2016......the ones that got away

Welcome 2017......let's hope this year doesn't fly by like the last one!!!

I like to do a catch up post in January of the previous years' photos that just didn't make it on to the blog for one reason or another.....

To kick off January I had a go a making some Mozarella Cheese and it turned out really well

We were all really happy with it!

Just need more practice at making smooth round balls!

February sees me going up the Hill to the National Gallery Canberra 

to view Australian Artist Tom Robert's Exhibition

Oh my how stunning it was!

Artwork is 'The Golden Fleece' painted at Newstead North Station, near Inverell, New South Wales and Sydney 1894

Oil on Canvas......purchased 1894

My Friend has a Tapestry of this and it is just beautiful

The further away you stand from it the further into the Shed you go!

I made this little cushion 10 years ago for my Sister and finally took a photo of it

It's being used as a little brooch holder

Original design by Cathy Penton

April sees me off to a Book Signing with Fleur McDonald and Josephine Moon
Fleur writes about Rural Fiction and Jo writes Foodie Fiction
Pic here with Fleur but the one with Josephine has vanished and luckily it did make it to Instagram at the time.
 Im having Lots of trouble here with the photos......
Blogger won't talk to my Photo Library here and I think the Photo Library keeps changing the photos around!

In May we were still getting Cherry Tomaotes from our garden

In June I was lucky enough to win this Book hosted by Gail Pan Designs

Thank You Gail!

In July I was the first to finish a Book Challenge hosted by our local Bookshop

August sees JoJo's Birthday......the day she waits all year for

Here she is with a John Farnham cake

In September I was reminiscing about my Paris trip and how I scored a visit into the Kitchen of 

Alain Ducasses's Jules Verne Restaurant in the Eiffel Tower

Oh my....................

In October I went to Manu Fieldel's Book Signing

Here I am with him......sigh

November saw Mr Armchair cook a meal from a recipe

Beef Sirloin Steak with Rocket Salad and Balsamic Onions

Very delicious too!

And Christmas December 2016 saw a Spit in the Backyard

Here we have JoJo's Sister Jacqueline and her little one Lidija

So ends a quick trip through 2016

Wishing everyone a Happy, Content and Peaceful 2017

Dzintra xo

~A Welcome Home Dinner....and a Book Win~

Phew, here we are into February and just starting to get back into Blogland....

When I came back from Paris and Latvija Hubby and JoJo offered to take me out for dinner to celebrate.......Well that was back in October and the dinner happened in January lol

I didn't take any photos of the dinner but I did afterwards

We went to a local place Starfish Deli and really enjoyed the views

Starfish deli is situated on the pristine waters of the Clyde River

Last weekend we had some Foie gras de canard entier that I brought home from Paris

I couldn't resist purchasing this on the banks of the Seine River at a Friday market

I had never had any before and probably never will again

Oh so delicious together with some Brillat Savarin Affine Fromage......a triple cream cheese from France .......oh so very very creamy

Imported by Calendar Cheese Company, Port Melbourne.

Also just before I went away I was lucky enough to win The Chocolate Promise and The Tea Chest by Josephine Moon.  The Chocolate Promise is set in Paris and Provence......2 places I was lucky enough to go to......

Thank You Josephine

I've realised this is my 500th post so I think a little giveaway is in order
I'll be back soon with that

One more day till the weekend woo hoo
Enjoy.......I think I'll be going down to the beach as it's been so hot!!!

Have a good one......Dzintra xo

Can't Hold It In...I'm going to PARIS and Latvija (Latvia)

I have the most exciting news!!!

I've got a few 'Paris' things around the house thinking one day it would be nice to go there but never really expecting to.....

As we care for JoJo it would just be too hard to organise let alone find Care for her

It's hard enough to organise a night out without booking respite in advance

No spontaneous Dinner Dates for us here

This just has to be the next best thing

Last July my Beloved Son rang me and said

Mum, get your Passport......I'm taking you to Paris............eeeeekkkkk, whaaaaaaat

I walked around in a Dream

and then

Tickets were bought.......flights booked

I've got an assortment of books to look through

I'll especially have to study this one

I'm using this as my Planning Book

I even bought an Ink Stamp ages ago

Just part of the fun collecting Paris stuff

This is my Pinning Table which Mr Armchair brings in for me when I am pinning a quilt

and I stuck this stamp on it

I wrote my first letter with this stamp on the envelope to my good Friend Geo (no blog)

This bag is at the end of the table housing a Special Project (next post)

A bucket bought a long time ago now houses Paris stuff for Our Trip

The first thing I bought specifically for the trip......will come in handy as I have no French language

Little Affirmation Cards received at Christmas

The quote today is

The Sea is Everything

Its Breath is Pure and Healthy

It is an Immense Desert

Where One is Never Lonely

For you can Feel Life stirring on all sides

Jules Vern

Even had me an Award Winning Pear Cider

And today courtesy of Allen & Unwin and Goodreads I won this copy of Josephine Moon's 

'The Chocolate Promise'.  All very timely as this book is set in Evandale, Tasmania then goes over to Paris and Provence.......This is my absolute next read!!!

Thank you so much Allen & Unwin and Goodreads........can't wait to get into this book!!!!!

The Biggest Thank You and Love to my Mr Armchair who is going to stay home and care for JoJo whilst I go off to Paris and Latvia

and not to forget my Prince of a Son.....

Thank You So Very Very Much

Words cannot express what I feel for you both

does it get any better than this

Love, Dzintra

~OPAM (One Project A Month) February~

One small item this month for OPAM

'Some Kind of Wonderful' Needle book (a giveaway win from Deb at Frog Cottage Designs) by Anni Downs of Hatched and Patched

Inside the case

The thread specified was Weeks Dye Works Stone Floss which I didn't have

so I looked up the Conversion Chart and used DMC 840 and 3740 which gave a lovely stone/mauve effect.  

And the back.

Thank you again Sweet Peg and Partner in Crime Kris for hosting OPAM once again this year!!!

~2014~The Ones That Got Away

 Boy 2014 certainly whizzed by in a flash

Welcome 2015 and let's hope it's a peaceful year all round the world especially in light of what has been going on

I thought I would do my annual post on pics that were going to be made into blog posts but  just didn't make it

First pic is of lucerne bales for a small vegetable garden that I thought we would start up

Mr Armchair built the garden 4 storeys high out of railway sleepers

One reason is I'm tall and don't bend so well and the other is our Labrador Mimi who loves to 'garden'

Not long into it and this is what it looked like

And to keep Mr Armchair busy in February I needed a new bookcase and thought this corner was perfect

And it is........only trouble is the books keep 'growing'

In March JoJo was out with her group and she bought Mimi a collar

Only thing is it's for a puppy and Mimi is a big, boofy Labrador 

Such a sweet thought on JoJo's part

At Easter time in April I coloured some eggs in vine leaves and onion skins..........a Latvian tradition

this being the result

The egg can then be polished up with some bacon rind

In May we went to see a Miss Fisher exhibition

Miss Fisher......played by Essie Davis........ is a glamorous Lady Detective and the series is set in the 1920's in Melbourne

Read more about the series here

One of my favourite TV shows

In June I entered a giveaway by Jennifer Chiaverini and won this book The Master Quilter

One of her best I think

It was even autographed for me

To win I had to enter a question asking which character I would most like to meet out of the Elm Creek Series

My answer was Anna (the cook) so that I could cook with her for the patchworkers and then sit down and do some sewing with everybody later

I think there were about 800 entries so not bad

 In July at around 5pm there was a massive storm and I took some quick pics coming home

The colours were just stunning

In August we went out for JoJo's birthday breakfast and this is the view 

In September I bought an apron off my Friend Miss Vicki and decided to wear it whilst sewing as I get a heap of threads all over my clothes.......especially the black ones

In October I got to meet Monica McInerney who recognised my name from comments I had made to her Face book page

Such a lovely lady

 In November one evening I spilled frozen peas all over the floor (not very exciting I know)

but the next night the garlic I had fell down and landed looking like a triangle so I just had to photo it

And of course Mimi came in and cleaned up the peas

She didn't even know they were frozen as she doesn't eat she vacuums lol

Before we knew it it was Christmas again

 JoJo's programme had a Christmas get together and she was so proud that she cut the sausage and spiked it together with a tomato and a toothpick

And oh my goodness was this ever good

A Paleo Chocolate Blueberry Cake

I even made my own Nut Butter (cashews) and Paleo Chocolate

Recipe found at The Merry Maker Sisters

And to cap off New Year's Eve a pic taken off the television of the Fireworks on Sydney Harbour 

Happy 2015 everyone.........let's make it a good one

Love Dzintra