Sunday, July 17, 2011

All you need is Love.

Well hello there, it's been quite a while.  A lot has happened since we last chatted.  It's been a fun few weeks full of weddings, job changes and the subject of today's post, showers.  No, not a literal shower, a bridal shower, one in particular that I have been delighting in planning for a while now and of which most of my projects and brainstorming has been devoted.  As I have mentioned before, a dear friend of mine is getting married (in t-minus 3 weeks! Woot!) and it has been my joy to plan a shower for her.


I just love they joy and excitement that comes with a good wedding.  I love the process of planning a wedding and listening to the floating ideas.  I love the camaraderie and support of friends and family coming around the couple to celebrate their union.  And of course, I love the decor and the way it tends to express the couple.  This is  what I looked forward to most about throwing a shower.




That being said, my favorite part of the shower (besides the actual party itself!) was setting up for it.   After months of daydreaming about it, the day finally came, and besides not quite giving myself enough time for prep (as is one of my less flattering traits), it turned out just as I had imagined.  Take a looksie.


Ben, being tall like he is, and an excellent helper when I'm in pursuit of an idea, hung the frame in the  tree for me.  It added a sense of whimsy to the display and also made for some fun picture taking later!



I painted an old bed spring white and used it to display pictures of Dan and Sonja.  The vintage suitcase (I love vintage suitcases) held all the prizes which rest nicely on a lace tablecloth I filled the bottom with.  


In an effort to protect us from the harsh warmth from the sun (I use the word "effort" because let's face it, it is July in hot humid Ohio), my Dad put up a tent for my living room display.   It also allowed me to hang some of my paper fans, adding some additional whimsy to the day - a tutorial for the paper fans will follow at a later date.



I displayed one of the games we played, using the letters of Sonja and Dan's names to give practical and funny advice, on a vintage frame.



The living room with gifts including the fantastic white trunk I found at my favorite antique spot.


Drinks were served on the porch.  I forgot to take the lid off the "Sneaky Pete" for the picture, but I assure you it is a pretty and delicious adult treat perfect for a hot summer day.  Recipe to follow in an upcoming post.



Everyone came with recipes that they filled out on these fancy pants recipe cards from Rifle Paper Co.  They later were purposed to fill this fabulous recipe box that was a gift from everyone to Sonja.







She LOVED her box.  Her exact words were "I've been pining for this forever!"  Which makes for a comical statement when thinking in the context of another game which took her statements as she opened gifts and used them as statements for the honeymoon talk.



A great group of women to share in this exciting experience.




What a fun day it was.  I can't wait to celebrate the real deal!  Let the countdown begin.