Woot! Yesterday we OFFICIALLY BROKE GROUND ON THE BIG DECK PROJECT! Although breaking ground is a bit of an overstatement since we are not even close to digging post holes yet – we’re still working on getting our ledger board up (those are the support beams that run along both sides of the house to start the deck frame). Let’s just say that cutting and drilling into brick – especially brick that makes up the side of your house – is not for the faint of heart. So we still have a long way to go, but we’ll be back on Monday to share our progress! Until then here’s an Instagram sneak peek that I snapped of Clara playing Job Site Supervisor while peering through the sliding glass doors (you can actually see some ledger boards hung against the house in the reflection):
But back to the real subject of this post: present projects. You know we love a project. Especially when it’s personalized. May is always a busy month for gift-giving in the Petersik family. Not only did we have Clara’s birthday and Mother’s Day back-to-back, but in the past two weeks we’ve also marked my mom’s birthday, Sherry’s mom’s birthday, my sister’s wedding anniversary and my parents’ wedding anniversary (their 40th!). So there are lots of milestones to be celebrated… and lots of gifts to be given. But we’ll spare you a run-down of every unwrapped gift and just show you some of the highlights – mainly the things we designed/put thought into customizing and personalizing with a little DIY design input.
Let’s rewind first to Mother’s Day, when I coordinated with my three sisters to give our mom a gift that was inspired by our visit to Richmond’s Spring Bada-Bing craft fair in April. Look familiar?
Those are the Articipe prints that we spotted at the craft fair, and I ordered four custom prints for my mom (there was a “buy 3 get one 1 free” deal going on, so it was $75 for the four 5 x 7 prints and $20 for the four Ikea Ribba frames). I loved that my three sisters went in on them with me so they could be from all of us (we each selected our favorite recipe of my moms and they were apparently so iconic that my mom could guess which person picked each one). She had given each of us a collection of her go-to dishes after we graduated, so were able to use that to get the recipes just right.
I chose “Chicken Squares,” which is some old Pillsbury recipe that I’ve made so often I can basically do it with my eyes closed (this version listed here is similar, but not exact, to what my mom cut out of a magazine at least a few decades ago). Of course the Articipe version came out much more beautiful than any recipe I learned off of!
The recipes my sisters chose were Black Bottom Cupcakes, Dutch Babies, and Derby Pie – and we were sure to chose a color scheme that worked with my parents’ kitchen decor. Of course the Black Bottom Cupcakes had to be in black:
My sisters and I actually had a great time picking the recipes and reminiscing about our favorites – wondering when we last had a certain meal and comparing what was popular with my mom at what time (there are 13 years of age between my oldest sister and youngest sister, so things evolved a bit throughout our childhood).
My mom loved them. And after accurately guessing which of us had chosen each recipe, in true form she pointed to a Derby Pie that she had brought with her to our Mother’s Day celebration. Love you mom!
While we’re on the topic of my parents, let’s switch celebrations to their anniversary. Specifically, their 40th wedding anniversary (thanks all who congratulated them when I posted this Instagram pic of the breakfast we whipped up for them last Sunday morning).
But breakfast wasn’t our gift. Though the present was once again meal related – and also in the vein of commemorating something my sisters and I grew up with. Before any sit-down meal growing up we would always say grace. We held hands and said the same words every time: “Thank you God for a pretty day.” I’m not sure the origins of it, nor why we adopted “pretty” as the adjective to describe our gratitude but it has been something we’ve said for decades. And the other day it struck me just how meaningful the saying was: we were walking in the park with Clara when Sherry and I each took one of her hands. She took holding hands as a cue and shouted “Thank you PRETTY DAY!!!” We couldn’t stop laughing.
So that night I whipped up this graphic in Photoshop (the small font is Bangla MN found on my Mac, the other is Freebooter Script downloaded here):
I then hunted down this listing for a custom platter on Etsy and emailed my sisters with the idea. They were in, so we ordered it (it was $70 with shipping) and a couple of weeks later this came in the mail:
We figured they can display it or actually use it to serve food on, that way our sweet little family grace is present at every meal in more ways than one. But whatever the use, we were all just so happy they liked it as much as they did. My sister managed to capture some shots of the gift-opening this weekend, but this is the only one I’ll dare share. Once it was actually opened there were some tears going on – and I know better than to post photos of any of our family members’ cry-faces.
I have to admit that I was tempted to make a gag version based on the time my dad slipped and accidentally said “Thank you God for a pretty face.” Something tells me this was the better choice though…
Oh, and if you’re wondering what Clara, Burger, and I gifted Sherry for Mother’s Day – well, among other things (like the flowers shown here) we finally got Sherry two of those West Elm Hive Vases she has ogled for at least a straight year. Here they are hanging out on the fireplace mantel in the kitchen. You know we have a thing for bees…
And there was also the One Word A Day journal that Sherry mentioned back in this post. It was on sale for $5 at Urban Outfitters so I thought it’d be a fun addition to Sherry’s journaling tendencies.
Of course in true mother-ing fashion, Sherry’s using it to document Clara. She thought it’d be fun to write down a new word Clara was saying, but ultimately decided it’s more entertaining to write full sentences or conversations that Clara’s cracking us up with – like this one that coincidentally happened after saying grace one night. Yes, she thought we were saying “a man” instead of amen. So naturally she wanted to include a lady too.
Anyone else have a gift-tastic month? Did you get (or give) anything particularly designed or personalized? Is anyone else excited like me that a quieter celebration month is upon them? Or at least a month where they get to be celebrated – hello Father’s Day!
Psst- Speaking of presents, we shared a sweet one that Clara got for her birthday over on Young House Life.
Pssssst- We announced this week’s giveaway winner, so click here to see if it’s you.
Mona O | Renters In Love says
Awww, so cute!
Marcee .... ILLINOIS says
Hi Sherry & fam ….!
Wondering …. the new deck going up soon, what materials will be used?
Our deck is 17+ years old. Totally unsafe … cannot be used any longer. Sooo, it must be completely demolished.
Would like your opinions re TREX …. instead of any types of wood. Mainly, because they are treated with chemicals and will never last. Just a waste of money and the labor involved in building wood decks.
Thanksabunch Sherry. Liking your blog a lot.
Enjoy Sunday.
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Marcee! Check out his post all about the research and thought we put into picking our deck material (be sure to read the comments too for even more feedback on composite vs. wood):
https://www.younghouselove.com/material-girl-guy/
xo,
s
annabelvita says
Such great gifts! I love those recipe prints in particular.
I recently gave one of my best friends an address book prefilled with all our friends’ addresses and birthdays, together with some postcards and pretty stamps. Here’s how it turned out http://annabelvita.com/2012/04/26/perfect-moving-away-present/ (spoiler: she loved it). As an added bonus, she sent me a postcard to say thanks – the first I’ve ever received from her!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw, that’s so sweet! What a thoughtful gift!
xo,
s
Julia @Chris Loves Julia says
May WAS a big month for gift-giving. Yeesh. I absolutely love those articipes. I am gonna have to remember those. Sidenote: Was it weird for you to buy black Ribba frames? (hahaha)
John, we (I) need a father’s day gift guide for my DIY hubby, Chris. A work bench? Or does DIY go to scrap for father’s day? What are you eyeing?
YoungHouseLove says
Hahaha, the funniest thing is that a reader bumped into us at Ikea and later commented to ask if we were changing our tune about frames since they saw black ones in our cart. Haha. We explained they were gifts and all was right with the world. Haha.
As for Father’s Day, I think any tool goes (John is in love with some new Dremel set, would love a hammer drill, etc). I think you can’t go wrong with something DIY themed for a DIY-loving hubby!
xo,
s
Kristen @ Popcorn on the Stove says
That platter is a very sweet idea, and I love those framed recipes. How fun!
emily says
“Amen… And a lady!” is the cutest thing I’ve ever heard.
Lovely gifts, and I cannot wait to see deck progress!
Madhu says
I love how simple and grounded your family is! Great, meaningful gifts!!!
Christie says
You guys mentioned two things I am currently crushing on. Those awesome Articipe prints. I have been obsessed since you first mentioned them. And the hive vases at West Elm. They are perfection! I love them sooo much! I am going to bite the bullet and treat myself to both. :-) Great post!
Andi says
Hi there!
This post actually made me cry! Other than Clara’s birth story, I haven’t cried while reading your blog. BUT, the recipes were a great choice on gifts, and it reminded me so much of something my mother would have loved. She passed away two years ago from cancer, and she was such a good model of a mom, and a great cook. Good choice on a gift – it is something Sherry’s mom passed to her, and now you get to give back to her in such a fun and unique way! Spending time with your parents and showing them love is something you will never regret. Good job guys!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw Andi I’m so sorry for your loss. Your mom sounds like an amazing woman.
xo,
s
Vanessa says
It’s so nice to see you two having so many traditions and specials things you do with your family. Everything you do has so much meaning. I teared up just hearing about your presents. Clara is so cute with her prayers- and adding a lady.
Also, good luck with your deck building, I cannot to see what great things you do with that! I am loving your new patio furniture, your patio is looking amazing.
Have a great weekend!!!
Krystle @ ColorTransformedFamily says
I love hearing that you are teaching Clara to pray! The thought of y’all holding hands and praying around the table is beautiful and makes me smile. I would love to hear more about your faith and how you are teaching/showing Clara about God. As a new mom I am always looking for new ways to reveal the glory of God to her. Children are such blessings!
Carly says
It’s really ironic that this post talks about the Articipe’s. I just rechecked that post the this week because I wanted to make something similar for a gift for my Mom and sister. Thanks for sharing! (the first time and again!)
YoungHouseLove says
So funny! Hope you enjoy yours! She did such a good job on them.
xo,
s
Allyn says
That family prayer story seriously made me tear up! (a little embarassing to do at work). I love that so much, and what a great reminder to both kids and parents to be grateful for the little things.
Also seriously love those recipe prints. I need to choose some of my own…
Linda says
Lovely stories of your birth families and your new family. Tear-worthy, really. So Thank you God for a pretty day and for loving, strong families.
Brenda says
Personal gifts are always the best kind. The platter is so pretty!
It’s so great that you write down funny Clara quotes. I used to work in a group home for adults with disabilities, and the staff kept a book of crazy quotes and conversations. It was always good for a few laughs, and it was especially nice since there were so many of us; we could keep up on the funny stuff that happened during other people’s shifts.
Karen says
All of these are such thoughtful gifts!
Also John, I have to point out your dad’s VT shirt… GO HOKIES :)
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, yes, one of my sisters is a Hokie (the other three of us are Hoos) so sometimes he throws her a bone.
-John
Sarah says
What great gift ideas you have! And I can relate to Clara’s “And a Lady” statement. When I was younger I used to say “Awoman” instead of “Amen”. Girl power, Clara!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha- so funny!
xo,
s
Casey @ wafflingdesign says
Love it! I took my mom to the spa and we had a great time hanging out in the hot tub, getting massages, and getting our toes done in matching colours!
But I am stumped on fathers day! Can you post what you get your fathers in advance? Just tell them not to look ;)
YoungHouseLove says
Oh man, I don’t want to ruin the surprise! But I promise we’ll try to share those details when it comes!
xo,
s
Melanie@MJ says
& a lady, LOL! So cute.
& those prints are gorgeous.
Monika says
You guys totally made me tear up with the wonderfully thoughtful gifts. Bravo!
Amanda says
I am cracking up at Clara’s “And a lady!” I can picture it now.
Love the gifts from etsy. So thoughtful and sweet. I can definitely understand why there would be tears when opening them!
Taya says
Love it! All of it! I love sentimental gifts! I recently received a gift from my mother at my bridal shower that made me cry. My Memere (grandmother) had a cast iron pan she made a family recipe in (Oven Pancakes… YUM!) and when my mom married my dad nearly 40 years ago she passed it down to my mom. This past Sunday, my mom passed it down to me with a note inside that said from “Memere to Me to You!” and the recipe for Oven Pancakes was also included. Oven Pancakes was coincidently the last meal my mother made for my Bronky (grandfather) before he died. He always told my mother that he loved that she cooked “Just like your Ma!” Family recipes are so much more than just feeding your body, because in reality they feed your soul.
YoungHouseLove says
Aw, that’s so sweet Taya! What a meaningful gift!
xo,
s
Zuzanna says
I love all the gifts, especially the platter! It’s great how you share everything with us, but doesn’t the fact that you tell us how much things were, take a bit of gift giving magic away?
Oh and John, you forgot to finish the sentence “My sisters and I actually had a great time picking the recipes and reminiscing about our favorites – wondering when the last time was that we had a certain meal and comparing what was popular with my mom when (there are 13 years of age between my oldest sister and youngest sister, so things evolved a bit throughout our childhood).”
Greetings from grey Holland! Off to Florida next week…
YoungHouseLove says
I just wrote that sentence oddly. I mean for it to read that we wondered about when we had a certain meal and compared what was popular when (meaning at what time) but it sounds like it just cuts off! Haha. As for taking the magic away by sharing the cost, our parents don’t usually read the blog that closely (most of the time they scan it for Clara photos, hahahaha) but our family usually sticks to a set range for how much we spend on each other (usually around $70-100 when all four of the siblings go in on something) so it’s sort of a given at this point.
-John
Zuzanna says
Aaah, now I get it :)
thea says
Such great gifts! I love the recipe prints.
Now a sort of weird question, where is the orange and pink polka dot wrapping paper from?
YoungHouseLove says
Target! We actually got it thinking we’d use it for Clara’s party somehow since it’s “her colors” but we ended up using it for these gifts instead!
xo,
s
Shelby says
Love the grace on a plate idea! Tucking that away for future use fo’ sho’. For mother’s day my hubby and 2 1/2 year old wrote me a song. Hubby played drums and guitar, and then handed my little man the microphone and told him to sing about things he likes to do with mommy. “I like going to the zoo with my mommy. I have fun. At the zoo.” And several other things that are so sweet your heart literally melts when you hear it. Best. Gift. Ever.
YoungHouseLove says
That’s so cute!!! I love it.
xo,
s
Katrina says
CHICKEN SQUARES! That was one of the go-to recipes that my husband’s family had often while growing up, and it’s still one of the comfort foods he requests from time to time. I’ve had fun “experimenting” with the recipe and have come up with several variations (our favorite variation to date involves curry).
I love these gifts. I’ve contemplated compiling everyone’s favorite recipes into one family recipe book, merging the favorite meals from both sides of our family. They would make great gifts if I ever get around to doing it. I also LOVE the custom plate – so meaningful! Thank you for sharing your creative ideas.
YoungHouseLove says
No way! Another chicken square family. I love it.
-John
Heidi P. says
One of my sophomore roommates taught me that recipe! So easy and delish. I’ve even made it for wedding open houses.
Deck – exciting!!
Presents – so impressed. My sister-in-law requested I make her a pillow for her May birthday… Shoot! – that means I’m gonna have to learn my sewing machine!
Jennifer says
I love the “word a day” book! That will be so great to go back and look through – especially to see all the adorable things that Clara will say. Do you have any ideas of what you will do with it once it is all filled out?
YoungHouseLove says
No idea! Maybe just keep it for when she’s older so we can all read it and laugh!
xo,
s
Beth says
Such sweet and heartfelt gifts! Last Christmas I gave my aunt, cousins and sister framed handwritten recipes that our great-aunt Alice made, it makes me smile knowing they are in all of their kitchens now instead of stuck in a recipe box lost to future generations.
And LOL about a lady too, that is so cute!
YoungHouseLove says
Such a sweet gift! I love that!
xo,
s
Courtney says
I LOVE the recipe idea, I’m definitely getting one of those for my Mom for her birthday! Thanks for sharing!
Also, I love that your Dad is wearing a VT shirt where I graduated from!
DemMom says
My 4 year old says “Amen” twice at the end of grace. Once it’s pronounced, “Ah-men” and then it’s “A-men” (long “a”). I guess she’s heard people say “Ah-men” but she hears me say it like a southerner and thinks it’s two different words!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, that’s so cute!
xo,
s
Jessica @ Quirky Bookworm says
I LOVE those articipe prints! I’m definitely going to be ordering several as gifts in the near future…thanks for the link!
Cassie says
Beautiful gift for your mom!
I thought we were the only family that made Dutch Babies (or called them
that, at least)! An all time favorite of mine as a child and now my son’s. Yummy. Going to visit my mom this weekend, may have to ask her to make one for Sunday breakfast :)
Jess @ Little House. Big Heart. says
I love the idea of framing recipes! My family has lots of super-secret, tell-anyone-else-and-be-disinherited recipes that would make great gifts :) Of course, anyone could see them then.
We made the mommies in my life homemade sugar scrubs. We made a lemon and olive oil scrub for the kitchen and brown-sugar vanilla and coffee scrubs for the shower. :)
YoungHouseLove says
That sounds so sweet! I bet they smell awesome.
xo,
s
Penny says
Your family gives me hope for the future of America, seriously.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, thanks. We definitely have our moments (it’s not all unicorns and rainbows) but I’ve learned so much from my parents.
-John
Alisa says
I completely agree with Penny.
Monika says
Amen. I mean A Lady!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, you guys are so sweet.
xo,
s
Emily says
Love this post !!
Such a sweet family.
YoungHouseLove says
Love ee cummings! Thanks for sharing!
xo,
s
Kim says
What a thoughtful family! :)
Christine says
I so want those articipes! I think I pinned it and seeing with personalized recipes seals the deal for me!
Linda says
Ok, now I’m crying over that custom platter – and I predict that vendor is going to see a sudden, material upsurge in sales.
I can’t tell you guys how happy I am I stumbled over your blog a year ago – forget the DIY stuff :-), it’s the approach to life and family that stays with me.
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks so much Linda! You’re so sweet.
xo,
s
VTmamateurs says
LOVE this recipe art idea! What a fun way to gift family recipes! I’m thinking my grandmother’s ice box cake would be perfect for this…
Sarah O. says
What great ideas for gifts! I love both of them. You are really creative and it’s nice to give your parents stuff they will use and mean something instead of just getting them random stuff.
Ashley@AttemptsAtDomestication says
All of these gifts are so awesome and precious! Nothing beats a personalized gift! :)
Debbie says
on mothers day my 22 yr old daughter called me from zurich to say that she was moving back to the US. which was confusing because i know how much she loves it there. i asked her if she & her boyfriend broke up (was the only reason i could reconcile leaving a job & life she loves). no, she said, she was pregnant & they were moving to the US to be closer to family (hers as hes native swiss). being a 42 yr old grandmother is never the plan, but neither was having her at at 20. but i cant wait to have her back home.
YoungHouseLove says
That’s so exciting! I bet she can’t wait to be close to you again!
xo,
s
Heather says
I love all your Clara anecdotes and the great things she says. She’s so smart and her stories always brighten my day! I think it’s great that Sherry keeps track of them so you can look back and laugh together one day. Also coming from a close-knit family, those are the moments that you cherish!
Amber says
“And a lady!” is about the cutest thing I’ve ever heard (read?). Such sweet gifts and what a lovely family tradition!
Ashley @ sunnysideshlee.com says
I had a gifttastic month, not because I’m a mother but because it was the big 2-9 birthday! My dad showered me with presents from Best Buy (totally from the heart, ha!) and my gf gave me some really cute workout stuff. Plus, I scored a crafted map of Illinois (with a heart on Chicago, of course) from her family! Fun!!
Kay Marie says
Holy Cow CHICKEN SQUARES. My mom made them all the time when we were kids…I have such fond memories of them (and obviously like them so much) that I asked for them as the main dish during my wedding shower, and she obliged. Yum!
YoungHouseLove says
So funny! Love hearing from other chicken square families.
-John
Steph says
I always feel like May is such a big gift giving month! For my mom’s birthday we got her a custom wood carved sign. My mom’s father and brothers had a tree service company when she (and I) were growing up, but her dad passed away and we barely have any memorabilia from their company. I went on Etsy and found someone to do a custom wood sign of the company’s logo, name, and the year they were established. To say she loved it was an understatement! We got the ugly cry haha.
My two sisters live in VA (we live in NJ) so I asked my mom out to brunch to our favorite place in Philly, and had my sisters (who we don’t get to see as often as we’d like!) suprise her and meet us there! It was awesome! I don’t know how we’re going to top these gifts on the sentimental level now though, haha.
I have those bee hive vases in my room, love them!
(whew sorry for the long winded comment!)
YoungHouseLove says
That’s such a sweet story! What a thoughtful gift!
xo,
s
Heather says
That’s awesome! I really love those articipies! What a great gift for siblings to give each other too!
kismet says
Where would your sisters be without you, huh?
And I loved that they all chose a dessert and you chose a main dish! Love.
Amen,
~K!
Sarah says
The end of April through early June are HUGE gift times for us. This year, my youngest son turned two (like Clara), my in-laws had their anniversary, my grandma’s birthday, my oldest son turned 6, my parents have their anniversary (40th, just like yours!) and my husband and I have our 11th anniversary. Whew!
Loved your gifts ideas! So sweet!
Dugi says
I love that u say grace. I somehow didn’t think u were grace saying people (didn’t think u believed in God). This post makes me feel like I know u better or something. Thank u for sharing :)