sweet shower

This weekend I attended a shower for my friend Sarah who's getting married on June 19th this year.  She and her fiance Ben are having their ceremony at our church and then moving the party downtown to the Providence Piers where they'll dance the night away. 
The shower was given by her sisters, Laura and Leah, and their mother Lorraine, and it was hosted by close family friends, Rocco and Annmarie.  Everyone worked together to create a special day for the bride-to-be that she'll always remember.  

guests were greeted by this cheery wreath

a banner to welcome the guest of honor

a collection of photos of the bride and groom was displayed

festive pompoms and stars affixed to the ceiling at the entrance to Rocco & Annmarie's home

lanterns and candles made the party sparkle

a focal point of the day was a quilt that Sarah is working on for her and Ben (whose last name is Read)

guests enjoyed pink lemonade, peach iced tea, and basil water served in mason jars

Laura, Sarah's sister, is a culinary student at Johnson & Wales University and she baked chocolate lava cakes with spiced whipped cream and fresh strawberry preserves for dessert.  Yummy!

I chose a punch bowl set for Sarah and Ben - it's such a great thing to have around for entertaining!

a spring candy bar complete with paper bags for guests to fill up and enjoy

I'm looking forward to see all the details Sarah incorporates into their wedding day.  You'll hear more about that in late June!

a crafty giveaway

Check out this rad giveaway from LeahPeah's Creative Human Magazine and sponsored by Canvas Corp.  It's in honor of National Craft Month and includes all kinds of great stuff like pushpins, scrapbooking pages, colored pencils, homeplanning layouts, and teeny tiny clothespins.  Just hop on over and leave a comment sharing your deepest darkest secret.  You'll find out on Monday if you're the lucky winner.  Via Cool Mom Picks. 

sweet dreams

Last night I feel asleep listening to my favorite night time music, bedtime beats, the secret to sleep.  I've been listening to bedtime beats for a few years, not every night of course, but whenever I feel an extreme need to decompress.  If there was ever a week that necessitated decompression it would be this one.  The music featured on the disc is based on research performed at Case Western Reserve University which found that "classical and soft jazz music played at 60-80 beats per minute induces sound sleep."  I'm inclined to agree because whenever I actually settle down to sleep I don't hear more than one song and I'm out.  Bedtime Beats was very popular at the childcare center where I used to work... the kids would drop like flies at nap time which was a good thing for all involved.  Get your copy here.      

free wedding printables

Can you believe this?!  e.m.papers is offering a black and white wedding printables kit... for free!  The kit includes a wedding invitation, a save the date card, a response card, a wedding program, a menu, place cards, table numbers, a seating list, and a thank you card.  Everything is completely customizable and you can print it yourself.  Talk about easy!  What more do a bride and groom need?  My favorite piece is the bicycle topped invitation.  To take advantage of this fantastic freebie, simply visit e.m.papers, add the kit to your shopping cart, give up your email address, and download away once it's in your inbox!  I can't wait to use all the pieces of this adorable stationery suite.  What's your favorite piece? Via How about orange... via iDiY.

Free Cone Day

(image via English Muffin)

So yesterday was free cone day at Ben & Jerry's and it rained for the third year in a row.  Like I mentioned before, this is not a problem because it cuts down on store traffic.  Matt and I headed to Providence with a few friends and waited in line a mere one time because the rain dampened our spirits.  We got there later than intended and it was slim pickin' so I had trusy ol' Phish Food.  Not ideal but still delicious.  The Brown Band entertained the crowd while we waited in line which was almost worth the drive, even if there hadn't been free ice cream!  They covered Lady Gaga's Bad Romance. Amazing!