2011...the ones that got away...A Year In Pictures OR 13 by the dozen!!!

It's New Year's Eve...

for the first time in many years I have my 3 children here with us...including grandchildren!!!

I thought for this post I would put up a photo from each month...

photos that I took and intended to blog but just didn't get to it!!!

January......one evening JoJo and I went out for dinner to Starfish Deli...

February...went up to Canberra and had a ride on the famous Carousel...JoJo's favourite...

Headline of the month...I broke my arm, in 2 places...ouch!!!

March......Mr Armchair one Friday evening made snacks and wine for us...here Brie cheese and garlic and chilli olives...(didn't take me long to get to food ha ha)

Baker's Dozen...sling off my arm, doing physiotherapy and trying to lift the rod up...hard work!!!

Little Ryan staying with us for a week in the school holidays...he is on holiday from Pre-School...

May...went to Moruya and there were hot-rods everywhere...here JoJo's favourite...

June......and here's the girl herself...our good friends Geo and Lloyd stayed at not-too-far-away Mollymook...

July......caught up with my Niece...here I am with Grand-daughter Lidija and Great Niece Grace Eliza...

August......went to Canberra Craft Fair and had to have this kit......a flannel snowman quilt kit...

the plan is to start on my birthday......let's see how we go!!!

September.....back to food......this time Chocolate Mousse for Tracey and John.....

October......Mr Armchair, normally camera shy said 'take a picture of me' while he was cutting down some bouganvillea......

November......back to Starfish Del, it's our Wedding Anniversary......lunch and then off to Twilight the movie...

December......New Year's Eve...

here we all are having late lunch...

What a year......who ever thought this much could happen in a year...

another great year......arm is still mending......

beachwalk today......pink bubbles at the moment......happy conversation around me...

cheeseplate coming...

Happy New Year......

Wishing everybody Peace, Joy and Contentment in the coming year......

let's hope it's a good one with everything happy in this world of ours!!!

Love, Dzintra

OPAM (One Project a Month) December...

Here is the last for OPAM for 2011...

2 items this time...

A Volkswagen Combi Cushion especially for JoJo...

Pattern is 'big camper' by Hot Possum and fabric is 'Now We're Goin' Places' by Monica Lee 

for Timeless Treasures...

I even did the applique with my machine...and this was a first for me...

Back of the cushion...this is the first time I have attempted buttonholes with my machine...

so easy!!!  I'm ready for more ha ha...

Even had some VW buttons by Nikki Tervo waiting for something special like this...

Front of cushion...

and back...

and a little cross stitch for JoJo...

she just loves Santa so this was quite apt for the occasion...

only thing is...I have had it for 2 years...

Thank you so much to Peg and Kris for hosting OPAM for another month...

I know that I wouldn't have finished a lot of what I have!!!

Christmas 2011...and Sea Mist

Christmas Eve morning arrived and when looking down the street I saw a mist rising up the hill to our place...and it smelt so 'salty'...

Meanwhile Mr Armchair came back from town and said we have to go down to the beach and have a look at the this Seamist!!!

Maybe you can't see it too well but it was awesome...

I'd never seen this before...but then again we have only been here 4 years...

It had a freshness about it as well...

People swimming in it...

and you could still see through it all...

It was rather magical looking down to it, but probably not for the seafarers...

Meanwhile from this Australian Good Food Magazine I made a Christmas pudding...

I used Rapadura sugar instead of white sugar...hence the caramel colour...

All good with custard on the day!!!

Mr Armchair cleaned the yard up a bit ant it looked lovely in the bright sunshine...

'Little jewels' in the water bath...

A lovely blue hydrangea...

I also made a Fruit Cake...

fruit cake is not generally a Latvian tradition but JoJo loves it, as do I...

All wrapped waiting to cut into it...

Looking at the bay window...

A candle for Christmas Eve...JoJo very excited by now...

Potatoes ready to prepare for Potato Roesti...

together with some barbequed lamb...

a nice easy dinner before the big day!!!

JoJo still getting very excited by now...

At her day programme she made some sweets...

The tree...

Opening gifts...

JoJo loves Volkswagens and I had to buy her this table and chairs when I saw it...

Very happy here...

Just after the table was bought I saw a pattern for a cushion with a Combi on it and had to buy it for her...then I made the cushion for her...

more of this in OPAM (one project a month) in another post...

And dig this, Gluten Free Mince Pies...

The it was off to our Daughter Jacqueline's place...

here she is with her DH Bill and 2 littles, Ryan and Lidija...

Jacqueline now for about the 5th year in a row has made a gingerbread house...

I think it's tradition now!!!

Mr Armchair's Brothers and their Mother...

And for the first time in his 5 years Ryan wanted to choose and give Christmas gifts...

I scored star cookie cutters...

And Lidija wanted to join in too...

here I received 2 nail polishes (she likes nail polish) and a golden olive eye shadow...

All just perfect...thank you so much Ryan and Lidi...all so very special!!!

By evening Lidija had had it...

Seeing I have a new sewing machine Jacqueline has my nearly new other machine...

and the Prints Charming book...

and she says next year everyone is getting sewn presents...

Bring it on!!!!!!!

I seem to be posting every day here...just squeezing in the last for 2011 for my blog book...

If I haven't gotten back to you thank you everyone for coming round and

leaving your lovely comments...I appreciate every single one of them!!!