Monday, February 17, 2014

Being spoiled...

The girls came by for our fortnightly sewing day today, and they came bearing gifts.
I was pretty much gobsmacked at the time and thought they each put into a birthday gift for me.  
To say "I felt their love" is an understatment.

Michelle (no blog - yet!) used to paint, which is something she has never revealed to the rest of us, but for my birthday gift she picked up her paints and brushes again for the first time in 19 years! She knows I love having a little garden and painted four of the sweetest herb signs you have ever seen - all peering brightly from a pot of basil and thyme. She also hand embellished my card with pretty pencil drawings and a message that went deep into my thankful heart. And isn't that snail the cutest little guy?


Heather knows I have an insatiable delight for tea cups and birds, and her precious gift had both!
The tea cup and saucer are by Ashdene, a company who make my all time favourite tea things, so now I can officially say I have a small Ashdene 'collection'. Heather is also an amazing paper crafter so I was blessed with a sparkly jewelled card too. I love what was written on the front, "delight in simple things" - so very me.


Wendy's gift was a double gift of nourishment. 
One gift for my spirit - because writing is in my blood, I can't not write. This Footprints writing pad will be put to work immediately. You see, not to write is to shut off my air.
She also ministered to my soul. Self care isn't high on my agenda very often, but she made sure that for one day very soon I can leave work behind and enjoy a jolly good pampering.
My oh my, she knows me well...


We stitched and laughed all day, watching the heavy rain and listening to it's serenade through the large front windows...


Michelle is making an appliqued bag from a Leeanne Pitman design (Country Threads Issue 13.4) to carry her stitching in...


Wendy started work on a block in her Smee Designs quilt, "The Street"...


...and Heather is continuing with her "Best Friends Forever" stitched hexies


 I can't show you my project yet, at least not from the front...


 Remember my fly stitch tutorial a couple of weeks ago?
You can find it HERE.
Heather made a little pin book and pin cushion the same as mine, but I love hers more! 
In fact I almost made off with it when she wasn't looking...I'll try harder to distract her next time. ;-)


Mr E and I both have Hashimoto's Disease. He was diagnosed in 2009, and I was diagnosed a few weeks ago. It's an auto-immune disease, and one of the things that helps the body cope is to go gluten free, so I've been playing around with our family's 'normal' favourite recipes and making them GF. 
So far so good, with minimal failures.
Today for morning tea I made a GF version of "Matrimonial Slice", and the girls loved it as much as Mr E did...


For lunch I made a quick and delicious chicken and mushroom risotto which also went down with a smile all around...



I think we may have licked our bowls clean because they didn't even look as though they needed washing!
If you want to try these recipes I made today, leave a comment and I'll make up a pdf to share later in the week. 

Such a special day, made extra lovely because the friendship we four share is genuine, heartfelt, crazy, and exciting. 

Tomorrow...
I will share the remaining photos of home that I was going to show today, and it's also the release of the next double block set from Shabby Roses Home!


One last pic to share. I stole this from Wendy's blog HERE
She took this photo today of me and my sweet Blossom...
hugs



23 comments:

Gillie said...

Of COURSE we want the recipes! We are not gluten free but lots of peeps at church are and believe me, that church marches on its stomach, lol! Who'd a thought you'd both get diagnosed, will have to consult Mr Wiki! Such gorgeous gifts, yes, work harder next time to get hold of those beautiful stitched pieces, grin!

Juliana Torres said...

Dying to see new projects, but you are a thousand and one kkkkk ultilidade, I'm tired of seeing your day, these encounters with friends is all good, loved the gift received, and the girlfriend of the house design with flowers is gorgeous! Kisses

Christina said...

I'm so glad you had a wonderful day with your friends. All the gifts you received were lovely. The garden stakes are just adorable. Everyone's projects look great.

Anneke Potgieter said...

Please please, the recipes will be wonderful. Look as if you had a wonderful day with your friends. What a beautiful photo of you two!! Love to you all

Cindy said...

What a wonderful day with your friends and it looks like they pampered you! All the projects look great. Have a great spa day!

my2siamese said...

I've enjoyed your blog for quite a while now. I am now especially interested in how you deal with hashimoto's and what recipes you "cook up". I, too, have this and have to deal with the same issues as you and hubby being gluten free. Thanks for sharing your sewing sisters with all of us. Jill in Gainesville, FL, USA

Robin in New Jersey said...

What a wonderful blessing to be able to stitch with friends. I think I missed your birthday, so HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Jenny, friend!

I have been thinking about going gluten-free for reasons I won't go into here. I make your matrimony slice often, so I would love the updated version!

Your stitching is lovely, as always. :)

StitchinByTheLake said...

I have Hashimoto's and have had surgery twice. I would love to have these recipes. I've only recently read that gluten free would be helpful for me and it makes perfect sense because of other autoimmune issues I have. I'm reading and trying new things but still have many questions. I would love to have those recipes. blessings, marlene

Tammy said...

What a wonderful birthday celebration and what wonderful friends you have!! I've never heard of Hashimoto's disease, thankfully there are some things you can change with your diet that may help. It's always nice to feel you can have some say and control in helping with issues like this I think. Happy Birthday!!

Christine M said...

Sounds like you girls had a wonderful day, Jenny. It's always lovely celebrating a birthday with family and friends.

Jenny of Elefantz said...

Jill, could you email me please? Use the contact me button under my blog header. xx

Wanda said...

Happy Birthday! I'd love to know what Matrimonial slice is, sounds lovely. I have the opposite kind of thyroid problem than what you have. I'm starting to go gluten free too!

Anonymous said...

Thank you for sharing your wonderful day with your special friends and the beautiful gifts you received, you are all obviously very special treasured friends and all very talented too. I shall be adding many wonderful craft/gift ideas to my ideas book, it needs to come to life and updated once again, thank you for sharing also would love the recipes, all your food looks so yummy and my daughter and grandchildren are gluten and dairy free, somehow our daughter became intolerant to many things and has passed it on, fortunately there is so much information now and I feel much better myself with eating less wheat and gluten. These things can appear to affect us all at times I feel, maybe the fact that wheat is no longer as it was originally and is used so widely. We play around for better results with baking and find using an extra egg helps with end result plus add almond meal to cakes and muffins and often finely grated carrot. I recently have made sausage rolls using sheets of gluten free pastry and the result was better than expected. I also love quinao and the flakes are great to use in cooking. I will visit my friend Google to learn about your disease and wish you and your husband much improved health very soon. Thank you for the sharing and have a great rest of week especially being your Birthday week, Happy Birthday and all good wishes to you Jenny. **Judithann*

Lline said...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY! At our age getting presents and having a party with friends is a rare thing. I'm glad to see you have such good friends that will pamper you. You deserve it.
Your food always looks so inviting. I think you need to add a recipe/cookbook button to the top of your blog. You know we all want to try your delicious looking foods.

Joyce Carter said...

Hi Jenny. I love seeing all your friends on your blog. You all seem to have so much fun together. The presents they made for you are really very lovely. I know you will enjoy them very much. Wishing you a very Happy Birthday! Big hug!

Melody said...

Happy birthday my dear friend. Looks like you had a wonderful time. Big hugs

LindaB said...

Hi Jenny .. would love to have your recipes...thanks for sharing your lovely day with us ... happy birthday hugs Linda B

Michelle May-The Raspberry Rabbits said...

Happy birthday Jenny! Is it now or on the 21st??? What a wonderful day this must have been. Love the photo of you and Blossom. Also love your new hairstyle. You are such a pretty lady!

Anonymous said...

A delightful day all around. I'm so envious. =) What beautiful gifts your friends gave you, and I think they DO know you! I look forward to tomorrow's post. No matter what I do, I can't seem to get an e-mail notice any more, at any e-mail address I own, so I'm trying to remember to come by each day.

Thoeria said...

Happy Birthday Jenny :) May you be blessed with many more! What a fun day you had with your friends! And such gorgeous gifts!! All you ladies are so very very talented!! Looking forward to your next reveal.....and yes please to those recipes!

Unknown said...

Hi Jenny, What an awesome day you spent together with your dear friends - thanks for sharing with us. Great photo's and yes plz to those tasty recipes!

Unknown said...

What a beautiful day spent with lovely friends! How fortunate!
Yes!, Please share your recipes. I have a grand daughter who is Autistic and possible Aspergers and the family is trying to go gluten free as much as possible.
Thank you so very much for a beautiful blog!

Jenny of Elefantz said...

Thank you for the advice about using an extra egg, Judithann...I'll give that a go. xx