06/04/2025
Do I ever confuse you with my use of “My” or “I” or “Our” or “We”? I’ve noticed it too. Some days I write as a collective “we” when I talk about the store. Other days—like today—it’s all me, myself, and I.
It’s weird, I know. But no, I don’t think I’ve developed a split personality. (Though if I did, I’d like to think she’d be delightful and maybe even clean up after me—which would be lovely, honestly.)
🎉 Three Pink Elephants has officially been open in Clay Center for ONE YEAR! 🎉
While I might be typing this post and technically “own” this circus, this milestone is not mine alone. I may dream up the ideas and build the wild schemes, but there is no way I could have done any of this without:
– An incredible network of small business owners (now very good friends)
– My family
– And YOU: the community who has embraced me and not only tolerated my shenanigans, but found yourself participating in them!
So it’s hard to say just “I” when I know it’s truly “we.”
This past year has been a lovely one—genuinely. And I want to share just a few of the many moments that are forever etched in my heart. Don’t worry, I’m only picking three because I know Kelly Leigh probably checked out after sentence one, and I don't want to lose the rest of you too 😄).
Day 2 in Clay Center - “The Right Person at the Right Time”
I pulled up to the building with a heavy heart. I had just spent my savings on a space that came with a lot of… let’s call them “surprises.” I remember thinking, What have I done?
I had just walked away from a stable job—remote, flexible, with a predictable paycheck. I was still recovering physically, barely a few months past needing a walker to get around, and I was driving hours every week for treatment. And now I had planted roots in a town I think I visited once as a kid?
I shut the Jeep door and walked toward the shop. And just then, three ladies were walking toward me.
That was the first time I met Carol, Carolyn, and Ardyth—three members of the group I fondly refer to as “my coffee ladies.”
We exchanged hellos and names, and then came the classic Midwest line of questioning (I’ll just fill in some of the blanks for those of you that haven’t asked).
– “What’s your name?” Kenna Griffith
– “Maiden name?” Bramble
– “Where are you from?” I spent my adult life in Texas—mostly around Austin and San Antonio, but grew up in Hastings.
– “Who are your people?” Dallas and Mary Anne Bramble are my parents, Kerry and Kelly are my big sisters. Cuba blood runs through my veins (which leads to a lot of adventures and fyi,if you leave a motorcycle unattended with the keys in it, I may take it for a spin).
Ardyth’s face shifted. She looked closer.
“Nita Bramble?” she asked.
“Yes! She is/was my grandmother.”
Ardyth lit up. “I miss Nita. She was a dear friend of mine.”
She began telling me stories of their friendship. I hugged Ardyth tight (though not as tight as I would’ve if I had known then just how tough that tiny woman really is)...and the tears came.
In that moment, wrapped in the arms of someone who loved my grandmother, I knew:
I was going to be okay.
I wasn’t alone.
I never had been.
Day 34 in Clay Center - “Uh Oh, You’re Not Mike At All.”
My new life is absolutely riddled with awkward moments. But don’t worry—I’m quite skilled at being awkward. It’s basically my comfort zone. I’ve been awkward my entire life.
I’m sure it started early on, but it really hit its stride when I got headgear for my braces. Headgear and no friends as a child? Small price to pay for straight teeth as an adult!
Being awkward does have its benefits—it makes me flexible, adaptable, and weirdly good at striking up unexpected conversations. Just the other day, one of those moments delivered me this delightful phrase:
“…couldn’t pull a greased string out of a cat’s butt.”
Yes. I, too, was startled. Then delighted. Haha. You’re welcome.
Anyway! Back to Day 34
We were in the early phases of the building remodel.
Our dear family friend Bradley was selflessly sacrificing the last bits of cartilage in his knees, plumbing a new sink for the kitchenette.
Meanwhile, I was “helping” in the way a very enthusiastic 3-year-old might:
“What’s that?”
“What’s that for?”
“Why?”
Bless Bradley. He’s a saint.
At some point, he needed a thingamabob (you know, that one tool that does the thing... 🙄).
And suddenly, my genius brain remembered:
A man named Mike once pointed vaguely toward some direction and said, “If you ever need anything, I have a shop right over there.”
Did I really know where he was? No.
Did I take note of where he pointed? Also no.
Was I aware this is how murders happen? Yes.
“Be right back, Brad!” I chirped, full of confidence, as I headed out the back door and down the alley.
I crossed the street and knocked on what was as you probably have guessed not Mike’s shop. The door opened and I said,
“Uh oh! You’re not Mike at all!”
That’s how I met Pete—a kind man with a sparkle in his eye who somehow didn’t seem alarmed by the crazy woman standing at his door asking for tools.
Later I met his wife Patty, and just like that, Pete and Patty became a bright spot in my Clay Center life. I have to say, Bub is CONVINCED Pete is his best friend and loves visiting them when he tags along to the store.
(Oh, and Pete did have the tool we needed that day. He lent it to me like it was the most normal thing in the world. Clearly he also missed the "this is how murders happen" memo. It goes both ways - girl knocking on wrong door or man answering door to crazy girl asking for tools - I’ve watched two Lifetime movies, I know things)
That was just the beginning of a series of whoops, wrong house/wrong person or
“Um... hi, could I borrow your phone? Bub locked me out of the Jeep” moments. (Yes, in someone else’s driveway.)
Always an adventure to be had.
Day 337 in Clay Center - “Hallmark Movie”
I sat down at the table with my sister—you’ll often hear me call her “Sister,” and yes, she calls me “Sister” too. We also call our other sister “sister,” and our mom refers to her sister as “sister”…so, I mean, I don’t know what to tell you here.
So I sat down with Kelly Leigh (yes, she also has a real name), and she asked the usual:
“How was your day, Sister?”
I smiled—probably with a piece of broccoli in my teeth because I’m a class act—and said:
“I think I might be living in a Hallmark movie.”
Now, Sister has a specific look that I’m convinced has been unintentionally created from years dealing with my shenanigans, and in just a microsecond, you can see all of these things happen at once:
– an eye roll
– a partial smile
– a flicker of curiosity
– a touch of exasperation
– and maybe even a little twitch of “youngest siblings are the worst”
This look is usually followed by a sigh (which I swear I can hear through her texts) and the classic line:
“You are ridiculous.”
She’s not wrong.
As many of you know, I frequently steal her dog—my nephew Bub—and bring him to the shop. He’s become a bit of a local celebrity here in Clay Center. He struts around with the confidence of a champion show dog. Loves food. Loves walks. Loves people. And around visitor #4, he’s usually curled up asleep on a stranger’s foot. Greeting people is exhausting when you give it your all.
Whenever Bub is in the shop, we put out the “Bub” sign to let folks know there’s a furry greeter inside. Don’t tell Bub the sign is for customers—he thinks it’s just a fashionable drawing of his fabulous self.
On Day 337, Bub and I put the “Bub” sign out and started the deliveries around town. Naturally, he wore his best leash—black and white stripes, of course, to match his favorite Aunt’s decor. We dropped off flowers at the school and a couple of homes. (And yes, I remembered my lesson from Day 64: take the keys, bc the dog will lock you out of the Jeep.)
We returned to the store and decided to go visit our friend Pete. We hadn’t seen him all winter. Pete gave Bub treats and told me stories about the rodeo in Vegas and then Bub and I left. On the way back to the shop, we decided to take “the long way” back. As we crossed the street, I waved to Aaron from the post office. A couple on the sidewalk gave us a friendly “hello.” Then John drove past with a wave. And I just laughed.
I looked at Bub and said,
“It’s like a scene from a Hallmark movie.”
(Hallmark, not Lifetime—very different vibes, y’all.)
Bub didn’t seem impressed. But I was absolutely tickled by the thought.
One Year 💐
Before I bought this building, when I was just dreaming about what my flower world would look like, I was invited to be a finalist for the Big Idea Hastings contest. That was November 2023. My presentation was a crap show - I’m more of a writer than a speaker. :) A man that would become one of my dearest friends won (Mikey) - but the core values in the presentation in which my business would be built around were solid.
✨ Gratitude
🎨 Creativity
🌱 Healing
🙌 Empowerment
🏘 Community
What I couldn’t have imagined was just how deeply those values would take root—not just in my business, but in my life. And that’s because of you.
This past year, you’ve shown your support—not just as customers, but as neighbors, cheerleaders, collaborators, and friends. You’ve brought your stories and sorrows, your laughter and light, your bold ideas and your quiet kindness. You’ve allowed me to create, to grow, to give, to heal—and together we’ve come to grasp the idea that a shop like mine isn’t just about flowers and gifts. It’s about connection.
You’ve made Clay Center feel like home.
We’ve celebrated together. We've honored the beauty of big moments and the sacredness of the everyday. You've helped me build something that I truly believe in—something filled with love, intention, and a lot of personality.
So thank you.
Thank you for believing in me. For supporting a woman with wild ideas and a pink door. For letting me be a part of your moments—both joyful and tender. For making these values not just a mission, but a movement.
Here’s to the future of the "Boom Town of Central Nebraska" and more reasons to celebrate.
With so much love and awkwardness,
Kenna (and Bub, of course)
💗🎉🐾
