A Surprise Mother's Day Gift

Hope all the Mums out there have had a lovely relaxing Mother's Day!

Check this out......a very surprise gift from Mr Armchair and JoJo......A Harry Potter Lego set of the Hogwart's Train...

How cool is this......just perfect and such a surprise......bought by DD Jacqueline before last Christmas and apparently the last that she saw in Canberra!!!

Thank you so much for this surprise......I'm over the Moon!!!

And Susan this is my first post on my new IPad!!!  I'm so pleased I saw you with yours at Nundle!!!

Have a great week everyone......Dzintra xo

*Cook Up (No 21) with Donna Hay and ~Irina~

Above is a pic of the parsley fresh from the garden that I used in my Cook Up

from donna hay magazine Issue 67 Feb/March 2013

Potato Crisp, Fennel and Prawn Salad with Mustard and Cayenne Dressing

the wine

I have to admit this is the first time I have actually bought a fennel bulb and cooked with it

and what a surprise it was......Mr Armchair and JoJo agreed we'll have to have it more often

And tah-dah all finished

A lovely light dish which is easy to make and put together plus a perfect one for warm evenings

I think we'll have to have this one again come Summertime!

I look forward to your next Cook Up Irina and seeing what you choose!!!
Anyone else who wants to join us just drop me an email
All you have to do is cook one dish from donna's magazine and blog it

And to all the Mums out there

* HA P P Y   M O T H E R' S    DAY   F O R  S U N D A Y *

 I hope your family spoils you and that you have a lovely relaxing day 

and of course something nice to eat!!!

Bon Appetit......Dzintra xo

~OPAM April 2013......A Sneak Peak~(plus hacking update)

OPAM (One Project a Month) for May is finished......1 item but I can't show it as yet as it is a swap gift

however a sneak peak of the fabric used

I will come back and enter a pic once it has been received!!!

Thank you to Peg and Kris for running OPAM!!!

************

On the hacking front this has certainly un-nerved me......

Everything had to be changed everywhere and it took a few days to do with still some left

Thank goodness for Jacqueline my Daughter and her Hubby who came down and helped me through this......

This was as bad as being 'physically robbed' as all my contacts and emails disappeared......

not a nice feeling at all

I haven't been around visiting and commenting in the last few days due to all this plus being sick from all the stress of it all......so now to slowly get back into it all......

Thank you so much everyone who rang and told me about it all plus the feedback via facebook......I so much appreciate the time and trouble taken to let me know about it all.....

So it's off to a fresh start now..... Dzintra xo

~I,VE BEEN *HACKED*

Hi everybody....

I had a nasty surprise this morning at around 8am when all of a sudden I lost all my contacts and emails

I've had a few people ring and say they received an email from me asking for help and that I was stuck somewhere overseas......

Please ignore these emails.......I am sill here

I have set up a new email now that comments can go to......

I'm so sorry I can't reply to comments received now due to those contacts being gone........

We are trying to deal with all this in the background

Has anyone else experienced this?????

But for now I would love to sit and have a cuppa and do some stitching but no way at the moment!!!!!!

See you on the other side..........

~The Birthday Food and Gifts......and Family~

Well it seems that I have eaten my way through my B I G birthday LOL

I opened up this card a week before my birthday from my dear friend Dot and out fell all these gorgeous little stars

Two days later we headed up through the historic village of Braidwood to our desination that evening for dinner

at La Scala Ristorante in Canberra

DD Jacqueline and DIL Danelle

Going left to right DS James, SIL Bill, GD Lidija, Mr Armchair, GS Ryan, Jacuqline and Danelle

Some of the food

Family pic

the cake......a gluten free chocolate mud cake

that Jacqueline decorated

all so nice and chocolatey......thank you so much for organizing this and the dinner!!!

 

The gifts......gorgeous necklace from my children

and a cook book from my SIL Liene

Monday Morning Cooking Club

Recipes put together by a group of women who get together and cook on Mondays

I had heard of these ladies doing this but didn't realize there was a book

JoJo loved the table balloons

I received these glasses a few weeks before from my childhood friend Kerrie

My dear Friend Geo sent me these buttons by Lynette Anderson Designs

and this 1953 Australian three pence all set and ready to wear with a chain
Thank you so much Geo and Lloyd.......this coin made a flood of childhood memories come flooding back to me as I hadn't seen one for years.....and yes it was a little emotional too!!!

I had a cocktail when Mr Armchair and JoJo took me out for dinner on Birthday Eve to On The Pier

Sending a Cheers to everyone at the time!!!

More food......

The waitress came out with this Happy Birthday plate of a Mango Sauce that said Happy Birthday...

and it was all edible too......

And pic to finish off the evening.....

On Birthday morning Mr Armchair said let's go out for breakfast when JoJo had left for her day programme......yes please!!

We went to North St Cafe and Bar where they have the best Gluten Free food and cakes

I took a new glass that my Cousin Katy sent me and wondered if it was too early at 11am for some bubbles but Steph at the Cafe said no!!!

After that Mr Armchair took me to Georgie's Jewellers where we bought a new Pandora chain and a couple of charms.......I used some birthday money from MIL Velta to purchase the charm with the star on it as it reminded me of a sea shell and the beach that we are close too..... 

I came home to a gift from Nat

this lovely wallet purchased from Bangkok when she went for a visit back home there recently

Thank you so much dear Nat......it's great!!!

And Fiona you'll love this.....it's in your favourite colour orange!!!

And the biggest surprise.....an Ipad......how cool is this all in a lovely crimson cover as well

I first saw one of these at GDITC (Girls Day in the Country) when Susan had one at our table

It took photos as well and I was sooooo impressed

It's great and I just love it.....so now I will be able to be portable so will bring it next time to GDITC......

And guess what, Mr Armchair and JoJo took me out to dinner again.......this time at Isabella's

Funny enough the Chef here is one that was in my class when I did my course at TAFE 

After that we came home and had this delicious Chocolate Plum Ganache cake from North Street Cafe for dessert

 

And a pic to finish it all off

I've had a great birthday celebration

Thank you for all the birthday greetings and gifts

I've been thoroughly spoilt

Thank you to my lovely family

And I still can't believe I'm this age

But they do say 60 is the new 50 or some even say 40 !!!