LET'S CHAT!

 Well, good morning everyone.  It has been quite a night here in Southern Ontario.  We had wet, sloppy snow all night and this is what we woke up to.

It is hard to believe but these are pictures from my March 15th. post last year.  Wow, I remember it was so warm we got the furniture out and had breakfast on the back porch.  I wonder if there is any hope that the weather will change so drastically that there is any chance it will be like this again. 

Thought I would do a little catch up on what has been going on around here.

As you know it was my little peanuts 2nd birthday on the weekend.  Her mommy dressed her in a  lovely pink dress.  After her presents, we got her a Minnie Mouse Kitchen which she loved, she changed into her "Quinn" clothes and had a ball.  Oh, I love this baby!

She is right into Dora now so I made her a Boots cake and a Backpack cake.  She really liked Boots.

I worked on the baskets for the GIRLS NIGHT OUT FUNDRAISER which is this weekend!  They turned out great with all of the donations from such lovely people.  I am just waiting for two more places to send their things and I can wrap them up.  I will be doing a big post the day after the Fundraiser to let you know how it turned out and to give some well deserved thank yous.  I have to bake today, lots of chocolate!

Well, we are caught up and I will leave you with a picture of my garden last June.  Oh sun please show you shiny face soon.

OH HOW I LONG FOR SPRING!

 Oh Spring, when will you be here.  I sat today and made the baskets for the Girls Night Out Fundraiser.  They are filled with love candles, soaps, lotions, chocolates and tea.  It was a cheery afternoon and then I looked outside and it was a dull, grey winter day.

How I long for the day I walk outside with the sun shining, the birds singing and the smell of the earth.  The first Spring flowers peeking up from the dirt.

 I want to see green!  Grass and flowers and chairs in the yard.

I want my laundry to dry in the sun in a light breeze.  I long for the tulips so they can fill the vases and bring Spring into the house.

21 more days until the official first day of Spring.  Fingers crossed it will be a lovely day.  I think I will buy myself some flowers tomorrow to hurry it along.

AND THE OSCAR GOES TO....I HAVE NO IDEA!

It is that time of year again, The Oscars.  I am a huge film fan.  I have watched the Oscars since I can remember.  It was always a magical night, a night when all of the golden people gathered dressed in their best frocks and suits to see which one of their peers would bring home the little gold man.

This is a lack luster year for me.  Don't get me wrong, I love movies.  I am one of those rare people left who likes to see films in the theatre.  I still get a thrill when the lights go down and the screen lights up the room.  The previews leading up to the main event....I love it!

This year, however, I have not seen one of the nominated films.  Why you may ask, well frankly they do not interest me that much.

I have read the Life of Pi and enjoyed it but I don't think I would want to see it on the big screen.

Les Meserables, come on how may times will this be done.

Lincoln, I don't know I am getting a little Daniel Day Lewis overload the past few years.

Django, no thanks.

Zero Dark Thirty and Argo, I am sure they are good but a little intense for me.

Silver Linings Playbook,  these two actors have been in every movie the past couple of years haven't they?

I don't know enough about Beasts of the Southern Wild to have an opinion but it is probably good as is Amour although very sad.

Now for the actual show, the big event.  I am sorry but by the time the Oscars actually come I am so tired of Awards Shows.  Is it me or are there a lot more than there used to be?  I am bored with seeing the same actors over and over, the same critiques of the clothes.

The other thing I really dislike is the Red Carpet Walk or should I say Cattle Run.  When I was little I remember the elegance of the Red Carpet.  The stars making their way gracefully down the carpet , crowds cheering and being interviewed by someone like Army Archerd and I never recall anyone asking "Who are you wearing?"

Now it is just not enjoyable to watch.  The actors being hustled from interviewer to interviewer it must be so frustrating for them to be herded like that.

What happened to the glamour?

Then there is the fashion.  Oh, I miss the beauty of the Oscars.  The simple, lovely gowns that would float around the ankles of the stars.  So pretty and magical.

Now every once in a while they do get it right.  It is usually the real stars who have the best taste.  They know how to bring the glamour to the red carpet.

This is horrendous!  Okay Angelina we know you have legs, tuck it in and have a little decorum.

 Then there is the "pose".  They were talking about this on "CBS This Morning" today.  I recall actresses walking the Red Carpet and having their pictures taken as they walked.  The past few years there is this pose that most of them do, you know the one, hand on hip or, if the back of the dress looks good, the over the shoulder.  It is like watching a bunch of robots.  Click, pose, click, pose.

As for the actual show, I miss the really good hosts.  I know Billy Crystal is a favourite because of his little skits but I really miss Bob Hope and Johnny Carson.  They brought a dry, intelligent wit to the programm, they were a joy to watch.

Frankly, I want to see the show, I don't care about the skits, just host already.  I care about who wins, and yes, what they wear although I really don't care who they wear.

I may sound a little jaded and perhaps I am.  I hold out hope for future Academy Awards.  They keep changing them, new producers needing to get the viewing numbers up.  There was a time when it was the most watched programm around the world, perhaps that would be the case if there were less awards programms before hand.

I will still watch, who knows maybe it will surprise me this year!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BABY!

I cannot believe out little sweetheart is 2 years old already.  Happy Birthday my darling girl you were blessed from the day you were born with kindness, joy, beauty and love all around you.

THOUGHTS OF THE DAY!

CHOCOLATE TRUFFLE PIG HEAVEN!

A couple of years ago I discovered the most delectable chocolate I have ever tasted.  Now, I am very particular about my chocolate.  I love Belgium Chocolate and French Chocolate so when I first tasted this delicious, deep, velvety concoction I thought it had to be Europeon.  Much to my delight the heavenly treat was made right here in Canada!

HAGENSBORG CHOCOLATES in British Columbia, created the fabulous Truffle Pig Bars I absolutley covet.  Delicious milk or dark chocolate envelopes a creamy truffle filling all encased in an adorable pig!

They make a variety of Truffle Pig bars, like Mocha, Dark and Milk Chocolate, Hazelnut, and many more.  I just found their new flavour the other day, Peanut Butter & Jam and all I can say is ...yummmmmm!  You must go to their website and have a look.

The packaging is so beautiful and whimsical.  I love the boxes of "baby" Truffle Pigs.  So cute the way they open.  Online you can buy one bar or a variety of different packages, flavours and other chocolates too.

As you know I am co-hosting a Fundraiser for RESCUE DOGS MATCH on March 2nd. and I am making baskets to raffle off.  The first people I thought of to ask to contribute to the baskets with chocolate was HAGENSBORG CHOCOLATES.

They were so kind and lovely and today their package arrived with a box of Hazelnut Truffle Pig Bars.  Not only did they send this delicious contribution they asked me to review their new product.  Well, how could I say no.

The Wild Boar Bar!  Oh, I could not wait, and I didn't.  Three scrumptious bars.  Two Dark Chocolate and one Milk Chocolate.

First let me say how much I love the package.  These Wild Boars gorging themselves on Chocolate, how incredibly cute is that.  They even continued onto the back of the package.

Now for the good stuff.  I opened the end.....

......and this is what was inside!  Not only do they make the most detailed, adorable packaging the bars are pieces of art.  Look at this, the Wild Boars even took a couple of bites.

The 70% Dark Chocolate was the first one I tried.  I snapped off a piece and it made that wonderful sound a chocolate connoisseur loves to hear.  The sharp crack means this is a really good piece of chocolate.  It was velvety and rich, not bitter at all.  One of the best Dark Chocolate bars I have ever had the pleasure to eat ( I did not eat it all, I am saving some!)

The Milk Chocolate was smooth and creamy melting so slowly on the tongue.  A true delight.  And the 64% Dark Chocolate was as lovely as the 70% a little more mellow with a subtle note of fruit.

So my review of this fabulous new Wild Boar Bar is two trotters up, HAGENSBORG CHOCOLATE makes me proud to call myself a Truffle Piggy.

Please treat your taste buds to these heavenly chocolates and stop by their website and read the Fairytale Story of their conception.

 Just a couple of more things.  First, thanks so much HAGENSBORG your chocolates with be true stars in the baskets and to my family & friends, my birthday is coming up and I would be one happy camper if I got something like this as a present.........yummmmmm!