Bridal Shower Love

Elizabeth-Bridal-Shower (12)This past weekend was a very special weekend for our family. My daughter, Elizabeth, is getting married this summer and on Saturday, we honored her at a beautiful bridal shower, styled especially for her. It was an incredible afternoon spent with family and friends at a fabulous little bakery called The Baker's Table, in Lancaster, PA. The focus was on color, and a simple but hip, non-traditional theme. The result was a fresh, clean look in a comfortable setting and a very happy bride-to-be. I thought it would be fun to share photos from the day along with a few links on how and where to find some of the things we used. The shower was a collaboration between myself and Elizabeth's sisters, Lauren and Lynsie. Our ideas were simple but came together beautifully, creating a memorable event.

Elizabeth-Bridal-ShowerA beautiful 14' X 5' table, crafted out of wood beams that were a part of the original building structure, is the focal point in this space. We placed a gold Chevron Paper Runner down the middle of the table. Five large bowls of flowers were placed along the runner. We decided to go with lots of color instead of just the colors that were chosen for the wedding to make the table pop. Bear-grass, stretched between two vases, was used to create an archway between each flower arrangement.Elizabeth-Bridal-Shower (1)Placemats with sketches of girls in pretty dresses were perfect for a bridal shower table setting. A bright yellow tissue paper flower filled with petite chocolate candies, was placed in the center of each one.

Elizabeth-Bridal-Shower (2)A mason jar was used to hold the utensils and keep the placemats from looking cluttered. The idea came from The Baker's Table website. We used bright beaded bracelets for napkin rings and added a pretty paper straw to dress it up for a shower. The jars added something fun to the table and the bracelets doubled as a small favor for the guests.

Elizabeth-Bridal-Shower (3)A sign made with satin ribbons and a wooden frame was used to direct guests to the gift table.

Elizabeth-Bridal-Shower (8)A Blushing Bride Cocktail was chosen to toast Elizabeth on her special day. The bride-to-be, dressed in a coral sweater, is surrounded by her beautiful bridesmaids.

Elizabeth-Bridal-Shower (5)The pastry chef at The Baker's Table made a delicious vanilla cake filled with chocolate mousse for Elizabeth. It was beautifully frosted with bright stripes of buttercream frosting.

Elizabeth-Bridal-Shower (4)The Baker's Table celebrates baking and for that reason alone, it is the place to go for some of the most wonderful baked goods around. We incorporated some favorite desserts, in addition to the cake, so that guests could experience what The Baker's Table is all about.

Elizabeth-Bridal-Shower (9)The desserts were served buffet style, which provided plenty of opportunity for guests to enjoy something sweet at their leisure.

Elizabeth-Bridal-Shower (10)What's a bridal shower without something fun to do during gift time? These Shower Libs provided plenty of entertainment for the guests.

Elizabeth-Bridal-Shower (6)Lauren and Lynsie came up with a game that was also quite entertaining. Wedding veils and bow-ties were glued to wooden dowels and guests were given one of each. The bridesmaids read answers to questions that Elizabeth and her fiance, Jon, had to answer before the shower. For example: We asked Elizabeth and Jon what their favorite color was. The answer was blue. Guests had to guess "who said it" and raise the appropriate stick, veil or bow-tie. It was a lot of fun.

Elizabeth-Bridal-Shower (7)One of my greatest blessings in life is having four amazing sisters. Three of them now live on the West Coast. All four of them traveled home just for the shower. Not one of them gave it a second thought. Distance is not something that gets in the way of the most special occasions in our family. I will never take for granted how lucky I am to have these women as my best friends in life. Our weekend was full of laughing until we cried, catching up and celebrating some wonderful things.

Elizabeth-Bridal-Shower (11) (640x464)This is Elizabeth with her Mimi. My mother is the woman who we look up to, admire and adore. She is another wonderful blessing in all of our lives.

The party is over and my sisters are gone but hey, who said we can't plan another party? It's what my girls and I love to do and I can't wait to bring you the next one. There are some fun things on the calendar and I hope to share them all with you. Remember to have fun with whatever it is you are doing each day. It's the little things that make the difference!

Have a great week!

Leslie xo

A Summer to Remember

Well it's the middle of August and summer is almost a memory now, but what a wonderful memory it will be! If you are wondering where I have been for the past few weeks and why there hasn't been a post in quite some time it's because I have been busy making memories. Summer is a special time of year for my family. It's the time when we all come together to spend time with each other, get caught up on kids and family and look forward to the year ahead. I have four sisters and as the years go by and our kids get older, getting  together is not as easy as it used to be. There are cross country flights, work and sports schedules, college and school preparation and lots of other variables that make family gatherings a challenge. But...somehow we do it. One way or another we make it happen. We gather together and overlap vacations so that we can spend at least some time together.

This year our gathering place was at our family home at the beach. It's everyone's favorite place. We were in and out and all over the place. There were kids on air mattresses and in bunk beds, and there were so many cars at one point that we were told we were taking over the street. We will laugh about that one forever! The bottom line is that I come from a family that will go to great lengths to spend time together, and for that I am grateful. We simply love being in the same place at the same time. And don't get me wrong, we have our share of "this is crazy" and "there are too many of us now" or even "I might not do this again," but after we all go home and summer is over, we will all have a day where we find sand in a beach bag or look at pictures that we've taken and we get on the phone and start planning for summer all over again. It's who we are and I love that!

So after weeks filled with family, food, travel, crazy fun and lot of laughs, I am full of gratitude and great memories and will hang onto that until next summer rolls around. I hope you are doing something you love this summer too! You still have a few weeks left so take advantage of the season while you can and live it up! It won't last forever! As for me, I am going to get back to work so I can bring you some fun new recipes, back to school ideas and more! Stay tuned because it's going to be a great fall!

Leslie xoxo