In the past week, I’ve gone to two bridal showers for two of my friends. The first was Nancie’s Bridal Tea. It was an experience, in that it was the first shower I’d ever been invited to, and I had no idea what to expect. I didn’t know what to wear, or even what to bring as a gift. It all worked out though and I had a great time.

The shower was thrown by her fiance’s aunts. They had decorated their place in Southern tea party style, complete with fine china and lots of lace. The lady’s all wore dresses and Nancie wore a hat - they were trying to make her (a Cali girl) into a real GRIT (Girl Raised in the South). We had tasty hor d’oevres, including cucumber sandwiches, punch and many flavors of tea in teacups. Then, Nancie opened her gifts and we sat around and chatted. I enjoyed getting to know a couple of Nancie’s friends, and it was neat to meet her mom.

• Photos from Nancie’s Shower

The second shower was for Jane. It was hosted by her bridesmaids and had a makeup theme. It was mostly our regular craft group, and with the theme, what to wear and what to bring was a little easier. Again, we had hor d’oevres, with cucumber sandwiches and punch. Jane opened her presents, and we used the bows to create a hat for her to wear at her wedding rehersal. Then, we chatted like we normally do. Again, it was neat to meet Jane’s mom. I wonder if my friends see me as similar to my mom, as I see them to theirs.

• Photos from Jane’s Shower