection! It has been on repeat play since it's arrival!

I just want to know what the other CD was that you managed to pick up from the 2 for 10 pound table darling? 

My thanks to both of you for brightening this little Princesses day...

A little bit of light relief....

It's D-Day Dhaaarlings...

That's "Dentist Day"

I'm so looking forward to today's events...

I hope they still use chloroform...

[via]

I do hope it's not tooth worms...


But... I do hope that the tooth fairy pays me a visit

Well not this one exactly...

I would prefer a model along these lines...

Is that to much to ask Dhaaarlings?...

A Pain In The.............. Mouth!

Dhaaarlings... 

It hurts!!!

I only have to get through till Wednesday

It's Curtains Maria!...

Hello Dhaaarlings...

Good News!

Brother returned home from hospital today following more tests. He is not allowed to lift anything for 2 more weeks... They are not sure what caused his pain but the specialist doesn't think it was another heart attack and the shunt was fine when they checked it.

Bad News but will be good...

In other news I got a second opinion on my troublesome teeth. I require 4 extractions! 3 upper and 1lower resulting in extensions to an existing upper partial plate. Plus a multitude of other fillings and rebuilds.

I shudder at the cost but I cannot go on with teeth rotting out of my head.

On a lighter note...

The costumier delivered the fabric today...

Real Tab-Top Curtains Dhaaarlings!

And a hunk of calico...

Along with some pictures from the movie of the children in their costumes"To guide you" (assuming that I'm a straight bloke and have probably never seen sound of music and have no idea of what they are talking about) and a list of special instructions for the must have inclusions... Like...

Louisa... MUST HAVE HEAD SCARF - The captain pulls it off her head

I giggle with delight...

What's that I hear you saying about art imitating life? 

some people can be so concrete...

High on a Hill is a lonely Goat Turd....

Layeeho-a-layeeho A-lay-heehooo....

Princess was so Excited...So much so that I was almost beside myself in anaticipation...

Word got out tht Princess is as you know quite adept with a bit of old fabric and her trusty Pfaff... Turning rags into wearable ritches...

So imagine my delight when I was recently approached to help in making some costumes for one of the local  musical theatre groups

So... I extended my Voluntary hand graciously and discovered they are putting on a production of one of my all time favourite musicals

 "The Sound of Music" 

Fifty two in the cast each with 2-3 costume changes for each player. 

I thought to myself "Would I be making the gowns for the Grand ball scene?

Measuring up Gaylords inside leg? Fashioning a brace of habits for the Nuns choir? Or perhaps I'd be so lucky as to create Fraulein Maria's Wedding Gown ? Heck... I'd even settle for Leisle's fabulous floaty little number for her tryst in the Gazebo with the telegram boy Ralph"

But alas....

I met yesterday evening with the costumier who was busy measuring up sailor suits for length...

 "Oh...  terrific Princess... thanks for offering your services" Pause.... 

How are you with childrens paterns and sizes?

My Princess senses by this stage were tingling and on high alarm

"Erm...pretty good... they're just adult clothes in miniature after all arn't they?"

And in the next sentence I saw my lofty visions of ballgown extacy...and inside legs turning to calico and florally home furnishing fabrics...

 "Great! We need someone to make the Children's Play Clothes!"

"Oh... how... delightfully charming"... I responded in my best Baroness Schraeder voice... trying desperately not to show my dismay...

So Princess gets to transform the curtains into Play Clothes...

But Oh my Lordy...

 Let me tell you. They will be the most fabulous Play Clothes this generation of the "Von Trapp Children" will have ever layed their little eyes on!

The bedazzler will be working over time on this little lot!

You mark my words!

There will be tears.... I can tell.

A Lovely Birthday Adventure...

It was a lovely winters Sunday. The birds were singing in the trees... The sun shining warmly with nary a cloud in the sky... a chilly breeze swirling about and insinuating itself upon ones nether regions...

"Rug up Princess... We're Off!" Announced the Empress. "I'm taking you for a "Devonshire Tea" over at Maryborough for a Birthday treat!"

"What? they don't do Tea's at one of the cafe's here in town?" I enquired.

"Just shut up and get in the car Princess... You'll see... Oh... and by the way... You're driving"

So we set off. Rugged up in coats and scarves for the hour long drive to Maryborough a large country town known for it's now closed woolen mills of a 

by-gone era...

Across rolling fields planted with crops of wheat and canola. Winter lambs frolicking and gamboling about in the chilled air but remaining within a bleat their mother's listening ear.

Pulling the car into the long sweeping driveway my eyes met with this sight...

Maryborough Railway Station

Read more about the Station and its History Here

and Here

It is an imposing yet elegant building and could be considered the

 "Grande Old Dame"

 of  Victoria's Railway stations as far as railway stations go.

The Platform itself is undergoing repairs and so did not lend itself to a pretty picture, yet it is purported to be one of the longest platforms in the State measuring a total 1.3 kilometers in length...just over 1 kilometer of that is covered with a verandah which has a central glassed skylight running its full length....(that is the bit that is currently being re-furbished)

Some of the tessellated floor tiling at the entrance

The old dining hall now a modern Cafe/ Restaurant

See the double window on the back wall?

The Empress and I shared a table just beneath that window... 

Where we managed to consume these...

Fresh Baked Scones with lashings of Strawberry Jam and Fresh Cream

The Empress Decided on a Hot Chocolate While I had my usual Latte

 I think the waiter may have left his rubber Cock Ring on the Latte Glass!

Ewww...

I sat right beside a very nice lady that played Her Golden Harp for me all afternoon.

I ended up buying a CD from her... and after that she stopped playing and partook of her own refreshments....If I had known that she would stop... I would have bought a CD from her sooner. There are only so many times that one can listen to "Stranger on the Shore" played on the Harp Solo.

Close up of  Harp

And i did have a very nice conversation with a gentleman that thought that I was quite brilliant for being able to explain some of the history of the Harp dating back to Egypt and its relationship to the Lyre and that that is how 

One of Australia's Native Birds

 the Lyerbird got it's name...
Clickerate the Play button and let Sir David tell you all about it and then
read more about the Lyrebird Here  if you like...

 Its tail... when opened during it's courtship display is shaped like an ancient lyre and male lyrebirds are able to mimic the sounds of over 20 other bird calls and noises that it hears in it's environment...

But I digress... 
Oh... and I forgot to get the nice gentleman's number... Bummer!

After a wander through the antique and collectibles gallery and store... 

Oohing and Ahhing at all the lovely items and laughing at the highway robbery prices... it was time to bid farewell to the "Grand Old Dame".

 No... not the Empress... She followed me back to the car.

It was a lovely Birthday Adventure....

On This Day...

Hello Dhaaarlings...




Today I celebrate surviving another year...


Why I couldn't have been born a "Summer Babe" I'll never know...
Middle of winter... cold, wet, and foggy days don't oft give cause for celebration...


But Princess always makes an exception...

And this year is no different...

There will be Cake...

Cocktails...

Good Company...

And did I mention Cake?...

Go on... Grab a piece Dhaaarlings....

Bottoms Up!...

Princess Minces Quinces.....

And turns them into something yummy

Hello Dhaaarlings...

Princess has been at it again...

Turning  fresh... this time.. Quince... Lemons from the tree in my garden and copious amounts of sugar into delicious....


 Quince Jam and Quince Jelly.

Quinces, Lemons and Sugar.

To make the jam 

I chopped up 2kg of fresh quince and and cooked them in the pot with 2 litres of water... until the fruit turned soft and squishy.

Removing the hot fruit from the stove I then put the mix though one of these...

It's a Moulie... which sieves the cooked fruit removing the pips and cores  

allowing the fruit pulp and liquid to be collected in a large bowl underneath.

The juice and pulp was then returned to the pan with the juice of 2-3 lemons and 3 kg of sugar added and dissolved once the mix started to rapidly boil. 

Once the sugar is all dissolved and the pot gets up a rapid boil the heat is turned down and after one and a half hours of a gentle rolling boil you end up with quince jam which can be placed into warmed and sterilized glass jars allowed to cool then sealed.

Quince Jelly

 Is made in a similar fashion using the the same ingredients but using less sugar.

2kg of fruit is chopped into small cubes and boiled with 2 litres of water and the juice of 3 lemons added at the beginning of the process and again the fruit is simmered until it is soft and squishy

Instead of putting the juice and cooked pulp through the moulie the whole mix is poured into a bowl lined with a large piece of muslin cloth. The pulp is then tied into the cloth and suspended over the bowl and hung up to drain... preferably overnight... so as to catch all the lusciously wonderful apricot/ pink juice as it oozes through the cloth into the bowl beneath.

It is really important not to be tempted to squeeze extra juice out of the suspended bag as this will cause pulp to work its way through the cloth which will cause the jelly to become cloudy...

I left the cloth full of pulp hanging over night.

The next step is to measure out the amount of strained juice you have collected overnight, as it is returned to the cooking pot.

Measure out the equivalent amount of sugar Cup for Cup.

Bring the juice to a rapid boil while warming the sugar in the oven ( I whack the bowl of sugar in the microwave oven for about 3 minutes, the heated sugar will dissolve more easily without dropping the temperature of the boiling quince juice.)

Add the warmed sugar slowly to the boiling juice while stirring it vigourously.

The mix will bubble and start to foam once the sugar is dissolved. Allow the rapid boiling to continue for another 5 or so minutes then reduce the heat to a  rolling boil for 20 minutes. 

A white foamy scum will appear around the edge of the pot. Carefully and gently remove this scum using a metal spoon. If the foam scum is mixed through the jelly it will give the jelly a cloudy lumpy appearance.( which is not the look we are going for)

Remove the pot from the heat and then carefully ladle the yummy clear quince jelly into warmed and sterilized glass jars. ( I hold the jar wrapped in a cloth on an angle over the pot with one hand and then ladle the mix into the jar using the other), allow the jars of jelly to cool to room temperature then seal.

Et Voila! Quince Jelly.

Which reminds me... Today I'm looking for 

a Fabulous 

"Quince Jelly" coloured  frock  to wear to the Winter Ball...

Perhaps one of these might suffice...

Have you found your Fabulous Frock Competition Entries?

If you have Dhaaarlings... forward them to Princess...

Our Organising Committee is standing by...ready to sort your mail... 

You have until Midnight Australian EST on Sunday 12th June 

Dhaaarlings....