It's My Turn For a Giveaway!!!

Hi there everyone...recently I entered a giveaway at Micki's which I had the pleasure of winning...so I thought for a bit of fun...it's my turn now!!!

Baby Things pattern by Bareroots

comprising of quilt, pillow, receiving blanket and sleeping pillow

and...2 little patterns from Anni at Hatched and Patched...

It's easy...just leave a comment...I'll put them all in a basket and JoJo can draw out the lucky winner 2 Posts from this one...
For 2 chances tell your friends to come over...or use the stitchery Hearts and Hands Gather Here (above)...

Regular commenters also get 2 chances...

ABBA BABBA DO - We Are The Dancing Queens!!!

On Friday night we took JoJo to see Australia's premier ABBA show ~BABBA~

It's Saturday night...stage all geared up ready for the band...

Wind back to Saturday morning...and here's JoJo with her blue hair...and it looked great...she was so pleased with it!!!

Standing in front of the stage...ready and waiting for it all to start...

They came on and sang up a storm...

BABBA is the most exciting and musically accurate ABBA tribute in the world...The vocal ability of this sensational act has stunned audiences in Australia, South East Asia and New Zealand since it began in 1994, bringing them to their feet.

It is BABBA's attention to detail in every way that makes this tribute to the 70's Super Group ABBA one of the most exciting and visually entertaining shows to be found.

The costumes, the choreography and the music will transport you back in time and you will fall in love with this amazing group all over again...text from the Programme ...

To learn more about BABBA click here...

Great costumes...

This Armchair Queen turned into a Dancing Queen...I managed to get JoJo up towards the end to have our own little dance...she was dubbed Dancing Princess by the lovely Kath...check out her delightful blog for all the goings on from a Crafter in the Chilterns over in England...

Check out Benny's feather on his left shoulder...he was so nice and had a few words with JoJo...

and managed to get the group to pose with her...

JoJo is standing over my shoulder watching as I type this post up...she is so excited still...and yes, the blue hair is still there!!!

Over the weekend I developed a cold...and JoJo came home on Tuesday from her Day Programme with a bowl of Chicken and Corn Soup that she had made...she has a cooking programme that day...

Upon arriving home she said to me...For you Mum...make you better...

Thank You dear Joanna...it was lovely!!!

We should be great, each of us radiant,

Full of music and full of stories

~Monica Shannon~

Giveaway at Crafty Girls Workshop!!!

Crafty Girls Workshop is having a great giveaway...all part of the "All Sewn Up" launch party...go over and take a look, and tell them Dzintra sent you...Good Luck♥x

A Surprise Package...and some warming Winter Soup!!!

It's Friday night and the lights are low...as the ABBA great hit Dancing Queen starts...

We are taking JoJo to see the tribute band BABBA tomorrow night...she's off to the Hairdresser to have spikes put into her hair (like Rod Stewart's)...then sprayed blue!!!

Meanwhile we have a little visitor here for the weekend...hence the low lights...

our Grandson is here as his Mum and Dad are off to a Wedding...

Our BABBA tickets were purchased before we knew Ryan was coming here and our Dear Son... to the rescue and he will watch his little Nephew while we sing along to Dancing Queen...Fernando, Mamma Mia and a host of other ABBA hits!!!

Meanwhile...yesterday a surprise package in the mailbox from Simone...

Simone and I have been regularly in touch with each other and she mentioned she had seen some Tilda fabrics...I had never seen any but had seen Tilda mentioned through Blogland...

which led to Simone sending me some...along with a little stitchery...

First of all the above card which she said reminded her of me...(can't be with the cooking course can it!!! I have been posting our weekly menus and pics on my other blog My Dolce Vita)...the little card on the top left has the stitchery all done and coloured in...and all clipped together with this happy little wooden peg!!!

I know the pic is not too clear...

cakes on a stand...with a heart on the bottom...

Tilda fabrics...and I thought I would use this variegated thread...

Simone also has the same fabric and pattern...and we are going to be stitching this together!!!

Thank You so much Simone...and how very thoughtful of you!!!

I look forward to doing our little project together♥

I had to add this pic into this post...

Tripod set up by DH to take a pic of Borscht (beetroot soup) simmering on the stove...

Every time I took it all you could see was steam coming up out of the pot!!!

Simmering away...

Chopping dill (dillweed)...a favourite of Latvians.
Added flavourings in Latvian dishes come from cream, caraway, onions, nuts and seeds.
Exotic spices are usually added to special dishes on special occasions...

Dill used to garnish this hearty soup...along with sour cream.
Add a piece of dark rye bread...

A little while ago Natima asked for a beetroot recipe and I have taken this one from this very well worn recipe book...

BORSCHT (Beet Soup)

1lb beef short ribs - boneless, cut into bite sized pieces...(I used a slow simmering steak)

6 medium beets...pre boiled, diced

1/2 sm cabbage, shredded

2 carrots, diced

2 cups tomatoes or tomato juice

1 medium onion, chopped

2 stalks celery, diced

1 T fresh dill, chopped

1 Bay Leaf

4 peppercorns

1 T lemon juice

1 T salt

Place meat in saucepan... cover with about 8 cups of water/stock
Add 1 T salt, Bay Leaf, onion, peppercorns and cook approx 45 m
Add rest of prepared vegetables...cook another 30 m
Add more water if necessary
If desired add 1/2 c sour cream - before serving.
This is a lovely soup...beaut flavours, and one of my favourites!!!

Back cover of the little book showing traditional sweet yeastbreads...pussy willow in the vase...and a little carved box with lid...

A little interesting excerpt from the book:

Riga (capital of Latvia) during the years of Latvia's independence was very proud to have one of the largest produce markets in all Europe, second only to the famous Les Halles in Paris...

'Klinger' in the back left...
Recipe from: Latvian Cooking
Recipe Collection from a Baltic Cuisine
Published by the Ladies Auxiliary of the Latvian Relief Society of Canada Inc.
Special Thanks to: Livija Grinbergs, Astrida Robez, Tonija Kruka and all the good cooks who helped create this book
Covers: A. Robez: Photography J.L. Davis
Printed by Campbell-Barry (1984) Ltd. Hamilton, Ontario, 1985

I am so grateful I came across this little book in the late 1980's...many of the recipes in there remind me of my dear Grandmother's/Vecmamina's cooking!!!

I'm looking forward to the concert tomorrow night...
And if any of you try this recipe let me know how you go with it...
there are probably a few variations out there!!!

Have a great weekend...Dzintra♥

Mother's Day 09...

Here we are...Mother's Day all over for another year...and what a wonderful...peaceful day it was...with a surprise element in it!!!To start the morning...a 'flower ball' made by JoJo at her day programme...and she was so excited bringing it home on Friday... along with 2 little pot pourri satchets from her Sister and a new CD...
Now I too can get 'Lost in Austen' with this book...and in Jane Austen's words...
Ah! There's nothing like staying home for real comfort...

A gorgeous candle...Rose and Sandalwood...
It is said that you burn a pink candle to draw love into your home and environment...
Even though JoJo's Brother and Sister weren't able to be with us on Sunday they were very much a part of the day...

Close up of a little scrapbooked notebook...

Surprise No 1...DH actually went into a patchwork shop and purchased Lynette Anderson's Simple Stitches Needle Case kit for me...wow, I loved it...and co-incidentally unbenownst to him had admired it...a primitive style and an aged stitchery along with little wooden buttons...

Being a day where we all took it easy I straight away started ageing the fabrics ready for the start of the needle case...

But the biggest surprise was yet to come...

this beautiful floral arrangement from my Son!!!

Completely unexpected as he hadn't done this before...

Thank You to my dear Family for making me one happy Mum on Sunday...Love to you all ♥

Today a new sun rises for me;

everything lives, everything is animated,

everything seems to speak to me of my passion,

everything invites me to cherish it~Anne De Lenclos~

I hope all you Mums and Grandmas all had a beautiful day...Dzintra ♥

In My Secret Garden Love Flows...An Enchanted Magical Garden!!!

In my secret garden love flows says this little stitchery...from The Patchwork Cow... that I did a while back... And a couple of weeks back on my birthday we took a trip to Foxglove Spires at Tilba on the South Coast of New South Wales and saw the most enchanting, magical garden...little secret gardens...candlebra...chairs...a dove house...just magic!!! I just fell in love with it all and would love to go back once a Season to watch Nature unveil for the following Season...
Entrance to The Spires Nursery, Love at First Bite Cafe, Tilba Forget Me Not Gifts and the Pineapple House...

Going up the pathway...

and into the shop...gorgeous glasses in all colours...

After getting tickets the entrance to Foxglove Spires...

A pond in the background with little teardrops (not sure if that's the right name for them) sitting on top...there were a few ducks there as well...all so lush and green...

Steps...

Another tunnel...

Candlebra...there were quite a few candles scattered throughout the garden...so romantic...sigh...
This garden is on 3 and a half acres...and started in 1984...it was just paddocks to start with...

Another secret place...

More secrets...you could actually walk through here...

A garden folly 'The Ruins of a Church' added an air of mystery and enhanced the romantic theme...

The 'ruins' on one side of the pond...

More of the 'ruins'...
I took my book that I received for my birthday...Velvet and Pears by Susan Southam...owner of this magical place and was so lucky to be able to have it signed by her...Thank You Susan...

And Annabelle and Vicki I couldn't help but think of you both while wandering through this very very special place...

And to all the Mums...Maminas (Latvian) out there, and Grandmas...Vecmaminas...I wish you all a very Happy Mother's Day for Sunday...I hope that your day is filled with love...Dzintra ♥♥♥

And just in time for Mother's Day visit Fiona who is having a giveaway celebrating her 50th post...Good Luck!!!