Bridal Shower Take 2

I’ve finally come to the realization that my brother is getting married. It has taken me quite a while, and I never understood what a ridiculously huge change that it would be for me specifically. I would have no one to pull out large clumps of my hair, rip skin off my body when I hide his apple pies, talk trash about our parents with (That rarely happens :), no one to spend lazy days shopping at discount stores and buying mini animal crackers, no one to sample my new recipes and give me unsatisfactory remarks, no one to do any of this stuff with anymore. All of the stuff that makes no sense, that won’t really be a huge part of my life anymore.

So now that I have written you the sob novel part of the post, I’ll move on to the happy part. I’m gaining this amazing sister who is bubbly, cute, fun, and opinionated. She is me, just a few years older. We are so similar it is slightly frightening. But, I must confess, that she is perfect for my dear brother whom I love so much. She can hide his pies, talk trash about people, and get “dis” complimented on her cooking skills. She will love it, and she loves my brother. I love her.

So, this post is most like a celebration of the fact that I’m getting a new sister. My mom and I just KNEW we had to throw Valerie a smashing party because..you know…that is just what Miss Cupcake does. So enter the world of our lovely party….

Now, we all know that I’m slightly obsessed with sugar and all of its forms. One guest at the party saw the candy buffet and uttered, “It’s like the sugar household. You come here and they force feed sugar into the mouths of your children.” I loved that. I delighted in that statement.

I’ve decided that I needed to stock up on a few cute jars for my candy buffet. After running through TJ Maxx, jumping for joy with the new and exciting treasures I beheld with mine own eyes. I spent way to much money. That of which I have already decided to call “investment expense.” I’ve justified it already.

Pink and green candy buffet, similar to the last one I posted about. Similar, but oh so different.

This absolutely adorable cake dish was my favorite find while shopping. Once I spotted it, I knew it needed to be mine. It even says something French on the front. What it actually says, I have not a clue. For all I know, it could say sweet corn or tire store. Who knows….at least its fancy!

We got this sweet water jug from Sam’s Club the other week. Boy was it a steal. Look at the fancy lemons and oranges. I call it “Spring Water with a Kiss of Orange and Lemon.” Everyone loved it. So simple, yet so fancy.

And then there was this fancy soda called Frizzante. Divine. We originally had it at my cousins birthday bash (you know the one with the cupcake pinata).  Located at your nearest  Wegman’s,  this soda is sure to blow your mind. Want to feel fancy? Frizzante is for you.

These cute signs adorned the candy buffet and drink table.

This is my beautiful cousin Palmer. Reminds me exactly of me as a child. She is absolutely adorable but she sure does have her own way about everything. Strong willed–I like it.

At the shower, we had everyone fill out tidbits of “kitchen wisdom” so that Val could have a plethora of advice from the people who all love her so much. We also had Blake answer “either/or” questions, then tested Val on her knowledge of what he would have picked. Then, as you can see below, Blake had to stuff marshmallows in his mouth for every question that she got wrong. He found a way to make (I believe) over 12 fit in his mouth. At first, he decided that he would avoid a huge problem and quickly eat them as soon as she got the question wrong. However, we didn’t let that happen long. We proceeded to make sure that he started over…mainly because I think we wanted to see him suffer. I’m pretty sure that Val answered a few wrong on purpose.

Lots of presents. Because it was a grocery shower, every gift that she opened made me salivate. I could hardly watch, gift after gift with a grocery theme. It was a beautiful and emotional thing for me.

My mom and I had a nice deal, I would do everything food wise and she would take care of the outside. I realized the deal was slightly unfair when I didn’t get to bed until 2:00am the night before.

The menu, you may ask?

  • Caramelized Onion, Roasted Tomato, and Herbed Cheese Tart
  • Watermelon Feta Salsa With Mint, Cilantro, and Red Onion
  • Spinach Pasta Salad with Ham, Gorgonzola, and Cherry Tomatoes
  • Sweet Bologna Roll-ups with Light Cream Cheese
  • Apple Pecan Chicken Salad Stuffed Tomatoes with Pretzel Buns and Herbed Crackers
  • Fresh Fruit Salad
  • Assorted Veggie Tray with Light Ranch Dip

Such a fabulous party. I was in my glory as a hostess. Love it. Love my new family.

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