A Postcard A Day - Tuesday 29 March 2016 T for campervan and pebbles

Good Morning folks,

Have you had a good Easter weekend? Yes, we certainly did. We have been away to the coast (South-East Spain) in our campervan.

On the coast it is always 5 or 6 degrees C warmer than here (near Granada, where the altitude is higher). The weather was warm and sunny (see Friday's blog).

This is a photo on the first day, my birthday. I am still wearing my turtle neck jumper. I changed into a T-shirt shortly after that.

I'll be linking up with Elizabeth and Bluebeard at T for Tuesday. Please join us with your blogpost as long as it has something drink related in it. 

In my case I'm showing the bottle of dry white wine that I treated myself to after a few months of abstination (trying to lose some weight, which I did. But now it's back to the diet...). 
The photo above was taken Wednesday which was my birthday. The wine glasses look very impressive but are actually hard plastic. Still, very pretty I think.

Postcard time! This card is actually one of my birthday cards. It is from my cousin Margit. She writes:"This is how I see you and Graham: both in balance! Happy Birthday!"

That's it for this morning! 

Wishing you all Happy T-Day,

Lisca

A Postcard A Day - Friday 25 March - Friday Smiles

Good Morning!

I am already smiling as we are on holiday in our campervan, staying on a camp site especially for campervans. The weather is great (sunny and warm) and I couldn't be happier.

We left on the day of my birthday, and the card so far received are these:

The one on the right is from Michelle,a blogger who was making lots of cards and asked if anyone would like a card. I immediately answered:"yes, please as I don't get many". So this arrived some days before my birthday in the post. Isn't that nice! Another smile!

Here is a card I received this week that made me smile:

It is my first ever card from Kazakstan. (Yes, I had to look it up on the map too. It is west of Mongolia, south of Siberia, and north of Afghanistan and Iran.
Does this card look like Kazakstan? No, in fact I recognize the buildings. They are canal houses in Amsterdam! That really made me smile!
Here are the stamps:

What a hoot! The person that sent it to me, Ann, knows I like images of windows and doors and that is why she chose this card.

The other thing that happened on my birthday, just before we left, is that they came to place the granite worktops in the kitchen.

I am super pleased and am smiling from ear to ear. I haven't had the opportunity to cook in my new kitchen, but as soon as we come back from holiday (monday), I shall be there, moving things up the stairs (52 steps!). 
Photos next week. 

This is a funny I found:

Have a lovely weekend all of you and see you again next week.
Blessings
Lisca

WOYWW 355 Decoupage (remember?) and a new digi layout

Good morning! Today is another chance to spy on each other's desks. If you don't know about this desk hopping, go to Julia's blog Stamping Ground where all is explained.

Here is my desk this morning:

There are some more freesias from my little courtyard. They are lovely and fragrant. Next to the monitor there is a pile of birthday cards that I am going to open as soon as my DH comes down with the breakfast he is lovingly preparing. Yes, it's my birthday today! Tada! I'm 65!

I'm typing this early as later on today we are going away in our campervan to the coast until Monday. I have a bottle of Chardonay in the fridge for our lunch on the way and tonight we shall 'dine' in a restaurant. 

The other thing on my desk is... decoupage! Yes, it was fashionable years back and I still have a box full of decoupage sheets. I know most of you would shudder at the thought of fussy cutting in this age of Silhouette cutting machines, but I enjoy doing it and find it relaxing to do for an hour or so when I sit outside on the terrace in the sun. I did quite a few and I have put them all on some white paper for you to see.

Yes, definitely posed. Now all I need to do is make the cards....

I'm still continuing to do the free digital scrapbooking for beginners course at The Scrapaneers. I have finished my second lay out. Like last week it was complicated as I had to 'translate' from Photoshop Elements into the Adobe Photoshop CS6 that I have and then into Spanish as I have Spànish software! 

I still have a problem resizing photos. In PSE if you resize them by the corners, it will be proportionate. In PSCS it doesn't do that and I don't know how to keep the photo in the same proportions. Anyone know?

A while ago, one of you was making a load of cards and asked if anyone would like a birthday card. I wrote back: "yes, please as I don't get many." Well, it arrived a few days ago, my mystery card from Canada. I've just opened it and it is beautiful!

It's from Michelle in Whitby, Canada. If you are reading this Michelle, a huge thank you! I am so 'chuffed' as they say. By far the best birthday card I received and the only handmade one.

That is it from me today. I'm going to open the rest of my cards now. 

Oh, and I might not be able to do many visits or comments as I don't know if the campsite has wifi and if they have, how good it is.

Have a good week all of you and Happy Easter for those that celebrate our Lord's resurrection!

He is Risen, He is Risen indeed!

Lisca

A Postcard a Day - Tuesday 22 March 2016 T for Almeria and things to comer

Good Morning folks,

How are you all doing? I am fine, healthy and in good spirits. I have lots of nice thing to look forward to. But first lets get down to business, i.e. the postcard for today:

This is one of the cards I have sent (rather than received) for a change. It is Almeria, the province next to us (we are in Granada province). We are going there on Wednesday to stay for a few days. This is a desert landscape. You can see the flowering agave in the photo and we will see the salt flats and the flamingoes as well as a beautiful coastline. It's no more than an hour or hour and a half drive from here. I'm really looking forward to it. The weather is quite mild.

The stamps that have come out recently are quite unusual:

This one 'celebrates' the 75th anniversary of the great fire of Santander in 1941. I have been to Santander last year (it is a city on the northcoast of Spain) and it is very beautiful. I never got the impression it was rebuilt. I use this one for My cards in Europe.

The other thing I am looking forward to is my birthday on Wednesday. I will start the day by opening my birthday cards in bed (with a cuppa). I have received four cards and I know there are two more to come but if they will arrive on time I don´t know... 

Then usually my husband takes me out to lunch. This time we are leaving for Almeria in our campervan (RV) in the afternoon/evening so I think we will have an evening meal in a restaurant somewhere near the campervan parking. We are on a diet but I will most definitely have a glass of wine! (Oh yes, Elizabeth, I will take a picture!)

I am linking up with Elizabeth and Bluebeard for T for Tuesday . To qualify one has to post something with a drink in it. So here is my drink related photo:

It is today's lunch table. As I said, we are on a diet so water is in order. I cooked courgettes au gratin, (crunchy top zucchini).

I'll give you the recipe at the end..

Now here is something to chuckle about: Yesterday I had made my DH a large mug of hot coffee. I was doing things in the kitchen and had wet hands. The mug slipped out of my fingers and all the coffee spilt (luckily not over me) over my Panasonic combi oven instructions book! It is an all-singing-all-dancing combi microwave/oven/grill, I've had it for years, but I cannot operate it without the instructions. 

 You know when wet books dry, all the pages stick together, so I had to put toilet roll paper between each page and there are 159 pages!! I was really annoyed.

But now I can laugh about it as one of the 'things that happen'.

That´s all from me today. Have a great Tuesday and a good week. See you all next week.

I've just realized I didnt show you my mini turtles. I'll try to remember next week....

Blessings,
Lisca

Courgettes Provencal au Gratin (Zucchini)

This is a very tasty, low fat supper dish.

Serves 2 generously, or 4 if used as a side dish.

450 gr zucchini, roughly chopped

1 onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, crushed

285 ml (1/2 pint) vegetable stock

85 gr long grain rice (or use about a cup of left-over cooked rice)

2 eggs

salt & pepper

57 gr grated reduced fat cheese

15 gr fresh bread crumbs

oil spray

-          Put zucchini, onion, garlic & veg stock in a large saucepan. Cover, bring to the boil, boil for 5 minutes. Then uncover, reduce heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes until tender and syrupy with liquid absorbed.

-          Boil water, cook rice and drain.

-          Beat eggs with salt & pepper. Stir in (cooled) rice, zucchini and onion mixture with half the cheese.

-          Spray an oven proof dish with oil and spoon the mixture in it. Sprinkle with remaining cheese mixed with breadcrumbs.

-          Bake in preheated  oven and 180 degree C (gas mark 4) for 25 minutes.