* Girls day out ...

Girls day out! Shopping trip to Dolores Hidalgo, home to 200 factories producing talavera. Our lists in hand, we were off. First stop. San Gabriel, show rooms and manufacturer, about half way to Dolores.
Damage was done here .. bags and boxes were loaded into the van.

Janice, Linda and Jackie

Janice and I waiting for our purchases to be wrapped and loaded into the van.

After shopping we stopped at the square for some famous Dolores ice cream.  I snapped some photos here and there.

Naturally, a few things did catch my eye.  Want to see what made it home with me?

Pitcher for flowers, wine glass with lid for me - no more bugs diving into my drink outside while I'm preoccupied with other things.  Needed some smaller condiment bowls.

How could I resist there!?  After all, they have hearts on them.

Replaced a few of my own dish set.

A new pot for the mountain plant Mario brought me.

A really huge bowl.  It attached itself to me ... what could I do?

I was invited over to Bob, Janice and Jackies for dinner.  The famous chef Roberto was cooking home made pasta - magically turning it into shrimp ravioli.  Unfortunately, Bob was under the weather.  Shrimp with home made pasta, salad, wine, with flan and strawberries for dessert.  A wonderful dinner in great company.

Nothing to do with dinner.  Just loved the chair.

It was a lovely day to remember, in charming company.  Thoroughly enjoyed by all.  Now, New Year's Eve is upon us.  A little party to go to this evening.  Are you going out?  Would love to hear what you did.  Thanks for dropping by.  Happy New Year Everyone!  

"We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year's Day."

---Edith Lovejoy Pierce

 

* As it happened ... sort of

I just received more photographs from Jackie via cyber space - so I will share a proper 'Soiree Post' with you now. Wish you all had been here. Wouldn't that be fun .... when I win the lottery we will have a 'fly in'.

Hi ... come on in ...

Salvador arrived and the music began.  'swoon'

people mingled ...

people giggled

and drank their wine out of huge glasses ...

and nibbled, mingled and chatted and met new people

The music got louder and Salvador began to play the music from "Frida"

We began to sing and sway and move like we were on stage.  :o)

Then Sal and Wendy began to dance ...

Ah!  Lovely to watch

They were havin' fun

*sigh*

... and posed for photos outside

some gravitated to the comfortable chairs inside

We posed for photos inside

I received so many lovely heart felt gifts, one of them being a custom made calender with photographs just for me. 

My housekeepers, even though they were in my home as guests, cleaned the house!  I couldn't stop them no matter what I said.  Thank you!

 my Ladies in Waiting came to the soiree

Then we lingered and chatted enjoying the the last moments as a lovely evening came to an end.  I began to call taxi's and one by one or two by two people began to leave, until it was over.  Just me, sitting by the fire with a glass of champagne.  Basking in the afterglow of a very very lovely evening with dear friends.  Thank you all for coming.  You are AMAZING!  Each and every one of you.

And you, my dear blogger friends, are amazing to me in so many ways.  Your friendship, your creativity, and above all your willingness to share your art and your knowledge so freely.  Truly a gift.  Thank you for being part of my life.  I am honoured to know you.

The only gift is a portion of thyself.
   -Ralph Waldo Emerson

*Thanks to Jackie and Janice for all the photographs they were able to take while I was yakking.  :o)