Hosting a house themed bridal shower

Paul's cousin, Avery, is getting married in November, and this past weekend Anna, Holly, and I threw her a house themed bridal shower. We had started planning a couple of months ago, and it all came together so nicely! Avery was beautiful and got some really nice gifts for her new house.

How does one host a house themed bridal party? So glad you asked! Let me show you!

Decide on an appetizer style dish for different rooms in the house.

"Breakfast in Bed" - yogurt, strawberry, and granola parfaits

 

 "Picnic on the Porch" - turkey and cranberry relish, and strawberry tea sandwiches

 

 "Fun in the Family Room" - brownies and rice krispie treats

 

 Drinks all around - tea and lemonade and water

Add some cute decorations.

Anna made this adorable "Home Sweet Home" banner

 

 I made a kitchen utensil shower cake, which had dish towels, spatulas, tongs, a whisk, and measuring spoons

Organize some fun games. 

Gift Bingo - each guest filled out a bingo card with the gifts she thought Avery would get. The winner got a prize - nail polish and enamel board

 "Date Night Jar" - each guest wrote a date night idea for Avery and Scott, and put it in the jar for Avery to take home. Let me tell you, there were some really cute ideas! I peaked to get some ideas too! :)

 Invite lots of family and friends - and have a great time!

We had grandmothers, aunts, cousins, long time friends, and church leaders come. What a special group of ladies here to support Avery. 

 And have one very beautiful bride to be!

Congratulations Avery! We are so excited for you and Scott, and can't wait for the wedding!

The shower was a success and we had a lot of fun planning and organizing and pulling it all together.

Only one thing for the next shower - I want to make a Shower Survival Kit to just pick up and take with me! In it I will include, but not be limited to, the following:

• paper towels
• scissors
• can openers
• tissues
• Sharpies
• sharp knife
• large spoon
• tape
• hand sanitzer
• Clorox wipes
•  air fresheners 

God Bless!

Random Happenings

Just some summer snapshots.

We've enjoyed eating out on the back deck these past few recent nights. Occasionally we even see the hummingbirds come to their feeders.

Football season is almost here!! Our first ever set of Clemson season tickets just arrived today! Clemson and Furman actually play each other this year. The last time they played was my freshman year at Furman, and I went to that game too! I think I'll just wear purple and cheer on both sides.

Vance! Our sweet puppy is going to be 6 years old in a couple of weeks! He's finally calming down and not so "puppy". He has loved being here with the Reid's. He has a new trick! He will actually knock on Leah's bedroom door at 7:30 in the morning to remind her it's time to go for their morning walk.

 

George made Paul a handmade/stirred vanilla milkshake tonight! I think we may be getting just a little bit spoiled. 

Happy Summer!

God Bless!

Edisto: Part 2

After long, hot days on the beach, or by the pool, or walking, or whatever, nothing beats jumping in the pool and cooling off.

Or, in my case, sitting by the pool getting splashed by the boys are trying to make the biggest cannonball. Not sure who won, but they had fun jumping in! 

I did get in the pool - the water felt great, and was welcomed relief from the heat, but I mostly floated on a raft, or sat in one of the in-pool seats.

We also celebrated Scott's 22nd birthday. We cooked him breakfast, and Paul made him a pancake-cake with whipped cream frosting and decorative strawberries and blueberries. 

And what vacation wouldn't be complete without a family corn hole tournament? Let me just say, it got intense! We all played well, and had a lot of fun, but in the end, Anna and Kevin won!

I also did a lot of reading - big surprise there, I know.

Actually, I didn't read as much as I thought I would - I took three books with me, and only finished one, and started one.

My morning devotions started with My Utmost for His Highness and continued with reading a chapter in Acts.

I finished the fourth book in Karen Kingsbury's series, Above the Line. It was good, but I haven't read any of her other series before, and they kind of inter-connected, so I felt like I was missing a lot of the back story. But still a well written, easy read that kept my attention through four books.

 And I started A Vintage Affair by Isabel Wolff. An interesting story about a young woman who opens a vintage clothing store.

We finished the week with Anna, Kevin, Scott, and Holly leaving on Friday to go weddings, and then my parents came in Friday afternoon. We spent the evening together, and then Saturday morning, my dad, Paul, and his dad got up super early to go to Kiawah for the PGA tournament. They had a great, but long and hot, day on the course. My mom, Leah, and I stayed back at the house and went for walks, sat in the sun, played a great game of Scrabble, and enjoyed the time we could have together.

All in all, it was a wonderful week. It's so hard to believe its already over!! We began planning this trip over a year ago and have been anticipating it ever since - and now it's over. Kinda sad.

I am fortunate to have married into such a wonderful and loving family.

God Bless

Edisto: Part 1

This week the Reid family is at Edisto Island Beach - enjoying the sun, the fellowship, and the fun.

The trip is not only for us to all get away and enjoy a vacation together, but also for the men to spend a couple of days at the PGA Tournament at Kiawah. We haven't all been on a vacation together for a couple of years, so we have been anticipating and preparing for this for a while now. It's hard to believe we are finally here and the week is already half over.

Time truly flies when you're having fun.

So far we have sat at the beach and the pool, played ping pong, corn hole, Scrabble, Things, Charlestonopoly, and Phase 10, eaten wonderful meals and desserts, read books, gotten sun burnt and tanned, eaten by mosquitoes, played bocce ball on the beach, gone on morning runs and walks, watched the rain, cheered on the USA female soccer team at the Olympics, and had devotions every night.

Like I said - time flies when you're having fun.

This is where we are staying - at the Treasure Chest House on Edisto Island. Awesome house.

Towels hanging to dry after an afternoon of swimming and sitting by the pool.

Corn hold made by Paul, Scott, and Anna. If every one on the island doesn't know this is a Clemson Tiger house then they must be blind.

Admiring the beauty of the ocean that only the one true Creator could have designed.

Sibling love.

Our feet in the sand!

Playing bocce ball on the beach tonight.

Oops!! Almost lost one in the ocean. The throw was good - the beach is sloped and the ball rolled into the ocean. But they found it.

Paul and Whitney - 2012

 

The week's half over, but there's still a lot more fun to be had and memories to be made!!

God Bless