The Best Shower Gift…Ever!

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So you’re the mother of the bride…what to give your daughter for her bridal shower?  When my daughter first became engaged, and I was overwhelmed with the thought of all the parties and festivities, the shower was what I feared most.  Admit it, we women judge each other on our creativity and generosity in gift giving.  Think back to your children’s birthday parties.  Didn’t you admire the mom who gave the hottest new toy, the gift that was wrapped the coolest?  And didn’t you want to be the one admired?  I sure did, but rarely was…

Then I had an epiphany.  I would give a shower gift from the heart, and I’d ask my own mother to help.  I decided to compile a group of recipes from my mother, mother-in-law, grandmothers, aunts and cousins.  Then I had another “Ah Ha” moment.  I would ask Maggie’s fiancé’s family to contribute to the recipe collection as well.  It ballooned from there.  I received recipes from his mom, dad, grandmothers, cousins, aunts, and uncles.  What I loved, was that the receipes were in in the cook’s own handwriting.  I even had one from my grandmother who was born in 1910!

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My mother assembled it all, and put the recipes in a book.  She actually used a scrapbook, including silk flowers to dress it up and laminated the recipes.  Maybe you’re a neat cook, but my girls and I are not.  The lamination will come in nicely to wipe up spills.  🙂

Above Photo: Rob and Maggie, my son-in-law and daughter  —  Patty Cloherty Photos

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Somewhere along the way, it wasn’t about the ‘coolest gift,’ but a give of love, tradition, history.  I had tears when Maggie opened it, and she did too…Yes…it was the best shower gift…ever…

Please enjoy the three photos of the recipe book.

 

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An Observation of Small Town Life

Nothing defines small town New England and modern technology as well as this little snippet…

Last year about this time, one of my high school girls was discussing Maggie and Rob’s upcoming wedding with one of her teachers. There was cause for concern…If you will recall, when we booked the wedding on a Friday, there was always the fear that we would have a hard winter, lots of snow days, and thus our two youngest girls, still in high school, would have finals on the wedding day. Guess what? Worst case scenario – we had finals on the day of the wedding!  🙁  Glad KK and Tyler’s wedding is in July this year, or we may be facing the same issue given the winter we’ve had!

Anyway… The teacher asked my daughter, Who is your sister marrying?”

“Rob Stauble,” she replied.

“Oh, Rob!  One of my favorite students!  He gave a great speech at graduation!” He exclaimed.

Meanwhile, a fellow student, who has a brother in Rob’s class, overheard the conversation and texted her brother and asked him. “Guess who’s getting married?!?” After received the news flash,  the brother immediately texted Rob “Congrats!”  Rob in turn texted  Tess and asked if she knew his classmate’s little sister.

“Yes,” was her reply. “I’m in class with her now!”  All this is the space of two minutes…

Please enjoy the pictures belo of our quintessential little New England town!  Keep scrolling!  Photo Creds: Glastonbury website

 

 Connecticut River – Glastonbury

                                                                                                       Lovely trail in Glastonbury

Below:  St Paul’s Roman Catholic Church, Venue of Rob and Maggie’s wedding

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Alternative To The Wedding Veil

 

I had no idea…and I mean NO IDEA… of the vast options available for the bride who wants something different from the traditional wedding veil!

Today begins a series of those options.  I found so much great material about alternatives to the veil, I couldn’t share it all in just one post.

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www.weddingwindow.com (photo #1)

 

www.pininterst.com  (photo #2)

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madisonplus.com (photo #3)

The most common alternative seems to be some sort of netting covering the eyes, like the three photos above.  Commonly called a “Blusher,” word on the street is that it’s making a come-back.  Coincidently, “blusher” is the name of the short “mini” veil the traditional  bride wears over her face these days, while a much longer, more intricate fabric of gauze trails behind her.  While I am a traditionalist, and I think “veil” equals “bride,” I must admit the smaller, more tailored style allows focus to be on the bride’s beautiful hair, make-up and dress.

 

 

 

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thebridalwishlist.blogspot.com (photo #4)

Photo number 4 is merely an embellished headband, but what a gorgeous one it is!  It’s dramatic, and gives the bride a regal image.  While not quite a tiara, it lends the feel of one with all the rhinestones.  The same goes for the gorgeous headpiece decoration below.  This is my favorite, and I think it would be even more striking on a brunette…But then I am slightly biased…  🙂  Even if you choose a traditional veil, consider one of these pretty pieces after you removed your veil for the reception.  Along with your while bridal gown, one of these sparkers will set you apart from your attendants.  And what about those attendants?  Do you wish for them to hear a headpiece of some sort?  It was de rigor in days of old, one reason being Catholic women had to have their heads covering during Mass, and other Christians followed suit.  Then it became a style thing.  I like it…

 

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www.etsy.com

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A Flower Girl in Your Wedding?

Fifty-two years ago, I was tapped to be the flower girl at my aunt’s wedding.  My mother was SO excited!  What mother does NOT want her her daughter to be “the darling” at a wedding?

The evening of the wedding finally arrived.  I was about the age I am in the picture to the right with my dad… and little dog – three years old.  If you will notice  – there is NO picture of me in my flower girl attire.

That is because I refused to go through with it.  I was NOT walking down the isle and scattering rose petals.  Maybe the evening candlelit ceremony unnerved me.  Maybe I just had ‘good old stage fright’.  But I would NOT do it.  Even the WHOLE dollar my dad tried to bribe me with didn’t work.  (Now maybe if he had offered chocolate 🙂 )…And maybe…I was just too young.

My own daughters, Tess and Julia, were honored to be flower girls at our friend Mollie’s wedding in Chicago.  They were older than I when I was asked to be an attendant, and they had each other.  My girls  did a great job, and I was proud.    So this raises a question.  Are you as the bride, or mother of the bride, willing to leave an important part of the procession in the hands of a fickle little girl(s)?  I wasn’t.  When Kenny and I married, I chose to not have a flower girl.  The main reason being, I knew how I had acted as a young child. And truth be told, I didn’t want anyone to be cuter than I… 🙂

But children add a certain sweet innocence to the affair, and the photo opportunities are endless.  They can also add comic relief to a emotion-filled ceremony.  If I had it to do again, I’d have a flower girl, and a ring bearer to boot!