Q & A: Can You Help With Shower Etiquette?

{Katie Neal Photo via Green Wedding Shoes}

It is Thursday. Today is a Katie day. A Katie day includes reading too many blogs (it is something I could do all day long), touching up my pedicure, drinking two cups of coffee, cuddling my pup and not working for one day. I say that but I know better. I think I would be lost without the emails, editing software and my phone ringing.

But before I can enjoy my relaxation I am here to tackle today's Q & A session. One of my dear friends sent me a little email:

Q. A few months ago I was invited to a bridal shower. I went, took a gift and hugged the bride. She knew I was there. I just realized the other day that the wedding has come and gone. The problem is I never got an invitation to the wedding. Is that okay? I just feel like if I was invited to a shower, I should have been invited to the wedding.

A. This is so sad. I do not want to defend this bride but surely something happened to your invitation in the mail. Maybe she sent it by pigeon carrier and the pigeon didn't make it. Regardless, you are right. This is a BIG no no. No bride should ever invite you to a shower with the intention of not inviting you to the wedding. I know showers are not just about gifts but taking a gift and then not inviting those people to celebrate your marriage is just wrong.

Ladies, brides, bridesmaids, make sure you do not let this happen. I know between all the showers, planning, different invitation list of guests, things may get mixed up but be on top of this. It is just....rude. People want to gift you with goodies and words of wisdom at your shower but even more so they want to celebrate your nuptials.

If you are victim of this scenario, I hate to say it but there really is nothing you can do except hope that wedding bloggers can better educate brides. Ha! Wish the bride well and really try to be excited for her. For more on shower questions, check out these posts here, here and here. Happy Thursday loves!

New Vendor: Ann Potter Baking

Happy Tuesday loves! I hope that you all enjoyed this holiday weekend! I spent it filming a wedding, sleeping (lots of it), a surprise trip to Dallas, attending our first Rangers game and a hotel stay. Rusty and I even enjoyed a very nice dinner Sunday night after the game. I even put on eyeshadow. If you know me or don't because I am going to tell you anyway, I love staying in hotels. I am also going to confess that I was asleep by 8:45 p.m. on Sunday evening. I know. I am exciting.

So you may recognize the name Sarah Eaton DeClerk from this post here, here, here and here. Yeah, she has been on the blog a lot. Not only was she the first bride brave enough to allow me to film her wedding, she is also a dear friend of mine. One meeting with Sarah and you realize just how special this lady is. She is witty, a Southern gem, comical and a girl who will be a good friend to you always. She is also one of the first people I told about my dream of LB Productions. She has always been encouraging me, commenting on blog posts, sending me sweet notes and pushing me to keep going in the hard times. She is such a forever friend. Sarah also has major baking talents. A baker since a young age, Sarah is following her dream of baking goodies and making brides, couples, friends and clients smile with her homemade treats. She is so creative! She makes cakes, cupcakes and cookies for weddings, birthdays, baby showers, holidays, football season & bachelorette parties. You name it, she can create it. Meet Sarah y'all!

1. Give us a little background about you and your family.

I am a newly married (one year on May 14th) lover of crafts, baking, and decorating. My husband, Brady, is the dream guy and he is the best best best roommate ever! Ha! :) I have one sister, Meghan, who is my best friend, my sounding board, and my number one fan. My parents are fabulous people that I learn from daily. I attribute my stubborn don't give up attitude to my father and my domestic goddess skills to my mother. Growing up in Vicksburg, MS (my Dad's job transferred the family there when I was in 3rd grade) taught me all about Southern charm- but moving back to Arkansas after college was a dream come true as I have always claimed the Natural State as home.

2. How did you get started with baking?

I started cooking at a very early age with my mother. We always baked together because baking is all about exact measurements and I love math- I might also have a slight OCD streak :). I have always been pretty decent at baking and realized, much to my dismay, that some people think it is tedious, boring, or just plain difficult. This was kind of my "in". My first batch of iced cookies were for a family Halloween and I've been doing them ever since.

3. What is your favorite part of your job? 

I am creative by nature so I absolutely love doing new designs and creating something unique for each individual order.

4. What do you hope to offer brides and other clients? 

I want to offer custom designed cookies, cakes, and cupcakes for my clients. I want them to be satisfied not only with how they look but also the way the taste and the quality. It seems that a lot of bakery products look better than they taste and I want my clients to be pleasantly surprised when they take that first bite.

5. Tell us a few things about yourself!

• Random #1: Most people ask me "Where did Ann Potter come from??"- I chose Ann for my niece, (which is also my middle name) and Potter for my puppy Lily Potter. I have a mild obsession with Harry Potter so I named my golden retriever baby after Harry's mom. 
• Random #2: I am one of those annoying do-it-yourselfer types that see something handmade and try to do it themselves. This is really how I started making iced cookies, and jewelry, and painted pillows, and curtains… Literally- I have wayyy too many hobbies!
• Random #3: I have two blogs: A baking blog (Ann Potter Baking) and a personal blog (Sarah DeClerk). The reason behind this is my personal blog can be a little snarky and sometimes features choice language if you know what I mean. Because of this reason, I chose to have a separate business blog. 

How could you not love Sarah? Now that you know she is the perfect vendor here is how to contact her:

• Facebook: Ann Potter Baking
• Twitter: sarahedeclerk
• Email: Annpotterbaking@gmail.com

Please go and show Sarah some love. She really is a true talent and beyond kind. It is always refreshing to work with a vendor who loves what she does. It makes the process very enjoyable and memorable.

Now it is time for more goodies of cute cookies and cakes:

{Ann Potter Baking}

Our Unique Wedding Gift: Pong Time

Yes, that is me at my first wedding shower. Oh the days of long hair and flowered corsages. I have to say when it came to wedding showers we were beyond blessed. Showers are fun because you always get to hear stories about your childhood or even better your husbands childhood. My mom even made the comment that Rusty must have paid the 40+ ladies at our shower in his hometown because they all had something sweet to say about him. Ha! The one thing about wedding showers that no one tells you is that you are going to be tired. You smile a lot. You open a lot of gifts. You hug a lot of necks. You say a lot of thank you's but it is all worth it. By the way that cake in that picture was beyond good!

When Rusty and I registered we picked a handful of stores with varying prices. For more tips on registering or where to get started click here. I promise it will help. We had lived on our own so somethings we didn't need but matching dishes were a must.  After each shower, I worked hard to complete my thank you notes before the next shower. We couldn't believe how kind people were. Everyone really went above and beyond! Some gifts we got multiples and returned. Some gifts we really had no idea why we would need them. Some gifts made us laugh. For the most part people stuck with our different registries.

A few weeks after our wedding we were getting settled into our first home when Rusty's best man gave him a call. John called to let Rusty know that he was on his way over to our house with our wedding gift. A few minutes later John and his mom pulled into the driveway. Their truck had a giant box in the back. I was baffled by what gift he had bought us. With the biggest smile on his face, John announced that he had purchased us a ping pong table. A what? Ping pong table. My initial thought was where in the world would we put it? Come to find out Rusty knew that John would be getting this gift for us and somehow managed to let it slip his mind to tell me. I just stood there. John's mom did gift me with an amazing set of white Corningware.

{Sorry for the iPhone Picture. Jane is so cute.}

A year and a half of being Mrs. Farrin I will admit that I love that ping pong table. I have used it to work on things in our garage. I have used it to challenge my husband to a game or two. It has been a table for my yearly garage sale. The movers who packed and shipped our stuff to Texas were most impressed with that item. It does fold up and rolls nicely into the corner to be stored in the garage. While most friends gifted us with a new spatula, John gave us a ping pong table. It still makes me laugh when I pass it in the mornings. Ladies, good luck with all your wedding showers. Who knows? Maybe you can be blessed with a ping pong table too!

Q & A: Who Do I Invite to Which Shower?

Photo Source: Beach Bungalow 8

Don't you wish you could be were this picture was taken? The weather in South Texas has not been pleasant to say the least but it is a bit chilly today. I love cold weather. It gives me a reason to wear a scarf. This picture is where my head is today. Sigh. I encourage each of you to take a minute and think about one thing you are thankful for. Ready, Go! Do you have that thing in mind? If it is a friend, let them know. If it is your job, tell your boss thank you. If it is an object, treat it extra carefully. I came across a quote recently that made me really appreciate all I have been blessed with and pushed me to work for more. William Arthur Ward said, "Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgivings, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings." Just think of all the blessings around you. Friends, do more of what makes you happy and be thankful for moments in between.

Who is ready for today's question and answer session? Me! Pick me! I can honestly say that I have never been asked this question from a bride before. Originally I was going to keep these short but folks I have a lot to say so let's get to it.

Q. Who do I invite to which shower?

A. The easiest way I know how to address this question is to break down each group of people by category. One thing that I have stressed from the beginning for any planning bride is to get that guest list started. Yes, not everyone on the list will be invited or they may but getting those addresses together is a must. Read more on that here. When it comes to shower time, you can have those addresses completed and ready to send the hostesses of the party. You can also print the list off for your bridesmaids to keep track of who gives you what. I also have suggested this before (read about it here and here) but you can also ask guests when signing in to address an envelope with their address. It eliminates one step for you when it comes time to write thank you notes.

What if you aren't sure how many showers you are going to have? That is okay. With time you will be 100% sure. I promise people will want to throw you a shower. I actually worried about this. By the end of the shower season, I had been blessed with 6 showers! It amazes me how much people care and want to celebrate your upcoming wedding.

Wedding Party/Bridesmaids - This one is your discretion. I invited my bridesmaid to every single shower that I had. With that being said, I also let them know before the shower season hit that I would invite them to all of them but only expected them to make it to one shower and/or the bachelorette party. I had bridesmaids all over the place and being the rockstars that they are they each made it to multiple shower and the bach throw down. Yeah, we threw down. With this group it is easy to let them know your expectations ahead of time.  More than likely your bridesmaids will help in hosting at least one or two showers. Be honest with them and they will appreciate it.

Family - This one can be a little tougher just because you do not want to hurt anyone's feelings or make them think they have to get you a gift. My best piece of advice for this is to invite your families to the hometown showers. For example, if you and your groom grew up in different cities invite your family to your hometown shower and the groom's family to the shower in his town. You can always invite your family to multiple showers but I usually say the rule of thumb minus your parents is to invite someone to only one shower. I did have family come in to town from miles away so when they came down they attended the showers that fell on that weekend.

Friends - Like I have already mentioned, I invited friends based on their location to each shower but only one time. Friends, especially newly married brides, give the most practical gifts. They know exactly what you need. I did have one shower where I invited all my close girlfriends and sorority sisters. This helped everyone get to know each other or reunite with faces they hadn't seen in a long time.

With all this being said, DO NOT...I repeat DO NOT invite someone to a shower and then not invite them to your wedding. It is a big bridal no-no. I have had multiple people mention this to me in that they were invited to a shower, took a gift, hugged the bride but then didn't receive an invitation to their wedding. Think about it. Would you want to spend money on someone then not get an invite to the reason you even gave them the gift to begin with? I hate to say it friends but that is tacky. T-acky.

I hope that all of this jib jab helps point you in the right direction. I can honestly say that showers were a highlight for me. The guest lists for each shower were easy to make. I also asked both my mom and mother-in-law to add to any shower list that they felt needed it. Both were a big help!

At each shower, smile, hug necks, meet new faces and remember these people love you. They want to celebrate you! I will be back in a bit with the best Love Song Friday, hands down!

New Wedding Shower Trends

Photo Source: Hostess with the Mostess

Notice anything different? Yeah, I got a new blog design and it is fabulous! I am so in love with it! I thought I would take a minute to show you a few new features of the blog. First the top menu has more selections but still very simple navigation. I will soon be bringing you an archive page (tips & advice) that will allow each reader to find the specific post they are looking for. In the next few months I hope to start advertising on the blog. Don't let that scare you off. I just want to have professionals that I know and trust with an ad on the site. This will help each bride find vendors, blogs and websites that will further help with wedding planning. Also make sure to become a follower here ---------->

I was going to wait until my blogiversary week to reveal the new look but now you understand why I couldn't. I cannot thank Poxxie Blog Design enough! She is truly talented y'all and a load of fun. I will be doing a feature post on her soon so you can get to know the fabulous Kendra. Now on to today's post...

If you have read this blog before you know how much I love to host a good party. From creating the invitation to arranging the dessert table, I love putting together details that make each party perfect. With the Spring wedding season quickly approaching and wedding showers around the corner, I started reading a few articles on wedding showers. The articles are showing new trends that I am loving.

1. New locations. A majority of the wedding showers I have attended or hosted have been at houses. I love the feel of a home shower. They are always cozy, relaxing and comfortable. I do have to say that I am glad showers are branching out of houses and traveling to new locations. Wedding showers are being hosted in restaurants, hotels, country clubs and poolside. Some showers are even becoming destination wedding showers. Imagine loading up the car with your best girlfriends and driving to your favorite city for a weekend getaway. My bachelorette party also served as my lingerie shower. I loved hanging out with my friends, sipping fruity cocktails and soaking up the sun in Nashville. More on my last single hoorah here.

2. Couple showers. I absolutely love this idea! I think getting your closest couple friends together to celebrate is always a guaranteed good time. If hosting the event you could have dinner at your home then venture out to listen to your favorite band. You could also try a good old fashioned hot dog and marshmallow roast to celebrate the soon to be Mr. and Mrs. Get creative with your ideas and enjoy the laughter and love with your best friends.

3. Bringing in a professional. Ever thought about hosting a shower where everyone learns to cook? I know. I love the idea too! Hiring a professional allows for the guests to learn while having a lot of fun! If you have a shower coming up take the ladies to paint pottery and gift the finished items to the bride. A few other ideas could be trying a dance class, taking a painting course, belly dancing, horse back riding or a spa day at home. When picking a expert make sure you keep the brides interest in mind. I am already looking up cooking classes for friends to enjoy!

When it comes to showers be creative. Play a new game, find a new location or gift a unique treasure. Keep the bride surprised and smiling! I just want to thank you guys for stopping by and for being a part of Lovebird Productions. I am so happy to have you!

Showing Just How Thankful You Are

 Photo Source: Pinterest

We made it to November! Who is just as surprised as I am to find myself welcoming fall and Thanksgiving? With this season many are giving thanks for what they are thankful for. While eating homemade chili (recipe to come soon) with my husband last night I got a bright idea. Why don't we write down what we are thankful for? When Thanksgiving day roles around we can read them and have the warm fuzzies then stuff ourselves full of turkey and pumpkin pie. Good idea or what?

I started researching fun ideas to showcase our thanks or a creative way to store them. I came across two ideas and tutorials for them. Score! You know I love a good tutorial. The first one is from my favorite website crazy addiction, Young House Love.

 Photo Source: Young House Love

Sherry created an etched look on a glass canister to hold their words of sweetness. I love this idea! It is easy, inexpensive and you can use any vase or glass object you have at home. For a step-by-step guide on recreating this idea, click here.

Another idea that I really enjoyed was a gratitude board. This works great for a family of two (like R and I) or a family full of little ones.

Photo Source: Jelly Bean Junkyard

This idea takes a bit more craftsman ship and work but you can use it each year at Thanksgiving. When created your board you can also make it reflect your decorating style. Each day you take out the card inside the numbered envelope and write down what you are thankful for. I like that it includes the entire month. For more on this fun idea and a fabulous tutorial, click here.

I also browsed for fun printables and tutorials. You could use them for decorating your house, table settings, napkin rings, garland, name tags or even use them to host a fall shower. I love being able to use these around the house + add my own touch to it. You can find a few of my favorites here, here, here, here, here, here and here. I know it is a lot but I want to make sure their is something for everyone.

What are you thankful this holiday season? Are you and your loved ones doing anything special to express your thanks? I always love hearing ideas from you all! I am thankful for you guys. Hey, that may be what I write down today!

Wedding Shower Hosting 101: Being a Maid of Honor: Part 3

Well this week is flying by! Like I have mentioned any and all tips that I have shared this week can be used for bridesmaids and Maid/Matron's of Honor. I think when you are asked to be apart of the bridal party you should do your best but sometimes we just don't know what to do. Don't stress! These tips and reminders are to help you. So far we have covered finances involved with being in a wedding here and a checklist of tips for playing the part here.

Today I wanted to discuss throwing the best wedding shower ever. When being the maid of honor, your responsibility is to host the wedding shower. You can always have close friends of the bride and the other bridesmaids help with hosting but you are in charge. Grab your clipboard, make a game plan, hand out responsibilities and get your wedding shower face on. It's time to plan!

The wedding shower should leave the bride with fabulous gifts and a lots of fun memories. With these type of expectations, where do you begin? First, try to decide what type of event the bride would enjoy most. What type of bridal shower fits her personality plus the needs of the bride (as in the gifts she needs)? For example, if the bride is really into cooking, hosting a pounding or a kitchen themed shower is where to start. It doesn't have to be the same ol' boring shower. You can make any theme fun and creative!

Second, location, location, location. Their is nothing wrong with hosting the shower at your house or a friends home but make sure that the potential number of guests will be accommodated for. You want guests to have plenty of space to park and move around in your home. If you have pets, even though they will not be making an appearance at the shower, make sure that the bride and guests are aware of pets. Some are highly allergic to pets even if fluffy is the cutest dog ever!

If you are wanting to host the shower somewhere else here are a few ideas. You can try a historic landmark building if you live near a neat one or even an old estate. Old estate homes are perfect and full of southern goodness. How about a boat? Yes it is extravagant and daring but I think it is such a fun idea! You can try an art gallery or the rooftop of a building in your downtown. Regardless of the venue you chose you need to make sure you follow a few rules of thumb.

1. Never book a place you haven't toured. You want to make sure the place is just right and the Internet may not be a good judge of character.

2. If you choose a restaurant, make sure you sample the food if you choose their catering. With some restaurants, if you do not choose their catering it can be more expensive to bring someone in to do the food.

3. Make sure you get privacy at your venue. Plus know exactly where your party will be in the venue. You do not want to have a shower right in the entrance of the restaurant and have onlookers watching the bride open gifts. Awkward!

4. Make sure if at a restaurant that you have your own wait staff. This is important no matter the size of the shower. Also, if their is a final bill, make sure they discuss it with you discretely.

Now that you have your theme and location, let's cover a few other things that are important!

1. Guest Lists - Before you pick the venue, already have an idea of how many guests are on the bride's list. Even though everyone will not attend make sure you can accommodate everyone. Also have an idea of possible guests because if it includes around 50 people, dinner at the brides favorite restaurant may be out of the budget.

2. Who pays? If you are hosting the shower, you pay. If 10 women decide to help host, split the costs 10 ways. This helps so much! Even though you are all contributing financially to the shower, you still needs to give a gift either individually or as a group. Have the hosts keep their receipts and crunch numbers once the guests have left the shower.

3. How long should the party last? You do not want to watch the bride open gifts for hours so set a scheduled time and include that on the shower invitation. Most showers are two to three hours long.

4. How do we decide on the theme of the shower? Theme is very important. To help decide the theme, coordinate with the type of shower the bride needs. When deciding the theme, remember to think of a few things. What type of wedding the bride is planning? If she is planning a fun and quirky wedding, the wedding shower theme should correspond. What is the personality of the bride? If she is really shy, embarrassing games are not appropriate for her shower. How did she meet the groom? You can always incorporate how they met with the location and theme.

5. Timeline of sending out the invitations - You should send invitations four weeks prior to the event. A written invitation by mail allows guests to see the theme plus RSVP. It is also is a great keepsake for the bride. Designate one person to handle RSVP's. Most invitations include a number or email address. Your invitation should also include the words "wedding shower" somewhere on it, the location, bride, time, date by which to RSVP and the host names are optional. Some people say it is bad etiquette to include where the bride is registered but it is up to the hosts.

6. Make sure you set things in stone.  Things that need to be finalized are location, theme, hosts, menu, gift from hosts or yourself, time, invitations, cake, guests lists plus RSVP's and decorations.

7. Have fun! Make sure to enjoy this time. With planning in advance and organization, their is no reason you shouldn't enjoy your time with the bride!

These tips are just a few for planning the perfect wedding shower! Feel free to include any other tips or advice for brides, bridesmaids and the maid of honor!

Being a Maid/Matron of Honor: Part 1

I'm Back! That is right! Have no more Monday worries because I am now able to post all the time. It has never felt better to login to blogger and start typing. I have a large smile on my face and am dancing around the room. You are welcome for that mental image.

This week I wanted to focus my attention on one leading lady crucial for most weddings, the Maid of Honor. Most girls have been bridesmaids but being a maid of honor has some higher expectations. Yes, that is me with my dear friend Summer. Even thought I have been a bridesmaids numerous times, I have only been a maid of honor once. I wish I could say that I was a professional with my utmost title but I feel their are still lessons I am learning from my best friends wedding. When Summer asked me to be her maid of honor, she gave me a helpful handbook written by Kathy Passero. I have taken a lot of advice from this book and am hoping that the tips I share with you can help in your abilities to be your best in all weddings.

Some of these tips are pretty simple but always a good reminder plus they can also be applied to all bridesmaids too! Not every wedding has a maid of honor.

Prewedding Tips:

1. Attend all events - This includes the engagement party and showers. The bride will need you to be by her side helping her through each event. Most brides have three plus events which means you can help with picking out her outfit, assisting with advice on hostess gifts, providimg a record of who gave what gifts and even help with thank you notes.

2. Remain positive and upbeat - Lets face it. Planning a wedding is stressful. Help the bride with encouraging her! Each time she calls, remain positive and cheery. She needs it plus you are the one she chose to be a bridesmaid and/or maid of honor! Duty calls!

3. Take the lead in organizing a shower - Any maid of honor should expect to host a shower. You can recruit the other bridesmaids to help in expenses and planning.

4. Show up for your fittings plus pay for all your expenses - These expenses can include your dress, shows, accessories plus any other expenses like hotel accommodations for the wedding. Attending any fittings that the bride has scheduled for your dress is important. Make sure you are prompt and eager to help with her fittings and your own. By being active in the wedding planning process, your bride can feel your support and know that she is important to you.

5. Be ready to step in whenever needed - Yes, even if the bride has called 7 times already in the past hour. If she needs you to help address invitations or select wedding favors, get to it. She needs you. You are her sanity.

Wedding Whirlwind Tips:

1. Attend rehearsal and rehearsal dinner - For most, this is a given but make sure you are early as well. Never be the reason the bride is having to wait to start her rehearsal.

2. Make a toast at the rehearsal (Optional)

3. Run any last minute errands or perform any last minute tasks - For example, if the bride forgets to assemble the place cards for the reception let her know that you will take care of it. The night before weddings can be stressful but most brides have things completed. Occasionally you have a chaotic bride and end up creating the wedding program at 2 a.m. then going to a 24 hour Kinko's to make copies. True story. Right Laura?

4. Again stay positive - You have your bride dressed, are posing for pictures in uncomfortable heels, dealing with the crying bridesmaids but keep that smile on. The bride needs your upbeat spirit to shine through!

5. Keep the bride calm - On my wedding day, people kept coming in and out of the brides dressing room. I was a nervous wreck and the last thing I wanted were people coming in and out, in and out. My bridesmaids, without a word from me, put a stop to it. Do whatever the bride needs. It is surprising what bothers you or adds more stress the day of your wedding.

Ceremony:

1. Straighten the bride's train and veil - It drives me crazy when wedding parties do not do that. The bride can't see to do that. You do not have to make a big distraction but gently fix things.

2. Hold the bouquet during the ceremony - Make sure to return it for the recessional too!

3. Perform any tasks in preparation for the reception - If your bouquet is going to be used in a centerpiece, make sure to take all the bridesmaids bouquets, transport them to the reception and placed in the proper vases.

Reception:

1. Bustle the bride's train

2. Participate in wedding party dance if asked to - Shake your groove thing!

3. Try to stay sober and help with any situations that arise - Yes, more than likely someone is going to spill their drink or drop their glass on the dance floor. Be ready to help out and clean up!

4. At the bride's request, take her gown to the dry cleaners - This is such a big help!

5. Transport any gifts after the reception - A lot of people bring gifts to the wedding. Make sure you help get them to the bride's house or you can keep them until the bride gets back from her honeymoon.

I hope that some of the tips are helpful. Tomorrow I will cover the costs of being a bridesmaid. I promise to make it fun!

Happy Monday!

Vintage-Rustic Lemons & Lavender Wedding Shower Theme

This shower theme is not only perfect for a bridal shower but also can be inspiration for your wedding theme and color scheme. Do not ever feel like you can't reuse decorations from showers or pull inspiration from your pre-wedding events. When I saw this bridal shower on Hostess with the Mostess, I was immediately drawn to the brightness and sweetness. The idea of this shower was to be provoke the warmness of the Mediterranean sun with table decor mimicking the European countryside. I love that the centerpieces were filled with lavender, lemons and limes.

Isn't it lovely? For more on this stunning shower theme, click here.

Summer Registry Ideas

For any brides registering now or for any guests attending a shower, summer gifts are always fun to get and give. Needs ideas on those perfect summer accessories for your home? I have scouted out some good deals and cute finds that can be used outside at your summer parties or indoor while enjoying family time.

Photo Source: Here

Just think how cute this paper lantern would look hanging outside on your porch as your guests arrived! It would also look great hanging outside on your back patio. This beauty rings in at just $14.75.

Photo Source: Here

I just love this! Yes you can make baby cupcakes in the oven but this little contraption allows you to free up your oven for other things that you need to cook while entertaining. They look yummy too! This gift averages around $40.

Photo Source: Here

How awesome! This gift speaks for itself! What a great entertaining piece plus this little beauty folds up and can be stored in a travel bag. If you are hosting a shower, all the hostesses could go in together on this gift. It costs around $60.

Photo Source: Here

I love this colorful dinnerware set. You can get a 12 piece set for just $19.99. It includes 4 Cereal Bowls, 4 Salad Plates and 4 Dinner Plates! These plates and bowls are such a fun touch to any cookout!

Photo Source: Here

I love this shade of yellow! This flower pot would be such a bright touch to any patio or front porch. You could even have it resting in the center of your kitchen table full of flowers! Prices vary depending on store.

Photo Source: Here

This pillow is fun and festive plus on sale. It is only $19.99 and would make a great gift for any bride or a perfect pop of color for any party you are hosting.

Each of these summer gifts are easy to find online, in store and at reasonable prices!

Happy Monday!

Around the Clock

Last week I posted on basic etiquette for bridal showers (viewable here). The joy of bridal showers is you never have to repeat a theme. There are so many themes to choose from and tailor to your bride. I do encourage before throwing a bridal shower you check with the bride as to what she needs. If she needs the overall basics a shower listing her registries is key. If she is in need of funds for the honeymoon, throw a honeymoon themed shower that allows guests to provide money or excursions for the couple to enjoy.

 Photo Source: Here and Here

Concept: I saw this idea for a shower and loved it! It is called Around the Clock. This shower theme highlights different times of the day. It may sound odd but let me explain! The hostesses of the shower will assign a time on each invitation. For example, if I get the time 8 a.m. I might bring a waffle maker or a subscription to the newspaper. Another fun time would be 1 a.m. I think I would bring a do not disturb sign for the bedroom door or even candles and massage oils. Hey...what did you expect? You can also make descriptive times on the invitation for guests like game time, cooking time or breakfast time. The time helps guests bring a specific gift for the bride and also helps on cutting down on the bride getting too many coffee pots (one of my best friends got 3 at one shower) or toasters. Guests get to be creative and the theme allows everyone to enjoy themselves!

Centerpieces: Did I mention I was going to help you with this idea as much as possible? I love you guys! A fun centerpiece would be to decorate each table with various flowers. For one table you can use wildflowers because wildflowers are what the bride would bring home when she was little after a long day of playing outside. You can decorate another table with flowers that the bride received every year for making the honor role. You can also use flowers the bride's fiancé always brings her. With each table, make a simple note to display on the table explaining the meaning of each flower.

Another idea is to use pictures of the bride growing up. Each table can have a picture of a different age of the bride. This represents the progression of the bride's life. You can also display a cute note about what age the bride is, her favorite things at that age and what she was always busy doing. For example, if there was a picture of me at age 10, the card would say Katie at age 10. She enjoyed riding her bike, playing Barbie's and dressing up in her Grandmother's high heels. Her favorite foods were Mac and Cheese plus Flintstones Push Pops (Remember how good those things were?)

You can always decorate with cute clocks like alarm clocks or fun wall clocks!

Menu: The menu can be so fun! I would suggest serving foods for various times of the day. Have an area for breakfast items like crepes and waffles that guests can top with their favorite toppings. You can also have homemade pizzas to represent dinner and small sandwiches and fruit for lunchtime. Don't forget a yummy cake! The cake could say things like: Wishing You the Time of Your Life or We Love You Today, Tomorrow, and Always.

Games: You can always tailor a shower game to the shower theme or pick one you have played before. I enjoy shower games because depending on your group of people it allows guests to loosen up! I like a good mad lib. I attended a wedding this past year were guests filled out a mad lib and left it for the bride and groom to read later. What a fun keepsake! Have your maid of honor right down the story of how you met your groom. Take out a handful of keywords and asks guests to fill in a blank with an adjective, verb or noun. Each guests gets to add a word! Read the story back out loud and let your guests have a good laugh! This is a fun keepsake for the bride and groom. You could even bring a frame to frame it for her to take home.

Favors: Favors are probably my favorite thing about each shower I attend! For Around the Clock, you can give guests kitchen timers or yummy clock cookies. My friend Lacye of Lacye's Cakery and Cookies is wonderful! You check out her blog here and her Facebook here. She does it all and it tastes great!

Remember that you are free to make the shower just how you like it. Honor your bride and make sure your guests enjoy themselves!

Wedding Etiquette 101: Hosting the Bridal Shower

I want to start posting tidbits of Wedding Etiquette for you but I want to start by saying in no way am I an expert. Weddings are an always changing thing and my etiquette is simply basic etiquette. Always feel free to adapt your own traditions and rules. Now, for today's topic: Who hosts the bridal shower?

{Pinterest}

According to tradition, the bridal shower should not be hosted by any of the bride's immediate family. Most hostess include the maid or matron of honor plus bridesmaids. If the bridal party requests the help of other close friends, this is okay but the responsibility relies on the maid or matron of honor. The hostess of the party should always be alongside the bride while greeting guests.

When I was getting married, we had five showers. Yes five! We were incredibly blessed. My bridal party, family and close friends were so kind to us! When having multiple showers, make sure to not duplicate your guests on your guests lists. You can help hostess keep track by providing the guest lists or assisting them while they create it.

When should invitations go out for the shower? All shower invites should be sent out six weeks to a month before the shower. Also an important rule of thumb, your guests at your showers should all be invited to the wedding. You wouldn't want to take a gift from someone and then not send them an invite to the wedding.

What type of invitation should I send? Most brides can help with the invitation design but I would suggest keeping with the brides theme for the wedding. A mailed invitation is proper etiquette and not a email message. Email's are more used for save-the-dates or a fun bachelorette party invite. You can tailor the invite to your theme for the shower. For example, use invitation with kitchen appliances and cooking materials for a kitchen themed shower or pounding.

Shower Traditions: One tradition that I have read about that is so sweet and very old fashioned is the grooming showing up with flowers for the bride right before she opens her gifts. I love this idea! With how busy brides and grooms are during the months leading up to the wedding this may not be possible. Another tradition that I have been apart of is keeping the bows from gifts to create a bouquet for the bride to use during the wedding rehearsal. You can always create new traditions too! Get creative!

If you have any questions or suggestions on shower etiquette, please email or comment below!

Ladder Decor

Happy Monday!

This past weekend I hosted a shower for some sweet friends on mine.  I previewed a cute project we had done for the shower here.  Check out these sneak peek pictures:

And here is the final result:

Us girls were so pleased with the end result and so was the happy couple.  The shower took place on our back deck.  I originally had bought the twine and photos to hang on the insert of our chimney on our back deck but we placed the ladder in entry way and started decorating.  Every guest came through the front door and was greeted with this.  I used photos, paper cut outs (I keep card stock on file) and their invitation.  Another hostess hung the tool belt and placed tools on the steps of the ladder.  Cute! 

I suggest using this simple crafts project for any occasion:  holidays, your office, child's room, wedding shower or wedding decor.  It was inexpensive and so cute.  You can also decorate the clothes pins with scrapbook paper to make it better suite your style.

Total cost of project breaks down to this:
1.  Clothes pins - Free (We already had these at home.)
2.  Photos - $5.50 for all those photos including the three larger 5x7's.  We also used one of the 5x7's to be placed in a frame for guests to sign for the couple.  Sarah (the sweet bride) also got to keep all the photos as keepsakes.  I ordered all the photos online at Walmart and picked them up later.
3.  Twine - $5.00 - I picked up the twine in the arts and crafts section at Walmart while picking up groceries for the shower.
4.  Ladder - Free (This little beauty was provided by another hostess.)
Total: $10.50

This was my first experience hosting a wedding shower and boy did I learn a lot.  All of those lessons might result in a separate post.  The shower was so much fun and it was great getting our dear friends together!

I hope each of you are inspired to create something new and fun!  If you do, share it with me.

P.s. - Just in case you missed it, I served these yummy baked beans at the shower.  More information on this honey do shower to come.

BBQ Recipe Roundup

This recipe is called the Best Baked Beans Ever and boy did these beans hold up to their name.  They were scrumptous!

I know that I promised more details on the honey do shower that we hosted but you will have to wait just a little while longer.  Now on to the recipe...

Serves up to 18

• 8 slices bacon, halved
• 1 medium onion, cut into small dice
• 1/2 medium green pepper, cut into small dice
• 3 large cans (28 ounces each) pork and beans
• 3/4 cup barbecue sauce
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup distilled or cider vinegar
• 2 teaspoons dry mustard or 2 tablespoons Dijon

Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Fry bacon in large, deep sauté pan skillet until bacon has partially cooked and released about 1/4 cup drippings. Remove bacon from pan and drain on paper towels. Add onions and peppers to drippings in pan and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Add beans and remaining ingredients bring to a simmer. (If skillet is not large enough, add beans and heat to a simmer then transfer to a large bowl and stir in remaining ingredients). Pour flavored beans into a greased 13-by 9-inch (or similar size) ovenproof pan. Top with bacon, then bake until beans are bubbly and sauce is the consistency of pancake syrup, about 2 hours. Let stand to thicken slightly and serve.

I got this recipe from the Pioneer Woman's collection of recipes.  I doubled the recipe for these beans to accommodate all of our guests.  I cut down to just one onion and used an entire green bell pepper.  I also added more BBQ Sauce than called for plus let them cook for a few more hours in the crock pot instead of the oven.  I got a lot of compliments on the beans!

If you try making these beans, let me know how it goes.  They are perfect for summer cookouts, holiday meals with the family or just a quiet night in.

Honey Do Shower

Happy Saturday Lovebirds!

Today I am hosting my first wedding shower at our house.  A group of ladies and I have been working so hard on this shower and the details are too cute to boot!  I am going to give you the run down on all the details but not until tomorrow.  I did want to share with you a cute idea that came about displayed in our entry way.  The pictures are just teasers for the final product.  Like I said, you have to check back here tomorrow for all the details and many more pictures.

Clothes pin, photos and twine....

See you back here tomorrow!