Busy Week Ahead

This is where I got the name for my blog

I wanted to do something unusual and unexpected

in my very stuffy formal kitchen

So I had this mural painted

a few years back....

So many people think this a real banner

~it looks so real~

The tie backs at each end are the same ones that hold

the curtains up in the kitchen and they are

tie backs in the living room

so it is 3 dimentional

Out the kitchen  window the

PMJ's

have opened and are so amazingly bright

More things are popping out around here in the

gloomy Northwest

check out the rainbow that goes straight up

right by the 4 flying saucers..

and this is a

~nice day~

Ok your not looking at my weeds are you?

But I'm in a bright mood because I got three days 

in a row of my little

~Matthew Man~

Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday

he stayed down here with Oma

It was the first time that Opa has not been here

while he was here

so we had alone time for 3 whole days and it

was so much fun getting to know him better

you see he is a

~guys, guy~

but Oma got to him and now we are

~Best Buds~

I am headed to the train station to pick up my

~sister-n-law~

but really she is more like the sister I never had

This is *sister* Becky

& 

Little Matthew Man

a year or so ago

That's the thing about Aunts...

they love your kids

as much as you do!

My sister and I are going to

have a couple of weeks of doing projects

around here so watch out

I might have some interesting posts...

In less we do too much of this

like the last time she was up....

Elizabeth Taylor & A bit of the back story

This was a beautiful woman

no question about it

She had a passion for her charity

being as unpopular as it was back then

the girl had guts

and you have to give it her

But....

I was never a fan of hers

knowing the back story...

you see my Mom's cousin

was her

~Stand-In~

in the movies

and Elizabeth was, well...

~Elizabeth the Star~

on the screen and off

Suzanne

on the left in the early 70's

Suzanne
left our little neck of the woods

and went to Hollywood right after high school

 she wanted to be in the movies

and she was...

lots of them, too many to count

but her biggest claim to fame as far as the family knew

was that she worked for

~Elizabeth Taylor~
as her stand-in

She would come home every Christmas

 and fill us with stories of our favorite movie stars

she had these long glamorous red nails

and well I was just in awe...

I wish I had more pictures to show you of Suzanne in her younger
working years
she was just as stunning to look at as
Elizabeth

Suzanne is now retired and living in Palm Springs

so I get to spend time with her

during the winter
and go to her home

with hundreds of pictures of her with

movie stars scattered all over
a lot of
~Elvis~
 she even kissed him in a movie once

Every time we go out to lunch

people come up to us asking 

who she is, they know she must be

~someone~

Once a lady said "you look like a young Elizabeth Taylor"

Well that made our day! 

Suzanne still works out every day in the pool for 2 hours

she didn't smoke or drink heavy, or take drugs
like her boss did

so she is far healthier and  looks far younger than Elizabeth

At my home last summer

She still puts on all the make-up everyday as if she was going to work

that's not me but hey the last time we went out it was to the bank and this

little old man came up to her and said

"You look beautiful all dressed up, what a doll"

nobodies ever said that to me at a bank

or any place else come to think of it!

Well I called Suzanne when I had heard the news the other day
and she was very sad
she said all of Liz's friends have gone but
Mickey Rooney
But what a life they had..

I WON & I WAS FEATURED!!

Geez
I won
 something!!!!!

The Blue Cardinal
&
The Polohouse
girls have an

 Etsy

 store

that they are promoting

and little ole me won!!!

 

I have a feeling a badly needed makeover to my

~Pantry~

is in store
I feel so chic chic
now
You've got to go check out these girls
blogs and Etsy site
you won't be disappointed
Thank you Ladies
so much!
&
Also today I was featured at
Bright, Bold & Beautiful Blog
Laura is a fantastic
artist

She's got a
~Where do you Blog~
thing going on over there
Check her blog out
you will love it!
Thank you Laura!

Has Spring Sprung?

I just got home to Washington....

From Washington...

D.C.

It was so warm there...

and the cherry trees were blooming

At home it is grey and

~cold~

But my neighbor told me yesterday,

 when she stopped by to welcome me home

that when she goes past

my driveway it brightens

her day..

~Awhhhhh~

because of these

Heather

Notice where the lamp on the stone is gone

last year our huge maple tree fell

during a wind storm

I can't find another one to match

There is lots to do

to clean this place up

we are waiting for a few good

warm sunny days...

Next to come up are the daffodils

I love

~ Daffs~

They are just so

~happy~

 we have a daffodil parade every year

in Puyallup

just a few miles away

The Hubs mom worked her whole life in the

bulb fields in Puyallup

Getting back to my daffs...

This picture was from last spring

See the huge tree to the right

and the lamp on the stone

both gone!

I can't wait...

just a week or two

and

Spring will have Sprung!

Do you plant daffodils where your from?

I am hooking up to

Debbiesdoos

Newbie Party

&

Kims

Wow Us Wednesdays

Oma's a Nanny

Haven't had much time to blog...

Still on vacation with my daughter and her family

This is a working vacation

I've been very, very busy

playing, cooking, reading, changing diapers, etc, etc

Annie got a new job and has crazy hours while in training

It's a great job with Lockheed Martin

and Charlie bear just turned 1 

so it is as good  a time as there is 

to get back out in the workforce

So Oma came back East

 to help get the little ones adjusted to 

Mommy being gone

and to see Charlie Bear turn 1

And Mommy Bear turn 31

Just her and I went out for a dinner at

Red Robin

they sang, she hated it

But there was a free Sundae...

 and shopping...

I got her a Costco card for her birthday

The kids have been out of the country for 8 years

and so she wasn't aware of Costco's

full potential..

Wow, we had a blast!

After almost a week of this I am exhausted..

I don't know how the kids do it

I am in awe of how my baby takes such good care of her babies

I don't remember it being so exhausting when I did this

I will be here for another week to help out

and do more puzzels and make more cookies

and get to know my Grands better

they are so perfect in every way..

But will take home a whole new respect for my daughter and her hubby

I'm home

Love, Love, Loved Maui

The coffee is out of this world

Did I mention there was lots of

shopping?

Shopping at Wailea reminds me of Beverly Hills

Yummy, how cute is that for spring?

 So much fun with the Hubs before his

work week began

here we are walking back to the hotel on this cute little path

 from the shops

You would have thought we were in the jungle

and not in the hotel entry

Oh I love this hotel

~Grand Wailea~

Then loved going to the

Ladies Functions

there was the

~ Art Walk~

showing the... get this

50 million dollars

 worth of art in and on the grounds

Us girls had so much fun on our Art Walk

The very famous chapel

with beautiful commissioned

stain glass

Then there was the laying at the pool days

this was one
where we went most days

My beach buddy..
we have so much fun while the guys are
working

They even have a beach pool

The whales were the big story this year

They were swimming and breaching right here a few hundred yards off the beach

Funny story, I didn't even notice the girl

my hubby pointed her out while looking at this picture...

I was looking at the whales

see the big splash

can you tell I was missing my grands...

everybody feels like a kid on the beach

luncheons

We ate way too much

partied too much

made puka shell neclaces

and enjoyed lovely Hawaiin evenings

But it's good to be back home

in our own bed

ahhhhh

but what memories!