Recent Blog Posts

School is officially out for us and Father's Day is less than a week away. Have you started thinking about gift ideas or bought Dad a card yet? Me either. If you're anything like me, you know the routine. The last minute rushing around from store to store trying to pick up a card and small gift. I...
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"Dress shabbily and they remember the dress; dress impeccably and they remember the woman." - Coco Chanel Having basic items that pair well with your outfits make it a lot easier and stress free to get ready in the morning.  It is important to have items that coordinate - that way you can use pi...
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It’s almost strawberry season here in Michigan. They are usually ready by the second week of June in Southern Michigan, and the season finishes off in mid-July in the Upper Peninsula. The best way to enjoy the freshest strawberries is to head to a farm where you can pick your own. Michigan’s ri...
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Spring is here and summer is on the horizon. Many people start taking trips and visiting family during these months. There are baby showers, weddings and everyone is making the most of the beautiful weekends. I think it is really important to make guests feel welcome and comfortable in your ...
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Hi friends! Welcome back to another recipe here on the blog. If you've been following the Grandpa Shorter's blog for some time you know that I am all about food. Easy and delicious food. I absolutely love to be in the kitchen cooking and trying out new recipes, and sampling them of course, but so...
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(Photo Credit: Petoskey Downtown) Hello friends! It is finally June, school is almost out for most of us and the summer season here in Northern Michigan is about to kick off. The Petoskey Downtown Summer Open House is this Friday June 5th, 5-8pm and I'm really looking for to it! The kids only hav...
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For me spring is all about regrouping, reorganizing, purging and bringing in new fresh ideas.  It makes me happy and sane to have my spaces usable again. As my mother-in-law, Mari, always says spring cleaning is taking inventory of what you have and what you need.  For me it always seems that...
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Hi everyone! With Memorial Day weekend being this past weekend summer is technically here, right? School will be out in a few weeks and I'm gearing up for summer, which means having fun outside with the kids and on the boat and less time in the kitchen cooking. Today I'm sharing with you an easy s...
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Hello again friends and welcome back! Today on the blog I'm bringing you food trucks. I did some research on some local food trucks that we have right here in Northern Michigan and I'm bringing all the info to you.  You don't have to live in the big city to experience delicious food out of the bac...
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My mom always made this cucumber salad growing up.  It is a really yummy, a healthy side on hot summer nights that pairs well with any grilled meat.  My dad would make BBQ chicken with so much sauce on it the sugars would caramelize - he would brush layers and layers on while grilling.  So for ...
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