81 years of memories

I saw this post on Abbey's blog, and it led me here. Sixty years of memories inspired me to do something similar for my Mammie. Her birthday is 5 days after my Grandpa's and after losing him last fall I knew this would be a rough birthday for her. Her face was absolutely priceless when she saw her kitchen table covered with 81 jars full of notes, stories, old photos, and little mementos from family and friends.

I love this lady with all my heart. She made me who I am today

the rockstar

I am missing this lady a lot lately. I don't know if it's because her birthday would have been on Saturday, or the wedding planning and thinking about how supportive and excited she would have been with the whole process. My Mam-maw passed away the summer after I graduated high school, and now looking back I wish I would have savored every moment with her. Every kiss, every poached egg breakfast she made me. If wish I would have asked her a million questions and hugged her a little tighter. I realized this morning I can't recall the sound of her voice anymore, and that makes my heart hurt a little. 

+

wasn't she beautiful?

wedding dress shopping

I realized a few things when I went wedding gown shopping with my Mom and Grandma this past Sunday. 
1. you probably won't like the 1st dress you put on. That only happens on tv and/or to people who are crazy euphorically blinded by love and not ocd like me.
2. those dresses are heavy! who in the hell wants to wear a 50 lb dress all day? Does your body hurt the next day? Is that how pregnant people feel?
3. My dream dress only exists on etsy and the bhldn website.
4. I am strangely comfortable letting random salesladies see me in my underwear
5. no matter how much you pin a size 12 (or 20) it isn't going to look or fit like a 2. Imagination is key.
6. I look horrendous in anything  mermaid-ish or fishtail like. And that makes me sad because Ariel was always my favorite. 

I put a deposit down on a gown but it's a champagne / gold color. I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around the notion of not wearing white or ivory. Thoughts?

{not my dress of course}

photos linked to origin here

sunday dinner

I think that Sunday dinners with the family are perfect way to start your week. (yes I think Sunday in the 1st day of the week, is that weird?). Spending the day with my family makes Monday seem less daunting. My sister was home from Arizona over the weekend and my mom made baked steak {and mashed potatoes, noodles, cole slaw, green beans} Then my dad, who loathes getting his picture taken, decided he wanted a family photo. Watch out, hell might freeze over later this week...

My brother looks pumped, huh? check out his chops. 

I got picked to be on Amy Jaz's creative team this weekend, (super excited about that!)

and I am loving her new kit Candycane Lane. That red and blue chevron print was an instant favorite.

You can see her store here at the-lilypad.

{check out here super easy and cute Christmas card templates!}

so that was my Sunday;  sitting around reading the Weird Ohio book with my Dad and Uncle Dave and admiring my Mom's tree I put up last weekend, snacking on Snickers pie my Aunt Crystal brought over, and watching my sister watch 3 football games at once (tv, laptop, kindle). 

the ice skating Claus's always get front and center branch reservations. 

how was your weekend?

hedge apple hunting

I spent Saturday morning hanging out with my favorites.

We went hedge apple hunting and drank chocolate milk.

I came out on the porch and found Annie sharing her milk with her brother.

Isn't this the cutest thing ever?

cuter than Christmas.

they're only 14 months apart and inseparable.

then we went on the search of  hedge apples 

(they are supposed to keep spiders out of your house in the winter)

and I love this moment that annie and my mom were having in the kitchen.

she must get all of her fashion sense from me: pj pants and cowboy boots

how was your holiday/weekend?

Digi scrap is my new crack

 what the hell is digital scrapbooking?

yeah that's what I said in August.

Now I'm addicted.

Its fun, and crafty, minus the glue and glitter stuck to your fingers.

my ocd loves it.

{thelilypad is my new love}

a note to my Mammaw 

my sea star 

annie and her adorableness

i miss this

pretty crumpled papers, fabric scraps, paint splotches, doodles that look better than any real doodle i've ever doodled. whats not to love?

random whimsy

today is Veterans Day.

I am Proud of both of my Grandpa's for fighting in WWII.

Yesterday was my Mammie's 80th birthday.

I sent her 29 red roses and gerber daisies.

1 for every year of MY life. 

1 for every year I have had the world's greatest Grandma.

She still doesn't think of herself as an "old person". 

I hope I'm like that in 50 or 60 years. 

new link to my Flickr stream on the sidebar.

that was my Dad's Dad's Ford decorated for the 4th of July parade

on our town square in 1966. They drove it in the parade for the K. of P. Lodge (Knights of Pythias). My Dad recounted the whole day to me last night on the phone. He remembers everything, even that he had a toothache that day. He was 14. His Dad died 6 short years later in 1972. I'm glad he has this vivid memory of a happy day spent with his dad.

1st photo-- supplies: The Tattered Pear template; Storymappers 1 {cropped}  and papers from Sahlin Studio

bounce houses, tutus, and koolaid smiles

this weekend I went home and had some family time. I miss home, I wish I could be there all the time. My cousins celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary by renewing their vows followed by a party complete with cornhole, a bounce house, a camo cake and amazing food cooked by my momma.

I'm not a fan of fondant but this cake was surprisingly delicious. 

mashed potato's 

how cute is Annie in her tutu?

me, mammie, logan, and annie

Saturday, November 5th would have been my Pappy's birthday so we all tried to cheer my Mammie up.

Her 80th birthday is this Thursday. Any cute birthday ideas?

I am thinking 80 red flowers and a list of "80 reasons you're the best Mammie ever".

    

Green, Green Grass of Home

this weekend I watched my dad and brother pack tractors into one of our barns like a jigsaw puzzle

two of my favorite guys on the planet

 

My parents got a new tin roof put on the house. I hope it rains next time I visit  because the rain on the roof is going to make for some great napping.

and I got to hang out with the cutest little Batgirl in Ohio

and of course snuggle with the pupcakes

thats her "bitch, I can't believe you woke me up from my nap" face

Small town

You know why I love being from a small town?

Accountability

Everyone knows your parents, aunts, uncles, grandparents, and probably share a few cousins with you.

You can't do ANYthing without your mom finding out. No changing into slutty clothes after you get somewhere, no smoking cigarettes on your way to school (I saw a high school kid doing this on my way to work today.)

Even if someone doesn't know your name, they know your face. I still hear "you must be Donnie's daughter, because you're put'near the spitting image of him.". And as much as no little girl wants to hear that she looks like her bearded dad, I knew if I did something wrong my dad would inevitably find out. He always told me before I left the house to Remember my last name. How could I forget, walking around with that tell tale inherited face and red hair he passed on to me? 

me in 1st grade. 

that's my dad on the left ,with his mom and brother. not sure what they were drinking
but they were sure pumped about it. (and yes my family is as country as this photo would lead you to believe).

dad's senior picture. pre-beard.

You can't make up excuses about where you were because the whole town knows your car, and where you live. They know there wasn't a wreck on your way to work because there are only 2 main roads. If you're "sick" you can't leave the house or the clerk at the gas station will tell her uncle who will tell his sister in law and your boss will most likely know you were playing hookie.

It may seem bothersome to some people but I love that the whole county is intricately intertwined through out the decades. I love that my mom finds out I'm home to visit before I get there because someone saw my car at the gas station. I love that when we had my Grandpa's funeral someone made us breakfast every morning and dropped it off on the kitchen table whether we were awake or not. I love that so many people came to share funny stories with us about Pappy (i.e. him picking them up by their belt loops and shirt collar and throwing them out of his bar.) I really love that people knew him for 80 years and they remembered the strong, healthy, I-will-kick-you-ass, Pappy, more than the stroke victim Pappy. I love that they think of him as  the Pap that back in the day would load all the neighborhood kids up in the back of his pick up and take them to football games. 

Accountability. I think its an important virtue we all need to have. And I am blessed that I grew up where I did and how I did.

Thank you Mom and Dad for making me be accountable. In life, in school, at church, to old ladies at the grocery store;  just in general.

funeral boots

My Pappy passed away late Monday evening (October 3rd)  in a ball of fury, and on his own time, just like everything else he did in his life. It was a blessing we had been praying for, him to be able to leave us, and not be in pain anymore. I am thankful I was fortunate enough to be there for those last sweet moments, counting his  breaths and holding his hand. I am so proud of my Grandma that night in the hospital. She was strong, and brave, and dealt far better than I would have leaving the man that had been by my side since I was 16 {they were married 62 years}. She told me yesterday she can't bear to sleep in their room because she wakes up thinking he is calling for her. I always romanticized him & my Mammie to be each others great loves and I really think they were. I like to imagine their fates were sealed together the moment they met during that square dance at the corner grill in Malaga.

My Grandpa's favorite color was red. Mammie's  is blue, but everything he ever bought her was red, and she wore it even though she thought it clashed with her fair skin. To honor him, we all wore a bit of red to the funeral home for calling hours on Thursday. Mammie insisted I wear my red cowboy boots because Pappy would've chuckled at the notion. Over this past week, I remembered why I love being from a small town. I appreciate every antidote and memory that was shared with us about Pap. His rough and tumble days of owning bars, and how he always "traveled with the Lord" {Lord Calvert}. I grew up on Mammie and Pappy's farm so I was lucky enough to have him be a constant in my everyday life. He was Colby cheese and trail bologna waiting on us after school, and he was the best part of Sundays, taking us out to breakfast after Mass. He was a spanking when I got a C on my report card, and he was the bumpiest back road, flying over the railroad tracks. He was whiskey slush on Thanksgiving, putting in hay on Saturdays, and the sports section. He was a family vacation in a RV, and he was fried bologna sandwiches. Pappy was the polka and every Ronnie Milsap song I've ever heard.

that's Mam and Pap on the far left. { Velour and denim }

they took a trip "out west" with my Grandma's brother and sister and their spouses.

Mom and Pap on her wedding day.

now I just have to figure out who is going to Polka with me when I get married.