Vintage Bridal Shower

I had the pleasure of hosting a vintage lingerie bridal shower with 3 other maids' of the Bride at our home a few weekends ago. The bride is a very dear friend of mine...and now she's all off and married! Missy & Michael---I couldn't be more happy for the two of you!

Here's some pictures and collages I created to give you an idea of our evening. We chose the colors red, black & turquoise for the shower and tried to use them throughout our decor. (I apologize in advance that some of the photos are of poor quality.)

The Invitation:

Inside it invited guests to an

"Old Lace & New Love"

vintage lingerie bridal shower

My delightful friend, Missy,

playing the part in the "Photo Room"

I created a room where guests could have

fun and be silly by creating their own phrases

on chalkboard painted cardboard quote cut-outs

and an assortment of vintage hats, gloves & purses.

Hostesses & Bride:

One of my favorite details were the drink tags

we made using leftover scrapbook paper from the

invitations. I already have a lot of turquoise in my home

and getting to bring these little goblets out was fun

cause I don't use them that often and they just

happened to work perfectly with our color scheme!

Above: turquoise goblets with scrapbook paper name tag,

coffee filter pom poms, the food table, red velvet cupcakes

with cream cheese frosting & strawberries, red roses.

What my make-shift mantel looked

like before all the presents arrived! I

used the vintage dancer print in the decor

cause the Bride is a dancer (it used to hang in my

room when I was growing up).

More decorations:

Above: tree decorated with coffee filter flowers, vintage

ballet dancer print, coffee table glamour, refurbished

goodwill lamp

My chalkboard adorned with a natural

coffee filter flower & red ribbon chain

If you're interested in making these flowers,

they really are a breeze. All you have to do is crinkle

each filter til they are crumpled and soft, spread them out,

then pinch in the middle of each filter and arrange with your

fingers until you get the look you want. If you want them really

fluffy and layered you can stack several filters. Secure with

a pipe cleaner or ribbon and you're done!

Vintage details:

Above: vintage 1950's Ladies Home Journal Magazine

lingerie ad, vintage paper dolls (I played endlessly with

these when I was younger), vintage silk

robe with tulle that belonged to my great Aunt.

It's hard to see in this photo, but the scrabble letters

read: "MISSY AND MICHAEL SITTING IN A TREE....

FIRST LOVE.....THEN MARRIAGE...

And married they are indeed!!!

~~~~~~~

I hope you enjoyed the party!

Gail

{Gail Gaffin Designs} and a Party

Now that Cole is nearly 4 months old and I'm starting to feel like I've got a handle on things routine-wise, I'm starting to think of getting back in the swing of things for Gail Gaffin Designs. I love flowers and design, and with the weather getting warmer lately, I've got Spring and Summer events on the brain.

This past weekend I went to a fun dinner/cocktail party for a friend of mine. I decided to make something special for the party and this is what I came up with....

{White calla lilies, mauve snapdragons, cherry-colored

roses, pale pink asiatic lilies and ivory gerbera daisies

accented with seeded eucalyptus and curly willow}

It was fun to put together and made me really miss designing! There's just something about being around beauty that totally lifts my mood and gives me perspective. I see God in flowers and nature, so naturally being around them brings me closer to Him. It's awesome. ;)

Here's a few pics from the party as well. Any excuse to get dressed up for an evening is good enough for me!

{Good Friends}

{Delicious raspberry-spinach-almond salad}

{Fun tissue and newspaper pom poms}

Me & the Birthday Girl, Kristen

Have a beautiful Monday,

Gail

To Italy & Back

Matthew & I had a dinner party the other night....

The theme was Italian. :-)

I dripped candles down old wine bottles

for an authentic Italian look...

...and clustered small bouquets of mini

red roses in clear, glass vases.

I wish I had a picture of the delicious

Caesar salad we had...

...or the Chicken Parmesan and crusty

Italian bread....

...but I don't.

But what I do have is memories of a wonderful night,

with wonderful friends and wonderful food.

I'd say it's a fair trade. Don't you??

Have a beautiful day reliving the memories

you love most,

Gail

Best Friends & Bowtie Pasta

Every Wednesday night I'm busy.

If you call my phone, I won't answer.

If you text me, you'll have to wait awhile for an answer.

And if you call or text my husband, he'll say I'm out.

Man do I sound like I'm playing hard to get or what!

Actually no.

Because actually....every Wednesday night I reserve the right to have time with my best gals for a weekly ritual we call "Girl's Night Out".

These are seriously the best girls ever.

We have a ball together. Many of them I've known for 10 years...and one (you know who you are) I've known since I was 7. That's nearly 20 years folks!

I love that when we get together we can be completely real. It's not always easy, but ultimately I know these girls have my back. We're there for each other in the good times and bad...through bad relationships and good...through diets and dessert....and times of sadness and surprise.

A lot of times when we get together we'll meet for dinner or maybe just coffee. Yes, you guessed it. That's where the bowtie pasta comes in.

One of our favorite places to eat is la Madeleine's french cafe. The salads are scrumptious and the soup...oh my...delicious! One of my menu favorites is their bowtie pasta salad. They serve it chilled, but set aside a cup of steaming tomato basil soup, it serves as the perfect compliment.

One day after our weekly GNO, I decided to scour the Internet for their recipe. And girls....drum roll please......I think I've got it. I've tried it several times and I'm more than pleased with the results. If you decide to give it a go....you won't be disappointed. It's, well....delicious! :)

~la Madeleine's Bowtie Pasta Salad~

16 oz. bowtie pasta

8 Tbsp. pesto

1/2 Cup sun dried tomatoes, diced

1/2 Cup Roma tomatoes, diced

4 Tbsp. Parmesan cheese, grated

1/2 Cup spinach, diced

1/2 Cup green onions, diced

4 Tbsp. Caesar dressing

*Cook pasta until al dente. Let cool slightly. Add all the other ingredients

& mix well. Serve chilled with hot soup or alongside

crusty bread. Enjoy!*

*And girls, if you're reading this....I love you all and

I'll see you tonight!!!*

xoxo,

Gail