Thursday, March 31, 2011

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....


Thursday, March 24, 2011

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!!!!!
 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!

Monday, March 21, 2011

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
Newbie Party
&
Kims

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

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

Monday, March 7, 2011

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!