Wedding Shower

Yesterday I hosted a wedding shower for one of my best friends. As we are both originally from the States, and her wedding is taking place in Chicago, it seemed the appropriate thing to do. To my knowledge wedding showers (and baby showers) have yet to catch on in the emerald isle. Usually the duty falls to the maid of honour and the other bridesmaids. As I am the only 'Irish' based bridesmaid I decided that I could handle the lot of it. Yes I do have a problem delegating, something I readily admit - perhaps it is because the age old adage "If you want something done properly - do it yourself" is a mantra I am unwilling to let go of. I had visions of my normal cooking and baking activities. Once my father and I managed to cater a full dinner for the 90 people that attended my father-in-law's 50th birthday! However, the broken limb has thrown me off course, so I was left with no chance but to accept help from some other friends. Our theme was home, and this is totally appropriate as my friend is writing her PhD on concepts of home and diasporic experience of migrants in Ireland. She is also a first-gen American so her own ideas of home are very important in figuring her cultural identity.

So how does one have a theme of home? Well firstly the shower was held in MY home. Ha ha. I decorated the house with flowers and different size heart cut-outs that read phrases like "Home is where the heart is", "Home follows the family", "There's no place like home", "Love makes a house a home" and "Home is where you make it". Then I asked all the guests to email me a treasured family recipe to construct a book of food. Naturally when we think of home we often recall certain comfort foods or meals that trigger specific memories. I thought it seemed appropriate that food and home are linked. I have also baked a selection of goodies - oreo cupcakes, bacon chocolate cupcakes (SERIOUSLY YUM) and brownies with cranberries and pecans.

The day was a total success, we played the toilet paper bride game, where each time dresses up a 'bride' with toilet paper and sello tape. We also played a hysterical version of mad libs called wed libs and we opened presents. I actually LOVED hosting the shower, even though I am dead tired today. Pictures to follow!

update: No sign of Lulu yet... heart is still breaking here. : (

To the world's most wonderful best friend

Today you celebrate your 32nd birthday and I can proudly say that for 30 1/2 years we have been best friends.

Some of your funniest/best moments:

1. Kicking Stacy RPB (I couldn't spell her last name in my diary so I had to improvise) out of your house and our lives for good.

2. Convincing me to run over Judy L's newly planted flowers with my bike.

3. Your flashlight code when we could have just picked up the phone.

4. 'Stop Dancing Duffy' Messing with that painter Puffy Duffy over the intercom system.

5. 'Don't say much'... 'Don't got much to say' Your witty repartee with 'Slim' in Tahoe.

6. Throwing ice cubes in the Midgley's pool and harassing Kelson from your balcony.

7. Raiding the midnight buffet and throwing stolen rolls and biscuits at the people in the hot tub in Alaska on that cruise. (Throwing seems to be a theme here...)

8. Forgiving me for making an ass of myself when I went through that rough time my first year in college. You knew I wasn't myself and you didn't give up on me.

9. All your fun college parties - including doing crazy tequila body shots at some lecturer's house and your great apartment near the pie place in Davis. I loved visiting you there.

10. Always being on the other end of the phone/email when I need to pour my heart out to you. You have never let me down. I wish we lived in the same place, I miss you so much.

OK one more...

11. Seriously for being the smartest, funniest, most beautiful person I know. Oh thanks for having a daughter the same age as mine who will 100% without a doubt be my daughter's best friend because we will make them.

Daughter needs friends - Mother seeking like minded individuals.

Last week Cupcake's only 'friend' in Ireland moved to the U.S. I am in desperate need of a nice toddler aged 1 -2 years for her to play with. I know I sound like a negligent mother, I mean really how hard is it to make friend's for your child's sake. But really it is slim pickings around these parts. Last Tuesday when rushing to pick her up from the creche I saw another mother putting her daughter into her car seat. I thought, oh great an opportunity to make an overture. "Oh she looks so cute in her little skirt, that's Zara right?" The woman glared at me. "No." Hmm this is awkward, so I will try again, "Oh, is this Calean?" The only other name I could think of. "No." "Oh, um...ah..." I was cut off by her, "It is Sarah (pronounced sar-ah long a)." "I am sorry, I thought from the way the girls [in the creche] pronouced it, her name was Zara. My daughter is in the same room as her. I am so- and so's mother." Abruptly the conversation (ha if you could call it that) died. As I pushed Cupcake home in her stroller I informed her that neither Zara nor Sarah would be coming over anytime soon. I know I am picky and to be honest if I feel that 1) someone is not my intellectual equal or 2) we have absolutely NOTHING in common I am not going to make an effort for Cupcake's sake.