Sunday 24 November 2013

Ssshhhh - a surprise party is in order!

This is a beautiful view of HH taken last night when, officially, we hosted HH's first social outing  - but more about that later...
 
 
34 weeks to go and we had much to do - as the builder boys had to get the House ready to receive its first official guests for the weekend surprise birthday party
 
 
The week started with special morning tea scones for Tom
 
 
(but Tom was nowhere to be seen!)
So, instead, stairs were readied
 
 
These are the guys who pulled off this fabulous achievement - thanks Jason! and Neil!
 


and Ta Dah, the stairs became party ready
 
 

And talking of stairs, just look at all the work which went on this week centred around HH stairs

 
Brand new external side stairs
 
  
Internal stairs being sanded
 
 
Marriage of the old and new floorboards
 
 
New office floors
 
 
and my new office floor
 
 
 
 
So, as you can see, floor sanding was very much on the agenda this week, but wait, there's more!
 
Our Hanworth stationery (embossed too!) arrived
 
 
 
Kitchen installation commenced
 
 
I welcomed back white gloss and Dulux Manhattan hues
 
 
 
and the ballroom was becoming recognisable again
 
 
Those magnificent wrought iron posts were finally given the VIP treatment they so rightfully deserve
 
 
 
and just look at them now! All dressed up ready to party!
 
 
Moreton Hire moved to work their marquee magic!
 
 
 
As the week progressed, everyone worked hard to make the house look less like a construction site and more like the backdrop to a party venue
 
 
 
 
 and by Friday at Four, a definite celebration was in order
 
 

 

 
 
and, exhausted, it was time to hang up the hats for the weekend


 and let the celebrations begin - a surprise party was in planning
Elvis was invited 


and he arrived
 
 
Actually a number of them arrived!
 
 
The girls were ready to party too
 
 
 
and guess what else - Superstar tea cosy removed her gear as she had heard that Fabulous Friend HH (pictured above) had a new tea cosy coming in the mail
 
 
Assuming, she had been invited to the party, she waited all day for its arrival
 
and arrive it did - and did this girl get around the party! But that's another story for another post - stay tuned to follow her antics at the Night with Elvis surprise birthday party - you won't be sorry!
  

 
 
  x HH

Wednesday 20 November 2013

Lights and cameras and lots of action

Well it is official - our Christmas tree is up - I know it is early but Faux Fuschia sets the trend these days Check out she who we must obey here - so, as hers is up, it is now considered totally fine for the rest of us to do the same - so we did...


 
Sorry to disappoint but that was NOT our tree! Sometimes I wonder if I should have had a strategic approach to decorating our tree - you know, stick to a single colour like this one
 
 
or use only crystals like this one. But neither is ours - this is ours
 
 
We just jam pack the tree - cramming every branch as best as we can with an eclectic history about our lives, where we have been and what we have loved
 
 
I love unpacking all the decorations - each with its own story - and sometimes we bring in a little bit of beverage support for that huge task
 

 But of all the wonderful decorations, it is this which sits under the tree which is my most treasured
 
 
You may well ask what it is - it is a family manger of course. Miss HH made it in about 2000. Suddenly there it was under the tree, her face occupies the manger (it is a huge cut out !) and I am standing on the right next to my mother and mother in law hoping to be a wise man. Alas, when I asked her what I was, she proudly proclaimed "well you are the cow of course!". Mr HH faired better - he was a wise man alongside my father and grandmother!
 
It is one of my most valued possessions and always will be.

In other festive news, to celebrate 35 weeks to go, I proclaimed last Wednesday "Donut Day"
 
 
It was a big success


Meanwhile, PA HH pleaded that it was time HH got a Christmas tree of its own !
 

She was not subtle! 
 But I had literally no time to think of a Christmas tree as these festive arrivals adorned HH this last week

 
We welcome to the HH family these new red cedar windows

 
and door frames and doors
 

I had a chance to show them off - despite the sad circumstances when ABC Radio visited me following on from the loss of another heritage building in Brisbane, Belvedere - If you missed the Belvedere story just click

 
The lovely Terri Begley from ABC radio visited me and had a lovely chat by the newly installed window


I was sad that Brisbane lost another beautiful historic home and no doubt another random act of "unkindness" was probably to blame
 

Just like when we received the same treatment 8 months ago - and were left with a mess in his wake


But things are looking up because, in this week's highlight news, the scaffold came down!

From this



To this



It felt good to have Hanworth back!

But I am not complacent - there is still much housework to do


Pete set about repairing windows which looked irreparable


Floors were levelled


Kitchen installation commenced

 
The 149 year old wrought iron posts received much needed TLC
 
 
as did the skirting boards!
 

 
and of course our friend the skip man paid a visit or two
 
 
our DA came down and
Barbra Zaloumis from our documentary crew was awarded and applauded
 
 
This light fantastic joined the HH family - its positioning will be revealed in the weeks to come
 
 
In other news, Brisbane is beautiful this time of year - just look at this shot I took on my way to HH early morning
 
 
All the time musing about whether this kind of rug would look good in my new office
 


and don't worry - we did some good charity work too - Zonta clubs united to say "NO" to domestic violence
 

 
and Brisbane was inundated by the orange brigade
 
 
 
but what was really lovely is that our club recently won a United Nations Association of Australia Qld award for our Birthing Kit Project
 
So proud of the great women in our club and the fantastic work that we do "to advance the status of women worldwide".
 
x HH