My Papa is no longer alive, but my Grama celebrated today in the perfect way. By remembering.

She got out the old wedding scrapbook she made (adorably titled wedding daze) with all the cards, photos, and news clippings from their engagement and wedding. And she read through them all, sharing them with us family as we stopped in to say hello and happy anniversary.

Here’s a little peak.

Isn’t that a great photo of my Grama by the bridge? I especially love the look of the black paper and photo corners with white handwriting. Vintage and simple.

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I just got back from a wonderful week in my very favorite place on earth: Tofino, Canada. (photo is me, overlooking Tofino)

You’ve heard me ramble about my family. Well, this place is the heart of us, thanks to my grandparents. My grandpa bought property here 45 years ago when it was considered a foolish thing to do and it took 2 days to drive here on bumpy unpaved logging roads.

But the whole family loved it. Especially my Papa. He relished the opportunity to live off the earth (fishing, crabbing, shrimping, clamming) and especially loved sharing this special place with others. Growing up, my brother and I spent countless hours with him learning to harvest the ocean while my Grama worked on her beautiful carvings.

 
(my Grama, Papa, and Aunt Christy with her homemade driftwood Tofino sign)

 
(and the sign, a bit weathered, but still hanging today!)

Tofino is where we family (yes, family as a verb!) and I was even lucky enough to get married there last summer (you can read a bit about our wedding here).

So now you know…I love Tofino!

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Am trying to start on a book right now and am having a bit of designer’s block.

So being inspired by all things vintage, I headed to my collection of my grandparent’s old books I inherited. (OK OK, technically no one wanted them and they were headed for Goodwill when I snatched them up. My Grama just shook her head asking, “Why on earth do you want these old books, Kimmy?!”)

For inspiration, of course.

So what do you think? Am I crazy for thinking this is a great little book cover? I love the simple title, centered with those stars and the triple lines wrapping around the spine.

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My grandmother just re-read me part of my grandfather’s memoir, and there’s a great little story I had completely forgotten about.

It’s a lesson he received on the inner workings of a business when he was 9 or 10 years old. It reminds me that not all things are as they appear!

“Grove and Catherine owned the City Electric and Fixture Company, located at 216 James Street. They did some contracting as well as sale of lighting fixtures. They would sell a fixture from a catalog. I then went out the back door and ran down second avenue about three blocks to get the fixture they had sold as if the sold fixture were in their inventory.”

Comedy!

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I’ve been fortunate in my lifetime to know my mother, grandmother, and great grandmother - or grammy, as we called her.

So, this Mother’s Day I honor all 3 of them with this little photo tribute. These are a few of the many gifts they’ve given me. I am so grateful.

Thank you, thank you.

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This morning I feel gratitude. I can’t believe I get to do what I do. And as always I feel it is a gift from my family.

Last summer my 90 year old grandmother moved in with my mom, right next door to us. So I have the unique blessing of being able to see her daily, in the little moments…doing her crosswords, walking her laps, reading and re-reading her favorite books, balancing her checkbook (online banking is so out of the question for her), and quite often, going through her boxes of old photos.

Recently she found this letter in one of her boxes and showed it to me. It was sent to my great grandmother from my 3 x great grandfather.

There is much I love about this letter - the formal yet loving language, the inspired request to read old classics, the excellent grammar, the beautiful signature.

But there is something even more amazing about it for me: my ancestor was in the book and publishing business! Andrew Jackson Aikens was editor of the Evening Wisconsin newspaper, which, according to their beautiful letterhead, also handled book printing and binding work!

Now, I won’t take this too far and say it’s in my blood and I was destined for this all along. But I will say it feels comforting and purposeful, somehow, to discover there is family history in my chosen line of work.

And I am grateful.

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Here’s a little (month of) Earth Day inspiration for you.

Each year right about now my grandparents used to throw a party for a tree. I know, doesn’t that sound amazing?

Their Mount Fuji cherry tree spanned 60 feet and bloomed each April. It inspired their annual Japanese-themed dinner party featuring sushi, chopsticks, kimonos and my grandmother’s porcelain butterfly dishes.

Just look at this stunning tree - definitely worthy of a party!

And here they are with friends, paying tribute to Mt. Fuji in kimonos. (my grama is 3rd from left, my grandfather is on the right)

My grandmother tells me Sunset Magazine wanted to feature the party one year, but she declined. She didn’t want to offend anyone who wasn’t invited then might feel bad seeing it in a magazine! My sweet grama.

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I love this photo of my grammy I recently received from a cousin. She is grave rubbing - tracking down family information the good old fashioned way. (pre-internet!)

You go grammy.

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I love this little filmstrip of my great grandmother.

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