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Marissa’s Bridal Shower

sign

After a long hiatus, as promised, the next week will be filled with photos, crafts, recipes, and details from my daughter’s beautiful bridal shower. But before I begin, I want to let you know that I’ve missed creating and sharing recipes. I’ve really missed blogging. I’ve missed posting. I’ve missed you! It feels good to be back, even if only for a week.

window hearts

Today will be mostly a pictorial, giving an overview of the party. Tomorrow, the details will begin.

lined envelope

As any good invitation should do, this one set the theme.

invite

Marissa is a voracious reader. She loves books. Her degree in Journalism with a Creative Writing minor, so a literary theme fit her to a tee.

book sleeves

Immediately upon entering, guests were greeted by a table filled with library bookplates with their names on them. The bridal party’s bookplates had a little bling tied to theirs.

welcome

A chalkboard sign instructed them what to do with their bookplate. Marissa’s maid-of-honor, Kaley, used her perfect penmanship and artistic flair to create all the chalkboard signs for the shower. Thank you, Kaley!

the table

When guests walked into Barbara Fenzl’s beautiful backyard, this is the table where they had their choice of seats.

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placesetting

Books and book page decor were everywhere.

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Then they came back inside and poured themselves either a Bloody Mary or a Mimosa.

banner

The banner above the bar says, “The Future Mrs. Sandell.” The letters are cut from book pages.

paper roses

On the bar, and inserted into the dozens of flower arrangements throughout the party, are book page roses, made by Julie. Julie is my nephew Race’s girlfriend. She painstakingly worked on these beauties for weeks!

burlap and pages

On the buffet table, a table runner made of book pages that are dotted with black & white photos of Marissa and Jeff. My sister and shower hostess, Sloane, and I made this and many other book-page crafts over a month of Sundays. More details on those to come.

menu

The delicious menu! All dishes were made by hostesses extraordinaire, Barbara Fenzl and Kim Howard. I’ll see if I can’t get some of their scrumptious recipes for you!

lunch plate

Once the guests filled their plates, they went back outside into what turned out to be a perfect 72-degree Arizona spring day!

game time

bridal party

The bridal party – Bridesmaid Petra, Maid-of-Honor Kaley, Bride Marissa, Bridesmaid Lindsey, and Bridesmaid Carly. Missing: out-of-state Bridesmaids, Paige and Jessica.

RL

After lunch, we played a unique game suggested by Kim … details later.

dessert

Dessert was “Milk & Cookies.” My niece, Raina (Sloane’s daughter and Race’s big sister) is an amazing baker, so Sloane asked her to make the cookies. Everyone raved!

cousins

Cousins – Marissa and Raina!

milkbottles

As with many parties before, my vintage crate of milk bottles was called into service. Unfortunately, I didn’t get a photo of them filled, but not surprisingly, the iced chai and the iced Vietnamese coffee were the most popular choices.

press cold brew

Many thanks to Steve Kraus and Tram Mai for the gallon of Press Cold Brew coffee they gave me to make the Vietnamese coffee!

guests

After dessert, we moved back inside for the opening of gifts.

gift basket

I served as the “gift-hander” and the wrapping paper cleanup/re-boxing person.

girls help

While Kaley was the rehearsal-ribbon-bouquet-maker and Lindsey was the gift-list writer.

gift list

Thank you both, and thank you for the loading and unloading during the after-party cleanup too!

friends

It was the perfect day, the perfect bridal shower, put on by the perfect trio of hostesses – Kim Howard on the far left along with Sloane Hansen and Barbara Fenzl on the far right. You three are the hostess’s dream team! Marissa and I thank you from the bottom of our hearts! In this photo are my dear friends: Left of me – Kim, Anne, and Peggy. Right of Marissa – Tram, Laura, Sloane, and Barb.

family

Jeff’s mother and sister, Amy and Carly. So excited to officially call them family in a few months!

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6 comments

1 Bonnie { 05.12.15 at 10:46 AM }

I saw the balloons at Barb’s on Saturday when I was coming from the farmers’ market. So fun to see the inside scoop! Enjoy every second of this wonderful wedding journey! Take LOTS of pictures for it is but a memory way too soon!!

2 Anne { 05.12.15 at 11:02 AM }

So happy to see your email come through today! It really was a perfectly beautiful shower!! The food was delicious, the decor unique and wonderful, and Marissa (and mom!) were gorgeous and glowing!! So enjoyed being a part of this very special celebration! Love you much.

3 Betsy { 05.12.15 at 2:27 PM }

such amazing talent ! And what a beautiful shower, Bride and Mother of the Bride

4 Amy Silverthorn { 05.12.15 at 5:23 PM }

Linda, Thanks for sharing! You have been missed!

5 Dagmar { 05.12.15 at 5:58 PM }

From what I see and read, what a wonderful shower for Marissa. The detail/decor designed for her love in reading and journalism was so inventive and gorgeous. I really loved those book page roses. The food looks amazing too. So glad you shared. Missed you!

6 Marissa { 05.13.15 at 6:36 AM }

It was the most perfect and beautiful shower!

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