~OPAM...One Project A Month...May 2016~

OPAM again for another month

How quickly is this year going!!!

Above and below is a Book Bag for my Friend for her Birthday

Whilst on a roll I made 2 more!!!

A Fat 1/4 that JoJo spotted on a recent visit to a Patchwork Shop

Fabric is 'Three Quarter Time' by Whistler Studios presented by Windham W. Fabrics

All goes with JoJo's inherited love of music

But what else would she like but a new Neckerchief!!!

And wearing it proudly on a beach walk this last Sunday!!!

Thank You so much Sweet Peg and her Partner-in-Crime Kris for hosting OPAM

I know I wouldn't get so much done without the challenge of OPAM!!!

Till next time.......Dzintra xo

~A Carer's Gathering......Kiama~

I was lucky enough to be able to attend a Carer Gathering last week at The Sebel Town House in beautiful Kiama

Lucky for me that afternoon there was a Farmer's Market just down the road from where we were staying

Entrance to the market

and coming out of it.  There were 3 Buskers in attendance so that was pretty good!!!

Alternate menu for the evening for dinner

Being Gluten Free I had Fish without the Batter

Dessert was pretty good!!!

Salted Caramel  Creme Brûlée with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

Very yummy but couldn't really taste the Caramel

I'm not a Painter but the next day elected to try Painting with Music

We had to choose 4 paint colours

My choices were (from left) teal, a sandstone colour, we had to choose white and a deep purple

and tada.......my pasterpiece lol

I haven't touched paint since High School in First Year so this was pretty cool

Being right handed my left hand was busting to have a go so I let it!!!

Lots of 'scraping' and 'flicking' happening

Then we did some drawings/sketchings to music

I used an organic charcoal.......never held a piece of charcoal before so this was a new experience for me

The 3rd square's song was Red, Red Wine

and the fourth one was Brown Eyed Girl

The 5th one was a pattern I did in 4th class at school but I just couldn't do straight lines!!!

I tried a music class also

and got to play these wooden blocks and a steady beat to the drum

A little bit of organ guided by pink papers lol

Electronic drums

Even a Base Guitar......a, d, e

That evening was a Mad Hatter's Ball and I wore a velvet hat brought back from Venice by DS together with a velvet silk dyed coat

Table decorations were awesome

A quick photo with Sean at the back and another lady

Goat's Cheese Panna Cotta......yummy

The dinner here

This was funded by The Shaw Building Group, Canberra
and hosted by Carers ACT (Australian Capital Territory)

Thank You so much everyone there

We all had a fabulous time!!!
You Guys Rock!!!

The next day Mr Armchair picked me up and we met at Kangaroo Valley

We had a bit of lunch

Mr Armchair had a Salmon/Salad Sandwich

Portobello Mushrooms for me

And who would've thought

A bowl of Tomatoes towards the end of May

Unheard of in our part of the World!!!

A lovely little get-away for me with Mr Armchair taking over Caring Duties

And the best part.......I got to sleep all night as JoJo has taken to waking during the evening!!!!

Till next time, Dzintra xo

~An Afternoon in Paris......France and Latvija, Day 2, (Part 2) 2nd September, 2015~

I know it's been a while but I'm  back with my France and Latvija trip

I was always intending to blog it all but it just got away from me

Having been inspired by Trish (who blogs just about daily on her trip through Paris, Provence and Italy) and Anita (who was over there roughly the same time as I was) I'm on a mission to blog it all.

Lots of pics coming up as I was just snapping away all the time but at least I'll have a record on my blog as I nearly thought I lost them all but luckily with advice was able to retrieve them.....PHEW......

Following on from my last post on our trip we are still on the bus

Here we are at
Quartier Pigalle in Paris
Pigalle is an area in Paris around the Place Pigalle, on the border between the 9th and the 18th arrondissements. It is named after the sculptor Jean-Baptiste Pigalle (1714–1785).

We are just cruising around taking it all in

10th Arrondisment

It is after lunch, say mid-afternoon

Look at the cars.......everywhere

Somehow cars, people and bikes work together

My Son is a cyclist (yep, took his bike over) and he noticed how polite the car drivers are to bikes over there (and Latvija as well but that's another story)

10th arr. above and below

Saint-denis Gate and St-martin Gate
(Wikipedia)

We are actually going through the St-martin Gate here.......awesome
To see a pic of the St-martin Gate follow the link above as I didn't actually manage to get one

The Porte Saint-Martin was designed by architect Pierre Bullet (a student of François Blondel, architect of the nearby Porte Saint-Denis) at the order of Louis XIV in honor of his victories on the Rhine and in Franche-Comté. Built in 1674, it replaced a medieval gate in the city walls built by Charles V. It was restored in 1988.

The Porte Saint-Denis is a Parisian monument located in the 10th arrondissement, at the site of one of the gates of the Wall of Charles V, one of the now-destroyed fortifications of Paris. It is located at the crossing of the Rue Saint-Denis continued by the Rue du Faubourg Saint-Denis, with the Boulevard de Bonne-Nouvelle and the Boulevard Saint-Denis.

La Madeleine

L'église de la Madeleine , Madeleine Church; more formally, L'église Sainte-Marie-Madeleine; less formally, just La Madeleine) is a Roman Catholic church occupying a commanding position in the 8th arrondissement of Paris.  The Madeleine Church was designed in its present form as a temple to the glory of Napoleon's army. To its south lies the Place de la Concorde, to the east is the Place Vendôme, and to the west Saint-Augustin, Paris. 

1st Arrondissment......Hotel De Louvre (this link has lots of images for it)

For history on this Hotel go over here 

The Hotel du Louvre was built in 1855 and then known as the Grand Hotel du Louvre.  It was the first luxury hotel in France and was originally located in the building which is now known as the Louvre des Antiquaires

The Grand Hotel du Louvre had 700 guestrooms and a large staff of 1,250 and became renowned for its French and international cuisine.

Thought I'd take a Selfie.......couldn't wipe the smile from my face that I was actually here

1st arr.

1st arr.  Beautiful lampshades everywhere we went

Jardin Des Tuileries area above and below

The Tuileries Garden is a public garden located between the Louvre Museum and the Place de la Concorde in the 1st arrondissement of Paris. Created by Catherine de Medici as the garden of the Tuileries Palace in 1564, it was eventually opened to the public in 1667, and became a public park after the French Revolution. In the 19th and 20th century, it was the place where Parisians celebrated, met, promenaded, and relaxed

So exciting........my first glimpse of the Eiffel Tower in the background

Jardin Des Tuileries

Louvre Museum

The Louvre......Jardin Des Tuileries

Jardin Des Tuileries above and below

Jardin Des Tuileries above and below

Still smilin'

Louvre area above and below

So that was our first ride around Paris (and I'm still smiling now typing this!)

Next time we are at Francois Mitterrand Quay

Paris is such a photogenic city!!!

Till then, Dzintra xo

~Fat 1/4 Birthday Club Gifts~

Phew, I finally been able to get around to blogging my received Fat 1/4's in the Fat Quarter Birthday Swap hosted by the lovely Chez

It's easy to play......once having joined up just specify what brand of fabric you would like to receive on your Birthday

Also one person is allocated another to make a special gift for!!!

This year I specified 'French General' fabric or Cream Tone-on-Tone

Here they all are after having come in

My Special Gift was from Chookyblue

This lovely Table Mat made from the French General range

How lovely is this!!!

The back

My Fat 1/4 along with a few extra goodies

Thank you so much dear Donna......just love it all!!!

Here are the Fats from dear Chez

these ones are 'Panier de Fleurs'

Thank you so much Chez aka Dory........they are perfect!!!

This one is Rouenneries Deux from my good friend Asta along with a very pretty strip of linen type fabric with fringing either side.....isn't it just lovely!!!

Thank you so much dear Asta

Next one is from Tarnyia along with a selection of Red DMC Threads

Thanks so much Tarnyia

This lovely one from Illene along with some DMC thread and Christmas Buttons

Thank you so much Illene!!!

 This one  'Rounneries' from Simone together with some cute little pegs

Thank you so much Simone......those pegs will surely come in handy!!!

This little bundle from Sweet Michelle 

The pink fabric is La Belle Fleur together with a surprise Eiffel Tower fabric, ribbon and pink DMC

Oh you know me too well lol

Thank you Michelle so much!!!

And last but not least this one from Julie who also included a hand-knitted face washer in a little embroidered bag and a hand-made card
Thank you Julie!!!

I love being in this Birthday Swap........thank you everyone for your gorgeous gifts
and a BIG Thank You Chez for hosting this fabulous Swap!!!

Just for fun here it is all together along with a few extras

At the back is a Christmas Stitchery Kit by Hatched and Patched entitled 'Father Christmas' from my dear Friend Geo (No blog) 

Thank you Dear Geo!!!!

JoJo loves to receive and give music/DVD's and I had put in a request for 

'A Place to Call Home' which used to be on regular TV but now on pay TVwhich we don't have

I really enjoyed this Series so now I can catch up on it

Thank You so much Darling JoJo 

And from my lovely Friend Marianela a little Concertina of France together with a Doodle Paris book

How cool is this.....

Thank you so much Marianela.....lots of fun ahead!!!

Couldn't resist showing off this lovely gift bag from Mr Armchair!!!

Thank you!!!!

And I had to make my own Gluten Free Birthday Cake

This one is a Hazelnut Flourless Cake........and very delicious too!!!

Blowing it all out

My Dear Travelling Companion Son took me out for Dinner last week and this was my Dessert complete with a Birthday Candle

What an awesome Dinner this was.......Thank you so much Darling One!!!!!!

And my Birthday is still going

Asta and I went out yesterday afternoon and had a little Happy Hour and I received this gorgeous Mug Rug with a Gossip in the Garden Stitchery on it (Hatched and Patched) and a beautiful mug

My very first Mug Rug.........and I'm going to make one for Asta for her Birthday as she doesn't have one either!!!

Thank You so much Asta........I always enjoy our Catch Ups

Tomorrow is Mother's Day

So here's to all the Mums out there

Thinking of my Mum as she has been in Hospital for about a Month now getting over some leg problems

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY

love Dzintra

*********