Recent Blog Posts

The Fourth of July is one of my favorite holidays.  The warm weather, festive atmosphere, and anticipation of fireworks give the whole day a sense of celebration and fun.  After seventeen summers spent in Petoskey, my family has mastered the formula for a perfect holiday.  With these tips and t...
Read More>>

I grew up in the church parsonage. The man who was Reverend Graybill to everyone else was just Dad to me. Being the daughter of a pastor won me several invitations to weddings at an early age. One of my earliest memories of Dad is him standing in the front of the church as a beautiful bride ...
Read More>>

Sweet Potato Souffle - made by Gram and loved by generations of the Shorter family. My grandma Ruth made this sweet potato souffle for years, and it was always the hit of the meal. Now, my mom makes it and I make sure I have the dish of it right next to me at the table! This recipe is great ...
Read More>>

Fun, affordable activities to do with your kids this summer! A guest post written by Michigan blogger, Heather of Mommy's Favorite Things. A busy mother of three kids under the age of 7 who loves to do as many activities as possible in the summer with her children to make the most of the warm weathe...
Read More>>

As summer and warmer weather arrive, before any yard clean up happens, our first priority is to get that grill BBQ-ready! From the time the snow melts until the snow returns, our family practically eats every dinner from the grill. And one of our BBQ favorites is Shish-kabobs! Whether grilli...
Read More>>

Easter is a favorite holiday of mine, but for years I struggled with how to decorate for the holiday. There are lots of items out there to purchase for Easter, and I seemed to have a little bit of everything. After trying to make it all work together, I finally decided to decorate based on color. Ou...
Read More>>

As the weather finally begins to heat up, so do our summer travel plans. Between work, conferences and events we always take one get away somewhere in Michigan just to disconnect. One thing that most people that aren’t from the Mitten haven’t quite figured out yet, we have a beautiful state. Wi...
Read More>>

If you’re struggling to find the perfect gift for the lady in your life (grandma, mother, sweetheart, next-door-neighbor, mail lady, teacher or wife) we’ve got some ideas that are all under $50! Talk about budget friendly! Handmade Soap: Any lady appreciates a nice smelling soap, especial...
Read More>>

Recently while I was stationed in Trapper’s Cabin, Grandpa Shorter’s lower level, (check out the random sales and other cool stuff down there) I was looking over our large assortment of cookie cutters and found one the shape of a piece of toast. Why would anybody want a toast shaped coo...
Read More>>

I love purple.  Purple flowers and purple clothes! And I even have purple counter-tops in my bathroom. My family, friends and co-workers are aware of my obsession and are frequently on the lookout for unusual and fun items to add to my collection.  Working at Grandpa Shorter’s has been a...
Read More>>