I just love my grandparent’s house.
It’s totally a comfort zone for me. Since when I was growing up we moved around a bunch, coming to Milwaukee has almost been like coming “home”. My mom was born in this house and my grandparents have lived here for almost 55 years. Can you even believe it? I remember being really little and running down the hallways or leading “explorations” up to the attic where I would find treasure.
There’s a big weeping willow tree in the backyard that I used to sit under with Molly and read Little House on the Prairie. Ahhhhh those were the days.
Yesterday my food was so incredibly boring. Ridiculously boring. And gross. All I ate were bars…..Amazing Grass bars, Trader Joe’s bars, clif bars….at the end of the day I couldn’t fathom or stomach another one so I was very thankful for grandpa’s cooking!
He made spaghetti with chicken, mushrooms and olives in a light cream sauce. He wanted you all to know that I get my writing AND cooking abilities from him. I don’t know what that means. He also wanted you to know he wrote a musical in second grade.
So there.
I started reading The Help last night and can’t put it down!!! I get my passion for reading from my grandma. That’s a fact. She knew I would love The Help so after she read it she saved it for me (along with about five other books she thought I would love). It’s a wonderful feeling to be reading a book you can’t put down on your grandparent’s couch with a lion at your feet.
Oatmeal with barney butter, banana and blueberries this morning—
Today my mom and I are making a break for it and going to what could, quite possibly, be my favorite place……………ever?
Stay tuned.
And here’s the pink dress from the other night. That man is not my boyfriend.
{ 113 comments… read them below or add one }
you look so cute in that last pic! love the dress.
Wow you look incredible in that dress!! And American Girl Dolls – - I haven’t thought about those in AGES! I wish my grandparents still lived in the same house… so many memories!
Love the pink dress!
Aw, that house looks lovely!
Glad you’re having a good time with your family. Cute dress btw!
I just finished The Help recently and loved it! Enjoy!
That dress is hot!!! You look awesome!
such a cute dress..
I LOVE that book and couldn not put it down! You look fabulous!
I had the Felicity Doll!!
I love your dress so cute!!
I loved The Help, too. I think I only put it down between readings to sleep. And I love that dress–gorgeous color.
I read The Help in 4 days. I couldn’t put it down either!!!
Welcome to Wisconsin! I’m a Wisconsin girl and a fan of ELR. Hope you have a nice time well you are here in Wisconsin. Hopefully the rain goes away!
I get my love of reading from my gran also… I wish she was still with us.
I loved The Help! Such a good, quick read.
Hahahahah “That man is not my boyfriend.”
Hilarious. You tell ‘em!
Loved The Help, Love your dress, and your grandpa sounds so cute!
ahhh you look so pretty in that picture/dress!! you look like a model!! Happy friday
I love, love, love this post. Seems like your feeling a sense of comfort and coziness at your grandparents’ home. That’s fabulous ! Your grandfather is adorable for wanting you to write that you get your cooking and writing skills from him. He’s probably very right! Jenna, YOU LOOK STUNNING IN THAT PINK DRESS !!! So pretty……..Have a great day sweetie !!!
You look very pretty in pink.
Cute dress and the perfect bowl of oats.
That dinner looks fantastic and I absolutely LOVE that dress!
You are rockin’ that pink dress, Jenna! And a shout out for awesome calf muscles as well!!!
You look stunning!!! I am enjoying grandparents right now too. There is something so comforting about being in a place where almost nothing changes. Please include more grandparent quotes in your next post–they sound hilarious!
Aww, your Grandpa sounds so cute!! And you look gorgeous in that dress!! It’s so pretty!
I am a dork so I just cant help myself….
“Isnt she pretty in pink…. isnt she?”
haha!! RIP John Hughes! he made the best movies!
I live in Milwaukee so I am very curious to see what your favorite place will be! Sorry that the weather is so crummy for your visit! So I’ve only been here for about a year, in the Third Ward, and I was so pleasantly surprised by the amazing food scene! I must go to Coquette Cafe every other week
Gotta love the Public Market as well… And from one vino lover to another, you must stop by Thief Wine at the market if you can… definitely one of my favorites here. Amazing selection and the owners are soo nice & helpful. I hope you have a fabulous time and, of course, fabulous meals while your here!!
Pink is totally your color! That dress looks fab on you.
Can I borrow your lion…please? hah
You look amazing in that dress!
And your grandparent’s place sounds amazing, really comforting
Jenna I must say i love your blonde hair better
And OMG you look so pretty in that pink dress!
Jenna
You look gorgeous! Go midwest!
Have I mentioned that pink is my favourite colour ever. That dress is the cutest! So is your grandpa making sure that we knew where the talent comes from!
We moved a lot as a kid too so my grandparents house was always home too.
I love your comment at the end about he is not your boyfriend. You’ll tell us when you are ready
Maybe I am just ridiculously sleep deprived, but reading about your grandparents just brought tears to my eyes.
All of my grandparents except one grandfather have passed away and I do miss them. I love thinking about them like you described how you inherited things. I got my love of tea from one grandma, and my love of cheesy romance books from the other. I also got my hatred for Fred Meyer from one grandpa, haha.
Adorable dress! I can’t wait to hear your review of The Help. I have been a reading machine lately and am looking for some good books to read.
there’s something about going home that is so pure and innocent, you relive all your childhood memories, and just sitting there with your grandparents, listening to their stories, well, it doesn’t get any better than that….my parents had what my kids called hide-outs up under the eaves in their upstairs, they would find all finds of treasures, my daughter found all of my Nancy Drew books and read them all summer, now they are tucked away for her daughter. Enjoy Mothers Day weekend with your Mom. btw, you look just like your Mom in that picture..
Your grandpa sounds like a character. Maybe you got that from him, too?
You look gorg! And soo happy!
I’m a college student in Milwaukee so I’m curious to see what “your favorite place ever” is! The Third Ward is awesome downtown, you should defintley go if you haven’t already. There’s a new Lululemon store down there, not to mention Anthropologie and The Milwaukee Public Market! Have a great day!! ( hopefully this rain clears up for you)
Just got done with The Help! A family vacay is the perrrrfect time to read that book because you will not put it down. The first couple parts by Aibileen and Minnie are fantastic…but then you realize that Skeeter is a WRITER and….ahhh it’s amazing. You’ll love it. You’re probably already done with it actually.
never been to wisconsin! but i can feel your love for it! so charming
you look stuning in your pink dress, btw!
*stunning* –but you knew that
Ooh la la! Love the dress!!!
I miss being able to go to either of my grandparents places. They lived in different countries (one was 5 minutes from our house, the other was more like 2 days of travel!), but both their places were always so welcoming and friendly. Lately I’ve been wishing I could remember more about what I did there, games I played etc. We did go back to the 5 mins away one a couple of times (people in my hometown are usually pretty friendly and don’t mind if you poke your nose in to have a look at how the house has changed).
Have fun!!
This is a beautiful post Jenna. I love reading about how people are affected by older generations and both your grandparents sound like lovely people. I am sure you are having a great time unwinding and spending some quality time with the fam. I agree with all the other comments. You look so great and happy in that pink dress!
Loved The Help–it’s definitely one of those books you just want to take everywhere with you and not put down!
Loved “The Help” and couldn’t put it down! It was a recent book club read.
Also, super cute dress!
Hahaha, I love that you point out men who aren’t your boyfriend. Where is he?!
Also, I started reading The Help last week and have been making really slow progress on it, but agree, it’s good!
You look great in that pink dress! Have fun at your grandparents!!!
Loved The Help! Such a wonderful story!
My grandparents lived in one house my parents and my entire life until a couple years ago. When they moved I felt like a part of me stayed at their old house:)
Your grandparents sound amazing and like so much fun!
Pink dress hottie!
Love the dress, esp with black shoes/bag. My grandparent’s had a great Spanish styled house in Santa Monica…just loved going there for the house ‘signature’ dish…spaghetti with chopped celery in it. Whoever heard of that….but loved it. So cozy and comforting to return to grandparents and the same house from childhood. Unfortunately all my grandparents are deceased…but still wonderful memories. Your grandparents sound cool and sweet!
Very cute dress! Your grandparents sound awesome. Enjoy your vacay!
I love this post! Wisconsin looks beautiful. Just as I pictured it reading Little House when I was young!
Funny, I JUST started reading The Help an hour ago. I already can’t put it down but I had to squeeze in my yoga this morning so here I am, with my computer on and checking your blog before my yoga session
Have a great day and you look stunning in the dress Jenna!
The Help is AMAZING! Every woman in my family has read it now
beautiful color on you!
both my grandparents houses are gone, but i have such great memories of vacations and holidays spent adventuring on their properties with my brother. some of my best memories are from times there.
I’m reading The Help right now. It’s so amazing!
lllloooovvvveeddd The Help!!!!
After reading American Wife, I really want to visit Wisconsin. I bet it’s gorgeous right now.
I really liked The Help. We read it for my bookclub a few months ago. Enjoy!
You look HOT girl!!! And your hair is looking so long in that pic!
Aww, Jenna you look gorgeous!!! Nothing’s better than a place that brings back memories.
Wow! You look GREAT in that dress!
Your night sounds like the best night ever! Can’t wait to finish up classes so I can spend an entire evening just reading. I shall live vicariously through you right now!
Cute Cute Cute pink dress! I need a dress for college graduation and looking at yours makes me want a fun color
love the dress, and it fits great! so here’s a big thumbs down to that skank who left the nasty comment. ugh.
#1. LOVE the pink dress. (Where is it from again?) You look BEAUTIFUL!
#2. I have heard such great thigns about The Help! Let us know how it continues to move you!
#3. Your grandpa is hilarious. Can he write a guest post that will include exerpts from his musical?? Pretty pretty please
Where IS that pink dress from?? I must get it!!!
you look gorgeous and so happy in that pink dress!!
and thanks for clarifying that the man in the pic is not your boyfriend lol
I LOVED the disclaimer about the man not being your boyfriend!! Too funny and we can’t blame you for it since we keep asking you
You’re so lucky to be with your mom for Mother’s day weekend… Wish I could too 
Enjoyyy
OMG…Can I borrow the lion, your grandfather, & the pink dress. All of the above are ADORABLE. You look stunning!!!
Adorable dress! And your hair is gorgeous at that length. So pretty!
What a nice weekend you are going to have. Your grandparent’s home is beautiful, and I just love the lion! Also you look amazing in that pink dress.
I am trying to figure out where you are based on the pictures. Based on the house and the lawn I will bet you are not in the city of Milwaukee.
Hopefully your favorite place is indoors. It is cruddy out there today. I swear it was beautiful most of last weekend.
Supercute dress, love that color pink. My grandparents recently sold their house and I was so sad about it! I have sooo many memories of that house, huge family dinners and a porch swing. I even lived there with my mom when I was first born and my parents (my mom and stepdad) got married in their backyard! But now they live near the beach and they are happy. I still miss it though
“That man is not my boyfriend.”
HAHAHAHA. Is “that man” single? Cute? If so, send him my way
You look FABULOUS in that dress! Love it!
Jenna! Awesome dress.
The help is sitting next to my bed, next in my line of reading material—I can’t wait. Don’t give any spoilers.
Welcome to the Midwest! Sounds like such a comfy, cozy weekend!
Isn’t it so cool to be compared to your grandparents?! I love it.
And I was all about Kirsten, The American Girl!! I wanted to be her and live on the prairie in the 1800s. However, I just looked it up and they stopped making the Kirsten doll! They apparently ‘archived’ her at the beginning of the year.
I’ll have to see if my mom still has mine at her house…
Cute dress!
That home looks so relaxing. I think the glass bowl that your oatmeal is in must be an old fashioned thing because my parents have one that looks just like it. Reminds me of home, almost time to be there
that pink dress is GORGEOUS! you look amazing in it too
sounds like you’re having a blast so far…and thank God for your grandpa passing the writing and cooking on down to you 
I just finished The Help last night! I read it in less then two weeks – which is fast for me. I loved it – can’t wait to hear what you think!
Yes – the mid-west is wonderful, isn’t it
You look GORGEOUS in that dress!!!! I might hate you if you weren’t so sweet
Sounds like a wonderful place to grow up (or visit)! Grandparents are the BEST! And that meal looks fabulous, your grandfather has some mad skills!
that dress is gorg. and so are you!
Hope today isn’t as dreary and cold in Milwaukee as it is in Madison! Unless you are planning on staying in and reading all day…. then it is perfect
Your tease is really making me curious! I want to know your favorite place in Milwaukee so I can check it out!
hahahhaah im so laughing out loud right now at “that man is not my boyfriend”. thanks for showing us your dress, you couldn’t be any more adorable as always. I feel the SAME way about my grandparents house. It has long hallways for explorations and a huge attic with treasures AND a large yard with weeping willow esque trees. I think thats how all grandparents houses should be. just perfect.
I concur with those who have recommended getting down to the Third Ward if you are hanging out in the city. For food, the pizza lover in you would love Transfer Pizza, the DiVinci with pesto and big hunks of feta and huge slices of asiago on puffy crust. Yum.
wow Jenna that dress looks awesome I didn’t recognize you. so tan and gorgeous!! I love banana republic. Having a credit card there is a dangerous thing!!
Dinner looked delish!
Have fun relaxing at your grandparents!
I love the dress and you look AMAZING!!! I’m jealous your in Milwaukee right now!! My sister lives there and I miss her tons! Luckily I get to go and visit her, her hubby and my nephew (who is a dog) at the end of May! Yay!
Have a fab time there!!!! And say hello to my sis if you see her! hahaha 
Are you sure that’s not him? It looks like he’s wearing an apron, and your man has a thing for aprons.
Very cute dress! Love pink! I also LOVED The Help. Quite possibly one of my favorite books, I couldn’t put it down. Can’t wait to hear what you think about it
That dress is great, you look stunning!
xo
K
You look gorgeous!! Not just the dress – everything – your hair has gotten so longgggg – beautiful girl !!
OH! I loved The Help. We read it for my book club and I blew through it. I passed it on to every woman I could find. I was like a “The Help” evangelist! Haha.
Hi
So are you able to share the recipe that your grandpa made? Your spaghetti dinner looked awesome. Hope to hear from you so I can make that. Yumm!
Thanks
I love that last picture! Not only is your dress so cute, but you also just look so happy!
My American Girl dolls patiently wait the birth of my yet-to-be-conceived daughter…
Enjoy your grandparents – I lost my grandmother a few years ago, but her house was always a safe haven and the setting for most of my childhood memories…jumping out of a tree for a quarter, harvesting rhubarb, building fairy villages in her garden… When she moved into a smaller place because of her health, I realized that the house had nothing to do with it; simply put, she was home.
Be well,
Rachael
You look FABULOUS in that dress! I hope you had a great night. I used to love going to my grandparents, it was like stepping back to a different era. I was always finding things that had great stories behind them.
I LOVED The Help. I literally stayed up almost all night one weekend reading it. I could. not. put. it. down.
Your grandpa sounds like a cool cat.
That dress is rockin’!
i want that dinner! tell your grandfather he looks like a great chef!! and you look fantastic in that dress! skinny mini and pretty! =) enjoy wisconsin!
There is no place like grandma’s!
Your grandparents house looks so comforting! Love the dress – pink suits you!
You look HOT in the dress!! It is a beautiful colour! You sound like you have such a lovely family. I love the comfort of visiting grandparents too. Enjoy the rest of your weekend!
The guy behind the camera is obviously your bf. Look at your face! I love the idea of curling up on my grandparents couch reading. They are far away in Indiana, so I relate.
Enjoy your time with family!
i can’t believe i was cropped out
the boy isn’t behind the camera.. the boy is on the other side of the screen, trying to fix it!
Stunning. Just stunning!
I JUST finished The Help this afternoon. Great book. I really loved it.
You’re beautiful.
Put yo’self back in there, Boy!!!
“The Help” was an awesome book!! BTW: Looking hot!
Lookin hot in that pink dress Jenna!
Oh-M-Gee…you look STUNNINGGG in your pink dress. absolutely positively 100% adorable : )
I’ve been eyeing THE HELP for awhile now!
I love your pink dress! You look fab girlfriend!
oooo where IS the dress from?