{Tea in Atlanta with a Blogger Friend I Admire}

FINALLY I get to post this... Meeting a very sweet and special Blogger Friend, Tamago and her husband 

Tamago writes the very humorous and fun blog: GOROGORO & NIKONIKO about her two adorable cat-boys.

Devoted Cat-Mamas together; Tamago to the right.

We enjoyed some tea and dessert at the Grand Hyatt Atlanta in Buckhead where we were staying for a free night, annual gift that comes with their Visa card's anniversary.

This makes Tamago my 6th Blogger Friend that I met in person.

It is always very special to do so.

Mr. D. with my Pieter, two devoted Cat-Daddies.

This was on June 28 of 2015.

Thank you sweet Tamago for this special photo of the two of us together!

As usual we did exchange some delicious cookies...

Again I'd baked some Amaretti Cookies from Almond Meal with Coconut Palm Sugar to bring with me.

Sweet Tamago and Mr. D. gifted us with some very special individually wrapped Macarons from the Mozart Bakery.

This very special Bakery also seems to have a restaurant and we for sure will check it out within a couple of months!

The thrill of tasting a Mango Macaron!

For the color I added these orange Hibiscus...

And of course served, using the Japanese lacquered tray with Kyushu teapot and Japanese teacup, in honor of Friend Tamago.

Sorry for having eaten this yummy Mango Macaron almost before taking a picture!

Mozart Bakery's Macarons are yummy and their tastes are: 

Blueberry

Chocolate

Coffee

Green Tea

Mango

Strawberry

Tiramisu

Vanilla...

Thank you so very much sweet Tamago and Mr. D.!

Wish we would live closer and do this more often.

Related links:
{Brunch in Toronto with Blogger Friends I Admire} | previous post by me
{Port Huron, MI - Meeting with Blogger Friend I Admire} | previous post by me
{Livonia, Michigan - Meeting with a Blogger Friend I Admire} | previous post by me
{Visiting Ria from IT'S ME} | previous post by me

{Brunch in Toronto with Blogger Friends I Admire}

Where the time finally comes we will meet with two more Blogger Friends that I admire!

The lovelies: Celia M. High Heeled Life & Resilientista  and Susan Liberatore  from Ava Grace's Closet .

The waitress was so kind for taking this photo of all five of us.
From the left: Lovely Susan, me, Celia and her lovely Mr. G. and my Pieter...
A table of many languages!

Sweet Celia, had made ​​reservations for all of us at The Hazelton Hotel  in Yorkville, Toronto's hotspot.

We were seated in the rounded area, center of photo, Where the famous ONE Restaurant | The Hazelton Hotel  is located.

The Hazelton Hotel is a member of The Leading Small Hotels of the World.

Delicious Chicken schnitzel for brunch ...
Indeed:  ONE RESTAURANT We deliver ... The See and be Scene and delicious food by Canada's Most Celebrated Chef MARK McEWAN.

Bragged enough!
But so well deserved and we're grateful for having both had the opportunity to be here.
Thanks to Celia who had returned from Paris only two days before ...
Jet lag or not, she was there; all smile!

Such BLISS that was for finally meeting in the flesh ...
Celia is one blogger friend I've already mentioned before as a Blogger I Admire.
She survived what should have been a fatal accident, some 9 years ago.

Susan was caught in traffic and arrived a little bit later.
This spunky Mama of 3, is another incredible lady!
Indeed, two Blogger Friends I Admire.
Only too bad that little Ava was sick and could not join her Mama...

A very lovely Sunday Brunch together; thank you once again Celia & Susan - we owe you big!
If you ever do come to the South East of the USA; we will reciprocate.
We both are very happy we did add Toronto to our trip !!!
Stay well and happy Celia and Susan, Until we meet again  ♥♥

Related links:
{Arriving at Hyatt Regency Toronto on King} | previous post by me
{Port Huron, MI - Meeting with Blogger Friend I Admire} | previous post by me
{Livonia, Michigan - Meeting with a Friend Blogger I Admire} | previous post by me
{Our Grand Hotel Mackinac Island Michigan Afternoon Tea} | previous post by me
{Mackinac Island Flora} | previous post by me
{Mackinac Island Carriage Tours} | previous post by me
{Patriotic & Romantic Mackinac Island} | previous post by me
{Shepler's Mackinac Island, Michigan Ferry} | previous post by me
{505 S Huron Avenue, Mackinaw City, Michigan} | previous post by me
{Delta Annual Companion Certificate Flight to Detroit, Michigan}  | previous post by me

{Port Huron, MI - Meeting with Blogger Friend I Admire}

Since We were that close to Canada on our travels to Michigan, we decided to meet with dear Blogger Friend Laura Busko  Also an excellent photographer and multi talented in creating beautiful Sewing, Cross Stitch and Crafts. Check out her blog: Casita By The Lake

Photo made by husband Pieter... Laura is a very sweet lady!
From Livonia, Michigan the drive would only be one hour and 15 minutes, but it turned out I had to take a little longer as it was pouring down, due to a thunderstorm. I arrived a bit exhausted because it was still in heavy traffic but we got safe to our Quality Inn & Suites in Port Huron. This is just on the border with Canada.

This is where we stayed at the Quality Inn & Suites in Port Huron, Michigan on the Canadian border.
I did my booking through Trivago.com and that is the best deal.

June 5, in heavy rain ... but we got there safe!

It was not much of a journey but from Detroit / Livonia till Port Huron in heavy traffic + heavy rain.
Also Toronto is marked yellow because that's where we will be heading towards after meeting with the lovely Laura and her husband.

Livonia is where we stayed at the Hyatt Place Detroit / Livonia  and it should be only one hour and 16 minutes but it took me longer, due to the weather.

This photo has-been taken by Laura's husband Don.
Hard to Imagine that sweet Laura lost her Mom when she was only 6, being the youngest in her family.
She is such a graceful and multi-talented lady, one I sure do admire tremendously.
So happy for having met, over lunch just before we left for Toronto.

Laura and her husband did travel from Canada to meet us in Port Huron.
The blue dot is where our hotel was and the line through the water is the Border Between the USA and Canada.

After lunch we left for Canada, crossing the water via the Blue Water Bridge

Blue Water Bridge  ← click it

Our not so spectacular photo of the Blue Water Bridge ...

On our way to Canada and on to Toronto ... See you there!

Related links:
{Livonia, Michigan - Meeting with a Friend Blogger I Admire} | previous post by me
{Our Grand Hotel Mackinac Island Michigan Afternoon Tea} | previous post by me
{Mackinac Island Flora} | previous post by me
{Mackinac Island Carriage Tours} | previous post by me
{Patriotic & Romantic Mackinac Island, Michigan} | previous post by me
{Shepler's Mackinac Island, Michigan Ferry} | previous post by me
{505 S Huron Avenue, Mackinaw City, Michigan} | previous post by me
{Delta Annual Companion Certificate Flight to Detroit, Michigan}  | previous post by me

{Livonia, Michigan - Meeting with a Blogger Friend I Admire}

After our wonderful Mackinac Island tour, complete with Afternoon Tea at the Grand Hotel, it was back to Mackinaw, City and next day after breakfast I hit the road again for driving some 4 hours south to the Detroit area. We were staying at the Hyatt Place Detroit/Livonia for one night before continuing to the border of Canada next day. Just enough time for meeting with a sweet Blogger Friend that I Admire: Deborah from The Beautiful Matters. Over the years we have shared so many mutual interests and our love for tea on Blogger. It was about time for meeting in the flesh and sip a real cup of tea together!

Here we are; happy together!
Sweet Deborah did write about it even before I could put my act together: Tea and cookies with a blogger friend

Yes, before going on this trip, husband Pieter mentioned that our home smelled like a bakery as I'd baked about 10 lbs of Amaretti Cookies from Almond Meal with Coconut Palm Sugar to make them as healthy as possible.
Deborah sure deserved her two bags of these home baked cookies as she is one of the bravest women I know. A very touching post written by her was this one: In memory of my son and it is only weeks ago that her eldest son would have been 31 years old.
Hard to believe that this beautiful and brave lady had 10 children of which 3 are alive.
A true role model with a strong Faith.

We both had a white iPhone...
Both let our hair color be natural...
Both of us LOVE pearls: Deborah's post about it→ Looking for pearls
Both of us LOVE hand writing: Deborah's post→ Thank you notes

Both of us LOVE vintage handkerchiefs: Deborah's post→ Vintage handkerchiefs

Both of us feel alike: Deborah's post →  Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking - you can check out my comment on that.

Sipping Tea Together, feeling blessed!

 Living both a content life is very much like Deborah wrote: Blessings in the mundane

Words of wisdom...

Closing with Deborah's words:→ Ode to friendship

I certainly feel blessed knowing this fine lady!

Pieter speaks also very fondly of her and that makes me double happy.

If you not already have discovered this gem in Blogland, click on those pink hyperlinks for getting to know her great qualities.

Hope you enjoyed our tea time!

Related links:
{Our Grand Hotel Mackinac Island Michigan Afternoon Tea} | previous post by me
{Mackinac Island Flora} | previous post by me
{Mackinac Island Carriage Tours} | previous post by me
{Patriotic & Romantic Mackinac Island, Michigan} | previous post by me
{Shepler's Mackinac Island, Michigan Ferry} | previous post by me
{505 S Huron Avenue, Mackinaw City, Michigan} | previous post by me
{Delta Annual Companion Certificate Flight to Detroit, Michigan} | previous post by me

{Visiting Ria from IT'S ME}

On August 31 we landed in Amsterdam at 5:25 AM after a 7½ hour flight from Atlanta. Ria from the lovely blog IT'S ME, did order something from Mariette's Back to Basics Boutique, she was very happy to get her goods hand delivered. So off we went after picking up our luggage from the carousel and installing our Magellan GPS with the Europe map in our BB&L rental car. That is always a luxury to have a car waiting for you at the curb, just across from the departure hall. We only need to get up the escalators to exit from the higher level. We drove along the romantic Vecht river and passed Nyenrode Business University on our way to Maarssen where Ria and Rein have their Bonhof Bloemen store. Her mother-in-law made us some coffee while Ria got on her way to the store. She arrived with a tote full of lovely gifts for us. Only now I unpacked them, as I intended to show them on my blog. Found some fragrant gardenias from our garden, to put in a French Baccarat vase. Next I put it all in the sunshine on the balcony after we had our afternoon tea...

All spread out on the teak table of our balcony...

Some cards from Bonhof bloemen as well as a Jeanne d'Arc Living Luxe Lifestyle magazine.

Voor Jou! -  For You!

Love the way her gifts are wrapped with their own signature Bon Nature band around it.

You ought to visit their web site. Just click on the highlighted words above.

LOVE the twine with the snippets of ribbon; it adds such a special touch!

Ria had used it also on the tote that held the gifts.

Very pure and natural looking...

That will be a treat with our morning coffee when the mail arrives. We always sit together and sip a cup. Ria is selling all those special gifts along with fresh flowers and plants!

Once I've caught up again, this will make a good read...

Sweet note with heart...

Thanks a lot Ria and Rein!

Cute bird house came out of the yellow parcel!

Romantic card with key charm on a ribbon, that she's selling also.

Touched by Love

Again a romantic card with a charm on a ribbon.

Friends are flowers that never fade...

Thanks again Ria and Rein and I am glad that we went the extra mile for you!

Despite of the heat and drought we got some fragrant Gardenias in a French Baccarat vase!

We lost a lot of trees, shrubs and plants but I'm grateful for these lovely flowers!

May the rain soon come to the south of the USA and relieve the wild fires in Texas.