
Saturday, November 28, 2009
More Fun...

Friday, November 27, 2009
Guess what other fun goodness I found? That's right, that Cherry shoe polish above is exactly what "Cherry Kingdom" needs! ( Among about a dozen other things I found on this fun little site!)
Along with this little lady on her way to the "Elfin Ball". Too bad she's already on her way to someone else's kingdom! "Drats!" Its' ok, I think I may be able to create something similar, although she won't be vintage, she would be loved! Are you wondering what wonderful place you find these yum yums? It would be at "Millie and Dottie's Emporium".Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Calling all Prayer Warriors

Suzanne from "Dystonia Secret." Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Anticipation

Tonight, so many things and thoughts racing through my mind.
the tears in my soul
reincarnated as tears
cleanse my worried heart
Kindness

I found a new site, "LunarraStar", you can find the link under "Cool Resources" in my side bar.
So many lovely "Wonderland" pieces.
Soft
Comfort
Yesterday
The image above created by Barby Anderson of "Felted Mice"
warms and softens.
http://www.flickr.com/people/30563568@N03/
Nourishment


I've started a new grouping in my side bar for all things "Foodie."
Satisfying
Life
I've been meaning to share with you my new favorite breakfast.
Monday, November 16, 2009
Monday...Monday...The Song is Stuck in My Head!
I spent most of my weekend trying to pull all the "past due" items together. And with the wedding only approximately 30 days away, it is time for me to start pulling the "short list" together that the grooms mother is responsible for...and I'm also helping baby girl pull together the bachelorette party together, which will be one of class and dignity, and probably considered more of a traditional bridal shower than a bachelorette party, which is due, considering how the "shower" the brides family threw last weekend went...ISSSHHHH! The pictures posted today are of the venue that the wedding & reception will be held at.
The reception will be held in a building of glass walls with this fireplace being the focal point. It could also end up being the wedding site as well if the weather chooses not to cooperate. All in all, they did choose a beautiful site and ever so reasonable! Most weddings here in Oz are held either at a winery or the beach and usually start at $8,000.00 to $10,000.00 for the site fee alone. Can you imagine? I can't!
This will be the beach if the weather smiles upon us and the sun is shining.
This is just another view of what the reception will look like. Aren't the views amazingly beautiful?
Some one else's cake set at the venue, I love that this building is mostly all windows! Start to finish, the wedding and reception includes everything but the wine, beer and champagne will only cost $4,300.00! Yes, it's true, and an amazing meal is included in that price as well! The kid's were smart shoppers with this one!
The beach where vows will be given if the sun shines.Friday, November 13, 2009
Thankful Friday
This would be my "Mitzi" and her band of "Princess." Have you ever seen such amazingly beautiful girls in your life? Mitzi is a lucky duck, and so am I! American husband and I were discussing last night and we decided if Mitzi and I got nothing else right in our life, we sure made beautiful babies! Don't mean for that to sound boastful, it's just really a true fact.
" Party Cupcake Ideas" was the site with the "Little Blue Box" giveaway,
My beautiful niece, dressed for the Opera, with her beautiful friend/employer/mother of the cutest baby twins you ever wanted to see and another good woman taking another one of our daughters under her wing to demonstrate grace and the art of giving. Thank you to all of you women who hold this light!
http://walkonthehappyside.blogspot.com Thursday, November 12, 2009
My beautiful baby girl, I ran across this pic the other day, I actually forgot about it...it was taken by an aspiring photographer. When baby girl was a barista at a certain coffee house she would get asked often to model for people. She really is quite photogenic don't you think? (yes I am bias ;) but she really is! ) In any case, baby girl came home crying yesterday, I think mostly from shock, she was "laid off due to business closing." What? second time in less than 3 months, this time however she had no warning. Poor baby is just really having a bad luck streak when it comes to employment! American Husband and I are trying to talk her into going to school and getting a part time job! I was proud of American Husband yesterday, he handled her emotions well when she come home, although he said she looked like Alice Cooper when she came in the door from her make-up running down her face. I know how hard it was for him, I can see the tear in is eye as he was watching her cry. Normally he would freak out and call me at work over such devastation, but this time he just tried to encourage her to see the bright side and said this was an opportunity for her to go to school! "Who are you and where is my husband!" LOL
Have I told you all yet how smart my big sister Mitzi is? I love this pic of her and her princess... We were talking the other day and I told her of this brilliant idea I had to serve the best hot dog on earth for the rehearsal dinner. Just one problem, you can only get them in Michigan. So I was asking if I sent her the money would she freeze and ship them to me, or she could put them in a suitcase, but she's trying to only come with a carry on...and she said, I think there are web sites that you can order from and have them shipped to you...and you know what? She was right, and there are actually quite a few sites willing to ship to me, ummm, except they want about $120.00 in shipping and handling cost. Right now I can see you thinking "hot dogs for rehearsal dinner?" Well, there are actually a lot of reasons... #1 since we've landed in OZ we've yet to find a decent dog! #2 It is a Michigan thing and I thought baby boy would really enjoy having a little bit of home during one of the most important events of his life. And it's true, Koegel hot dogs are the best dog on the planet and we all miss not being able to get them here. So, I think I've locked it in and we are going to "Serve the Curve", plus, I'm having his rehearsal dinner on the beach continuing the beach wedding theme ... so I thought we could have beach food? 
Isn't this an awesome graphic? I think it's so funny..
By the way, if your curious, find the link under cool resources.
I also found this cool and so, so reasonable chocolate mold site for my white chocolate shells for the wedding cake...Wednesday, November 11, 2009


I'm a little behind with sharing the Halloween pic's but I just had to show you this little pumpkin. Mom brought him into office on Friday so I could see him...couldn't you just munch on him!

I also just had to show you this group of people who dressed like H1N1 victims complete with Dr. Porkenstein...they won best group costume at work, of course...they were pretty adorable.

Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Saturday, November 7, 2009

Thursday, November 5, 2009
Who wouldn't love to find this rose shaped pat of butter on their table? Beside a basket full of warm rolls or muffins. Courtesy of "Sara's Sweet Surprise" blog, find button at the right, awesome inspiration on this site and I love the "where wish list are granted" underneath her blog title. Please do visit, you will love her site...why am I thinking about rose shaped butter pats? My brain is starting to shift into wedding mode...Don't know why I torture myself with such thoughts, I'm pretty much not a part of it, well except the showing up and $ part, I still can't help myself, I was born with a fertile and creative mind, even if this event was for someone else these visions would still come, and December 18th will be here before we know it. This Sunday is a shower / housewarming for baby boy and his fiance at their newly acquired home...hmmm, "keep it positive Keke" is what is circling in my head right now...let's just say, all is not as I had spent twenty three years of imagining when this time came for baby boy. Mostly everyday I have to remind myself, "this is not your wedding." That's not hard for me, of course it's not, what I did expect is to be a part of it, if even a small part..."To do list"
1. Give the Groom money. (not joking it really did say that)
2. Buy a dress.
3. Host the rehearsal dinner.
4. Dance one dance with the groom.
And it really was listed in this order....
Why is it expected or assumed that this would be less important for me than the mother of the bride? Did I not give the same amount of love, care, time, energy and tears that one gives to a girl child? Hmmm...yes, I have some things in the attic to get straight, less it will be hard for me to attend everything with a smile on my face. Just seems a cruel tradition to me, of course, it could be changed with the grace of heart on the brides and brides family's part...All year leading up to this it has been a cruel back and forth of one day I'm included and then months would pass without inclusion...I was asked to go shopping for the dress' for the bride and attendants, I was thrilled and said let me know the day, next thing I know the dress' have been picked and bought, no one had said a word...I think, why did you ask in the first place? I think this is so strange...but, it is what it is...I thought I had accepted that being part of my son's wedding will not be true for me, but evidently not. I'm praying that this won't be indicative of what my relationship with my son will be for the rest of our life. It is only worsened by the fact that all the details that need attention just happen to be something that I am creatively excellent at and love to do... I know, I have to take the high road, I have to let it go... I love my son, that is all that matters, and I would do anything for him including swallowing my hurt heart. I do need to speak with him though, when these topics of details come up he tends to tell me little fibs because I know he doesn't want to hurt my feelings...but we are a truth telling family and I need to remind him of that. The truth hurts less than a fib revealed. Such as the party this Sunday that was supposed to be hosted by both of them...the conversation went something like, BB: We are hosting this party. Me: Ok, what do you want me to do? Do you want me to help you make invitations? BB: Sure, that would be great. Two days later I received an invitation to the party from the mother of the bride and the brides aunt and it clearly stated that it was being hosted by them and equally as bad it was one of those cheap 16 in a pack invitations that you buy at the dollar store. (Yes, I know that is shamefully shallow of me to say, but why would you do that when you could have something so much nicer, sweet memorabilia to put in the wedding scrape book?) Yes, I know, small stuff, let it go... but do you see what I mean about the back and forth. I feel like, don't ask if you don't mean it or have any intention of including me and if I ask if you want me to do something, don't say yes if you really mean no. Now your wondering the exact same thing I would wonder if reading...how good could your relationship with the bride be? Unfortunately because I am a truth speaker I will say not very good...but I will also say it has not been for lack of effort...BB used to make excuses for why she would sit frowningly at every holiday dinner or birthday or Friday night pizza movie night...it is a long list of things like, "she's not used to being around such a lively family, her family really dzon't speak much to each other when there together." Beyond my comprehension I would say, "well then, what do they do?" BB: "they just kind of sit there" So baby girl interjects: "mom, they really do, they just sit and don't really say anything, they're like zombies going through the motions." Still beyond my understanding...I would also get a number of other excuses like, "she has low self esteem," or "she's afraid you because all the other boyfriend's she's had, their mothers hated her and was mean to her." What? No I really don't get it, and it's honestly not my business...to a degree though right? "No, stop bargaining on this Keke, he's a grown man, if he's happy, he's happy..." yes funny farm conversations I have with myself inside my head... WWJD? Let it go...let it go...baby girl sees my invisable tears and will rapidly reassure me that we will have a grand time when her wedding event planning comes, and we have both agreed that we will not only include her grooms mother but we will let her know that she is an essential part that can not be left out of any detail. Sweet baby girl, so emotionally intelligent and aware...
Here is the picture of the cake the bride has chosen. She sent it to me in a email, described the details and said "what do you think." I emailed her back and said, "I think what ever you want is what I will make for you, I said I loved the idea of white chocolate shells it is a beach wedding, but we might want to change the ingredient for the sand." I asked her a couple of other questions about it, I haven't heard back from her since. So I'm left thinking, "did I offend her with my suggestion about the brown sugar?" It feels really awful to feel like you have to walk on eggshells around someone everytime you see them. Benefit of the doubt could say maybe she's just really busy. But, it has been a week and the wedding is only one month away, and yes, stop, I'm not going to go any further! The maker of this cake used brown sugar for the sand...I think the cake should taste as good as it looks and brown sugar on fondant just doesn't sound like it would taste good, but she doesn't want fondant, she wants butter cream, which is fine, but brown sugar, as much as I love it on my oatmeal doesn't seem like it would taste good on butter cream either? Baby boy must have felt me thinking about him. He just called me in the middle of my writing this too long blog... BB: "Hi mummer, how are you, I'm in Vegas playing golf right now, but I wanted to call and ask if you would make BLT's on a stick for the party and some of those bacon water chessnut wraps?" Spooky or not? I haven't talked to him since last week... I really do believe we are connected to our children by an invisible string that stays in place no matter how old they get. Now I'm out of time, good thing, way too long of post! Thanks for listening to my dribble... Have a blessed day. XO Keke
Monday, November 2, 2009
After months and weeks of asking, baby boy's fiance has finally provided me with a picture of what she wants her cake to look like...ummmm, good thing, I called baby boy and said if you want me to make your cake I kind of need to know...if you've changed your mind and would like someone else to do it, that's fine with me too!
The wedding is coming up fast, December 18th.
No, none of these beautiful cakes above is what she picked...I'm saving that for later when I have more time to chat.
Remember last Sundays beach day? I didn't tell you I caught a sea monster! I'll explain that later too!
Here's another pic from last Sunday's beautiful day. We were supposed to go to a different one yesterday but didn't. Too exhausted from last week. Baby girl and I put a chic flick in the box instead, pulled out the hide a bed and ended up taking a three hour nap...we decided that was better even though we really wanted to go to the beach...we both must have needed it! Sometimes life just makes you tired! Speaking of, our Halloween day was a little disappointing, not even close to what fun we had with the goblins in past years in our beloved Sonoma...that will have to keep for later as well...far past madhatter time...I'll catch you up on all of the mind boggling interesting details later...have a blessed day!




