A BRIDAL SHOWER

The bridal shower for my son's fiancee was held Friday night at the home of my SIL, Karen. It really turned out wonderful. This is her house {with The Husband standing on the porch welcoming guests}. We had to shoo him out shortly later to go have dinner with the guys.
In place of a cake, we had cupcakes from a bakery in Chicago called Sugar Bliss. The owner is the lady behind Cupcake Wars on the Food Network. She has shops in Chicago and Beverly Hills.
Daughter Emily was in charge of cupcakes. She bought little Chinese food boxes from Michael's and decorated them, The cupcakes were given as favors to the guests.
Emily also wrapped up the flatware in napkins held together by diamond ring napkin rings. Aren't they cute?
Rumor has it that I made 1000 croissant chicken salad sandwiches. That was a slight exaggeration on my part. We had 37 guests.
We also had tortellini pasta salad as well as a strawberry spinach salad, made by Megan and Karen respectively.
How pretty is that?
Karen's daughter, Lizzie made the fruit salad on skewers, poked into a pineapple. She also cut out pieces of melon and pineapple with a flower cookie cutter. Cure, cute, cute.
We had a small bar set up...
...and later in the evening a coffee, tea and sweet table.
Tables were set up outside as well and I took some shots of Karen's garden.
Isn't this darling?!
Here is the bride to be, holding her drink in a special pink bottle cooler.
The gifts were piled on and below a banquet table near the bay window. We requested the gifts not be wrapped which allows for the bride to enjoy the party and also saves on wasted paper. She is registered at Crate And Barrel and Bed, Bath & Beyond, and received so many nice gifts. I bought her a Kitchen Aid mixer and Emily and Abby gave her the blender and immersion blender. She can whip up cookies, margaritas and milkshakes all at once.
And this is a picture of the love birds. Son Kevin was a little overwhelmed by all the ladies when he came in near the end of the party, but he behaved himself.

I hope you enjoyed the pictures. I have one more shower to go to next week given by Mary Clare's family. She also has one being given by her girlfriends. It's so exciting. Now I have to get off my bum and find a dress for this wedding. I keep thinking I will lose another 10 or 20 pounds in the next 12 weeks but I don't think that is going to happen. Not after eating all those cupcakes, I mean, that one cupcake! ;-D