mamarollo's place

ten things i absolutely LOVE!

2011-03-19T09:26:00.002-04:00

1. girl scout cookies

2. daffodils

3. whole foods market

4. my garmon watch

5. quinoa

6. sail boats

7. vera bradley bags

8. olga snackers

9. my orange electra townie

10. tennis

slightly obsessed..#2

2011-02-16T08:05:00.002-05:00

10 more things i'm slightly obsessed with~

1. klove ~ christian radio station

2. strawberry ice cream

3. magazines

4. olive poppin pop-corn

5. i-pad apps.

6. athletic shoes

7. sending hazel mail

8. on-line shopping

9. zingerman's "over the moon pies"

10. farmers markets

wedding bells...

2011-02-12T17:10:00.002-05:00

on January 18, 2011 Stephanie & Mikey got engaged!!! needless to say we are all very very excited!

10 things i am obsessed with at the moment...

2011-02-05T11:51:00.002-05:00

10 things i am obsessed with at the moment...

1. jigsaw puzzles

2. mittens

3. hearts (a given)

4. taking pictures

5. cupcakes

6. single sheet wrapping paper

7. coffee mugs

8. blogs

9. pizza (a given)

10. pens

Holly daze!

2011-01-10T16:51:00.004-05:00

the past couple of months have been quite busy, and hectic yet lots of fun! i think it's safe to say...our holly~daze have finally come to an end!!!

hello

2011-01-10T13:13:00.001-05:00

hi this is a test

my favorite time of the year...

2010-09-10T10:55:00.002-04:00

i love autumn... falling leaves, football, hoodies, apple orchards, burning candles, hay rides, bon-fires, bulky sweaters, mums, crisp mornings, warm sunny days, cool nights, sleeping with the windows open, pumpkins, jack-o-lanterns, starbucks~ pumpkin spice latte's...i could go on & on...one of my all time favorite things to do though is go to the cider mill-and because i can literally walk to "Yates" i go often (probably not a great idea)! on Wednesday morning Samantha & I had some very special company go with us for our first trip of the season...Nina, Maddy, & Christopher <3

for some reason i'm having trouble posting the pics...so check back i'm working on it asap!

2010-09-08T10:07:00.003-04:00

summer

C & G annual Family Picnic

2010-06-15T08:31:00.003-04:00

on saturday june 12, 2010 we had the 31st annual C & G picnic definitely one of my favorite days of the year...always lots of FUN,~Good Food, and Great People!!!

Marco Love!

2010-05-27T07:04:00.002-04:00

Anthony & Jessica's Beautiful Marco Island Wedding!

Lots to Celebrate!!

2010-04-26T08:10:00.003-04:00

Lately we have had a lot to celebrate in the family...wedding showers, baby showers, weddings, birthdays, Life in general fun fun fun!!! something tells me this is only the beginning...

Opening Day 2010 !

2010-04-12T08:24:00.002-04:00

Tiger opening day was last friday afternoon it was a tad chilly but we were prepared...

Marco Island Fun!

2010-03-22T12:39:00.002-04:00

We recently spent some time down in Marco Island, Florida with some very special people!

I LOVE February 2010

2010-02-20T08:07:00.004-05:00

February is my second favorite month... July being my FAVORITE!! So many things to celebrate... here are some of the reasons why i love 2-2010 ; }

Birthdays lots of great people have birthdays in February ( Stephen, Laurie, Judy, Nina, Holly, Michelle, little Christopher, Aunt Grace, my father-in-law (Paul Carollo) Honest Abe, and George Washington just to name a few~ and i LOVE to celebrate Birthdays... then of course there's~ Groundhog Day, The Super Bowl, Valentines Day, President's Day, The Winter Olympics, Mardi Gras~ Fat Tuesday! A relaxing trip to Marco Island, throw in a Wedding, and a Baby Shower and you have one busy month!! I hope you loved this February as much as i did!!!

here are my top ten goals for "20~10"...

2010-01-01T10:05:00.002-05:00

1. read through the Bible in a year

2. volunteer at Children's Hospital

3. go to lifetime @ least 2 times a week...

4. get back to reading a book once a month

5. finish knitting the prayer shawl i started

6. take a digital photography class

7. walk in the Detroit Free Press 1/2 marathon

8. convert my laundry room into a craft room~this is my favorite goal!!

9. learn to navigate my shiny new MACBOOK PRO...inside & out @ 1-1 class

10. visit at least one of our countries National Parks!

i could go on and on but i need to accomplish these 10 first...

Samantha Graduates!!!

2009-12-15T10:02:00.003-05:00

We convinced Samantha to walk in the December Commencements for Central Michigan University this past weekend! We are so proud of her and all of the hard work and accomplishments! Congrats to our little school teacher~ we love you!! after the ceremony we went with Gramma Katie, & Lauren and her family for lunch.

Frankenmuth, Michigan

2009-11-24T09:31:00.003-05:00

It had been quite a few years since my last visit to Frankenmuth, last saturday i went with a couple of friends for the day! We enjoyed shopping at Bronner's CHRISTmas Wonderland, a delicious chicken dinner at the Bavarian Inn and a class in Pretzel twisting lots of fun!!! It was just like i remembered it only better! can't wait to go back again soon!

It's November ~ therefore i am THANKFUL!

2009-11-11T10:02:00.008-05:00

this is a two part blog of some of the things i'm most thankful for...

*the men & women in the armed forces who protect the freedom of our country

*the unconditional love of my family

*the freedom to worship God

*my jura capresso coffee maker

*crisp fall days

*when my gas tank is empty and i get in and stephen has filled it for me!

*my health

* ugg boots

*my iphone

*honey crisp apples w/ caramel

*flannel sheets on a cold fall night

You Colour my World!

2009-10-31T08:10:00.003-04:00

For many years to celebrate our October 25 Anniversary~ Stephen & I would take a drive to a different location somewhere in northern Michigan to see the beautiful autumn colors. It had been quite a while since we had gone so we jumped in the car and started to drive!! Wow what a beautiful state we live in! If you get the chance say "Yes!" to MICHIGAN and go see the beauty it has to offer!! and after 29 years of marriage i can still say "You Colour My World! Stephen i love you!! Oh and he was able to squeeze in 18 holes of golf too.

Tomato Canning 101...

2009-09-27T07:50:00.002-04:00

Desiree was gracious enough to put a halt on her busy schedule-and open her home and kitchen to teach Susan, and I the art of canning tomatoes!! Thanks Desiree for sharing your skills-but more importantly for taking the time i really enjoyed being with you girls!! love you both from the bottom of my <3...

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!!

2009-09-06T07:26:00.002-04:00

I went to Greenfield Village with my good friend Jo the other day to see- Disney's A Christmas Carol Train Tour!! Although we waited in the mid day sun for two hours for a 35 minute exhibit- I loved it!! The train has been making it's way across the country since May with artifacts from The Charles Dickens Museum in London and clips of how the new Imax 3D version of A Christmas Carol starring Jim Carrey was made we saw scenes from the movie (which I cannot wait to see it reminds me of Polar Express a little scarier cuz of the ghosts!) in an outdoor blow up Imax Theater! very cool in fact there were even a few snowflakes flying around and Christmas Carolers too...I'm not one to get anxious for Christmas until Thanksgiving but...i must admit it did put me in the Christmas Spirit!!! I guess i should start my shopping!

A Birthday Party for me in Figi!

2009-08-26T08:32:00.002-04:00

I am one lucky girl...i celebrated my 51st Birthday this past July with the family in Figi! it was a fabulous day!! here are a few pictures from the day!

Double the FUN!

2009-08-08T10:30:00.001-04:00

Congrats! x 2

Little Miss Sunshine!

2009-07-25T10:46:00.003-04:00

almost forgot to post this~look who came for a swim and a visit..i didn't get many pictures but nina, maddy, and kisstopher (i was reminded of this every time i called him any thing but!) came over armed with cinnamon crunch bagels and birthday presents for me!! : ) we always have fun when little miss sunshine is around she is always entertaining!!!

The land down under!!!

2009-07-09T12:10:00.003-04:00

Our family vacation to Australia, and Fiji was the trip of a lifetime!!! We were so blessed to be able to have this time together! We went to Cairns, & Port Douglas Australia where the Great Barrier Reef is and the Daintree National Rainforest beautiful beyond words-then we were off to Sydney for some city sightseeing and finally to Denerau Fiji where we then took a 50 minute boat ride to remote Castaway, Island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean a tropical paradise!! i have a few pictures to share more to follow soon...

Congratulations~Mr. & Mrs. Paul Carollo!

2009-06-21T10:36:00.002-04:00

Today Paulie, and Jesse got married~what a beautiful ceremony...and fun reception they had!!

It was a p.j. picnic!i i

2009-06-08T12:43:00.006-04:00

Saturday june 6~ was the 3oth annual Carollo & Girgenti Family Picnic i look forward to this day starting on jan. first ( i'm very proud of the fact that i've only missed one because about 20 years ago samantha had scarlet fever) i may be wrong but i think our group has the best theme ideas!! some may argue but...whatever...it was a beautiful day from start to finish!!!

My First Trip to Sonic

2009-05-31T15:08:00.003-04:00

I had the pleasure of going to Sonic for the first time with some very SPECIAL friends...

Somewhere over the Rainbow!

2009-05-21T08:13:00.002-04:00

a couple of weeks ago i was standing at the kitchen sink cleaning up the dinner dishes it was pouring rain when i was finishing up i looked out the window this is what i saw~not one rainbow but two a double rainbow arching across the sky! reminding me that God's promises for us are new everyday!!!

Pool Guests

2009-05-18T11:22:00.003-04:00

we have some visitors swimming in our pool the last few days!

Flower Day!

2009-05-17T19:20:00.003-04:00

Today Katie and I went down to Eastern Market for FLOWER DAY!!

Flip Mino Camcorder

2009-05-13T20:12:00.001-04:00

Flip Mino Camcorder with Personalized Design - Available only at www.theflip.com. Check out this unique Flip Mino design. The Flip Mino camcorder combines remarkable video quality in a pocket-sized package. Now personalizable - create yours

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I heart Detroit !

2009-05-12T11:45:00.002-04:00

my top ten to do list in the "D" this summer...in no particular order...

1. visit the Detroit Zoo~ (it's been awhile)

2. Eastern Market Flower Day

3. Motown Museum (i know i've never been?)

4. bike thru the Dequindre Cut

5. Pewabic Pottery

6. Tiger Game

7. John K. King Books

8. Heidelberg Project

9. Imax Theatre at the Henry Ford Museum (technically not Detroit)

10. pierogi's for lunch in Hamtramck (again not Detroit but within Detroit)?

i could probably list 10 more things to do downtown so do yourself a favor and go support the "D" for me you'll be glad you did!! and have a fun summer!

G'day Mate!

2009-05-07T08:10:00.003-04:00

Samantha's off to Australia...we won't see her again in person until June 25 we will meet up with her in Cairns for a family vacation then!! We already miss her but are so excited for her to have this awesome opportunity!

maddy's visit

2009-05-02T16:32:00.002-04:00

maddy came to visit us last week for breakfast she is so much fun !!!

Pics from Samantha's Birthday!

2009-04-23T12:22:00.003-04:00

birthday party #2

2009-04-23T12:03:00.002-04:00

yesterday we celebrated Samantha's 23 Birthday!! we went to royal oak for lunch at pronto! went into a few shops, made a quick stop at somerset to do her favorite thing SHOP! then met up with stephen and katie @ Big Rock for dinner!! back home for cake, ice cream and presents...another FUN filled day!!

Hello Katie!!!

2009-04-22T11:31:00.003-04:00

So yesterday marked a milestone birthday for my sweet little katie...she turned 20 years old!!! which means i am no longer the mother of a teenager! i'm not sure how i feel about this?!? she will always be my baby girl forever though~check out her cute Hello Kitty Guitar! We had such a great day together we went to see 17 again! then shopped a little in Birmingham and had dinner at Chen Chow for edamami and sushi then home for a Celebration complete with Stephanie skyping in from So-Cal to sing "Happy Birthday!! stayed tuned cuz tmr is Samantha's 23 B'day!

More Marco!

2009-04-15T22:21:00.002-04:00

More Marco Island Fun!

Marco Island & Easter Sunday 2009

2009-04-15T20:55:00.003-04:00

What a treat it was to have all three of my girls in Marco Island for Easter Sunday! We enjoyed some family time in the sun! we had lots of fun and good food too of course!!

Jesse & Paulie's Wedding Shower !

2009-04-09T08:38:00.003-04:00

Last Saturday afternoon Jesse & Paulie had their wedding shower here are a few pics from the day...

Peter Cottontail !

2009-04-04T08:32:00.003-04:00

a few mornings ago zoey was barking like crazy (not abnormal for her) usually it's the neighbor walking his dog down the street, kids playing or riding their bikes, a school bus, ect... i could go on and on!!! I couldn't figure it out she was going CRAZY! then i saw it right in front of the window sitting very still this is what i found torturing my poor puppy~

my weekly field trip...

2009-03-20T10:26:00.003-04:00

on wednesday katie and i went to royal oak for some much needed mom & daughter time! first we had some yummy mexican food at monterrey cantina~walked around town a little bit~then we went over to the creative arts studio to paint pottery!! we had a great time together~ i love that she loves me so much and likes to spend quality time with me!!! and a trip to royal oak would not be complete without a stop at Gayle's !!!

~Happy St. Patrick's Day~

2009-03-17T09:33:00.004-04:00

Irish Blessings & Prayers~

May the road rise to meet you.

May the wind always be ever at your back.

May the sun shine warm upon your face, and the rains fall soft upon your fields.

And until we meet again,

May God hold you ever in the palm of His hand.

~A wish for a friend~

Wishing you a rainbow

For sunlight after showers~

Miles and miles of Irish smiles

For golden happy hours

Shamrocks at your doorway

For luck and laughter too,

And a host of friends~

that never ends

Each day your whole life through.

~When Irish Eyes are Smiling~

When Irish eyes are smilin'

Sure is like a morn in spring,

In the lilt of Irish laughter

You can hear the angels sing.

When Irish eyes are happy

All the world is bright and gay,

And when Irish eyes are smilin'

sure will steal your heart away!

pizza~ the other american pie!!!

2009-03-14T10:27:00.003-04:00

yesterday my friend lucy and i went to zingermans in ann arbor for a pizza making class...we learned how to make 3 kinds of pizza pie~new york style margherita, chicago deep dish, and a bianca foccacia! we got to taste test all of them we had a really fun day and met some very nice people too! our instuctor shelby was a great teacher very informative and helpful

Herloha!

2009-03-11T22:16:00.003-04:00

Nothing more delicious than a pineapple fresh from Maui !! my favorite yum!

Christopher Anthony !!!

2009-03-09T20:05:00.004-04:00

Samantha & I had the pleasure of meeting Christopher Anthony Bunk today!!! such a sweet baby boy he slept for most of our visit but...we did get the chance to cuddle him too! and to our delight Maddy entertained us with her awesome dancing!! she's a living doll !!! Congratulations Nina & Matt on your perfect little family you are TRULY blessed.

Dinner in Marco with some very special people!

2009-03-07T12:06:00.002-05:00

I had the pleasure of making dinner in Marco Island for some very special people a couple weeks ago...

Nina's Birthday Lunch!!

2009-02-06T20:53:00.003-05:00

Went to lunch @ California Pizza Kitchen to celebrate Nina's Birthday with her and Maddy!!! afterward we walked around Partridge Creek afterward in the beautiful sunshine i think it was around 30 degrees too! we always have so much to talk about but never enough time i love spending time with these two girls! (even after much bribing i couldn't get nina to give up the baby name choices her and matt have) errr so frustrating...sorry i didn't get any pics of the BIRTHDAY girl though <3>

Naples Pier and Segway Tour!

2009-02-02T13:30:00.002-05:00

i just returned from a lovely trip to Marco Island with a couple of girlfriends...here are a few pics of the pier in old naples and our segway tour! those things are harder to maneuver than you think but lots of FUN!!

A Celebration for Samantha!

2009-01-19T10:09:00.004-05:00

Yesterday afternoon we went to Luciano's for lunch with Gramma Katie to celebrate Samantha's graduation from CMU and the beginning of her teaching career...here are just a few pics we took.

Back to Blogging...

2009-01-05T11:56:00.004-05:00

Life got quite busy during the month of December for me so i decided to combine the month together in one review blog...Arrangini, Cookie exchange, TSO, Christmas Eve, Christmas, Marco, and New Years Eve! I have a few New Years Resolutions one being to blog at least 1 time a week...

A SPECIAL POST~just for the CALIFORNIA couple who are coming to town!!!

2008-12-19T18:32:00.002-05:00

this is a special post dedicated especially to Stephanie & Mikey who will arrive from sunny SoCal this monday...although they were complaining about a little rain and 50 degree weather the other day i thought i should help them prepare for the weather in south east MEECHIGAN with a few pics of the 11+inches of snow we got today! be sure to look at the one of katie trying to dig caitlyn's car out when she got stuck trying to leave our house this afternoon! be sure to pack your earmuffs, parkas, and snowshoes!!

Christmas Traditions...

2008-12-18T11:57:00.002-05:00

ok...so much for a Family Christmas Tradition every day until Christmas i think i got so busy with tradions that there has been no time for blogging SORRY!!! stay tuned i still have a few to post for you!

Merry Christmas All!

Family Christmas Traditions Day #4

2008-12-05T22:27:00.002-05:00

TRIMMING THE TREE! in years long past as a family we would pipe in the Christmas tunes~ pop the corn~ and warm the hot cocoa..then the girls would each pull out their very own containers filled with the ornaments that were given to each as a gift or that they had made in church, school, girl scouts, and arts and crafts projects... then we would ALL converge on the tree to decorate it~ things have changed quite a bit now the girls pretty much do all their own personal decorating! and Stephen and I decorate the trees at HOME starting Thanksgiving weekend! Pictures to follow soon!!!

Christmas day #3

2008-12-04T14:29:00.003-05:00

this tradition only began 3 years ago... but is now one of our favorite new family traditions

"The Big Bright Light Show" on Main Street in Downtown Rochester is awesome this year i had the pleasure of meeting up with Nina & Maddy to take it in! I met them at Matt's office where he gave me a tour (really cool place to work matt thanks)! and then we walked around showing Maddy all the PRETTY LIGHTS!!!

christmas tradition day 2

2008-12-03T00:10:00.002-05:00

12/2/08~

every year we make a big batch of chex mix together...i love the smell of it roasting in the oven there never seems to be enough to last until Christmas day though...

25 days of Christmas Tradition...

2008-12-01T21:43:00.003-05:00

Tradition~the transmission of customs or beliefs from generation to generation ...i believe that traditions are so important in a family and they are the glue that help to hold our families together...although in our family we have many traditions i thought it would be fun to share with you 25 of our families one each day until Christmas

#1. December 1, 2008 ~ We set out an advent calendar to count down the days until Christmas!

Hobble Nobble, Gobble, Turkey Trot, & Parade!!!

2008-11-29T09:33:00.002-05:00

went to the Hob~Nobble~Gobble wednesday night with Stephen, Katie and Samantha- they transform the State Fair Grounds into a giant party we had so much fun together playing games, eating great food ect...then up early the next day for the Turkey Trot and Parade-then over to Paul & Judy's for a delicious Thanksgiving Feast!! Oh and if you happened to watch the 11 o'clock news on channel 4 thursday night and saw a clown running down woodward waving and screaming "Happy Thanksgiving" it was me!!! ha ha i had so much fun!!! and go to detroitnews.com and look at the Parade Photo's archive to see my pic...i think i've found my niche

Give Thanks with a Grateful Heart...

2008-11-25T23:54:00.002-05:00

This year i am thankful for...

the freedom to worship God

the love of family... stephen and my girls

good health

the protection of a safe home

the loyalty of the United States of America's armed forces

the love and companionship of good friends

an abundance of good food, and water

I pray that this holiday season will be your best ever...God Bless you...

Happy Thanksgiving!

too many posts at once...

2008-11-24T19:16:00.000-05:00

Be sure to look at my older posts...i did too many at once and my blog is only showing one!

Stephanie's Birthday!!

2008-11-24T11:27:00.000-05:00

Here are the pictures from Stephanie's 24th Birthday at Madonna~

Fun Times!

2008-11-24T11:01:00.000-05:00

I had a very full fun week starting off with celebrating Stephanie's Birthday at Chen Chow then off to the Madonna Concert~
next to Coldstone to celebrate Maddy's 2nd Birthday with her on Thursday...Friday afternoon i was invited to see "twilight" with Nina, and Katie complete with mixed frozen Icee's and popcorn...afterward Katie and i were off to SCS for Pizza at Paisano's with puppa george, nonna pat, gramma katie and david then the girls went downtown to see The Rockettes Christmas Show!! it was awesome i love that they have a living Nativity too!

Birthday Celebration!

2008-11-18T15:44:00.001-05:00

Stephanie's Birthday!!

2008-11-18T08:52:00.000-05:00

We picked up Steph from the airport Sunday evening in a blizzard (which of course she loved after leaving sunny So~Cal) and went directly to Greek Town at her request for Saganaki-Opa! Spinach Pie, and Salad Yumm!!
Last night we went to an awesome new restaurant in downtown Rochester-Mind, Body, and Spirits with totally organic food they have a green house behind it where they grow some of their herbs and ingredients. I didn't get a pic go when you get a chance the food was delicous! Came home for Cake, Ice Cream, and Presents! I think the coat will come in handy while she is here. We missed Samantha with us though she is in her last 3 weeks of classes at CMU congrats to her!
Happy 24th Birthday Stephanie we LOVE you glad your here with us this year!!! I'm having trouble with my pictures i'll post them asap...

help! where did my last two blog post go??

2008-11-16T23:12:00.000-05:00

ok so i don't post on my blog as often as i would like (a little too busy sorry)! but lately i've been trying to capture some good pics i think could be of interest and write about them...so i'm just a little frustrated to see that my last couple blogs have been deleted! can someone PLEASE help me if they know what might have gone wrong...

I think its time...

2008-10-31T08:07:00.000-04:00

when i woke up yesterday and looked outside this is what i saw...

Happy Anniversary to us!!

2008-10-25T16:12:00.000-04:00

On October 25, 1980 i married my high school sweetheart the greatest guy on earth ~Stephen Michael Carollo~
a lot has happened in the past 28 years and i must say we are still having lots of FUN together and we love each other more today than we did then...i'm looking forward to 28 more years and lots of wonderful memories together!!

katie made me do it!

2008-10-21T14:38:00.000-04:00

I LIVE: in the Mitten (Shelby Twp. to be exact)
I WORK: to little
I THINK: to deeply
I SMELL: like a hound dog... yah not fun!
I LISTEN: carefully
I HIDE: when i'm sad
I WALK: for fun!!
I READ: often
I LOVE: MY FAMILY
I RIDE: rollar coasters when dared to...
I SOMETIMES: can be sensitive.
I FEAR: reptiles
I HOPE that someday the world will live in PEACE !
I EAT: too many CARBS!
I DRINK: when i'm thirsty
I PLAY: Jeopardy every night
I MISS: the whole family living together under the same roof (Steph if you come back home in December my dream will come true...come on now Michigan is just like L.A. right) ?
I FORGIVE: always
I DRIVE: Ruby~my luscious red range rover
I DREAM: in color
I OFTEN: say things i wish i could take back immediately
I HUG: my family as often as i can
I HAVE: good intentions
I REMEMBER: the good old days
I DON'T: diet
I BELIEVE: that good will prevail in the end
I KNOW: that God is still doing a work in my life!

I might just wear this today! brrrr...

2008-10-21T08:20:00.000-04:00

i took the dogs out this morning around 6:45 i knew the temp was suppose to drop and it was going to be breezy out but...WOW was i caught off guard with my flip flops, and summer pj's on brrrr ! now i love the change of seasons and temperatures after all that means christmas is just around the corner right? but i think the change should be a little more gradual or maybe i could just wear this full length FABULOUS Mink Coat that i won at an MS Fundraiser i went to a few weeks ago worth lots of $ i never thought i was a fur coat kinda girl but let me tell you once i put it on i didn't want to take it off wonder what the neighbors would say if i wore it to take out the dogs, get the newspapers, mail or just to go for a walk?? That would be a sight don't ya think!!!

My trip to L.A. to see Stephanie!

2008-10-18T10:29:00.000-04:00

Sorry about the blog nonsense it's been acting up today!

So recently i went to visit Stephanie in L.A. we had a great time shopping, eating, laughing, hiking Runyon Canyon to see the "HOLLYWOOD" sign and just hanging out together. When she comes home for a visit there is usually a house full of people so it's hard to fit in one on one time!

Officially a distinguished Clown!

2008-10-14T09:42:00.000-04:00

I've always wanted to be a part of the Detroit Thanksgiving Parade in some way or the other...well i was excepted into the very prestigous Detroit Distinguished Clown Corps. So look for me on Thanksgiving morning making my way down Woodward Avenue! That is if you can recognize me? I'm super excited!

Mackinac with Katie ro~ro

2008-10-04T14:13:00.000-04:00

last week Katie and i took a little mom~daughter road trip up to Mackinac Island and the Grand Hotel...we had an awesome time together touring the island, horse back riding, and just enjoying each others company...thanks for coming along kate i had an awesome time with you!

My Bucket list!

2008-09-29T11:35:00.000-04:00

So lately i've been thinking about some things i would like to accomplish in the next few years so here are 20 things on my bucket list in no particular order...what's on your list?

1. parasail in Marco Island, FL

2. take a college course

3. take a road trip across the country from Meechigan to CALI preferably in a motor home

4. learn to play chess? i know this will be hard but i need to try

5. walk the Breast Cancer 3-Day

6. take part in the Thanksgiving Day Parade!

7. go to the Grand Canyon

8. participate in a missions trip

9. learn a foreign language

10. whale watch in Nantucket

11. Go to the Olympic Games

12. travel to Italy, & Sicily

13. be the Mother of the Bride x 3

14. take a digital photography class

15. see the Oprah show live

16. go for a helicopter ride in Hawaii (i'm scared to death to do this but..)

17. take an Alaskan Cruise

18. see a giant Redwood Tree

19. travel to Australia

20. become a Grandparent (since adoption seems to be out of the ?)

*some things on my list have already come to fruition or will in the very near future

i guess i better go get busy i have lots to do!

Stephanie is going to be on Television!!!

2008-09-27T15:02:00.001-04:00

There's a new reality show coming in November on the Lifetime Network called "BLUSH" where makeup artists compete against one another (kinda like project runway only doing makeup) well she was hired as one of the models for the makeup artist "Maxi" on the show...they taped the episode all day yesterday she said it was really cool, and a great experience! You'll have to watch and see if Maxi makes it through or gets voted off...i'll keep you posted of when her episode airs.

and the winner is...

2008-09-26T15:07:00.000-04:00

thanks karen...amazon was just the place to go for the sharpie pens your reward will be on it's way soon!! and a little surprise for hannah too thanks for the help girls!!!

<3>

Sharpie obsession

2008-09-24T15:33:00.000-04:00

ok if you know me even a little bit you know that i love to write~ not stories or articles~ but letters, cards, notes, invitations, the alphabet, my own name, anyones name ect...always have since i was a little girl it may have something to do with going to a Catholic school and the nuns literally beat penmanship into us so it became part of me! so because of this i am obsessed with writing utensils of every kind and color i have thousands (no joke!) recently in a magazine i saw an advertisement for a knew kind of sharpie pen that is permanent but does not bleed through the paper- but to my disappointment it is no where to be found in the Macomb County area i've gone to Target, Meijer, Office Max, Kroger, and this morning i called the 1-800# for SHARPIE products and was told to go to the local Walmart (supposedly the largest supplier of Sharpies)?

so i ran right out very excited to finally see this gem in person but oh no not today...if by any chance you have seen these pens out there in you travels recently could you PLEASE! give me a heads up-so i can rest and get back to my obsession of writing...i would be forever grateful and there will be a reward for the first person that can help me out! THANKS a million!

wish list follows...

2008-09-14T20:00:00.000-04:00

...i wish my family still lived under the same roof or at least in the same state

...i wish i had a fourth child

...i wish all people saw the good in and loved each of my daughters like i do

...i wish i could articulate my feelings without emotion

...i wish that not one person in this world would ever go hungry

...i wish i could read something once and retain the information forever

...i wish i loved every book my book club picks

...i wish i could play tennis without effort

...i wish that i could have my hair dyed ( i'm not a natural blonde shocker) and it would last more than 3 1/2 weeks

...i wish there was a Original Pancake house near by

...i wish people knew why i am me

...i wish that my Bible knowledge was better

...i wish i had a college degree

...i wish people did not judge me for the choices i make

...i wish i could be a better blogger complete with pictures

...i wish my kitchen would clean itself right now

...i wish Christmas was not commercial

...i wish i knew how to play Chess

...i wish people that i love knew how much i cared for them

...i wish that there was 36 hours in the day never enough time...

September

2008-09-01T13:54:00.000-04:00

Today is the first day of September~and that is very exciting to me...i love the autumn

cider mills, apple picking, hay rides, football games, pumpkin hunting, cool nights, and warm days indian summer! ect...hurray for the fall!

2008 Beijing Olympics!

2008-08-20T23:48:00.000-04:00

What an exciting olympics this has been i LOVE watching all of the events... but even more than that i LOVE to hear the stories about the athletes and where they come from and how they got where there are...and quite often i cry! i think you would be amazed about what most of them overcome, or endure to be a part of the olympic games (please if you can watch the story of Natalie an athlete from South Africa her story i hope will amaze you, another about a weightlifter who's wife recently passed away. I think that sometimes we are in such awe of the athletic ability of these that we forget that they are people with families just like ours and the road they took to get where they are was very long, and hard! I'm proud to be an American!

7 quirks for me...

2008-08-20T22:30:00.000-04:00

#1 i obviously have a tendency to send my blog before i blog duh how embarrassing...

So about 2 weeks ago Nina tagged me to list 6 quirky things about myself that i would not normally reveal to even my closest friends...and now after much consideration, and review i am posting them here for all 5ish of my readers to see~ my children insist i have OCD and if thats true i'm PROUD of it ok!!

#2 i can't stand when lamp shades are crooked or tilted it takes all i have to not adjust one even in a store. I won't even start on pictures...

#3 i put all of our family movies in alphabetical order (easier to find when your looking for that special one) i require the family to use their library skills when watching a movie just slide the movie out before or after the one you take so you know where it needs to be returned! (puts a new spin on "please be kind and rewind") ok ok OCD i know.

#4 i only take my shoes off to shower, swim, or walk on the beach (for a short distance) i hate if my feet feel dirty or gritty.

#5 before putting the dishes in the dishwasher i take all of the dishes out of the sink then wash the sink with soap and water and wash each dish, ect.. before putting in the dishwasher to be washed.

#6 under no circumstances will i let my purse/bags touch the floor of a public bathroom...(you should see me in an airport or department store!

#7 last but certainly not least...i MUST buy the name brand items that i grew up using...i.e tide,

ivory liquid, bounce, ivory soap, fantastic, french's mustard, smuckers jelly, ect...i could go on and on i've tried but i just can't weird i know.

*thanks nina now everyone knows i'm crazy! jk i love you!!!

Hurricane Kay!

2008-08-20T09:16:00.000-04:00

Ok so i was originally going to leave for florida with a few girlfriends this thursday 8/21 then i decided to come down to Marco a couple days early to get things ready and stock up the fridge...BUT when i saw the weather reports that a hurricane was on a direct path to hit Marco tuesday i decided i better leave on monday...i arrived on monday afternoon to gray skies, a few sprinkles, and light wind that changed really quick though by about 8 p.m. the skies grew darker and the wind picked up...ok so looong story short...the storm shutters were closed and locked and i felt pretty safe inside the 12th floor condo until i woke up around 2 a.m. to the rattling of the shutters, lightning, and pouring rain... Hurricane Kay (technically a Tropical Storm?) had arrived...little did i know the eye of the storm which would directly hit Marco was still 3 hrs away! I'm not going to lie i was frightened! i tried to fall back asleep but it was difficult i dozed in and out for the next few hours, when daylight arrived things had calmed down but there was flooding, and quite a few palm trees and debris strewn throughout the island- we were told to stay inside all day yesterday due to high wind and tornado warnings i will venture out today to take some pics for posting later-it's safe to say i survived Tropical Storm Kay! Oh did i tell you this is my second hurricane a few years ago the family was in Virginia Beach for the girls dance competition when Hurricane Bertha (Big Bertha) hit a category 3 hurricane, great boogie boarding waves i must say...maybe a new career is possibly on my horizon- a storm chaser?!?

finally..

2008-08-12T15:30:00.000-04:00

all 10 pieces of our luggage was delivered to our house at about 2:30 a.m. semi intact it looks like the customs authorities took the liberty of rifling through it what a mess just a word of advice i always tell the girls never pack any valuables in your suitcase...always carry it with you!

European Cruise

2008-08-10T08:13:00.000-04:00

Our Family European Cruise to France, Italy, and Sicily was absolutely amazing a memory to treasure forever (i love when the 5 of us are together to experience something new)...took over 1000 pics which i will post only a few of soon. (nina i need a refresher course asap.) we arrived home last evening in the middle of a thunderstorm (not fun) waited for our luggage for over an hour only to find out that all 10 pieces(keep in mind we have three daughters & that Stephen is a Saint!)were LOST!! in Amsterdam (our flight from Barcelona was late so we had 5 minutes to sprint from one side of the largest airport in Europe to the other (not a pretty sight or fun) we just made it we were the last 5 people on the plane and what i don't understand is if we could run what seemed like a mile why our luggage couldn't be driven there in time arrgh lets just hope it arrives this morning because Stephanie is on her way back to L.A. this afternoon. all in all we had a fabulous time although i still feel the sea moving underneath me after 8 days on a ship...more to follow later.

These are a few of my favorite things...a~z

2008-07-20T11:20:00.000-04:00

a~athletic shoes, art fairs, autumn

b~bella, beaches, babies, birthdays, beatles music, board games, broadway musicals,

b~bible study

c~christmas, charm bracelets, california, country music, caligraphy, cowboy boots

d~disney world, daffodils, dolls, dresses

e~eye shadow

f~football games, friends(the program) flip~flops, field trips, fireworks, fresh flowers

g~girgenti's, game shows, good books, gift cards

h~hearts, happy mail, hugs, harsens island

i~(my) i-pod, & i-phone

j~jewelry, jigsaw puzzles

k~kkkkatie, knitting, kisses

l~ las vegas, lip gloss, legos

m~madeline, my mac~book, marco island, magazines, movies, mickey mouse

n~nina, nemo, new shoes, NYC

o~on line shopping, orange (the color)

p~p.j.s, peace signs, pink, purses, parades, perfume, palm trees, puppies, presents

q~quality time with the family

r~range rovers, rubies, recipe books, reality t.v. relaxing

s~stephen, stephanie, samantha, sunglasses, sharpies, sun bathing, stationary,

s~snow days, starbucks, scrapbooking, soduku

t~ target, traveling, tiger games, tiffanys,

u~ugg boots ups delivery

v~vacations, victoria secret underwear

w~watches, weddings, wicked, wave runners

x~xylophones

y~ yogurt, yellow, yoga,

z~zoey, zoo's

*sorry i got a little carried away, what can i say i have a lot of favorite things...

Surprise Party #2 !!!

2008-07-11T18:13:00.000-04:00

Yes it is true! my sweet family threw me a SURPRISE 50th Birthday Party...i know~i know i'm still in shock! Who gets two Surprise Birthday Parties in one month? I feel so much love from so many people my heart is overflowing~ i love you, i love you, and i will love each and everyone of you FOREVER & EVER!! I have so much to blog i'm way behind to much going on lately...loving turning 50 although i am trying to organize my thoughts, and photo's still and will upload all of them soon~ i PROMISE!

Surprise 50th for me...!!!

2008-06-25T18:54:00.000-04:00

So... this is how the surprise went...and boy was i surprised... i'm serious~and when you see the pics (coming very soon)! you'll know i wasn't pretending!! i nearly wet my pants no joke! this was my first surprise birthday party EVER! My sweet friend NINA who i adore like a daughter told me that for a birthday gift that she would be taking me to a candy bouquet class at a school near her neighborhood! ( i was soooo excited for this!) little did i know... joke was on me...when i arrived with Katie who was supposedly babysitting Maddy everyone (except for a few...especially Stephanie, & Samantha!) that i hold dear in my heart were there! I had such a nice time...with Loved ones, Good Fellowship, & A Scrumptious Buffet!!!

Thank you Nina for giving me a memory to TREASURE FOREVER & EVER!!! I LOVE YOU...so much my heart is bursting and the SCRAPBOOK well what a gem...i read it as often as i can. thank you for EVERYTHING! you are so precious to me!

i will never forget Tuesday June 24, 2008 ever!!!

love, patti

oops!

2008-06-23T08:42:00.000-04:00

so excited for...

6/23~ The 50th annual Detroit Fireworks

6/23~ Candy Bouquet Class w/ Nina!

6/24~ Stevie Wonder @ DTE

6/25~ I'll come up with something soon...

6/26~ Up North to Harbor Springs

6/29 w/girlfriends to celebrate the big 5-0!

7/4~ Fourth of July in Las Vegas, Nevada!

7/5~ Cirque du soleil~Beatles Love Show

7/6~ My 50th Birthday!

7/6~ Birthday dinner @ The Bellagio Circo & Cirque du soleil "O"

(plus shopping, sightseeing, & lots of good food too!)

*i'm so excited turning "50" isn't looking to bad to me...

some up coming FUN! that i'm super excited about!

2008-06-23T08:41:00.000-04:00

Daniel's Grad Party

2008-06-12T08:05:00.000-04:00

Congrat's on your graduation from high school Daniel what a great party you had in spite of the tumultuous weather that blew thru~sorry i didn't get any pics of you but... i think it's safe to say your little cousins are ADORABLE!!! Jeannine & Tony wow what beautiful granddaughters you have!

Deanna & Nathan's Wedding Day!

2008-06-07T19:00:00.000-04:00

Today was a very very special much anticipated day!! Deanna & Nathan's Wedding Day! So HAPPY for them~ everything was just perfect too!! Although i didn't get a good pic of the Bride & Groom they were both glowing~Deanna was a stunning beautiful bride and Nathan seemed to be walking 2 inches off the ground all day! I'm not sure how old the church is but i do know that it was used to hide the slaves escaping the south along the underground railroad there are tours available for anyone interested (call me if you want to go because it's on my list of

summer field trips!) Good Food, Fellowship, & Music followed at the reception...I had a great time a memory to treasure forever...Congrats to Mr. & Mrs. Nathan Peshl!!!

Tiger Game in Magglio's Suite

2008-06-06T12:45:00.000-04:00

So Stephanie & Mikey came in from California this morning and of course Mikey who is friends with~ Magglio Ordonez (yes the Detroit Tiger All Star right fielder!) and he got us all invited to watch the Tiger game from his private family suite! stocked with snacks, drinks, and food!! omgosh i'm still pinching myself! we met his very sweet wife and children~ watched the fireworks from the dugout~ and took pictures afterward at home plate on the field~then we were invited to go back to their home for dinner and to just hang out~ what a beautiful family so nice and down to earth! I think we'll be keeping Mikey around talk about connections and so much FUN too! Thanks Mikey we love you!

Race for the Cure

2008-06-04T08:56:00.000-04:00

Last Saturday i went with my friends Lucy, and Beth to the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure (we walked the 5k) downtown @ Comerica Park~it was really quite overwhelming to see the hundreds of people that come to support this cause by running or walking the race, but what is so moving to see is the survivors wearing their pink tee shirts some still in treatment. I am so inspired by their courage, and strength. Afterward we went to brunch @ "Toast" in Ferndale a cute little cafe the eggs benedict are to die for...yummers!

5 hour Red Wings game with Tammy!

2008-06-02T23:00:00.000-04:00

Went to the never ending Red Wings game withy my sister and with only 34 seconds left the Penguins tied it up~grrrrr after triple overtime we lost but i do feel like we got our $ worth of hockey kinda like going to 2 games in one night. yikes i didn't get home until 3 a.m. Katie even beat me home lol!! Lots of FUN! with my little sis though : )

Morning with Nina and Maddy

2008-05-21T12:49:00.000-04:00

Vanilla ice cream for breakfast w/ Maddy and Nina doesn't get any better than that~ yummy!

Friends & Fifty years old!

2008-05-19T10:25:00.000-04:00

Yesterday evening i went to Maggiano's for a 50th Birthday Celebration with all my girlfriends that turn 50 this year too! I love each and everyone of them sooo much~ what FUN!! lots of laughs and memory sharing~ theres never enough time though~we need to have a slumber party to fit it all in!! hopefully they will all come to Marco in August with me that would be the BEST!!

I can't think of a better way to celebrate this special year!

Jerry Seinfield

2008-05-19T10:15:00.000-04:00

Friday night i went to see Jerry Seinfield at the Fox with Susan, Dennis, and my friend Beth. He was hilarious i laughed so hard tears were rolling down my face~i love to laugh that hard~lots of fun! Dennis took us all to dinner at Mosiac in Greek Town i had never been there before the food was delicious. I can definitely recommend it!

Stephen's Fishing in Florida~

2008-05-18T12:12:00.000-04:00

~which means i'm shopping in Michigan : o ! After a day at Partridge Creek!! -

thursday night my friend Beth came over for dinner, the plan was to sit outside but the weather did not cooperate at all so we stayed inside. Awhile ago i ordered a Giardano's original Chicago deep dish pizza online so i decided that would be fun to bake. It was delicious and yummy! We chit chated so much that we missed Grey's so i'll have to catch up on that later...we always have fun hanging out together!

Mothers Day!

2008-05-18T12:05:00.000-04:00

I have to say my Mother's Day was awesome per usual~(i sure did miss my Stephy though but she'll be home for Dee's wedding in June yah!) It was super hectic...it's hard trying to fit everything into one day, next year i think i'll spread the celebration over the entire weekend!

Katie's Home!!

2008-05-07T11:03:00.000-04:00

We moved Katie home from her first year at Saginaw~although we're so happy and excited to have her home i think she brought three times as much stuff back with her : / yikes! There's no where to put it either...