A very Happy Birthday!

Some years, my birthday just comes and goes without much excitement, but turning 65 this year seemed to be special for some reason; maybe because it is half way between two milestone birthdays and people don't know if I'll be around to celebrate 70!! Just kidding, no reason why I shouldn't be. For a few weeks, I'd been admiring this stunning dinner set in the window of a gift shop in Eltham, and said to Ken if he couldn't think of anything else, I'd love the teapot in this set. Blow me down if he doesn't come home with the whole bloody set! 16 pieces including four dinner plates, four bread plates, four bowls and four mugs. He also bought the matching jug, sugar bowl and salt & pepper shakers. I cringe to think how much it cost...he must love me a fair bit to lash out on this!   But there was no teapot....


 
We had dinner out that night with our friends Mark and Louise, who celebrate their wedding anniversary on the same day as my birthday, so we usually go out together on the night. They presented me with a gift at the table while we were waiting for our meal...the very teapot I'd asked Ken for!

 What an amazing coincidence, NOT! Louise knew I wanted it, and had planned to get it for me, but Ken didn't know that, and was going to include it with the dinner set. Luckily they happened to meet at the gift shop (and that was a coincidence) and were able to sort out their purchases, otherwise I would have ended up with two teapots! I now have to get rid of one dinner set - probably the Noritake set because we've had that for over ten years and it was second hand when we got it. My day was just as much fun as the evening. I had lunch with two dear friends, who gave me lovely gifts. There were also gifts that had arrived earlier that week, waiting to be opened, as well as lots of lovely cards.

Three books - all art related, two sketching pads and pack of artist pencils etc., placemats, vintage patchwork, arty spatula set, little notebooks, crystal pendant, and the cutest cross stitch.

 Val had been stitching this for someone else last year, and she remembered me admiring it, so she made another one for me :-)

Lots of lovely cards - look at all the kitty cards at the front!  (There is an OWL card too, on the right)