Woot! Yesterday we officially broke ground on the big deck project. “Broke ground” might be generous since we haven’t started digging post holes yet — we’re still focused on getting the ledger board installed. For anyone who’s never cut or drilled into brick, especially the exterior wall of your house, it’s a humbling experience. There’s still a lot to do, but we’ll be back on Monday with progress updates. For now, here’s an Instagram sneak peek of Clara acting as Job Site Supervisor, peering through the sliding glass doors (you can see some ledger boards reflected against the house):
On to the main topic of this post: current projects and gifts. We love projects, especially ones that are personalized. May is always a big month for gift-giving in the Petersik family. Between Clara’s birthday, Mother’s Day, my mom’s birthday, Sherry’s mom’s birthday, my sister’s wedding anniversary, and my parents’ 40th wedding anniversary, there’s no shortage of milestones to celebrate. Rather than catalog every single gift, here are a few highlights — mostly things we customized, designed, or made with a bit of DIY thought.
For Mother’s Day I coordinated with my three sisters to give our mom a gift inspired by a Richmond craft fair we visited in April. We picked up Articipe prints at the fair and ordered four custom 5 x 7 prints (there was a buy-three-get-one-free deal, so the set was $75, plus about $20 for four Ikea Ribba frames). Each of us chose our mom’s signature recipe: the idea was that the prints would feel like a shared, sentimental gift. They were so recognizable that our mom could guess which sister picked which recipe — a small testament to how iconic some of those family dishes are.
I picked “Chicken Squares,” an old Pillsbury-style recipe my mom clipped from a magazine decades ago — I’ve made it enough times that I can practically do it with my eyes closed. The Articipe print, of course, looked much more polished than any handwritten recipe I remember.
The other recipes chosen were Black Bottom Cupcakes, Dutch Babies, and Derby Pie. We coordinated colors to match my parents’ kitchen — the Black Bottom Cupcakes print even leaned into a black palette to nod to the dessert itself.
Picking the recipes turned into a fun trip down memory lane for my sisters and me. We compared which dishes were popular during different eras of our childhood — there’s a 13-year age gap between the oldest and youngest sister, so family favorites evolved over time.
Our mom adored the prints. After guessing which of us had chosen each recipe, she brought a Derby Pie to our Mother’s Day celebration — classic move. Love you, Mom.
Next up: my parents’ 40th wedding anniversary. We made breakfast for them, but the real gift was tied to a family tradition. Growing up, before any sit-down meal we always held hands and said the same grace: “Thank you God for a pretty day.” It became such a family refrain that when Clara took our hands in the park she gleefully shouted, “Thank you PRETTY DAY!!!” — which made us laugh until we cried.
I designed a small graphic that evening and we commissioned a custom platter from an Etsy seller. My sisters were on board, so we ordered it and waited. A couple of weeks later the platter arrived, featuring the simple family grace. We thought it would be lovely displayed or used at the table so that our little saying can be part of meals in a tangible way.
Opening the gift was emotional — there were happy tears. My sister captured some photos of the moment, and while I won’t share all of them publicly, suffice to say it was a heartfelt celebration.
I briefly considered making a gag platter referencing the time my dad mis-said the grace as “Thank you God for a pretty face,” but I’m glad we stuck to the original — it felt right for the occasion.
As for Mother’s Day gifts we gave Sherry, Clara, Burger, and I finally got her the West Elm Hive Vases she’s been eyeing for a year. They look great on the kitchen fireplace mantel and play into our ongoing bee-theme decor.
We also picked up a One Word A Day journal for Sherry when it went on sale. She’s been using it to document Clara’s words and little conversations. Rather than single words, Sherry often records full sentences or funny moments — like the time Clara misheard “amen” as “a man” and wanted to include a lady too. It’s a sweet little record of early childhood quirks.
Did you have a gift-packed month too? Any personalized presents you loved giving or receiving? We’re looking forward to a quieter celebration schedule for a bit — or at least enjoying being celebrated for Father’s Day next.
Psst — we shared a sweet present Clara received for her birthday over on Young House Life.
Pssssst — this week’s giveaway winner was announced.