Just a few details from this year's party for Grace, my grandma. My cousin Julianne (also a flower girl!) held the party in her cute little backyard garden and she and my aunt decorated with balloons, homemade cupcakes, and flowered tablecloths. We ate hot dogs and potato salad for lunch because that's my grandma's favorite kind of food!
One of my favorite details was the old photo display. Featured were photos from Grace's childhood she spent on a farm in Alberta (with horses and buggies!), her beauty school days in Seattle, her wedding, her days as a mom (and caretaker), and her more recent years walking in races and volunteering for Hilary Clinton's campaign. (Sorry, this is grandma brag time!)
My grandma is seriously adorable, feisty and incredibly inspiring and that's why she's a regular feature here! See her 98th, 99th, and 100th birthday parties. Happy Birthday, Grace!
She looks absolutely wonderful. We should all be so lucky as to be as vibrant at 101... or even in our thirties!! So sweet, Chelsea.
Posted by: Jen | July 27, 2010 at 02:53 PM
i love these posts.
Posted by: erin, reading my tea leaves | July 27, 2010 at 02:56 PM
ohmygosh, she's too cute! no excuses needed chelsea, she sounds awesome :)
Posted by: cori | July 27, 2010 at 03:03 PM
She looks awesome! I hope I can be like her as I get older. Happy Birthday, Grandma frolic!
Posted by: amber | July 27, 2010 at 03:04 PM
she is so chic in those shades and love her earrings. here's to next year's birthday, grace. we're counting on you ;)!
Posted by: cindy | July 27, 2010 at 03:12 PM
she seems amazing.
what a perfect summer party too!
Posted by: rubi | July 27, 2010 at 03:47 PM
Very beautiful and elegant. Happy Birthday Grace!
Posted by: LPC | July 27, 2010 at 04:15 PM
Oh.my.goodness! She is the cutest most precious thing I have ever seen! That sounds like such a sweet little party. :) I love the pictures!
XOXO-
Rachel
Posted by: A Flourishing Perspective | July 27, 2010 at 04:27 PM
hooray for grace and her awesome parties!
happy happy happy birthday :)
Posted by: jane | July 27, 2010 at 04:31 PM
I love that you have this incredible, inspirational woman in your life. I lost all my grandparents when I was quite young and loved them so so much. I only wish I'd been able to know them as a grown-up.
I love this tradition and look forward to this post every year.
Posted by: Jane Flanagan | July 27, 2010 at 04:49 PM
Your Grandmother sounds, and looks, absolutely amazing! What a lovely tribute to her.
Posted by: Melissa T. | July 27, 2010 at 04:56 PM
wow, 101? That's incredible! Go Grace, go! Love seeing these every year; it always looks like such a wonderful party.
Posted by: sarah | July 27, 2010 at 05:01 PM
Thank you for sharing this with us!
Posted by: Duff | July 27, 2010 at 05:25 PM
she looks fantastic, she emits so much light and life, even in these photos. thank you for sharing and no worries, she has definitely earned grandma bragging rights!
Posted by: the fabled needle (jen) | July 27, 2010 at 05:51 PM
Whenever you mention Grace, I always think that she and my grandma, OJ (short for Olive Jean) would get along splendidly. Even though OJ is a spring chicken at 91 1/2. Happy birthday to her!
Posted by: Sara | July 27, 2010 at 05:57 PM
I've enjoyed every one of your Grace birthday posts, and am truly happy to see her looking so lively. When I got to the last photo in this post I actually said out loud, "What a beautiful woman!" Happy 101st Birthday to a fabulous gal!
Posted by: *gemmifer* | July 27, 2010 at 06:28 PM
Your grandma is awesome! love her in those glasses and she is soooooo very happy! she does not, i repeat does not look 101!!
how awesome is that, 101 years!!!
wow,
xx
callie
Posted by: callie grayson | July 27, 2010 at 06:52 PM
Happy birthday to your Grandma! She sounds like a great lady :)
Posted by: Chloe | July 27, 2010 at 07:07 PM
You're so lucky to have her! Makes me miss mine.
Posted by: Courtney M | July 27, 2010 at 08:35 PM
Your grandma is amazing! Happy birthday Grace!
Posted by: bronwyn | July 27, 2010 at 09:00 PM
Wow - how lucky you are! What an inspiration. Thank you so much for posting about her.
Posted by: megan | July 27, 2010 at 09:36 PM
Hot dog, happy birthday to your gorgeous grandmother! Thanks so much for sharing with us--I so enjoy these posts and hope I too can be that feisty and beautiful as I move through the years.
Posted by: bria | July 27, 2010 at 09:51 PM
this is so sweet! happy birthday to grace :)
Posted by: rachel | July 27, 2010 at 09:59 PM
She looks so sweet and beautiful. Love that you shared these great pics.
Posted by: Alisa: a pina colada | July 27, 2010 at 11:35 PM
Die Fotos sind so wundervoll. Die Luftballons gefallen mir sehr. =)
Posted by: Account Deleted | July 28, 2010 at 02:39 AM
so sweet!happy birthday Grace!
Posted by: Alessandra | July 28, 2010 at 03:56 AM
i LOVE it! what a pretty party, i love that she loves hot dogs :) and yeah, don't apologize for bragging, grace sounds so amazing--and is so pretty and obviously still full of life! that's something to celebrate.
Posted by: Laura. | July 28, 2010 at 06:14 AM
Happy Birthday, Grandma Grace! It sounds like she has had an amazing life thus far ... and she just keeps on going. :)
Posted by: Victoria Klein | July 28, 2010 at 07:17 AM
Amazing woman, happy birthday to your lovely Grandma! What a beautiful party, I bet she loved every minute of it. Inspiration to us all I think!!
Posted by: Nicola | July 28, 2010 at 08:11 AM
WOW! Your grandma looked absolutely darling! She must be such an inspiration and joy to the family. And i like how hot dogs and potato salad are her favorite kind of foods!
Posted by: Fee-AMore | July 28, 2010 at 08:19 AM
Happy Birthday Grace! You're gorgeous!
Posted by: Laurie | July 28, 2010 at 10:14 AM
How special! It's so nice to read these posts year after year :)
Posted by: ACH | July 28, 2010 at 11:03 AM
Wow, she looks amazing...what an inspiration! Your next post needs to let us in on her secrets! :)
Posted by: Chelsea | July 28, 2010 at 11:35 AM
You are joking, there is no way she is 101! She looks AMAZING!
Posted by: Holly | July 28, 2010 at 11:57 AM
LOVE THIS! thanks for sharing.
Posted by: Jess | July 28, 2010 at 12:52 PM
Wow!!
Your grandma looks so beautiful and happy! Definitely an inspiration for all of us.
And what a lovely party it must have been!
Posted by: Concha | July 28, 2010 at 01:15 PM
oooh i am completely and totally smitten with Grace! what an amazing lady!
Posted by: joslyn | July 28, 2010 at 01:43 PM
Aww how wonderful! Was Grace a Camp Fire girl? Those look an awful lot like uniforms to me!
Posted by: Bridget | July 28, 2010 at 01:47 PM
Wow! Grace is great! I Love the party details and the story. Wishing her many more great birthdays.
Posted by: vicki@ My Simple Details | July 28, 2010 at 02:38 PM
So amazing! Happy B-day to Grace!!
Posted by: myra :: twigs & honey | July 28, 2010 at 03:42 PM
Wow, she looks amazing!! Happy B-day to your beautiful 101 years old Grace!!!
p.s. I can't believe it, she really doesn't look her age.. Love the pictures idea :)
Posted by: Naomi | July 28, 2010 at 04:33 PM
Thanks so much for all your lovely comments. Grace reads Frolic! each week when my Aunt helps her get on the computer. So, she'll be reading them shortly. I will ask her if she wants to guest post, as some of you suggested:)
xo
Posted by: chelsea | July 28, 2010 at 08:37 PM
How incredible! She looks about 85, not 101 :-)
Posted by: HollyG | July 28, 2010 at 09:21 PM
Fabulous! You have every right to brag about her, she sounds like one very amazing woman! She is lucky to be appreciated and you have to soak up as much history from her as you can, and pass her stories down to your own family!
Posted by: Michelle | July 29, 2010 at 07:13 AM
Wow, 101! That is amazing, and she looks spectacular. It's so nice that you're all able to celebrate together (and I love the old photos!).
Posted by: brooke @ claremont road | July 29, 2010 at 05:12 PM
Oh, you are so lucky, Chelsea, to have such an amazing grandmother! Mine is 97, but sadly has been battling dementia for many years. I miss having an amazing older woman to listen to and be inspired by.
Posted by: Honora | July 30, 2010 at 07:07 AM
how awesome! happy birthday grace!
Posted by: andrea | July 30, 2010 at 09:37 AM
WOW...she is beautiful! and does not look anywhere near 101! don't worry, i'd brag too :)
Posted by: Michelle | July 30, 2010 at 07:26 PM
Your grandmother is stunning, her eyes are so beautiful, kind and full of life! She is a true inspiration and remind me of my own lovely grandmother who is a treasure in my life. I love your blog, and my top favorite posts are of your grandmother:) I hope to see a lot more of her! Happy Birthday Grace! You make me happy:)
Posted by: Hege Tufte Larsen | August 04, 2010 at 01:18 AM
It's amazing to have a woman in your life like that, isn't it? My great-grandmother lived until she was 99 and I loved hearing her stories about doing the Charleston and traveling the world. It looked like a fun party - especially the cupcake tower!
Posted by: Mandy | August 05, 2010 at 03:53 PM