Weddingbee

Herro!  I’m back from my 2nd wonderful Bridal Shower out in Long Lake, Minnesota!  It was an afternoon tea, and we had a fabulous time at the shower playing games, opening gifts, and hanging out with Mr. Penguin’s extended family.

Mr. Penguin’s Mom (far left) and I (the Asian one) with my gracious shower hosts! Aunt Rita, Aunt Lisa and Aunt Janice.

When we were in Vegas last week, Mr. Penguin’s sister asked me how we were going to lug all our bridal shower gifts home. I said to her “well, do you think we’ll just get a bunch of gift cards?” To which she responded…”My family doesn’t DO gift cards!” So we came well prepared with 2 extra empty bags, just in case we’d have to lug a lot of stuff home. But Mr. Penguin’s family and friends did a fabulous job of taking into account the fact that I’d be traveling half way across the country, and came up with some cute ideas so that I would still be able to OPEN a lot of gifts, without having to take them home.

Here’s how we made it back home without tipping the scales:

A few guests that had shipped gifts to California got creative so that I was able to have something to open from them at the shower.

Aunt Janice and her daughters Amanda and Allie gifted us our Stainless Steel Charger plates. The girls made a card out of a printout of the gift, and also gave me measuring spoons in a box so they were able to wrap something up.

Aunt Lisa also did something similar, including a picture of the gift she sent in her card.

Mr. Penguin’s cousin Natele gave us a really cute picture frame and in the frame included a picture of the gift that she had sent to California.

And Mr. Penguin’s mom gifted us our KitchenAid Mixer. She wrapped up some coordinating dish towels in a box with a cute little card.

And finally, I received a few cases of bar ware that I was concerned about bringing home, and one of Mr. Penguin’s aunts suggested that I return all the glass in Minnesota and re-buy it all back in California. What a fabulous idea for getting everything home safe!

The shower was really wonderful! We had afternoon tea and a fun round of games. Here’s some highlights!

Aunt Janice kicked us off with games:

Gifts…I got so many it was overwhelming! And now our registry is drained!

Mr. Penguin’s cousin Pam thought they only did the “rehearsal bouquets” made out of ribbon from the shower in the State of Minnesota! She thought we were too “classy” in California to do something like that. PSH! I showed her. I challenged her to make a better bouquet than the one that my BM made for me at my California shower. I think the Minnesota Bouquet won!

Mr. Penguin’s stepmom took up crocheting this past year as a hint to her daughter to start making her some grandchildren. She crocheted me a blanket ALL WINTER LONG for my shower! She made it in Grey, to match our wedding color! It’s so beautiful, and I’m a blanket junkie (I work all day long wrapped in one) so it’s going to get many years of good loving.

I made goodie bags for all the young girls in attendance and they had a good time opening them up…more on those later!

And of course, tea party food! It was ALL AMAZING, all homemade, from the hand-dipped petit fours to the 5 layer sandwich loaf! It was all painstakingly bite sized and so delicious!

My Step-MIL and her good friend Lucy

And of course, no tea party is complete without tea! We had 3 yummy kinds, White Peony, Green with Mango, and another I forgot…Mr. Penguin, a tea fiend, was so jealous!

An exhaustingly fun day. We partied till dinnertime! And then we ate some more

Do you have any fun ideas for gift giving/receiving at an Out of Town Shower?