The Sweet Shower: Deweecious Setup

Da Hubs thinks I'm planning an excessive amount of food for MOH-Ho's shower, and dared me to do a post asking your opinion. I ain't scurred! While I'm at it, Imma show you the setup of it all too.

Here is the main buffet table that will feature 10 desserts:

1. Cupcakes
2. Brownie bites
3. Raspberry Truffles
4. Palmiers
5. Biscotti
6. Cookies (Chocolate Chip, Oatmeal, White Chocolate Macadamia)
7. Madeleines
8. Sugar Free Cookies (Lemon Creme and Chocolate Striped Shortbread)
9. Apple Pie
10. Cherry or Pumpkin Pie (still deciding, what do you think?)
    

I'm reusing my wedding cake stands here. The 2 pies will be placed at the front corners of the table. I wanted to keep them low (my excuse for being too cheap to buy pie plates), and I know I've got issues but I just loove those little tongs!
Those extra little tags from the invite suite will label the desserts:
Then there's the cotton candy and chocolate fountain station, which will be manned by MOH-Ho's homeboy:
Chocolate fountain dip items include:

1. Strawberries
2. Pineapple
3. Marshmallows
4. Pretzels
5. Graham Crackers

and y'all know how much I dig that chocolate fountain!

Third table will serve 5 drinks (Thermos is a photo stand-in for a carafe):

1. 2% Milk
2. Raspberry Lemonade Vodka
3. Cream Soda
4. Coffee
5. Bottled Water (for ease to take-along upon departure)
   

I did special labels for each drink (again, matching the invites):
There will be around 25 (plus or minus a couple) people at this shower. As a huge boofay fan, I really wanted to provide a good variety of desserts. I'll also be providing to-go bags for guests to take food home. One highlight of a recent convo between da hubs and I on this topic went down like this:

DH: 'AND 2 pies?! No pies! You don't need the pies! Plus no one eat pies without ice cream!'
Me: ' Ooo! I should do an ice cream station too then, with a toppings buffet!'
DH: AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!
(for the sake of my marriage, I'm forgoing the ice cream station)

I have quite a bit of detail to be added to this basic set up. But before we get to that post, will you be our judge and tell us if you think I'm over doing things and should be beaten by the starving children in China; OR if I'm simply doing the word buffet justice? (or if you think I'm underestimating it all and must add the ice cream station, I'd like to hear that too)

Sweet Shower Invites (Downloadable Template Included)

I am throwing a bridal shower for MOH-Ho and it is freaking me out! I did accomplish one thing, though not without huge assembly help from MOH-Ho and her momma - the shower invites:

MOH-Ho is a big time baker (she's the mastermind behind my wedding cupcakes) so she's getting a 'Sugar Spice Nice' theme dessert shower. The 3-page invite includes the basic invite on the front (sugar), details & rsvp info in the middle (spice), and a blank recipe card on the last for guests to share their favorite recipe with the bride (nice).

The linen texture strips of increasing lengths are aligned on the left side and sewn together with matching thread...

to give this staggering effect on the right:

The envelope is folded from pastel pink vellum and sewn shut. The invite info is covered by a matching address label.

I originally wanted the seal to be done with an off white linen ribbon matching the paper texture, but I wasn't sure it would hold up in the mail. Sewing it shut was a practical alternative, and it turns out to have a cleaner feel which I like.

The finished product:

Like MOH-Ho's wedding invitations, this set is also printed on a single piece of cardstock. Included are the 3 strips, address label, plus a couple extra matching small labels/tags:


CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THIS TEMPLATE


Also like MOH-Ho's wedding invitations, matching thank-yous will follow :)


NOTES:

• Paper - Recycled white linen cardstock for the invite, and pastel pink vellum for the envelope.
• Text - AFL Font Pespaye Nonmetric
• Envelope -

1. Cut 10" x 7" piece of vellum
2. Score and fold in at solid red lines (the 2 shorter folds first, then the middle)
3. Insert invite
4. Sew shut at dotted line right above top edge of invite

Planning this sweet shindig has been difficult for me for a lot of reasons. I've never attended a bridal shower before, I'm doing this long distance and my summer field assignment has kept me super busy and exhausted, plus I'm nervous that it won't be good enough for her friends and family (I'm not around women much!). Fortunately MOH-Ho has been very supportive and forgiving about my shortcomings. While I feel bad that she has to work on her own shower, I really couldn't do it without her!

Would you mind helping with your own shower?

360 'Round the Sun

A year ago today I put on a silly poofy dress, high fived a stud, did my own stunt, lip synced to Neil, got smashed with cake, and danced like no one's watching.

It was off the hook! But contrary to what people tell me, it was not the best time of my life, by far.

You see, ol' Miss Independent here was a non believer in marriage 'til not too long before walking down that aisle. "Didn't need some title or piece of paper to define what I've got," so arrogantly I thought to my ignorant little self.

But holy crap y'all marriage is the best thing since was always better than sliced bread! I now recommend it like it's Shamwow, tooting how you'll be saying wow. A good husband is great for the house, the car, the boat, the RV, and can hold 12x his weight in liquid!

Married life has been a blast, and the simplest days sitting on the couch enjoying it totally beat the excitement of a wedding. Not to put down the big party, of course, but I hope brides-to-be don't lose sight of the wonders ahead, especially in those stressful hours of tissue paper fluffing and such.

And to my husband - thanks for all the wows.

Photo: 1st in the series of anniversary bouquets that is my endless wedding present.

RSVP Tracking

I got a black light pen so MOH-Ho can track her RSVPs, in case any of them comes in illegible, damaged in the mail (it is a postcard, afterall), or my favorite - blank. I actually tracked my own by marking them with an inkless pen, but this is definitely safer and easier. I found this pen for barely over a buck (shipping included!), so I thought I'd show you the results and share the deal:

You really can't tell the markings at all under normal lighting:

I bought the pen HERE, and shipping took like 3 weeks (I was in no hurry so it didn't matter). Packaging was crappy (definitely don't send it directly as a gift), but the pen itself works perfectly. $1.33 for a good little spy pen to arrive right in my mailbox, really can't be beat.

MOH-Ho's Thank You Cards (Downloadable Template Included)

Matching the invite suite I designed for MOH-Ho, here are her thank you cards:


I included both the cover and the inside of this card for download (print one on the front and the other on the back of the same piece of paper). It was a pain to get it to line up correctly, and I don't have any tips to give on that one. If it's giving you too much trouble though, the cover alone still makes a nice card. The file contains these:


You can't see it from the pics here but I put in faint lines to help guide the cuts. Cutting the circle from the cover only works if you print both sides, but it is optional either way. I highly recommend scoring the card at the fold.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD TEMPLATE

Notes:

• Find details on the paper and envelope on the post for the invite suite
• Actual colors vary depending on your printer (also, if you print it on the gold paper like I did, the colors come out darker than they appear on white paper)
  

Enjoy!

MOH-Ho's Invite Suite (DownloadableTemplate Included)

EDIT: Apologies to those who were asking about this post, I had to take it offline for awhile and completely redo the photos. I know it took me a long time and the photos aren't as good as before, but everything is harder to do since I'm far from home, sorry about that.

Here are the invites I designed for MOH-Ho's wedding. I worked really hard on making these efficient (the set is printed on a single sheet of 8.5x11 cardstock). While I thoroughly enjoy receiving a pretty invite, I also feel terrible when I throw out fancy sets that include so much material. So I was thrilled that MOH-Ho and her parents appreciated the compactness as I did!

Here's the whole suite:

Instead of an inner envelope, I added matching circles with first names of guests to top the suite that is tied together by a cotton string:
A closer look at the directions/website card and the RSVP postcard:
Back of envelope and back of postcard:
The texture and color of the paper added the perfect touch :)
Cost Breakdown for 100 invites:

Purple Metallic Envelopes (100): $24
Gold Linen Metallic Cardstock (100): $28
String from craft store: $2
Tax & Shipping: $8
Home printing cost not included since I have no way to estimate and would vary depending on your printer

Cost per invite suite: $0.62


Below is the template set for this invite suite free for you to download:


CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD TEMPLATE PART 1 (PDF)

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD TEMPLATE PART 2 (MS WORD)

Instructions:
1. Download both templates
2. Personalize text (change wording, color, font, sizes to suit your needs) in the word document
3. Print both templates on the same piece of test sheet (be sure to recycle scratch paper if you have some around!)
4. Modify text format and move text boxes as appropriate, then repeat step 3&4 on new test sheet until satisfactory
5. Print on paper of your choice, see my recommendations in post
6. Cut and assemble


Notes:

• Included are 3 cards, label, 2 name tags
• 3 cards are identically sized, fits in a 4 bar ( 3 5/8"x 5 1/8") envelope
• Postcard is slightly smaller than USPS standard (our local post office says they can still be mailed, just with a little more postage)
• Sample pic shown with Birch Std font
• Actual colors vary depending on your printer
  

Enjoy!

Worthwhile

I've spent endless hours on writing DIY posts that includes everything from detailed instructions to downloadable templates (I know I'm slacking as of late, y'all, but I've got a good excuse!). Honestly though, even with plenty of your kind and wonderful feedback on my quirky creations, I often wonder if they are ever put to use.

Enter reader Almost Wea who just made my friggin' week. Check out her fabulous version of the centerpieces I designed for MOH-Ho! Woot! Thanks girl, you don't know how much this means to crafter who is sent 100 miles away from her tools for a whole summer!

*Photo by Almost Wea