A Totally 80's birthday

Well being that Lauren's birthday is coming up next week and I never shared with y'all last years party....I thought I better do that now.

It was great reminiscing as I looked through these pics.

Totally.

All my girls love vintage.  I guess because they have been raised by a momma who has always loved it even before it was so vogue.  

But the vintage I'm drawn to is stuff from the 50's, 60's and 70's.  

The seventies is where I draw the line on what's considered vintage....but not Lauren.

The girl is drawn to the 80's stuff.. she's like an 80's magnet.

Just a couple of weeks ago she brought me home a treat from the thrift store.

It was a little country geese key rack.  Y'all remember those?

In fact, my very first kitchen was decorated in the blue country geese!  lol.

I'm just not ready to add the 80's to my list of what's vintage.....but that is just me.

Anyway....I thought it was only fitting to throw her an 80's birthday party last year.

Here are some of the festivities.  Maybe you can use an idea or two if you decide to throw one yourself.

Of course neon colors....

And the rad glasses...

Sadly, I owned a similar pair of these for my roller skating days.

The pies don't factor into the 80's theme but she had no idea we were having a party and she requested pies instead of a cake.  I had some awesome ideas for a 80's birthday cake but alas....this momma aims to please. 

The party favors were  microphones.

We each got one...and oh did we use them at the party.

Do y'all remember those picture packets you get from Sears or Walmart and the package includes like 500 mini pictures you can't use for anything?   Well I finally used some of them....18 years later!

I taped one onto each microphone with a piece of construction paper that said "Lauren is Totally 18".

Later we played a 80's version of charades.  Each person drew a card and you had to act out what was on the card.  They were all high school yearbook stereotypes.

This was hilarious.

My brother Marvin drew "Most Beautiful" and all he kept doing was pointing to his wife, Ms Dianne.

She used to be a lunch lady in the cafeteria for a while back in the day and everyone was screaming "lunch lady"!!  It was super sweet when they all found out it was "most beautiful".

Aww.... score one for Marvin.....and yes, Totally true. She is a beautiful woman inside and out.

This next thing was fun and got everyone involved.....I had our family come up with 18 most memorable "Lauren Moments" and I read this out loud after she blew out her candles.

(if you try to read them...they probably won't make since to you.  Just trust me, it was hysterical!)

And then there's the 80's clothes...

This gold pin came straight out my jewelry box.

I've had it since Jr. High and wore in in a family picture with my black suit jacket with massive shoulder pads and white ruffled shirt with a little black bow tie.

I promise it was all the rage.

And of course you can't have a 80's party without someone wearing tight rolls.

Back in the day, Nick was a master tight roller.  He would always redo mine for me in the parking lot in the morning before school started. lol

Lydia slept in braids to get the 80's crimped look.

I have a pic of her head full of braids but she might disown me if I share it.

And check out the scrunchy!  Remember those!

Big hair and a side pony tail for me.

And blue eyeliner.  of course.

Lauren had no idea we were doing this, so we had to pick out an outfit for her to change into.

Loved her leg warmers.

 Daddy went with the 80's preppy look...

Marky-Poo went with the heavy metal big hair rocker dude.

Maw Maw Dianne rocked the 80's shoulder pads

and Marvin...well we still aren't sure what look he was going for but we were THRILLED he even dressed up!  Woo Hoo!

Mike and Sherry joined Marcus with the 80's Hair Band look.

This pic cracks me up...they were in a serious discussion as we waited for the birthday girl to arrive.

They totally forgot what they were wearing for a minute.

....it didn't take them long to get back in character. lol

Nick looking fly in his layered polos with popped collars.

...getting in position to scream "surprise" when Lauren arrived.

And she WAS surprised.

This was what she thought was her birthday outfit...

But this was her REAL birthday outfit!

 Blakey-Poo was going for the Miami Vice look. 

But he totally needed him some white threads to make it complete.

He WAS wearing his loafers without socks though.

We got Clyde and Kellie, Blake's mom and step-dad,  in on the fun too!

Oh and remember talking about all those photo packages from Sears and Walmart with a million pictures in sizes you can't use?  Besides the hundreds of mini pics, they also give you those massive prints that are too big to put anywhere.

Well, dragging them around with every move we've made over the years paid off....

This was her group birthday card that everyone signed.

 Well there ya have it...

Lauren's Totally 80's 18th Birthday Party.

She was like, really like, a happy girl.  Totally.

Maybe I won't wait an entire year to share with you this year's celebration!

We shall see

Stephanie :)

Friday's Letters

Dear Grandchildren,

Your Honey and Paw Paw miss you very much.  We had so much fun together when you were here.  Thanks for making my patio so pretty.  Now I can think of y'all every time I see it. Can't wait til Christmas!!  

ps. the donkeys said to tell y'all they miss you too!

Dear Chris and Elizabeth,

 I've said it before and I'll say it again...thanks for sharing your children with all of us down here.  I know what a sacrifice that is to let them go for so long and be so far away for y'all.  We never take that for granted.  And Elizabeth...you're gonna do great at the seminary craft bazaar tomorrow. I know God will bless your hard work as you work with your hands to bless and provide for your family.  You are a bon-ee-fide Proverbs 31 woman now!

Dear Kayli,

We were so tickled we got to help you celebrate your birthday this year.  You are truly one of the sweetest young ladies I know.  Your heart for people and the way you care about everyone's feelings is such an example to others...even us grownups.  I hope that never changes about you no matter how old you get.

Dear Heather,
Thank you for still being obsessed about NYC and wanting to talk about it and reminisce. I don't know if we will ever calm down or get over it...and I'm not sure if I want to. So glad it happened....together.  

Dear Porterville Night,
Thanks for the memories made last Monday ....you delivered as always. 

Dear MCC Cosmetology Department,
Thanks for teaching Lauren how to do hair.  It's gonna be nice having a built in beauty operator. And a big Hi to all the sweet girls I met while I was there all day. Especially Jennifer...the best  assistant extraordinaire in all the school.  Early congrats for graduation next month!  The Lord has the perfect place set aside for you to do your thing. 

Dear Lauren,
I guess I can officially call you my new stylist since you did such a great job.  Woop Woop!  Now on to that pedicure you've been promising :)
 xxoo

Dear Children of mine,

Your fall festival costumes were ah-maz-ing this year.  You blew your old momma away with your creativity and your frugality. Seriously....I am supa proud of y'all.

Cutest ever!!

Dear Residents of New York and New Jersey,

  In my recent visit to y'alls states I received nothing but kindness from everyone I encountered.  Y'all were willing to help two lost and scared southern girls who knew nothing about  subways and how to get around your beautiful big city. I left a little piece of my heart in the Big Apple and please know this Mississippi girl is praying for y'all.

Well that's it for this edition of Friday's Letters.

It's good to be back.  

Stephanie:)

Embracing the camera....and wrinkles.

  

These days I tend to shy away from being in front of the camera.

It usually takes a couple of tries to get an angle that is flattering.

That's what 30 extra pounds will do y'all.

 But... embrace is my word of the year remember?

(I have more to tell you about this amazing cuff and my sweet friend who makes them..

but until then, here is her shop.  I highly recommend owning one (or two) of these)

So I'm relearning to embrace the camera...

In our recent visit to our daughter and son-in-laws in North Carolina,

 Elizabeth convinced us to do a photo shoot.  

I have some darling ones of their family and the grandkids that I can't wait to share.  

But today you get me.

My favorite ones aren't the posed ones but the candid ones that Elizabeth captured.

These are me. The real me.

The laughing so hard it get's ugly me.

I don't even remember what I was laughing at. Who knows.

I'm just tickled my girls will have these to look back on and remember me in action.

(my eyes just turn into slits and disappear when I laugh.)

And while I'm talking about being thankful,

I'm so thankful for this man and how he loves me.

I look at these pictures and see the wrinkles around my eyes and his gray in his beard and I don't cringe at all when I see it.

In fact, I totally embrace it, knowing what they represent.

Time the Lord has given us together.

Our life.

I love this new look on us.

I call it "Growing old together gracefully".
Thank You Lord.


Stephanie :)

Just a taste...

Hi y'all. Yes...I'm still alive and well. 

I know all you hear are crickets chirping I've been gone so long.

I told a sweet friend my blog has cobwebs on it and her reply was great;

"Well, your life doesn't have cobwebs!  That's what matters.  Sometimes it's fun to just live, like blogging memories in your heart and head, rather than online."

Such truth.

I've had a FULL last three weeks.

And I WILL share all the memories and all the stuff the Lord has taught me through all my journeys on here to have it documented for my family for years to come.

But until then..

Here's a taste...

I've been road tripping, meeting new lifelong friends, seeing fall foliage in Lake Placid, hiking with my sis-in-law, riding new york subways, hanging out in New York City, waking up to all three grandchildren, spending time with chris and elizabeth, feeding donkeys, riding 4 wheelers, hearing my man preach revivals, worshipping with my kids......and that is seriously just a taste.

I can't wait to share all  my adventures.

But it ain't over yet.

We still have to bring the grand babies back to their mom and dad this week so we have one more big road trip.  We're taking Maw Maw D with us this time..so it will be the great grand maw, the grand parents and the grand kids...... that's a lot of GRAND up in the van so it should be good.

I'll be back soon!!

Stephanie :)

#holdengirlsroadtrip

By the time you read this post, I will be New York bound!

I know!....I can't believe it myself.

If you would have told me this time last year that I would be driving across the country with my sister-in-law to Lake Placid,  New York to hang out with ladies I've never seen face to face...

well, I woulda told you that you were crazy.

But it's true.

That's exactly where I am heading.

I never could have imagined how rewarding blogging would be to me..

the encouragement...the wisdom....the friendships....the creativity....

I'm blown away by how big God's plans are compared to my plan.

I thought this blog was gonna just a be a place to document my family's happenings for all of them to read and treasure....like an "up-graded photo album" for them to enjoy.

But instead, God has opened doors that has humbled me and challenged me and amazed me through this little place I call The Honey Pot.

I'm so excited to see what else He has in store.

"Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. "

Ephesians 3:20-21

And as if getting to go to New York.. with Heather (the best part of the trip for me)... to meet friends who I have come to value and treasure these past six months wasn't enough...

On the way back, I'll be meeting up with Nick and we are getting to go hang out with Chris and Elizabeth and our grandchildren for a few days!  

And if that wasn't enough...oh my..... we are taking the grand babies back with us for a week!!  Woo to the Hoo to the hee haw haw!!

 Camp Honey 2012!

So with that said,  you may not hear from me on here for a week or so.

But don't worry, I'll be sure to fill you in on all the good stuff! ;)

If you are on Instagram, you probably can see all the shenanigans as they  happen.

(I'm honeyholden on there if you want to follow along)

Woo Hoo!

#funcity here I come!!

Stephanie :)

ps. today is my awesome son-in-law, Christopher's birthday. 

 I'm so proud of the man of God he is and how is following hard after Jesus.  I'm so blessed he's the daddy to my grandkids and husband to my daughter.  

Chris, Happy Birthday!  I love you!  I'm flat out of raps this year but I'm thinking my trip to NY might inspire me to bust a rhyme in the days ahead.  Until then, just go watch last years again....{here}

pss.  You can go check out Sarah's link here to meet all the ladies and see where I'm going.

psss. that beautiful bag in the pic above is like one eighth of the luggage I'm packing.

dead serious.