My Bridal Shower!

What a wonderful day!

My sister (who is also my maid of honor) and my mom have been working for months to plan this special day for me. I’ve seen the two of them whispering and I’ve been shunned out of various rooms in my parents house the past few times I visited my family in St. Pete, so it was wonderful to see all of their hard work and planning come to fruition!

They planned my bridal shower at the Tuscawilla Country Club, located in Winter Springs.

Ryan’s mom and I headed over to the country club together just before 11 a.m.

After hugging my mom and sister hello, I immediately noticed these delicious lookin’ little beauties.

My mom made these devil’s food cupcakes with whipped pink frosting which were light and delicious!

My sister was quite crafty when planning the event and clearly spent a lot of time on the cute little details.

Her little table markers were oh-so-Martha Stewart! 😀

My mom and sister also handmade the favors for all of the shower attendees.

Not only were their cookies adorable, but they were also very tasty!

They even made a special bridal one for me which I absolutely loved.

Aside from my sister, Laurel was my only bridesmaid who was able to make it to the shower (everyone else lives in Chicago, Texas or Iowa) and she showed her true bridesmaid prowess when it came the the “How Well Do You Know the Bride” trivia game.

Laurel and I lived together our sophomore through senior year in college, so it was no shocker she had nearly every answer down pat!

The trivia game was one of four games my sister planned for the shower. We also had a great time with a purse scavenger hunt, name that famous duo challenge and a trivia game involving questions she asked Ryan ahead of time that I had to guess the answers to.

Of course a portion of the shower was dedicated to present opening.

If you can believe it, that was the gift table before my friends arrived! Clearly my mom, Ryan’s mom, Ryan’s grandma and my aunts took this shower seriously. 😀

I received some seriously amazing gifts (Hello, KitchenAid Mixer!!!). Everyone was so unbelievably thoughtful and kind to bring something for me and Ryan before our wedding and I felt very blessed.

We had quite a time loading everything into my car!

The funniest gift was saved for last…

What in the world???

Well, it’s Jezebel, of course!

Isn’t she awesome?

Jezebel was made completely of handy household and kitchen items including an ironing board, mop, spatulas, sponges, a colander, apron, dish towels and more!

In the midst of all the game-playing, chit-chatting and gift giving, we also enjoyed a delicious lunch.

I had a turkey and hummus wrap with fresh fruit which I inhaled! Apparently my morning run with Sadie sparked my appetite!

I also sipped on a mimosa before lunch which was fantastic.

Mimosas should be an evening staple if you ask me! They’re too good to only enjoy in the morning.

I was sad to say goodbye at the end of the brunch, but I was so thankful for the love I felt from my friends and family all afternoon.

(Thanks, Minda, for driving all the way from Jacksonville!)

Once everyone was gone, Ryan’s mom and I drove back to our apartment to say hello to Ryan and his mom’s boyfriend. I had to head out pretty quickly because my mom, sister and I had an appointment at the bridal boutique where I brought my dress to pick up my sister’s bridesmaid dress!

I absolutely love my bridesmaid dresses!

My sister tried hers on and it looks amazing. I don’t even think she’ll need any alterations made! Sch-weet!

I’m finally back at our apartment and it feels amazing to be chillin’ on the couch. I have a feeling that’s exactly what the rest of the night will entail. Present unpacking can wait… 😉

See ya bright ‘n’ early in the morning!

Crock Pot Chicken Tacos

After such a successful slow cooker meal last night, we decided to keep the ol’ crocker out for tonight’s dinner.

Ryan and I had a fiesta for dos tonight and enjoyed crock pot chicken tacos. Another easy-peasy recipe that only requires two ingredients (not counting water):

• One pound ground chicken
• One packet taco seasoning

The Goods

Directions:

Place the chicken in the crock pot and top with seasoning packet and 2/3 cup of water. Stir and fork through the chicken so it’s not sitting in the pot in one big clump.

Let it cook on low for six to eight hours. The chicken will form into one big chicken patty, but that’s okay! Just use a fork to mash it up.

Taco Chicken

We enjoyed our chicken in tacos with lettuce, tomato, and salsa. I prefer hard shells while Ryan likes his soft.

The Spread

Taco, Taco

Maybe Ryan likes the tortilla-style tacos because he’s such a softie. Okay, that’s a lie. The man does not cry. Ever.

As Monica from Friends would say, he’s like Chandler and has no soul. 😉

"You're Dead Inside!"

As I type this, I realize this is a reflection on my lack-of-soul as well, seeing as how we’re getting married and are supposed to be soul mates. Ah well. I love ya, Baby! 🙂

After I’m done posting for the night we’re off to cuddle with Miss Sadie-dog and not-cry together.

Sadie does enough crying and whining for the both of us. I remember a magnet I used to see on the fridge of my friend’s parents when I was growing up. It read: “Would you like some cheese with that whine?” This would suit Sadie perfectly.

Are you a crier? Is your significant other a crier?

Key Lime Cupcake

Before I sign off for the night I wanted to leave you with a delicious picture of tonight’s dessert.

Key Lime Cupcake

I bought this cupcake from Sweet!, a cute cupcake and frozen yogurt shop, as a surprise treat for Ryan since I know it’s his favorite flavor. 

The icing is creamy and even has specs of vanilla bean in it! Wow-zaa! The cupcake itself has a creamy key lime filling. At the bottom of the cupcake is a sugary graham cracker “crust.” Oh-so-good!  

G’night BlogWorld! See ya in the mornin’! 🙂