This blog is all about me......I come here for respite in between caring for JoJo (our Daughter who has Special Needs)......I am addicted to starting new projects......I am becoming a fabric-a-holic... I love to try out recipes... take a beach walk and breathe in that salty blue air......love to have coffee...sip a glass of champagne......read a book......I am Queen of the Armchair and am inspired by all the wonderful blogs out there!!!

Thursday, June 30, 2016

OPAM (One Project A Month) June 2016





These months are just flying by and time for another OPAM for June
This time a little Zippered Pouch designed by Anni Downs of Hatched and Patched


Back



Looking In







And here is the little Kit......I love Anni's designs!!! 







Next is a little shoebag (also designed by Anni)
This shoe bag was made for Tarnyia as part of a Fat Quarter Birthday Swap hosted by Chez


A yellow Fat 1/4 for Tarnyia also (yellow was specified as her favourite colour to receive) along with some threads and a natural coloured Fat 1/4 and a Theodora Cleave Prim Cat button



And the gifts all together!!!

Thank You Sweet Peg and Kris for hosting OPAM again this year!!!

Tuesday, June 21, 2016

~Paris...Day 2 (Part 3) ~2nd September, Quays of Paris, 1st arr~




Still 2nd September 2015 and on our wonderful bus trip around Paris
We bought tickets on the Hop On Hop Off Bus 
These tickets lasted for 2 or 3 days
By road or boat whenever we liked........Just hop on and  hop off if you want to look at something and then back on again
Here we are coming upon Francois Mitterrand Quay 




Here 'tis along with the River Seine in the background
Our first look at this and boy was I excited



Two quick views of the Musee des Antiques in passing 




Francois Mitterrand Quay


Paris - 1st arr.


The Louvre Quay




Quay of La Megisserie


Quay of Gesvres


Beautiful lamp posts everywhere


Paris - 4th arr






Ile de la Cite


I'm not used to seeing such crowds 
Cars, bikes, people.......they all seem to work together here



Still 4th arr





Petit Pont

Next time still on 6th arr, Champs-Elysées and seeing the Eiffel Tower up close!!!

Tuesday, June 14, 2016

~My Birthday Cake~



Even though my Birthday was quite a few weeks back now I feel like I have to blog  the delicious cake and recipe which I need to save here just in case it enters the World of Lost Recipes one day.

Introducing Flourless Almond Cake
Recipe given to me by Anne (no blog) some years ago now and it is well and truly used


I found this French Caster Sugar sourced from Champagne-Ardenne which was really sparkly (above and below) and whipped up beautifully. 
For information on French Caster Sugar go over here 




All stirred and whipped ready for the oven


And about ready to blow out the candles
Hip Hip Hooray

Note.....wearing Fat Quarter in hair by Anni Downs (range 'Kiss Under the Mistletoe')
I find fat 1/4's easier to wear than regular headbands as I usually have one to match
I just go to my stash lol!!!

**RECIPE**

Anne's Flourless Almond Cake

Mod oven 170c for 40 minutes
25cm Spring Tin
Vanilla

8 Egg Whites/Yolks
1 C Caster Sugar
Vanilla
200g Almond Meal or Ground Hazelnuts
Flaked Almonds
Icing Sugar for dusting

**METHOD **

Grease Tin
Whisk Egg Whites
Add Sugar and Vanilla
Gently fold in Yolks then Almond Meal
Sprinkle Flaked Almonds
Bake and then dust with Icing Sugar

Thanks so much Anne, I love this Recipe.......it is a real favourite!!!

Bon Appetit......Dzintra



Monday, June 6, 2016

~Chookshed Sewing Weekend Celebration~





I happily joined Chookyblue celebrate The Chookshed's 4th Birthday
I put Mr Armchair in charge and said I was sewing all weekend

What started off with pleasant rain and coolness which is perfect for an inside sewing day quickly over the weekend turned into devastation down the East Coast of Australia 
including our own South Coast



My aim on Saturday was to get these borders on to this Quilt,  Past Times
Well that didn't happen in a hurry as a bit of fiddling was done
I started early afternoon



And then what seemed like only a couple of hours Mr Armchair brought up to me an anticipated Happy Hour lol
Time to call it Quits now


And success yay borders on the next day
Mr Armchair hanging the Quilt top over the balcony



This quilt is made up of 15 Fat Quarters all taken from my stash and some are quite dated in 
Country Style but hey they look good and come together really well I think
Even a couple of reproduction fabrics are in there
Somehow they all work together!!!


After rain all day Saturday plus overnight and into Sunday we thought we'd take a little drive around the beaches and see what was happening
Lots of leaves on the ground
A few branches here and there
and a wild surf
Here we are coming down on to Casey's Beach



Down the hill



and then on to Denham's Beach












which was quite wild out to sea
See in the distance the wave hitting a small rocky outcrop/island



And then looking on to Surf Beach and Denham Beach from Wimbie Beach



Wimbie Beach
Our beaches are normally quite tame with not a heap for surfing due to the Bay
so this was all quite something to see


So back home now and I thought I would cut some more pieces for Farm Girl Vintage
yet another quilt I didn't need to start but I've had the fabric for a while now
and come Birthday time I bought myself the book
so what's a Gal to do!!!
Besides I cannot resist starting a new project lol


Lovely 30's Playtime Fabric


And a bit more cut up for the box
I think there are about 7 blocks to go out of 72 


Having done that I thought I would do another block of Sylvia's Bridal Sampler inspired by the 
Elm Creek books by Jennifer Chiaverini
and of course there was a black out


After quite a while power was back and I was into Block 54-40 or Fight
and that's where I left it

All in all a lovely weekend of sewing 
Thank you Chookyblue for hosting this fabulous weekend again
and 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHOOKSHED
May you have many, many more!!!

********

 My Heart goes out to the people whose homes and livelihood are affected by all the devastation of this weekend including the families of those people who have tragically passed away
Sending Hugs and Prayers to you all

Dzintra xo




Welcome To My World

Hello, my name is Dzintra Ingrid ... have been known as Ingrid and since our Sea Change I have started to use Dzintra ... pronounced without the D ... (but still known as Ingrid, I know, it's confusing ...)

Welcome to my world ... a journal of our Sea Change ... Mum to three wonderful children ... bringing up a daughter with a disability and seeing life through her eyes ... being a new Nanna ... photos ... inspiring quotes ... taking on a cookery course ... the odd recipe ... and trying to get some stitching done amongst all this ...