Introducing Princess Mac

You might have already been somewhat introduced to Miss Mac if you have seen her photo in the "photography" part of this blog.  My niece is a really fabulous woman and I am so proud of her. 

Being from Enzed, I am not acquainted with some of the rituals you yanks participate in - including homecoming, but finally - now that sons and nieces are at that age...I am getting to more knowledgable.  For non-americans reading this blog homecoming (according to Wikipedia) is an annual tradition of the US People, towns, high schools and colleges come together, usually in late September or early October, to welcome back former residents etc. It is built around a central event, such as a dinner and, most often, a game of football.  When celebrated by schools, the activities vary widely. However, they usually consist of a football game played on a school's home football field, activities for students and alumni, a parade featuring the school's marching band and sports teams, and the coronation of a Homecoming Queen (and at many schools, a Homecoming King).

You read a couple of weeks ago about Mr Elmo going to a homecoming dance...well now I am so thrilled to say that we have a bonified princess in our family following the nomination and successful coronation of duh-da-duh-da-duh-DA-DAAAAAAAAH..... PRINCESS MACKENZIE MARTIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Isnt she lovely, and look how pretty this color is for her!  Here she is with the king and queen:

Sadly Mr Big and I couldn't attend the coronation because of work commitments BUT we are going to the football game today in Monrovia where Mac will be paraded around with the other royalty at the game.  So cool!  We are so excited that you had this opportunity Mac.

Count your blessings

DAMN IT - Mr Big and I are on a self-imposed budget right now and thats what makes it so tough to discover new and fabulous craft ideas....lookie here at this wonderous idea from Julie at Less Than Perfect Life of Bliss - a dry erase "count your blessings board"


I pretty much have to say, I'm making this as a Thanksgiving hostess gift (and maybe I could have one for Casa Del Allen as well) - she made this all from a goodwill frame and other bits and bobs, and for realsies friends, isnt this the most tremendous idea!

It also made me think of all the blessings in my life - here's just a few:
1.  Good Health
2.  The strong, happy, loving and thriving relationship with Mr Big
3.  The bonds with friends and family - I am so fortunate to have such terrific friends and wonderful family
4.  The season and the fact that we have snow coming (is this El Nina or El Nino I can never remember)
5.  My creativity - and that it is endless and constantly flowing

Life is good.

Heyyyy-ohhhh

The title of todays discussion is HEYYYY-OHHHH which is in om-age to one Caroline Hollingshead.  Carrie turned 30 today - Madam, I salute you!  30 is just the bestest age ever (40 may turn out to be the best decade for moi, keep your eyes peeled here for news re that)....anyhow, back to you Carrie.  Congrats on entering your 30's.  Miss Kirsten, our cubie mate, is an extraordinary party planner and decor mistress as was recently evidenced in the owl themed decor of my cubie....though most of Carries decor was put to bed by the time we took this photo you will might see what was left of the platter of delicious cherry-chip cupcakes with bubble pops, a jar of bubble gum etc........thats because the theme for the day was "30 blows". 

You're a genius Kirsten...I hope that you had a wonderful day Carrie.

Of course - what is a birthday without a balloon or 5.....

and visit from lil Olly her darling pixaroo and miss Christine (one of the akeeweegirl followers - thanks Christine, you made my day by mentioning you read these ramblings!).  This kid is honestly the most well behaved lil man ever and I heart him.  Check him and his chubby wee wrists - A-DOOR-ABLE

Weekend delights

Of course - when it's chilly out and the autumn leaves are falling, what better than homemade pizza I ask you?


I love my little fam, so I lovingly set out to create a delicious ham and pepperoni pizza - who needs Pizza Hut or Dominoes when you got Fee? 

There was some secret ingrediants in this epicurian masterpiece - luckily no one saw what they were, not even the Gramster who was faaaaast asleep in the living room...

Until she smelled this goodness:

(notice in the background of this photo Grammie is up and ready for pizza)  meantime Elliott is making a masterpiece of his own, and this one isnt pizzaish - check it out

Dot was really excited to have a slice till I told her I didnt exactly have the ingrediants for traditional pizza sauce so I just improved, as one does, and whipped up pizza sauce a la feebee.  Friends, you may want to get our your notepads and pens at this juncture so you can get this down -

Ingrediants - Diced canned tomatoes, Baby Rae's BBQ sauce, Garlic Salt, Onion Powder, Salt and Pepper to taste...and the most secret of the ingrediants CONDENSED TOMATO SOUP.  Yes dear reader - tomato soup was used in the making of this pizza creation.  When I revealed this to Dot mid-mouthfull she seemed less excited than when the slice was put in front of her

and Gen thought I was kidding

and in the midst of aghast faces, another weird face appeared COMPLETELY inadvertently - meet, the TRUE pizza face jackolantern.  Again, no intention to make said face - it just appeared like cheesus on Glee

Meanwhile Lucy and Betty finally made it to the groomers and they were VERY forlorn that they were so shorn, as I have mentioned before - what bischons lack in brains they make up for with vanity, so having a bad haircut makes for an unhappy pup pup

who knew that under her pride and glory AKA fluffy duster tail, was a pig tail??

Elliott was so thrilled with the pizza and the revealment of the sauce ingrediants that he shouted hallelujah and jumped for joy while wearing his YMCA Leadership costume

Which actually was part PJ's and part Geneva's Lil Red Riding Hood costume from last halloween

Stunning

Pumpkin Patch

GAH - how can it possibly be...THAT..TIME...ALREADY??????? But friends, it IS, and with a scant 70 something days time Santa arrives we gots to get this fall carnival a-rollin!

First order of business?  PUMPKIN PATCH, check.

The Farm is a break from our tradition of Bob's - but we figured what with moving to a new home etc that perhaps it was time to look for another country destination to satisfy our pumpkinie-fall needs.  A friend (Kirst, thank you!) suggested "The Farm" and so we made our way via a Mr Big shortcut through Lowell and back to Everett and then a short skip and a jump to Snohomish.  "The Farm" sounded so ...well - plain mysterious don't you think?  And folks WE WERE NOT disappointed.  Can you say PETTING ZOO?

This is Trixie the pig (current weight 5-600 pounds)........................and her 10 teacup pigs born only 3 DAYS AGO - they were adorable, though sadly out of my reach, which is quite inconvienient.  Sadly none of them were available for pig-doption so I am STILL without teacup pig in my Louis Vuitton.  I won't give up though dear reader - someday I will be the proud adoptive parent of a teacup pig.  The visit did give me pause for thought though.  What sized teacup does a fully-grown (or one year old in Trixies case) teacup pig fit into if its typically 5-600 pounds of goodness?


Don't worry - the fun didn't stop at the pigs - here is a pony

and Highland Cooz (which by the way, are exceptionally friendly and like to lick petting vistors) - Mr Big insisted that their names were Vince and Joey (the two cows) but I think he made this up

and white magic bunnies (Mr Big liked these ones and they thought his knees were sexy)

there were also kittens which were up for adoption, I think there was like 17 million black ones, which would have been perfect halloween gifts - these little girls were feeling the amour for them as you can see -

and they weren't the only ones

I was holding the camera rather than a cute fluffy animule.  Onward though.... next was one of my absolute favoritist animules  THE ALPACA !!! and as you can see, not one but TWO ALPACA AND both of them smiled for me AND there was a baby.  Awesome!

There was also a panda there, which is a weird thing at a petting zoo.  He was quite shy - just look at him peeking out there, cheeky little panda

back to the pigs - they actually had their own show un-beknowns to yours truly.  I was VERY excited when the announcer announced "PIG SHOW, 5 MINUTES" - of course we rushed over to the ring to watch in awe at the show very obviously produced by Andrew Lloyd Webber or some other equally famous show-person.  This was 5 minutes OF DELIGHT friends sheeeeeer DELIGHT!

Here is the set with three houses you might find familar - house made of straw (stupid pig), house made of corn (stupid pig), house made of sticks (duh)....and the man of the hour : FARMER X in the middle of his dialouge *queue shirll grannie voice* "Not by the hair of my chinny chin chin".  I wasn't surprised to hear the word OSCAR whispered in hushed tones through the crowd.... by the way, if you are wondering what that is he is holding delicatly by his mouth its the worlds teaniest microphone - perhaps even referred to as a micro microphone.

Here are the stars of the show about to make their entrance

and what does one do after enjoying a show?  Eat of course - but nothing pig-related ok, that would be weird.  Caramelled Apples - no animal products in that

this farm grows corn, god bless them - and sweeteez, it is fantastical, the best I have ever had - so good I have a little collage of it for you to feast your eyes on

and yet more corn, though this time in cornDOG form, possibly somekind of animal in this but I just closed my eyes and didn't think about it while I savored each deep fried mouthful

We choose CORNMAZE, well - the three musketeers did, I myself have seen the children of the corn - you would'nt seen me dead in one of those things....well actually I think that you would see me dead - thats the reason I personally refrain from corn fields (and small town carival rides but thats another story for another day).  Stamps-on-hands

its time to tackle the biggest cornmaze in the state, co-incidentally shaped as the state of Washington:

 



they had all sorts of little stops and factoids along the way, including a stop at Hanford Nuclear Reservation, which seemed to make Geneva quite tickled....

Children of the corn - I rest my case

a little homage to E-town

this is the finale - Grey's Harbor, a nice place to end

and for the way back - a hale bale ride

Dot had a little trip of her own while making her way around

Next stop - pumpkin patch - pretty much the best for last (and there was a cool ole car on the way)

Look at the kid on the right looking at his weird looking orange brothers and sisters - 

and time to check out (although we didn't) - loved our visit, but we are going to back to Bob's for pumpkins...