• Home
  • Blog
  • About
  • Collab
  • Shop
    • Checkout
    • My account
  • LinkTree

Royally Living

𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 — 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘴𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘭𝘺 𝘱𝘶𝘳𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘳𝘰𝘺𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺…

  • Bon Vie
    • Lifestyle
    • Self Care = Self Love
    • Television
    • Books
    • Stories
  • Bon Appétit
    • Recipes
    • Restaurants
  • Bon Voyage
    • Postcards
    • Crusing
    • Resorts
    • USA
    • Washington DC
    • Las Vegas • Summerlin
    • Europe
    • Digital Nomads / Snowbirds
  • Old Town ALX

Grandma’s 90th Birthday — Celebrations, Memories, and So Much Love in the Garden

September 2, 2019

This year my grandmother, known to everyone as “Grandma”, celebrated her 90th birthday. We’ve been celebrating Grandma’s 90th trip around the sun all summer. Before I tell you how Grandma celebrated, let me tell you a little about Grandma. . . .

Grandma is authentic, kind, loving, and lovable. She’s wise and thoughtful. And she’s a smart and stylish woman. She can put together and outfit and decorate a house on a budget — and it’ll look like a million bucks.

She can talk on the phone for hours. She talks to strangers all the time. And kinda lights-up chatting about.

She’s got a low tolerance for peoples lack of common sense or kindness. If she doesn’t like something she’ll tell ya’. She can get frustrated and she can be mouthy — and she not only knows it, but says she can’t help it, and at 90 years old laughs about it. Some might think this a flaw but they are parts of her character that I am so very grateful for. With these “imperfect” traits she’s somehow given me permission that it’s okay to be imperfect as long as you’re kind. If you live your life with love, truth, and kindness you’ll be loved. What a spectacular gift to give your first born grandchild!

Speaking of kindness, you don’t get much kinder than on the Hallmark Channel. Grandma’s addicted to Hallmark movies — they’re simple and happy. But she’ll take a break from her happy channel to watch Molly B (polka star) on her rural television station (RFD).

Grandma’s remained gracious and stylish into her 90th year. She really needs an Instagram account for all her blouses. She’s a great shopper and has lots of blouses and shoes. But what she buys most is gifts for other people versus things for herself.

She doesn’t look or act 90. She cleans her perfect house herself. And she washes her face with only water and uses Clinique’s yellow lotion. That’s been the routine forever.

She sends greeting cards on every birthday and Christmas and all the holidays in-between. And there’s always a little something stuffed in the envelope. It could be money to go out to dinner, a newspaper clipping, a blessing, or a beautiful handkerchief she thought you’d like. She’s very thoughtful. I treasure all the cards she’s sent me over the years — which I’ve kept since childhood. She’s inspires me to send mail to others. I don’t know if it means anything to them or not. But her cards and packages always meant something to me.

She’s devoted to her family. At times in her life when she didn’t have much to give she’s the one that actually gave you the most. Her generosity is inspiring.

She’s got a great sense of humor and doesn’t shy away from laughing at herself. And she’s got a great laugh. She loves diet pop and McDonalds. In fact, she won’t order pop anywhere but McDonalds because it only costs a dollar there — all the other restaurants on the planet are trying to rip her off.

Her life amazes me. What she’s seen. What she’s done. Gracious. Giving. Grateful. Sincere. But maybe what is the most powerful gift in her 90 years is how she’s loved. You can feel her love and it’s so easy to love her.

She’s got an iPhone. She Facetimes. She’s on Facebook — where she actually follows Molly B.

And that brings me to the summer long celebration of Grandma’s 90th year. . .

Grandma kicked-off the summer’s festivities with family in Grosse Pointe, Michigan when she ventured up there to go see Molly B (who was headlining a polka festival in Frankenmuth). Grandma danced the day away and got a special birthday message from Molly B herself.

It wasn’t all Bavarian festivities on Grandma’s trip to Michigan. Grandma’s 100% Belgian blood was honored! She managed to get in some Feather Bowling with the family while visiting Grosse Pointe. The Cadieux Cafe is the only place in the States that carries the Belgian game. So it’s rather special for Grandma’s special Belgian soul.

The game can get competitive. lol.

Win or lose everyone has a great time. And we take the obligatory picture by the Belgium mural before sitting down to some Belgian fare (we’ve been doing that shot for decades — way before Instagram existed, lol).

After spending some time in Grosse Pointe, she ventured out east where she spent a good majority of the summer. Much of Grandma’s time in Virginia is quiet and routine much like it is at home. One meal out a day and an outing — usually shopping of some kind. Then she likes to settle in with her Hallmark!

She stays with my parents most of the time but when she ventures out east, Miles and I are lucky to get her to spend a couple nights with us in Old Town.

We like to expose her to our world when she stays with us. Life on the boat and at the Old Dominion Boat Club. Plus wherever she wants to eat, shop, or goof around.

We had a perfect tiki bar night when she stayed with us. So we got her out on the clubhouse rooftop with the best view in town and some darn good live music (not Molly B, but it was the best we could do).

After Virginia, Grandma went to Chicago with part of the family to celebrate some more, and work her way back to her hometown in the heartland. Miles and I couldn’t make that trip so I don’t have one picture of her in Chi-Town. Darn the luck! But trust me, she was there, and she said it was too much walking! lol.

And finally we concluded Grandma’s birthday festivities in her hometown in America’s heartland. Where all the kiddos and grand kiddos traveled in from Michigan and Virginia to celebrate Grandma 90th trip around the sun.

This is perhaps my favorite picture I have ever posed. I call it “look how Grandma’s garden grew.” <3

We started her birthday weekend with a tour of the Butterworth House which was where we invited Grandma’s friends and extended family for cake the following afternoon.

It really was a beautiful spot to celebrate. The house is magnificent and has a great history. The historic home once belonged to John Deere descendants and you can see some great majesty in the house. The house is available to tour and has various cultural events throughout the year. We were lucky to get the garden for her party!

We used April Cornel linens to dress-up the garden’s gazebo. We also displayed select photos among candies, cut flowers, and fairy lights. We used a mismatch of prettied antique tablecloths to add interest to the rest of the garden’s tables.

We got a new tripod, with a photo remote, to take a photograph of the whole group and not leave anyone out!

We weren’t allowed to hang anything on the estate, so the three youngest grandkids held the “Happy Birthday” banner. I sat under the banner and clicked the photo button on the remote. I had my fingers crossed that at least one picture would turn out. lol.

We only had time for a two hour party in the garden because we, Grandma’s immediate family, had dinner reservations at Hotel Blackhawk. Hotel Blackhawk is the most charming hotel in the area. It opened in 1915 and this historic property is now part of Marriott’s Autograph Collection. It’s hosted presidents, movie stars, and other notables. And 70 years ago it’s where my grandparents celebrated their honeymoon!

We were able to get the private dining room to celebrate, dine, and give Grandma her gift.

The family group gift was a Louis Vuitton handbag. But I honestly think it was the card she liked more.

And to bring the birthday festivities full circle (as well as this post) we presented her with a custom made birthday card of Grandma and Molly B! We all wrote something unique in our own hand and signed it inside.

Grandma, the woman who has always been so loving, generous, and thoughtful with us — all of our lives — we were able to celebrate for a summer. And I hope she thinks that what we were able to do for her 90th was at least a tiny fraction of what she’s always done for us.

Happy Birthday, Grandma! Love you more!

<3 Your Garden


If you’re not already, be sure to follow our adventures on Instagram!


Celebrating, Entertaining, Transfer

You might also enjoy

Hummingbird in Old Town — New and Nostalgic American Cuisine
Chadwicks — Opens at 5 O’clock Thanksgiving + Trae’s Favorite Cocktail Recipe . . .
Carlyle House Summer Concert Series
Previous:
Mason Social — Our Favorite Spot for Chili & Empanadas
Next:
Layered Crab Dip — Recipe from Old Town Notable Mary Sterling

Leave a ReplyCancel reply

About Me

Bonjour! Welcome!!!

𝐻𝑒𝓁𝓅𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝒻𝒾𝓃𝒹 𝒷𝑒𝒶𝓊𝓉𝓎 𝒾𝓃 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝑒𝓋𝑒𝓇𝓎𝒹𝒶𝓎.🌹 𝘄𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗿 • 𝗵𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗿 • 𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀𝗲𝗲𝗿 • 𝘁𝘃 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗼𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘂𝗿 Creating daily rituals to thrive & nourish the soul. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 — 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘴𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘭𝘺 𝘱𝘶𝘳𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘳𝘰𝘺𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺…

Let’s Socialize

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Subscribe

Hot off the press . . .

Summer Sidewalk Sale • 12 Aug 23 • Old Town ALX & Beyond lol…

Ongoing Exhibits & Happenings in Old Town ALX — Now Through Autumn 2023

Jackie O’s Brilliant 30k Monthly Clothing Allowance • Story from Nancy McKeon’s Memoir — Jackie’s Girl: My Life with the Kennedy Family

Categories

Browse

  • Blog
  • Shop
  • Collab
  • Legalese

Pip Pip Cheerio!

Did ya know “pip pip” mimics the double honk on an early 20th century motorcar? It's an upperclass British colloquialism for farewell. 🎩 I learned that because we're Downton Abbey superfans!
This bit never gets old! This bit never gets old!
Guess what?!! My Zebra article is out! I’m so ex Guess what?!! My Zebra article is out! I’m so excited 😆. 

Beyond Camelot: The Life and Legacy of Jackie O starts on page 18! You can pick up print copies around town!!!

Monte Durham donated his entire Jackie collection to The First Ladies Library and we were there for the opening — all in Burberry! 

Links in bio for the article, the print edition, and some more Jackie stories. 

😘 Jen-Marie
____________________
@therealmontedurham @salonmonte @thezebrapress thezebrapress @milesdejiles #alexandriavirginia #extraordinaryalx #jackieo #oldtownalx #virginiaisforlovers❤️ #burberry #sayyestothedressatlanta @firstladieslibrary #jackiekennedy
State of the art security on Nautical Jiles 🛥️🐾…

_______________
@milesdejiles #oldtownalx #boatdog #visitvirginia #virginiaisfordoglovers
Hotel Café Royal • London This place is on Reg Hotel Café Royal • London

This place is on Regent Street where the elegance of Mayfair merges with energy of Soho — and it is one great fashion show! When we’re in London we like to go here have drinks, an appetizer, and people watch. 😍

It popped up on my FB memories today. 🥰

Have ya been? Will you go? Let us know. 

xxx 
____________________
#dolchevita #londonlife #hotelcaferoyal #regentstreet #london🇬🇧
Guess where this is? 🤣 _____________________ # Guess where this is? 🤣 
_____________________
#bicycles #bicycleart #oldtownalx #alexandriava #visitvirginia
My husband sure can take some beautiful pictures! My husband sure can take some beautiful pictures! Here’s the Boat Club from Hummingbird. 😍
_______________________
#flowerpictures #boatclub #extraordinaryalx #alexandriava #virginiaisforlovers #olddominionboatclub #prettypictures  #springday #springflowers #potomacriver #oldtownalexandria #oldtownalx #oldtownpost 

well done @milesdejiles 😘
Went to Barca last night. The staff couldn’t hav Went to Barca last night. The staff couldn’t have been nicer! We had a great time. 

It’s a small plate concept. We shared everything. But some favorites emerged. Miles really liked the BEEF TENDERLOIN with tomatoes, red wine, shallots, garlic, & jalapeños. And by far my fav was the JAMÓN SERRANO CROQUETAS with manchego & aleppo-orange honey. On my list to try next time are the STUFFED DATES with blue cheese, jamón serrano, & olive oil — they sound delish! 

It’s packed most of the time. But Tuesday around 4 o’clock we were seated straight away. It was pretty full by the time we left. We were conscious not to linger. But they never made us feel rushed. And they were super welcoming to the furry princess! 

Have ya been? Will ya go? Let us know! And follow us for more in Old Town.🍍⚓️💛

😘 @jetsetjiles 

___________________
#extraordinaryalx #alexandriava #visitalx #visitvirginia #dmveats @barca_alx
Miles took a really nice picture of me and the fur Miles took a really nice picture of me and the furry princess! I took three of Miles and managed to not get his face in all three of them. 🤦‍♀️ 

Think I’ll do better playing photographer for the blessing of the fleet tomorrow? Stay tuned! 
___________________
#searay #searayboats #lillypulitzer #yorkielife #oldtownalexandria #furbaby #lifestyleblogger #dolchevita @milesdejiles #potomacriver #nauticaljiles #🛥 #luxurylifestyleblogger #slowlivingmovement #liveinthemoment #grateful🙏
#flasbackfriday — me 4 years ago in Rome My cap #flasbackfriday — me 4 years ago in Rome

My captain was: Ciao Rome! 🇮🇹🍕🛵 On to London, baby!!! 🎩🇬🇧🍻Vroom . . .

__________________
#rome #romanholiday #louisvuitton  #vespa  #tulleskirt #pearlskirt #dolchevita #italianplaces
I just posted it and @milesdejiles has already sta I just posted it and @milesdejiles has already started practicing. 😂 

___________________
#learnfrench #crazylove #crazylife #myhusbandismybestfriend
Insta just made this reels for me! Insta just made this reels for me!
We’ve had a lot of strollers. And this Roodo is We’ve had a lot of strollers. And this Roodo is by far the best to go out dining with! It’s got a really small footprint without sacrificing space for the furry princess. And it was by for the easiest one to put together — it came folded like an umbrella and we just popped on wheels. 

Link to it on our blog. And you can link to that in our bio. 

😘 
_________________
#furbaby #dogstroller #yorkiesofinstagram #strollersfordogs
We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing. — George Bernard Shaw

_________________
#georgebernardshaw #quotestoliveby #beyourbeautiful #inlovewithlife #dolchevita
Celebrating this fella today! ❤️🎂🥳 We h Celebrating this fella today! ❤️🎂🥳

We had a leisurely lunch at Chart House, toasting Miles! Sipped a nice pale pink rosé in the shade and people watched in between courses. Limited menu compared to the olden days. But it was tasty. 

I love you so much @milesdejiles — thanks for sharing your day with us! 😘 

_______________________
#🥳 #happybirthdaytoyou #extraordinaryalx #visitalx #alexandriavirginia @charthouserestaurants
This is the beauty I came downstairs to this morni This is the beauty I came downstairs to this morning. A perfect bouquet from the furry princess for Mother’s Day weekend! 

I do suspect Chou Chou’s daddy had something to do with it! 😉 

Many thanks to my loves! And lots of love to all of you! 😘 
___________________________
#dogdad #furbabies #dogmomday #bouquetofflowers #happymarriedlife
We went to the opening of the Jackie Exhibit, dona We went to the opening of the Jackie Exhibit, donated by @therealmontedurham , at the First Ladies Exhibit in Canton, Ohio. And we’re doing an article on it for @thezebrapress 🦓!!!

I’ve been working on our Zebra article. And it’s so fun to look at all the pics of this smart, amazing, and stylish lady. 

Full article in the June print edition! But if you want a little behind the scenes we’ve got a peek of the press event on the blog. Link in Bio. 

À bientôt! 😘 

_________________
#jackiekennedy #jackieo #firstlady #portraitart #portrait @firstladiesnps  @firstladieslibrary
If you bungle raising your children, I don’t thi If you bungle raising your children, I don’t think whatever else you do matters very much. - Jackie Kennedy 
_________________________
#jackiekennedy #jackiekennedyonassis #jackiekennedyquotes #quoteoftheday #mothersdayweekend
Doors to the weekend are almost open! Any exciting Doors to the weekend are almost open! Any exciting plans?
___________________
#doorsofinstagram #secretgarden #whiteroses #antiquedoors #flowerdaily #flowerdecor #europe #oldtown #doorsofeurope #roses🌹
Oh how we love Downton! ❤️ _________________ # Oh how we love Downton! ❤️
_________________
#downtonabbey #julianfellowes #downtonabbeystyle #highclerecastle #liveslow
That green door for spring is just perfect! 👒🌷💚
_____________________
#oldtownalexandria #visitvirginia #visitalxva #doorsofinstagram #extraordinaryalx
Follow on Instagram
Design by SkyandStars.co
Back Top

Copyright © 2023. Jet Set Jiles

 

Loading Comments...