It Takes A Village - And Lots Of Lists - To Do A Wedding Shower

        Last Saturday I co-hosted with the mother of the groom the bridal shower of Anusha, fiancee of my nephew Randy.

Randy and Anusha.

Mary Jane, Randy's mom, with Anusha,  her mom Jaya, and the youngest shower guest.

     Me,  with my pre-shower lists.
    It's a known fact that I can't make it through the day without a list.  Planning a party takes at least half-a dozen,

...progressively revised over time up to the day of the event,

...complete with a schematic,

...which I use to set up the serving table the night before.

      People are always asking me how I do it.  Anyway, that's how I do it.  With lists. Lots of lists.
      And, even more important when it comes to big-food bashes, lots of help.

My daughter Claire, in from Chicago for the shower, helping dip strawberries the night before.

     As always, the morning of the shower it was boots on the ground and hit the ground running to get the food ready for the 1 pm arrival of the guests.

      One of my awesome Posse members came over to help, here decorating cupcakes with Claire.

   Anusha and Jaya setting out the strawberries,

...among other things,

...including a work-of-art vegetable try brought by Randy's Aunt Susie,

...here holding once again our very popular littlest lady while Mary Jane slices the stromboli.

     Me stirring one of many pots,

...not to mention Tom in the background doing whatever needed to be done, including perpetually washing dishes, pots and pans.

     And when the work was done,

...the house, decorated as a balloon forest, ready for the guests,

...the beautiful party favors set out, chocolate-dipped Oreos made by Mary Jane and bottles of lavender sugar scrub hand-made by

Rachel, Randy's brother's fiancee,

... the food ready,

...and the guests arriving, 

....the moment was finally at hand to stop working,

...and start eating!

To be continued...