Hair is Tough For An Actor-June 25th

I had a career consultation and one of the suggestions from my gal was that I consider making my haircut softer when I style it. I tend to push my hair off my face and without bangs my forehead is a bit high and lengthens my face. Truth be told, I was already really annoyed by my haircut. The bob was cute but definitely did not reflect "me"...I cut my hair off last week...but I found these older photos in my camera from when I was trying to figure out how to solve what I affectionately referred to as my "forehead problem".
Yeah, it would take a miracle to keep my hair in this position above all day long...and it would of course fall in my eyes. I could handle that for about 5 seconds in the name of beauty.

and as soon as we move the hair enough to the side to avoid vision issues, we have the forehead problem again:-)

I personally like this way of wearing the style the best, with the side blown forward...but it's exactly like it was at Meg and Tim's wedding, and would not survive any wear and tear beyond a special occasion.

I kept trying though...I did not want to admit defeat. Having to try so hard should probably have given me a clue that it took too much effort to maintain.

Yeah, just because you mess up the hair and have strands sticking out everywhere does not mean it is better in hiding the forehead problem.

Alas, I think I knew I was going to cut it off in frustration eventually, so I took a photo of my fave part of style, and why I kept it around for 14 months of problems...doesn't it look cool? Yeah, I still cut it all off...

Who knew an acting career could require such tedious girlie concerns? UGH!

I love you lots, and I miss you more-

xoxo Auntie Beth/Bethie/Beppy GBAKYS

Shopping Trip on June 10th...and Look What I Bought!

Auntie Beth went out on her first grocery shopping trip in almost 2 years on June 10th...yes, that was correct and not a typo...TWO YEARS...sure, sure I've gone in and gotten cases of water, or 10 yogurts for a long tax week, but a full stock the fridge trip? Two years...and I have not missed it! I found it very unfulfilling and quite frankly boring...so I had to make it more interesting...

So I found a natural salad dressing named after our Annieboo...I think the other shoppers thought I was crazy because when I saw this bottle, I started giggling and jumping around with glee. Hey, as far as I'm concerned, I was the only person having any fun in that store anyway...they should take a lesson:-)

A closer look at the joyful reminder for the day that I have beloved babies in CT waiting for me...so sad that I am just now using photos on the blog from June 10th...not sure I can catch up at this point so we may just pretend I lost my camera for 6-8 weeks...

I love you lots, and I miss you more-

Auntie Beth/Bethie/Beppy GBAKYS

Lisa & Adam's wedding reception Sunday June 13th

On a gorgeous Sunday in June in a very posh part of Los Angeles, my friend Lisa had her wedding reception. Lisa & Adam had already gotten married back in March in a small ceremony so Lisa's ailing Grandmother could attend.
Auntie Beth had no idea what to wear & how to prettify herself because she definitely does not have 98 cool dresses like Auntie KK.

Lisa & Adam's invitation to the reception. They included Clyde the Cat as family on the invite because Adam raised Clyde since he was a kitten 14 years ago.

Doesn't Lisa look gorgeous in her wedding veil? She's got beautiful dark hair like our Miss Molly!

Here's the dress I finally settled on for the reception. I felt very girlie and did my best to style my hair and put on the makeup to match!

Here's a close up of my final product just before I entered the estate neighborhood where the house for the reception was located...I did say it was posh!

Here is the new manicure/pedicure I got just before the celebration. The flower on my big toe is a plumeria like the flower from Hawaii. I had to fight with the woman so she didn't put any sparklies or bedazzlings on my toe...she really did not want me to keep it simple! I also don't sit still very well.

It's much more impressive in person, but here is the gate you have to go through to get into the neighborhood for the reception. There is 24 hour guard service and they take photos of your license plate coming and going and check your ID.

That big gate is thick wrought iron and you would kill your car if you tried to drive through it, promise!

Auntie Beth had so much fun she forgot to take photos during the actual party, but here are the reception favors...Lisa's Grandmother loved butterflies so the placecards for our table were in butterfly frames, and we all got chocolate butterflies to take home as well--well the body in gold was chocolate, the wings were just cardboard...

The reception was on a clifftop overlooking the water---with quite a bit of breeze-total craziness with hair whippin everywhere...

The home belonged to Adam's parents who threw quite a bash with a huge fruit bar, mimosa bar, chocolate bar, omelet stations, barbeque station, salad station--and some food I know I'm forgetting.

There was also a cool area just for the kids, with juiceboxes & minibags of cheetos and doritos.

There was oa gorgeous dance floor underneath an open air tent.

AND a temporaray tattoo artist for everyone to use! I chose this tattoo from disney and...

...a flower tattoo where Auntie Meg has hers, on the back of my neck. It was fun to pretend for a few days!

The day was alot of fun and it's always nice to celebrate love. I am now only 2 months and 3 days behind with this blog...ughhhhhhh:-P

I love you lots and I miss you more-

Auntie Beth/Bethie/Beppy GBAKYS

Auntie Beth is NOT Sleeping Well!

After Auntie Beth got back to Los Angeles, I had sooooo much to do with my taxes and acting.

I also decide I needed to get healthier...so Auntie Beth stopped eating cookies, cakes and candy...and she went from drinking four diet cokes a day to one diet coke a day...and she started noticing all the unhealthy foods she wanted to eat and stopped herself...it was a HARD week:-)
I also started exercising twice a week for an hour, and trying to fall asleep at a normal time...it was a very HARD week...
I started all this new healthy stuff on June 6th and here is what my bed looked like on June 7th when I woke up!

I tossed and turned all night, I twisted the covers every which way, I flopped back and forth...I undid the sheets from the bottom of the bed...it was not pretty!
and Auntie Beth also went to bed with wet hair...so I woke up with Lizzie bedhead...I could get a good shot of the back but from the front you can see I was a bit messy!

I still look tired...I wonder why????

I was actually kind of digging the added volume. Of course, I can never get this much volume in my hair when I try for a hour with all kinds of devices and product...pishawww...

This brings us up to date through June 7th...

More to follow soon, but I just could not leave us way back at May 22nd any longer...yikes!!!

I love you lots, and miss you more-

xoxoAuntie Beth/Bethie/Beppy GBAKYS

A Visit to Dairy Queen-May 28th

As you kids know, Auntie Beth was in Connecticut from May 27th through June 3rd...and because she was running around so much, Auntie Beth ended up taking ZERO pictures...but Papa used my camera once when his was in the car:-)
On Friday May 28th, Auntie Beth promised Annie a trip, and Annie insisted Lizzie come along...Ellie had only napped an hour and was a NO...not sure where I would've fit her in my rental car otherwise:-)
We stopped at Auntie Kake's work, where Lizzie ran up and down the long stretches of space-in the lobby and then in the back room where noone was really around...then off we went to the beach house to see Bammy and Papa...and Daisy...
Alas, Auntie Beth did not know that Daisy was not around so the girls agreed to Dairy Queen instead...above are the munchkins at Dairy Queen with makeshift coverings because Auntie Beth forgot jackets. Annie, Lizzie, Auntie Beth and Papa went to pick up icecream while Bammy waited at the beach house...

Papa forgot his camera in the car so he used mine...and the girls obliged a bit. This shot above is about 3 minutes before Papa went to bring some of the icecream to the car, Auntie Beth had Annie on her hip, and Lizzie decided to lay stomach down on the ground and refuse to get up...a mere grunt, no crying, just refused to get up!!!
Although I must admit, I love that Lizzie has her own unique way of letting you know she's upset. None of that crying stuff for her. Silent and stubborn works best and she knows it...love that:-)
Molly was off with her Mom at dress rehearsal for the recital, and Dad had Ellie and Peter...so there were H-W kids all over the place that night...and these two beauties above got Bammy & Papa to stay hours later than they expected to stay at the beach...I can't imagine why:-)

I love you lots, and I miss you more-

xoxoAuntie Beth/Bethie/Beppy GBAKYS

After Ben's Birthday I was off to Derek's 7th Birthday Party!!!

Derek is the son of my tax client Scott whom I have known for 6 years. As a single dad, Scott has done amazingly well because Derek is a gem. When Derek was 4, 5 & 6 he came to the tax appointment with his Dad so we could all hang out. This past year, Scott married Kim, Derek's stepmother and biggest fan!
Derek is the blonde surfer boy...how cute is he? Derek co-celebrated birthdays with his friend Leonidas on his right. Kim is in the upper left hand corner of this picture helping with the cakes she made.

Derek is patiently waiting for everyone to gather around the cakes....never a problem in our family:-) Derek's cake was in the shape of a DeathStar...for serious!!!

I finally got Derek's attention for a split second...lots and lots of people running around this church hall!

... and there's a half smile when Derek didn't think I was clicking:-)

Derek invited me over for dinner last Sunday night and we had asparagus, artichokes and coconut rice...none of which Auntie Beth eats very often...so it was fun to try new stuff. I must've been a good guest because I was invited again this Sunday for Father's Day dinner!

The little girls sat at the tables but the boys were happy to eat their cake while sitting on the floor. I was just waiting for someone to kick Derek's cup of water while running past him...

Got lots to catch up on so I'm on to editing another post...

I love you lots and miss you more-

xooxAuntie Beth/Bethie/Beppy GBAKYS

My Godson Ben's 2nd Birthday Party on May 22nd...

and most importantly, his first taste of processed sugar!!!!

Mom and Dad are willing to do things that I shudder to consider, like buying a choochoo train mold and making this cake above...there was also a red velvet cake for the adults...

The Grimms moved into their house and it was pretty bare, so they worked very hard on the backyard...I love this covered area, fair-skinned as I am...notice the Happy Brithday pendant chain hanging from the ledge...another thing Auntie Beth would avoid because of the extra work factor...hey, at least I'm honest!

The guests at Ben's party were Mom and Dad, me; his Aunt, Uncle and cousin Bridie from Las Vegas; and his Grammy and Papa from Montana. There were also a few little kids from the neighborhood and mommy groups...

If you walk along side the house, there is an area for the kids to use the riding toys...and if you follow me to the left,

we have the sandbox...Randal made this sandbox himself...yep, this is the biggest "no way I'd ever do this" project in this blog so far...but the kids loved it...Ben is in the red shirt and hat, playing his little heart out...and he never gets upset about sharing...no screams, no whines, nothing...

My Godson indulges me when I ask for a smile...yep, he loves me...Auntie Beth is such a lucky duck to have so many wonderful kids love her...and she gets to love all of you!!!

Across from the shaded area, there is the pool...safely gated so kids are locked out...yep, Randal built the gate himself too...and look at the streamers lovingly threaded through the gate. Auntie Beth's laziness puts her to shame...but I would've hired someone to build that fence AND given the job of streamer patrol to some other sucker!

Randal's parents Dick and Ardell flew in from Montana and stayed for a few weeks...it was hot outside so we were all tired...and we'd eaten-alot! Randal is a master of cooking, especially with the grill...Need it be said that Auntie Beth does not cook? Wow, this blog is making me realize I might need to get unlazy---alot---if I ever want a kid:-)

Ben is a bit smitten with the little girls...starting young, my little man:-) Here we are trying to get all the kids at the table for singing and cake...it was a bit harder than in CT because everyone was being nice...when our family does it, we just grab kids, pick them up & haul them off, start singing and hope everyone gets their butts into the kitchen...ok, and there is usually a bit of yelling involved! Gotta admit, for efficency's sake, our way is much quicker:-P

Mommy's legs are next to Ben, trying to get pictures of the cake before Ben descends upon it!
Once he tastes that sugar, he will be Auntie Beth's boy for good...SUGAR:-)

Here's Mom trying to get the "2" candle lit...it kept going out because the wick was too short...poor Lurene almost missed the moment because of that stubborn candle...

Both Ben and his cousin Bridie were dressed in Montana shirts because Grammy & Papa brought them on their visit...both of Ben's parents, Randal and Lurene, are from Montana...and even though they both moved to Los Angeles separately, they actually met in Montana! They talk about moving back to Montana by the time Ben is 5, so I just pretend I don't hear:-(

The first attempt to get Ben to blow out the candle...he's the cutest---when Ben sniffs flowers he often blows air OUT of his nose...I think the same was true of him trying to blow out the candle...he didn't quite get the concept that the air had to be pushed hard OUT of his mouth...

The second attempt, when Mommy got in on the action and tried to help Ben with the concept...

The third attempt, when Mommy brings the candle closer to Ben...doesn't he look absolutely adorable blowing on his birthday candle? Wish I could say it worked all by himself but alas...yeah, he got some help...but he looked fabulous doing it!!

Ben's first finger full of frosting...my little boy is now a little man:-) Ben proceeded to embrace sugar readily, asking for another car of his train cake to poke and pinch, eat and get on his face...

After the birthday yahoo, Ben and the girls came inside for some cooldown...

What birthday boy blog would be complete without the facewashing taking place right after the first big mess of frosting and cake?

This is NOT a good photo of either of us, but Ben was experiencing a sugar crash...only after he had come down and gotten blah did I remember that I had zero photos with my Godson on his 2nd Birthday...nice move, Auntie Beth. On a side note, Auntie Tay Tay gave me that black and white dress to wear on my 36th birthday in Hawaii...love it!

We were doing some on the run photo taking...and the photos were pretty bad...I took this one so we are at weird angle...BUT Ben did not want to indulge me in any photos...the two in this blog are the only ones I could get...in sugar's defense, Ben did not get a nap so the ugghhhhh behavior might've been overtiredness and not sugar shock. That's my story and I'm sticking to it:-)

I love you lots and I miss you more-

xoxoAuntie Beth/Bethie/Beppy GBAKYS