a bridal brunch

there are parties~

and then there are par--tays!

no one throws a party quite like my friend annie, except maybe

martha stewart- but come on...that chick has staff.

she has people. assistants, helpers, crew.

annie pulls this kind of a party off single-handedly.

none of us can quite figure out how. it's practically magic.

(*i suspect she has staff too~ they're just hiding in the bedroom).

this is a bridal brunch she hosted for her one and only daughter jessica.

first of all i wish i had taken a picture of the invitation.

when it came, gold glitter started to sift out of the envelope before i even opened it.

it was exquisite and had components like a real pressed maple leaf, gold glitter

and thin sparkly gold thread wrapped around it.

it set the tone for what was to come... just wait till you see all the

glittery details of the party and as if that wasn't enough, the food

was over the top!

all that glitters is not gold, or is it?

beautiful gold cake topper

cake pops with yep-- gold glitter

cream filled ginger cookies

French toast-my favorite part... i need to ask annie for the recipe.

miss annie always has games at her events and this one involved guessing

jessicas ages from a whole line of photos. there is always great prizes so the games

get very competitive. ; )

beautiful wrapped gifts lined up waiting to be opened...

another game was pin the diamond on jess's finger. the person who got

it closest to where it belonged was the winner.

oh, by the way- this is the beautiful bride to be. (now a Mrs.)

here is jess with the mommas. carol, her new mother in law is on the left, and her own

mom annie on the right. jessica's dad is guatemalan and she was born there, so

she and fiancé tim chose to have their wedding there over new years weekend.

i was invited, but not able to attend. the few photos that have trickled in

are so amazing that i probably would have died over the beauty of it all and

never made it home!

here are the bridesmaids with jess

(minus two).

game cards

about a month before the shower, annie sent all of us a secret request to

please record a video with words of advice about marriage for jess and tim.

she then compiled it all into a movie for them. it was so fun to watch it together

and hear the great love the people in that room have for this remarkable, lovable girl.

jess had no idea and was overcome with emotion. she cried...

and she laughed~

and she cried some more.

it was just a delightful party for a girl i care deeply about and i was so

thrilled to be a part of it.

annie, if you're reading this please know how much i admire the

loving details you put into everything you do.

you make it all look so effortless and spoil all of us

so abundantly. it was a lovely day in every way- and

"gurl!!! you are one talented party thrower"

(party thrower, sort of like a flame thrower, only you don't need a fire extinguisher).

: )  b.

this kind of laughing till you cry is one of the best things in life.