The MoBster Diaries

Sunday, August 24, 2008

Oh, those little pimento cheese sandwiches!

I love bridal shower food. Especially Southern shower food. Cheese straws, lemon squares, little cucumber-and-cream-cheese sandwiches. Ooh, and little pimento cheese sandwiches! Yes, cheese plays a big role in Southern shower food.

We got our fill of wonderful cheesey food (and I mean that in a good way) at Bride-to-Be’s second shower, hosted by dear friends Kack and Allison. We call this our “church ladies” shower, as most of the attendees were friends from church. Believe me, these are not the Dana Carvey/Church Lady types. This is a fun, raucous, appropriately and charmingly wicked group.

But back to the food. And drink. The shower was touted as a “tea party.” With wine, of course. (We’re Episcopalians, after all.) And the tea was good, old fashioned sweet iced tea. That goes best with all the delicate cheese-infused treats. The spread couldn’t been lovelier or more delish.

I like these modern bridal showers - good conversation, a chance to catch up with friends, no silly party games. And alcohol.

The biggest change I think is that gift-opening is no longer a test of the Bride-to-Be's ability to think on her feet (or rear-end, as she's usually sitting down). In the olden days it was sheer torture to sit there and unwrap three or four identical chafing dishes or water pitchers, having to act surprised and think up something original to say for each one. Aargh! But thanks to more in-depth bridal registry, no one need show up with the same gift as four of your closest friends. So the gift-opening was fun and delightful. And the Bride-to-Be was truly grateful for each and every wonderful present.

And did I mention those little pimento cheese sandwiches?

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Saturday, August 16, 2008

A shower at Old Vinings Inn

Well, it couldn't have been more perfect! MoB's sister/aunt to the Bride Cindy and Cousin Lizzie hosted a lovely bridal luncheon for the ladies in the family at the Old Vinings Inn in Atlanta. This gathering of fabulous Southern women was loud and crazy and fun. Attendees ranged in age from 1 year to nearly 80, and a good time was had by all.

We started with rounds of Mimosas (yummmmmm) or whatever else folks found refreshing on a Southern summer afternoon. The menu was full of lovely choices, like:

Tomato Bisque - or - Salad (with lovely stuff mixed in). Those of us who chose the bisque wanted to lick our bowls, but refrained from doing so, as that would be uncouth at a bridal shower luncheon.

Vegetable Plate - or - BBQ Shrimp with Grits - or - Fresh Chicken Salad Sandwich. I can personally attest to the sheer deliciousness of the shrimp and grits. The chicken salad looked divine, though.

Dessert Plate (one for each table) that included Pecan Pie, Brownies, and other wonderful things that I just can't remember right now. Obviously, I stuck with the pie and brownies, as that's all that comes to mind.

A few statistics:

Number of Laughs per Hour: 433 (at least)

Conversation Decibel Level: 125dB

Youngest Attendee: Sarah Aurora (just turned 1)

Oldest Attendee: Nell (let's just say, she's over 65)

Most Polka Dots Worn By Attendee: Jessica and MoB (tie), though Lizzie is an Honorable Mention, since her shoes were polka dot

Coolest Shoes: Kittie and Lizzie (another tie); this was a hard one, as there were many cool shoes worn by the women of all ages


    Teariest Gift: Granny's (MoB's mother) silver tray, passed along to Kate by her Aunt Cindy; we all had a little weepy moment in honor of all the Bartow women now running things up in Heaven

Don't you wish you could've been there?

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Oh, the lace and beads!

Kate had her first fitting for her newly-made bridal gown this morning. It definitely needed a nip and tuck here and there, plus we've changed some of the detailing. Now, I'm not going to show you a picture of the dress - of course not. But here's a shot of some of the lace and beads. Gorgeous stuff!

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Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Weekend showers

Big weekend on tap, as MoB heads down to Atlanta for the first time in over 6 months.

Let's see. We have two bridal showers, one Saturday and one Sunday. Both "Miscellaneous." Bride didn't want to limit the booty. Er, I mean, she didn't want to inhibit anyone's personal gift-giving options.

Saturday's shower is for the women o' the family, and that includes girl-children. Lil Sis and Daughter Lizzie are hosting a lovely bridal luncheon at The Vinings Inn, complete with wine, fancy food, and valet parking. It will be a hoot and a holler, I promise.

Sunday's shower is hosted by the "ladies of the church." Well, not all of them, of course; just our oldest and dearest friends, like Bride's confirmation sponsor and the former rector's wife. Others are invited, too, like Bride's third grade teacher. This shower is at a lovely home on Peachtree Battle Avenue.

Showering won't be all we'll be doing while I'm in Atlanta. Just think of all the little odd jobs that must be done two months from the wedding date. Well, I'll be there to help. I know that I'm slated to address wedding invitations (see previous post), which should eat up a fair amount of time but must be done.

I'll take lots of pictures and bore you silly with them, but it is my blog, so I'm allowed. After all, I am the Mother of the Bride.

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