My goodness! How time is flying! I absolutely cannot believe that our wedding is 51 days away! There's still so much I want to do before July 14th! So until then, things sure do look busy ;-)
This past weekend I attended Brittany & Jantzen's household shower with my dear friend and bridesmaid, Jen. It was a gorgeous day, and we thoroughly enjoyed chatting and catching up on the drive to Danville! The shower was held at a lovely clubhouse which had views of the sparkling blue outdoor pool. As we entered the building, though, I was surprised to see so many male faces in the crowd! Brittany's uncles and male cousins were in attendance, as well as their children. It turns out that this is a new trend in the wedding world, one that is rapidly becoming popular with the younger generation. As this was my first co-ed shower, I was intrigued to see how the event would progress, and assumed that the traditional Bridal Shower games would not be played due to the composition of the crowd. I mean, can you imagine wrapping the Bride-to-be in a toilet paper dress while all the men looked on in either boredom or embarrassment? Me either. In the end, I was, in fact, correct on that matter. There were no hokey games to be played, no toilet paper gowns to construct. Instead the shower went something like this...after we spent some time chatting with the guests-of-honor, the hostesses asked that we be seated. We were briefly welcomed, then asked to help ourselves to the delicious food buffet. After loading our plates, guests were asked to introduce themselves to the remainder of the group. After introductions, Brittany and Jantzen began opening their gifts. We all admired their overflowing gift bags and boxes, then the couple cut their cute peacock-themed cakes. Before we knew it, the shower was over! Thankfully Jen & I were able to spend quite some time mingling with Brittany & Jantzen as well as some of the other guests, but all-in-all it felt a bit fast! I never thought I'd say this, but I kind of missed the shower games! While some of them can be dated or predictable, they still add an element of humor and fun that I think is essential for a shower! Now don't get me wrong, their get-together was still a lot of fun--I really enjoyed visiting with Brittany and Jantzen as well as the other shower attendees---but if I had been able to change one thing about the day, I definitely would have added a few fun games.
Later in the week, Darling Fiance' & I celebrated his 23rd Birthday, and boy did I have some big surprises planned! The previous evening I had asked the Birthday Boy what type of cake he wanted for his big day. To be honest, I was hoping he'd be happy with a yellow or white cake so that I could make a sugar-free or reduced-sugar version (we're definitely working to get in wedding-day shape, here!). Unfortunately though, he requested my family's famous red velvet cake, which is sinfully delicious, I must say! Because birthday's come but once a year, I didn't push the sugar-free idea any further and happily prepared to make the red velvet the next day. Early in the afternoon on Darling Fiance's Birthday, we picked up a couple essential items for his cake and I proceeded to craft the big boy! I'm somewhat embarrassed to report that we still don't have an electric mixer (we're holding out for the shower!), and as a result, the blending process was much slower and the final product was a bit lumpier. However, after baking and frosting, I think it turned out alright, according to my sweetheart's gleeful exclamations! That wasn't the only treat I had in store for him, though. That evening I had planned for us to do two brand-new activities together: enjoying a massage & then noshing on farm-fresh food at Jean Farris Bistro. Both went splendidly, I must say!
We were both quite nervous for the massage--would we feel uncomfortable or self-conscious? Would it be painful? Would it be worth the cost? In short, we were a bit uncomfortable at first, but the masseuses were professional and respectful, which quickly made us feel more relaxed. It wasn't painful at all, but was instead extremely relaxing and well worth the cost! We both agreed that we'd gladly do it again! After the massage, we traveled to Jean Farris, which is a cute little vineyard and bistro located on Old Richmond Rd. The parking lot was packed, which was all the more surprising considering that it was a Tuesday evening! From the outside, one would have expected the restaurant to be quite antiquated, but on the contrary, it was ultra-modern with a touch of rustic--very interesting! The food was flavorful, albeit extra-salty, and the atmosphere was romantic and secluded. We fully enjoyed our unique outings and all in all, I think the man-of-the day was pleased with his Birthday celebrations! It was indeed fantastic to spend another special birthday together!
After our date night, I spent a little time with my sweet friend, Sabrina. We enjoyed a relaxing lunch together and chatted about everything from the wedding, to massages and the bridesmaids' luncheon. We definitely have a lot of wonderful and relaxing events ahead of us! After lunch, Sabrina offered to try on her bridesmaid's dress for me, and needless to say I was delighted with the final product! It was elegant and flowy, just as I had wanted! The jeweled cap-sleeves glistened and added a touch of shimmer without being overly shiny, while the hue was a perfect blush! No bubble-gum pink here! Seeing the gown put one more piece of the wedding puzzle in place! Each day I'm realizing more and more that before I know it I'll be married to the man that I love...and I absolutely cannot wait!
This weekend Darling Fiance', Pretty Puppy & I will be traveling home where we'll enjoy some time with the fam at my nephew's 4th birthday party! We can't wait to spend time with our special boy--he's growing SO fast! I sometimes feel that I'm his second Momma (we're such a close family, after all!), so this big birthday is a bit sad for me--I guess it means that he's becoming more and more independent and that much closer to leaving the nest :-( But then I remind myself that he's turning 4, not 40, so let's not get ahead of ourselves here! I'm just trying to enjoy each phase that he goes through and I can honestly say that it's getting better and better all the time! Also, on Friday, Darling Fiance', my Mom, Dad & I will be attending our tasting. We'll be trying all the dishes for our wedding meal, and I desperately hope they're what I've always wished for! If not, there will have to be a few changes to the menu before the big day! I'll keep you posted on how that goes!
As far as an invitation update is concerned--I've addressed about 75 so far, so we're about halfway there!
Til Next Time...
Hugs & Kisses,
A Southern Sweetheart 
No comments:
Post a Comment