Pretty is

...My Life and Style

You are here: Home / Home

Whats Up Wednesday

Although it has been many months since the last, this is my monthly compilation of what’s up:

What’s Up Wednesday?

starting with

What we’re eating

“WE” are eating very light these days because Kim is on the Invisalign diet.  Having a mouthful of bothersome plastic which is so much trouble to remove and replace EVERY TIME I EAT, I have opted for less snacking.

Just for perspective, if you’re familiar with the intermittent fasting plan, this allows you to do all your eating within 8 hours of a 24 hours day.  The invisalign diet requires that all your eating be done in 2 hours.

~

What I’m loving

New curtains! Eclipse Bryson Room-Darkening Window Curtain (Latte)

~

What we’ve been up to

We returned home from Fall Vacation on Saturday.

Although he was standing under the kitchen table yelling at me when I came inside, Elvis was delighted! I’m sure Mama was delighted too since she has been “kitty sitting”.

~

What I’ve been working on

LB and I are redecorating [although things are currently on hold].

Next on our list is…

What I’m excited about

The Dining Room Redo.  Hopefully this is happening on Saturday!

~

What I’m dreading

With the exception of driving to my office every morning, nothing comes to mind 😕

~

What I’m watching/reading

The most recent movie LB and I watched was Toy Story 4.

It was this movie that inspired our Halloween costumes this year.  Unfortunately, I waited until the last minute and I could not find a Bo Peep costume ANYWHERE.

So I’ve embraced my 2nd choice….

What I’m wearing

The reveal is TOMORROW!

Stay tuned!

~

What I’m doing this weekend

Stephanie’s birthday is Friday and we will be having Frosted Animal Cookie Cake and Steak Fries.  Then the FL/GA game is Saturday.

These November events actually fall under the category of

What I’m looking forward to next month

And in addition to these two events, I’m looking forward to Thanksgiving happenings which will include seeing

MY BABY GIRLS!

~

Thank you for taking time out of your day to stop by my blog.

Saturday Special

This was my Saturday Special:

From the Maple Street Biscuit Company

it is called

The Squawking Goat 

It is a Maple Street biscuit with fried chicken, goat cheese and pepper jelly which was delivered to my table by my own yungin’.He also brought Rory her chocolate chip waffles with strawberries (which she enjoyed quite a lot).

~

Today is the last day of my annual FALL VACATION.

The Fall Vacation trip is the one that LB and I take annually to  do the same things in the same places.  Not because we can’t think of anything else to do, but because we love it.  However, on this Fall Vacation Trip, LB and I did something a little bit different: we detoured to Charleston.

Richard, Emily, Lydia, and Rory officially moved to South Carolina this past week.

  Because I know it is going to be difficult to live without seeing them regularly, LB rerouted us to Charleston and on Saturday afternoon….We met at the place where “Daddy is the BOSS”.

And Glammy got to see her girls!

Talk about a Saturday Special!

After enjoying our lunch, we followed Emily and the baby girls to see their new home.

The playground was especially fun to see!But there was more to do.

We opened housewarming presents (and put them together)Then we headed out to spend the afternoon having fun at a

Charleston Fall Festival

There were so many fun things to do!

There was

A Maze

and a prize if you were successful!

A Fun House

I was amazed that this little four year old marched herself into the fun house alone

and proceeded to run right through like a little pro.

There was

A Pumpkin Patch

which included an opportunity to pick a pumpkin to carve or paint.

Rory picked this one.Lydia did the paintingAnd she did an excellent job!

There were

Photo OpportunitiesBalloon Babies A HAUNTED HOUSE

I ain’t gonna lie… I didn’t want to go into the haunted house.  It was FINE WITH ME when Emily volunteered.  But as it turned out, it was a Haunted House especially designed for little ones, and Lydia asked me if I would go with her a second time.

The stop in Charleston was not planned well in advance, so LB and I would have to leave for Florida shortly after our visit had just begun.

 It was a HOT day, but a fun day with the baby girls!And we WILL be going back!

~

Thank you for taking time out of your day to stop by my blog.

Friday Favorites

Today a coworker asked me if I have stopped blogging:

“Are you still doing that, or did it run its course?”

(you know who you are and [even now] I’m glaring).

I explained that I enjoy blogging, but can’t seem to make time to publish my posts.

😢

Right now I have 52 drafts waiting to be finished.

Nevertheless, I try to add a Friday Favorites post each week.

That said, my Friday Favorites from last week is still unfinished.  Reason being, last Friday Rory spent the night.

And Glammy let her do whatever she wanted to do

which was…

watch Peppa Pig take a bubble bath with ducks… and eat scrambled eggs… The little angel is no trouble at all, and I loved every minute of her company, but she and Lydia have my undivided attention when they visit.

I’ll finish that blog post eventually.

As for this week…

Favorite # ONE

Sleepover at Glammy’s

Peppa was the word of the day.

If we were in the living room, the television was tuned in to Peppa Pig.[with the exception of the few times that I tried to find Toy Story].

If Rory said “Toy Story” once, she said it 100 times.

After an unsuccessful attempt to find Toy Story on YouTube, LB searched online and ordered all four DVDs:

On Saturday afternoon, Lydia joined the party at Glammy’s.

Or rather…

Lydia hosted the party

Favorite # TWO

Happy New Day Party

Lydia set the table for all of her guests.

Once everyone was comfortably seated, she declared a need for party hats. The only party hats available were Happy New Year hats, which she agreed would be fine.

Lydia exclaimed “Happy New Day!” and served a healthy helping of salad (Easter basket grass) to her guests.Lydia is very particular about when her picture is taken.

In addition, she is VERY imaginative and and creative.

Our Tuesday visit included a Barbie night out at the movies.  Glammy’s treadmill is in the “Barbie Room” but that is certainly not a hindrance.

The treadmill served as seating for the girls as they enjoyed a showing of My Little Pony.

Favorite # THREE

Movie Night~

Favorite # FOUR

With all the recent discussion of Mema Reid’s recipes, I decided [to attempt] to recreate her multi-layer cake with chocolate fudge frosting.

Don’t judge.Okay so I don’t know what I’m doing.

This is going to take some practice.

Fortunately it tastes pretty good.

~

Favorite # FIVE

I mentioned previously (here) that Grandpa left us on Monday.

He went to Heaven and we’ll see him again.

Members of my family have been sharing pictures of him on social media.

These are a few of of my favorites:

~

Thank you for taking time out of your day to stop by my blog.

My Grandpa

My Grandpa

hasn’t been in good health for quite some time.

For the last two weeks, was being monitored by hospice from his home, but was admitted to their facility this past weekend.

At some point after a Saturday evening sing-a-long with the best of the family vocalists, Grandpa went to sleep.

On Sunday Mama reported that he was unresponsive.

Lying in a hospital bed and struggling to breathe, isn’t the way you want to see your loved one, however, several family members gathered in his room to be with him.  I took my turn by his side and held his hand.  Before I left, I told him I loved him, and gave him a kiss on the forehead, as I always did.

And that would be my last goodbye.

My plan to go visit again after work on Monday was interrupted by a call from my sister at 2:58 on Monday afternoon.

It was hard to believe that he was gone.

His service will take place on Tuesday.

Only a few weeks before I had mentioned that he was well.

Grandpa grew up during the depression.  He served our country in WWII.  Not a clear pic, but that is him!

Grandpa loved to sing and had an excellent bass voice.

He had a fondness for picking up items that others might see as impractical.   His collection of things is incredible.  Grandpa was active, always busy, but always made time for his grandchildren and great grandchildren.  He loved his family and friends.

He was patient, gentle, kindhearted and dear.

And he loved the Lord, always addressing Him as “Our Most Gracious Heavenly Father” when he prayed.

In the last two weeks I have spent time with him reminiscing about the past and the people we love.  I reminded him that he was going to be 95 in December and he replied, “yes, on the 15th”. He was almost right; his birthday is December 17th. But that was the only slip-up I caught; he was pretty sharp.

I had the opportunity to “catch up” with my aunt Debbie, who lived with and cared for Grandpa, and my cousin Melissa, who was there very often.  While visiting we looked through old photos of people we could not identify and chatted about growing up and the unusual things that we did.  We discussed Mema’s recipes and Grandpa’s favorite television programs.  It has been somewhat a family reunion and I believe, as bad as he felt, Grandpa was happy to see us all together.

Now Grandpa is enjoying another family reunion.

He has been reunited with his wife and son, the two I affectionately refer to as “Mema” and “Daddy”.  Grandpa is also experiencing peace and joy in degrees that we cannot imagine as he basks in the light and love of his “Most Gracious Heavenly Father”.

~

In Memory of Harold Ernest Reid 1924-2019

~

Thank you for taking time out of your day to stop by my blog.

Friday Favorites

it’s

Favorite # ONE

Family Photos

Grandpa hasn’t been feeling well so everyone has been going by his house to see how he’s doing.

During a recent visit, my aunt shared several photos that she had discovered:

~

Favorite # TWO

Grandpa wanted to go to church for Founders (Homecoming) Day on Sunday.  Several members of the family also went.  One little family member who was displaying her creativity, kept Glammy busy holding the notebook during the service.While she created a masterpiece:

Once finished, Lydia handed the notebook to LB and asked him to draw himself:

Favorite # THREE

LB’s Self Portrait

She liked it!

~

Favorite # FOUR

Making a Change

Since the new sofa and rug purchase, LB and I decided to change the red walls in the kitchen.  The problem has been finding a color that we both like.

The Sherwin-Williams app will allow you to see your own room painted in the color of your choice:

But not very well.

LB decided to take a cue from a well-known trademark and

Just Do It

Favorite # FIVE

 

Yes we sampled all three colors: Sherwin Williams Raisin, Reticence, and Nuthatch.But, alas, we are no closer to picking a winner.

~

Thank you for taking time out of your day to stop by my blog.

Friday Favorites

https://i0.wp.com/prettyis.me/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/itsfridaygiphy.gif?ssl=1

YAY!

While Friday is my Favorite Day, National Day Calendar provided great reasons to CELEBRATE EVERY DAY this week.

 Saturday was National Strawberry Cream Pie Day!

Favorite # ONE

Strawberry Cream Pie!

 

And I made this one!

Strawberry Cream Pie

  • Servings: 8
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print

Ingredients

•             1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (or 10 graham cracker sheets)

•             2 Tablespoons sugar

•             1 Tablespoons brown sugar

•             7 Tablespoons butter

•             1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

•             1 (8 ounce) block cream cheese

•             1/3 cup lemon juice

•             1 cup strawberries

•             1 cup sugar

•             2 Tbsp cornstarch

•             1/3 cup water

•             1/4 tsp vanilla

Directions

Pulverize graham crackers in food processor until finely ground into crumbs.
Combine graham cracker crumbs and sugars in a mixing bowl.  Add melted butter and use a fork to combine ingredients well.
Firmly pack crumbs into the bottom of a pie pan and gently press up the sides.  Use your fingers to pack crumbs tightly into the sides of the pie pan.
Bake or refrigerate the crust: If desired, bake at 375º for 7-10 minutes.  If crust is for a no-bake recipe, refrigerate or freeze for 10-20 minutes before filling.

Add 1/3 cup water to strawberries and puree.
Combine sugar and cornstarch in a saucepan. Stir in strawberry puree.
Cook over medium heat, stir constantly until mixture thickens and come to a boil, about 15 to 20 minutes.
Allow to boil for 1 minute, then remove from heat.
Stir in vanilla extract and allow to cool for about 10 minutes.

Cream together cream cheese and condensed milk until smooth.  Add lemon juice and blend well.  Pour into graham cracker crust. Top with fruit pie filling. Chill for 2 hours before serving.

prettyis.me

~

Tuesday was National Homemade Cookie Day!

Favorite # TWO

Baking Cookies

With Lydia

How exciting!

Lydia practiced cracking eggs and learned how to use the stand mixer.

She helped put the cookies on the cookie sheet.

And helped get them into a preheated oven.

which was VERY hot!

But her favorite part was decorating…

and she did a great job!

~

Thursday was National Boyfriend Day!

Although he is SO MUCH MORE than a boyfriend, LB is the only one who fits the description for me!

Favorite # THREE

LB

He is the BEST!

~

Recently we said goodbye to the living room furniture (here).

A buyer and her entourage picked it up last Sunday.  She was a sweet young lady and explained that she recently lost her husband.  She was excited to have my red furniture and I was glad to see she had such a strong support system with her.

My living room furniture is gone.

Now that we have a clean slate, the decorating has begun.

Favorite # FOUR

A new

Area Rug

nuLOOM Pattern Carolyn Wavy Lines Shag Rug

It was 30% off with free delivery…

What a great deal!

Elvis loves it!

He also loves

Favorite # FIVE

His new snuggly

Kitty Cuddler

Thank you for taking time out of your day to stop by my blog.

Friday Favorites

This week marks the beginning of fall!

…and soon everything will be pumpkin-flavored.

This is the season for fun holidays!

In addition, the leaves are turning and the cool weather is encouraging you to take out your sweaters and boots.

JUST KIDDING!

~

Favorite # ONE

fall autumn GIF

Even though it is still summer in Florida, I love fall anyway!

~

On the last official weekend of summer, LB and I took a

Favorite # TWO

Mini-vacation

To the Golden Isles.

Complete with Tree Picsa visit a to a Mexican Restaurant a taste of the Jekyll Island Shrimp and Grits Festivaland step participation!

While there, we stayed at a Hampton Inn.

It was at the front desk that LB and I encountered someone he affectionately named…

She Shed Sheryl

Not only does she have she-shed problems, Sheryl has reservation problems.

This vacationer spent an extremely long time ahead of us when we were checking in and [coincidentally] was at the front desk when LB went to return the room keys.

LOL

~

Favorite # THREE

Time on Tuesday

spent with my favorite little girls.

For some time now, on Tuesday afternoon, when I’m coming home from work, Mama will text to tell me that she has Lydia and Rory at her house.  The text will include the message that they are waiting to see Glammy.  When I finally make it home, I will walk next door to collect them and Lydia and Rory will show me how excited they are to come home with me!

Then the race is on!

LB’s security system captured a moment together that I found in his google photos:Lydia WINS!

This has been a highlight of my life and I am going to miss our time together on Tuesday afternoons!

THEY ARE SO CUTE!

~

Favorite # FOUR

Napoleon Dynamite

is a 2004 movie about the life of a peculiar teenager and his interactions with family and friends.

It is a GREAT MOVIE!

Watch it!

One of Napoleon’s family members is Uncle Rico (played by John Gries).

In case you didn’t already hear, Uncle Rico was in Jacksonville yesterday.

He was spotted at Waffle House and was reported to be in town filming for a commercial that is scheduled to air this Sunday on the NFL Network.

What is the connection?

Besides the fact that he could’ve taken state [back in the 80’s] if Coach hadn’t held him back, Uncle Rico has been named Gardner Minshew’s doppelgänger.

Napoleon Dynamite GIF

Having won the hearts of Jacksonville fans, Jaguars quarterback Gardner Minshew, with his mustache and headband, bears a resemblance to the iconic uncle Rico.

He is my

Favorite # FIVE

Gardner Minshew

I can’t help it.

Though I rarely follow football, #15 has found a place in my favorites!

~

Thank you for taking time out of your day to stop by my blog.

Connect