Nashville Wife

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bridal shower

Valentine’s Day Bridal Shower

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Valentine's Day bridal shower

Anne just threw another themed bridal shower! When she mentioned several months ago that she had been chosen as the maid of honor for her husband’s sister’s wedding and needed to throw a shower in February, I suggested she do a Valentine’s Day theme. So technically I came up with the initial idea, but Anne ran with it and made it into something truly lovely. Unfortunately, I was unable to attend this wedding shower because I’m still trying to limit germ exposure for myself and Mr. H Jr, but everything looked so beautiful that I wanted to share photos. Happy Valentine’s Day! Visit my Bridal Showers and Party Planning pages for more ideas.

First, the decor…

Valentine's Day bridal shower

Valentine's Day bridal shower

Valentine's Day bridal shower

Valentine's Day bridal showerThe food looked delicious…

Valentine's Day bridal shower

Speaking of chocolate fondue, when Mr. Handsome and I were dating, he made a Valentine’s Day meal of steak and chocolate fondue. The steak was perfect, but the chocolate tasted a little burnt. He insisted that it was a fancy type of chocolate that has a different taste to it. I knew better but since he went to so much trouble, I decided not to say anything. He told me the truth a few weeks later, and we had a good laugh….

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Choo-Choo I’m Two!

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choo choo I'm two children's birthday party

My sister-in-law Anne has been at it again. Her son is about to turn two years old, and she planned another extremely creative, themed children’s birthday party for family and close friends. We weren’t able to attend, but she sent photos, and I thought they were just too clever not to share. The theme was trucks and trains–“Choo-Choo I’m Two.”…

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Mr. Handsome’s Great-Grandmother

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Mr. Handsome and I spent Easter weekend with family. We saw both our immediate families, as well as both sides of Mr. Handsome’s extended family. All the ladies attended a bridal shower for my almost-21-year-old sister-in-law, who is getting married in early summer. (Remember when I posted pictures of her engagement party?)

Last week, my mother-in-law called and informed us that her grandmother (Mr. Handsome’s great-grandmother) would be at the shower and suggested we bring one of Mr. Handsome’s paintings for her.

Almost 102 years old, Great-Grandma lives alone, and she is a spitfire. She and Mr. Handsome have a special bond because they both have a dry sense of humor and enjoy poking fun at each other. When I handed Great-Grandma the wrapped painting, one of the great-aunts, who has a similar sense of humor, exclaimed, “I think it’s a baseball!” As she was leaving, Great-Grandma reminded me to be sure to thank my husband for the baseball.

Amidst all the joking, Great-Grandma truly was touched to receive such a heartfelt gift. She has a dozen grandchildren and a few dozen
great-grandchildren, and she gives all of them (plus their spouses) presents  at Christmas, but very few of them acknowledge her. We’re not sure how much longer she will be with us, but we want to make her feel special while she’s here.

*Have you been down the Oregon Coast? The scene pictured in the painting is Heceta Head Lighthouse, located in Florence, Oregon. It is based on the photos we took of the lighthouse when we visited last October.

Fall-Themed Bridal Shower

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Earlier this week, I shared two of the games we played at the wedding shower we threw for my future sister-in-law (purse raid and the shoe game). About twenty ladies attended, and we enjoyed chatting and laughing together.The theme of the shower was “fall in love.” (It was fall themed, which I’m sure you figured out.) Scroll down to see pictures:

Order of events chalkboard

The “We Do Forever” sign we had left over from my DIY outdoor wedding reception–letters are attached to the board using nails

A closeup of the pumpkin (49 Days Until She Says ‘I Do’)

Bridal shower word search

Guess how many chocolate kisses (winner takes them all home…there were 69)

Random cute chalkboard

Snack table (cobbler bar with your choice of toppings…blueberries sauce, baked cinnamon apple slices, and chocolate sauce) and other munchies

We also held a pumpkin decorating contest. We split up into groups of three or four and decorated a pumpkin to look like a bride. The groom-to-be chose his favorite (the one on the left). My group’s is two from the right, but our face isn’t the greatest. LOL.

Bridal Shower Game: Purse Raid

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Last weekend, my mother-in-law, sisters-in-law, and I threw a bridal shower for the soon-to-be wife of Mr. Handsome’s youngest brother, Joseph. I led the guests in a game of Purse Raid, which was a blast. It’s perfect for wedding showers, baby showers, or any other type of female get-together. Here’s how you play:

Have guests take a seat holding their purses. As the host calls out each item on the list, the first lady to hold up that item receives the number of points allotted. Have guests keep track of their points, and hand out prizes to the first, second, and third place winners. (For prizes, I purchased three specialty Hershey’s bars (symphony bar, cookies and cream bar, and special dark with almonds).

2 Points
Cell Phone
Credit Card
Keys
Lipstick, lip gloss, or chap stick
Writing Utensil
Driver’s License
Breath Mints, Gum, or Candy
$1 Bill

4 Points
Library Card
Receipt
Tissue
Comb or Brush
Sunglasses
Store Loyalty Card
Checkbook
Mirror
Gift Card
Dental Floss
Toothbrush
Picture of Your Mother or Mother-In-Law
Tape Measure
Penny or Nickel

6 Points
Nail File or Clippers
Business Card
Notebook or Notepad
Medicine
Hair Accessories
Piece of Mail
Datebook or Day Planner (not a cell phone)
Picture of the Bride
Coupon
Hand Sanitizer
Band-Aid
Deodorant
Perfume
Hand Lotion

8 Points
Child’s toy or book
$50 in cash
5 Credit Cards
Hairspray
mp3 player (not a cell phone)
Calculator (not a cell phone)
Needle and Thread
Playing Cards
Food Item
Reading Glasses
Water Bottle

10 Points
Mace or Pepper Spray
Passport
$100 in cash
Curling Iron
Postage Stamp
Umbrella

Pinterest-Perfect Wedding Shower

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Back in May, I was blessed to have three wedding showers, thrown by my mother-in-law and sisters-in-law, a friend from church, and Mr. Handsome’s aunts. The first one was very much a “Pinterest-Perfect” Shower. My oldest sister-in-law, Anne, headed up the decorating, and she and the other girls did a fabulous job.The theme was “Love is Brewing.” This mantle decoration is made of brown paper and string.

Anne and her sisters wrote cute sayings on bulletin boards covered with chalkboard paper. This one says: “Old, New, Borrowed, and Blue; 44 Days ‘Til They Say ‘I Do.'”

And this one shows the progression of our dating courtship.

Anne created a crossword puzzle with facts about Mr. Handsome and me and handed out prizes to the people who could fill in the most answers.

Guests were served refreshments and cheese cake. (My mother-in-law even provided special snacks for our gluten free guests.) The sign in this picture says “Have Tea with the Bride-to-Be.”

On one of the walls in the living room, my in-laws hung pictures of us from our childhoods. They also had a station where guests could address an envelope to themselves (genius idea!), which made thank you notes a whole lot easier.

Then, of course, there were gifts. My mom folded all the wrapping paper and tissue paper so I could start off with a good supply as a new wife.