My Bridal Shower

On just my second day home in Pittsburgh, My Sandy threw me a Bridal Shower!

You may have no idea who Sandy is and why she's claimed as "mine", aside from a fair assumption that it probably has something to do with me being a selfish only child! My Dad works with Sandy's husband John and way back in 1985, while my Mom was pregnant with yours truly, the stars aligned for their family and ours. Sandy is a nanny and the way the story goes is that my parents brought a six-week-old-me to their house where they sat in the formal living room for our interview. Surely I didn't say too much that day...

Sandy took care of me for many years, until I was old enough to go to school. During that time the formal living room was always off-limits to myself and the other rugrats children who filled her home with fun, among other things (diapers, tears, time-outs, etc). Because I also have an Aunt Sandy, she became MY Sandy! Our families became and still remain very, very close. Those early years offered me a starring role as an adorable flower girl in both of Sandy and John's daughters' weddings! [Sandy and John's son-in-law is also to blame for my becoming a Nittany Lion!] As their family grew and the need for vacations became more pronounced, my teenage self was invited to many beaches to help with the grandkids. More recently I've been promoted to family member status and allowed in the formal living room on holidays and special occasions. We're truly like family and holidays aren't complete until I've visited with BOTH theirs and my own :)

That all being said, I was honored and excited to be having my own bridal shower in such great company and in the living room! My Sandy is one of the kindest and most gracious ladies I know and the shower hosted by her reflected that in every way. She's well aware of my food obsession and even took my quirky request for a food-related shower seriously!

The food was throughout the house and done just right! The esteemed living room had cheese, salami, and crackers, individual veggies with dill dip (so cute!), pepperoni and cheese rollups, and cashews. See the Hawaiian flower napkins and tropical confetti?! It's only fitting, right?

The kitchen was the lunch jackpot! Tuna salad, chicken salad, and egg salad sandwiches with all the fixin's, 2 types of ambrosa salad, and plenty of pickles and olives. Several times I saw our youngest guests (cousins Morgan [10], Mackenzie [8], and Marissa [5]) with plates of just pickles!

Just when you thought it couldn't get any better - there were beautiful cupcakes!

Not one, not 2, but 3 incredibly adorable and delicious cupcake varieties! Death by chocolate, Vanilla Raspberry Creme, and Pumpkin Spice to be exact. Ladies were ooh-ing and ahh-ing over the cupcakes before, during, and after eating them! My Matron of Honor, Jamie, and I promptly decided to split 2 and share. We enjoyed the chocolate and were excited to discover that the raspberry cupcakes had filling! Thankfully some of each variety made it home with us at the end of the day.

Keeping with bridal shower tradition - we had to play games! Pictured here are my Mom, Sandy's granddaughters Chloee and Halee, their Mom/Sandy's daughter Loretta, and Debbie, playing the cake matching game! It was harder than I expected and you were required to match funny descriptions with types of cake. Let's try one:

Q: This cake can't be put in the washing machine!

A: A sheet cake!

Did you get it?!

The food was clearly incredible and the group a perfect size for an afternoon shower. Here's me, Mom, and Josephine.

Here's me and my great friends of many, many years! Left to right is Jamie, my Matron of Honor, Diana or "Goose", Me, Megan, and Mallory.

I'm so bummed I didn't get a picture with My Sandy! Here she is clearly excited about a gift I was opening. I wonder what it was... The cleaning supplies seen behind her were part of the gifts for the games and were among many Hawaiian themed and scented prizes! If you know Sandy you KNOW that wasn't her junk left out!!

Food, friends, family, games, prizes... the only thing missing was the groom. Bryce and my Dad briefly stopped by to deliver some flowers and join in the fun of the henhouse!

 

This is the part where I spare you what the party-goers couldn't avoid: the gift opening!

Here's something I didn't know - being the guest of honor at a Bridal Shower is better than robbing a bank! My friends and family are thoughtful and generous and even kept with the theme of my shower life, and coordinated appropriate foodie presents.

Here's another game! Can you spy the flowers from Bryce - a meat grinder for the Kitchen-Aid mixer - measuring cups - dish gloves - and a wine bottle stopper?

The most creative gift came from Josephine, her daughter (my cousin) Cathy, and her daughter-in-law Nancy. It's a bridal bouquet with cash in the shape of flowers! Jo watched a YouTube video to learn to make them! Incredible. I didn't want to take it apart...

I can now add several more red Le Creuset items to my collection! A smaller utensil crock and 2 ramekins...

...and 2 square bakers! Small and large. I've officially lost count of how many LC items we own = success. See my favorite mug in the corner there? It's Scooby Doo and I always use it while and Mom and Dad's :)

Most of the gifts were food related and these nesting and magnetic measuring spoons came stashed in this holiday oven mitt as if it were a stocking - how stinking adorable!?

The shower was truly one of the best afternoons of my life! Thanks to my creative, generous, and beautiful friends and family memebers, we were all able to enjoy each others' company, great food, and celebrate my upcoming wedding and my becoming... Mrs. White!

I should have known that my Mom was going to get me that hanger! Just last year I purchased the exact same one for Melany White (Bryce's cousin's wife) and joked that she can let me borrow it when our day comes. Thanks to Mom, I won't have to.

My Sandy, I can't begin to thank you for all you've done for me! Someday I hope to invite you to spend time in my cozy home and fancy living room.

Thank you to all my friends and family who joined me for my shower - I love you all. Don't worry, as soon as I'm done with this blog post/short chapter book, I'm going to get started on proper, hand-written thank you notes! Too bad there aren't any of those cupcakes left for that task...