His & Hers Shower & A Flower Vase Project

To continue the crazy wedding season we are in right now, we are so excited to celebrate my cousin Scott's upcoming wedding to Katie. Scott is truly my brother Matt's best friend. Scott and Katie, her real name is Kate...but, we all call her Katie, have been dating for like 8 years or something. All through high school and college and are about to finally get married! We have all known and loved Katie forever and we know how wonderful they are together as a couple. They truly are so cute and sweet. They are each other's best friends and it shows. You should check out their adorable wedding website and read their proposal story and the letter Scott wrote to our sorority for her ring pass.

This Saturday mom co-hosted a "His & Hers" Shower for Scott and Katie. It was a fun party to celebrate them as a couple and give some gifts for them both.

The Bride & Groom with "His & Hers" lunchboxes

A very tired Kinley attempting her best "cheese"

Katie, not so lightly, hinted that she wanted me to make her a framed canvas with their new last name similar to what I did here. This time was not as easy as before because I had to trace and cut out the vinyl by hand because I did not have a Cricut around. I think it turned out ok.

I did not do much to help Mom out with the shower at all. I made some place cards for food, a sign for the front door and some vases for table centerpieces.

Mine and Scott's favorite dessert EVER is this amazing chocolate sheet cake that my mom makes. My dad's side of the family calls it "Lake Cake" and my mom's side of the family calls it "Pat Riddle's Chocolate Sheet Cake" because that is the lady Momma Gay originally got the recipe from. So, for some time now, Scott has called it "Pat Riddle's Chocolate Lake Sheet Cake"...he even sometimes likes to abbrev and call it PRCLSC. So, mom definitely had to make it and I definitely had to label it.

The vase centerpiece project was one I was really excited about. I have been wanting to do it for a while. I ended up going to Goodwill and buying six clear vases for $11. Then I bought a can of spray paint to refurbish them. Katie's wedding colors are brown and green so, I spray painted the vases brown and tied a green ribbon around them. Mom added some sunflowers and I think they turned out as great centerpieces for the "His & Hers" shower!

I think I will use these vases at parties and for decor in my home over and over. I thought they kinda turned out to look like pottery...but, my mom said they look like edible chocolate. I could only wish! Haha!

my new-old chairs

Despite the lack of creative posts lately...I have been having some fun craft days. Last week Mendy and had a sewing day! She has been wanting to make some curtains for their new apartment and to use her new sewing machine she got for her birthday this summer. Her living room curtains are done and don't they look fabulous!

I went with Mendy to Hobby Lobby and got inspired to recover my kitchen chairs! I have a very old set of kitchen furniture that includes a table, 6 chairs and a china hutch. It was my grandfather, Pepa's, mother's furniture. My mom had it all my life growing up and when Ben and I bought our first house, it was passed on to me. The chairs have been re-covered countless times....it is just a simple staple gun project. I think there were like 4 different fabrics that I could see on these chairs.

All the furnitures is still in pretty good condition...but, I have been contemplating for like four years what do with it all. I have always kind of wanted to paint the chairs and the hutch..but, wasn't sure exactly what color, etc. I just wanted to be inspired! I feel like fabric at Hobby Lobby is definitely hit or miss and I am not always crazy about it. But, something about this one really stuck out to me. I love the contrast between the contemporary, geometric print and the antique chairs. We also picked up some clearance fabric in an orange print and made pillows for the window bench in my kitchen also.

I think together they turned out really cute and I don't think I want to paint the chairs now...just maybe the hutch.

Still brainstorming on that one.

Kinley started Preschool!

This week Kinley started preschool! It is crazy to me to think that she is already 17 months old off to preschool. Before I know it...college! I am not going to lie, I did cry a little in the car after I dropped her off...but, then my mom told me "this is nothing...wait till Kindergarten." I think I definitely CAN wait. I am so not emotionally ready for that! But, I am SO excited about Preschool. I am so excited for her to make new friends and play with toys and her teachers. We just have to get her excited about it! Kinley definitely suffers from some separation anxiety and even leaving her in the nursery for 1 hour at church can be traumatizing for her! So, who knows how 2 days of preschool a week will go!? She seemed excited before we left and just loved all her new school stuff!

She got a new cool backpack (purple like Dora) that matches cousin Aubrey. It is the Mackenzie preschool backpack from Pottery Barn Kids and I think it is so cute! We have to label EVERYTHING...and if you are a mom and don't have Mabel's Labels....get them! She also has to take a folder for her craft project everyday....so, she picked Dora.

When we got to school, she was hesitant but not upset...but, definitely cried when I said goodbye. My friend, Jen (Eden's mom), stayed around for about an hour at the church and said that twice when she walked by her room...she wasn't crying! So, at least two times during the day she wasn't! My mom picked her up and took a couple pictures with her phone. The teacher's said...she cried off and on all day but, that they NEVER give up and that she will eventually like it. Keep bringing her!

Once she got back to Honey's house...she was just fine and happy as a clam!

So, keep us in your prayers and hopefully Kinley will feel safe and at home at preschool in no time!

Norbert "Chub" Lamke

I love blogging and it is so fun and kind of an escape from the real world to read about and post creative ideas and projects and all the happy/funny things that happen in our little world here. But, it would not be about our life if I did not post some "real" moments as well.

This past Thursday, Ben's grandpa passed away. It was not expected, but at 89 years old, he had lived a full, happy, and healthy life and the Lord just called him home. I wondered how or if I should even post about our recent trip to St. Louis for the funeral. But, memories are memories and I want Kinley and to know just how wonderful "Chub" was.

What I know about "Chub" was that he was probably never over 180 pounds in his life but, everyone called him "Chub". He served our Country in the United States Navy. He was an eternal optimist, never cynical or sarcastic, always saw the positive things in life, never had too much, and never wanted for anything. He was an amazing husband who loved his wife more than anything and served her faithfully all 57 years of their marriage. He was an incredible father who helped raise 5 kids, including my amazing mother-in-law, Cheryl, and said his only regret in life was that he worked the night shift to provide for them and missed out on some time with his kids at night. He was a totally innovative and creative grandfather to 14 grandkids who all adore him and have stories upon stories of memories of playing washers, pinochle tournaments, singing "The Old Beer Bottle" song, or just sitting around in lawn chairs in the backyard and drinking a beer. I know that he is a man that my husband has learned a lot about life, love, and family from.

I am fortunate that we can celebrate the life he led and the legacy he leaves.

Even though it is sad to to get together for such an occasion...it was great to see Ben's family and cousins that live all over the country. We spent some time in the backyard remembering Grandpa and catching up.

Uncle Jim found this box of old wooden blocks in the basement that Chub had gotten together for his kids and grandkids to play with. This box and has been around forever! It was Kinley's turn to play with them!