a berry fun time.

As promised, here's another installment in party planning from little ol' me...

this time for a bridal shower one of my best friends from home, {eb}!

{I was beyond honored to be a bridesmaid in her beautiful June 2010 wedding!}

bride-to-be {eb} with her bouquet of peonies!

Her bachelorette was in Chicago this past May--about 1000 miles from my home in Providence. Since I love to party plan, I volunteered my services to the maid of honor, {hp}, also one of my best friends from home...

moh extraordinaire {hp} + {av}

I stuffed my suitcase to the literal BRIM with goodies...not knowing exactly what the space looked like, I just took a little inspiration from the bride-to-be's new last name, Berry. I went with vintage heart theme {appropriate yet somewhat cliche, I know}. 

Everything but the flowers had to fit in my suitcase, 

so this is what came out of my magic bag!

A banner...

photo from {ek}

Though this wasn't the ideal wall on which to hang it, I made this banner using black cardstock {by first drawing the letter in pencil} and then cutting it...pretty simple! I was hoping for one big blank wall, but it contained a HUGE piece of art...so it was a no-go. sad face. If you can't read it, it says: "we <3 erika berry much"

As a sidenote, I used twine as the base for my banner and I found the mini-laundry clips at Michael's for next to nothing--they're great to reuse in the future too!

The table + chairs...

photo from {hp}

I brought the coke bottle {vases} from Rhode Island, which coincidentally were from the 2010 Final Four...featuring the Butler Bulldogs {the alma mater of more than half the guests!}. Though I wanted vintage bottles, I didn't want to worry about them breaking in flight or having to lug them back. Instead, I just distributed these among the bride + bridesmaids.

We found the peonies {with flecks of red} and the hypernicum {aka berry-looking flowers} at the Whole Foods on our walk to the restaurant. We thought about paying someone to do the flowers, but with a few summers in a floral shop under my belt, I figured I could save a few pennies by doing them at the restaurant...with scissors from my magic bag.

I used the twine to put one of those funny wooden hearts 

{which cost all of 50 cents a piece at Michael's!} on each chair. 

Those magic bag scissors definitely came in handy again!

The placecards...

photo from {ek}

I made all the placecards in Rhode Island, using shipping tags I found at Staples.

hipstamatic print by {av}

I used a small set of alphabet stamps that I found at Michael's {in the $12 range, but good for many future projects!} to create each placecard. I then used a heart hole punch I had around the apartment to add an extra ounce of flair. 

photo by {av}

Before finding the hypernicum berries, I was content to have just the heart cookie cutter {found via Oriental Trading Company...an inexpensive option since it was more for looks than utility} and the shipping tag...but the berries were like the cherry on top ;) I added the two red dots with a pen to tie the red in from the hearts elsewhere in the room.

photo from {hp}

{Here's the whole gang enjoying {eb}'s bridal brunch at La Madia in Chicago...

you should have seen {hp} and I running around the hour before they all arrived. 

We made it happen, that's for sure ;) With a week or so lead time,

I was really happy with how it all turned out!}

 All in all, the magic suitcase went back to Rhode Island a little lighter, 

but my heart was definitely much fuller! 

There's nothing I love more than making the people I love smile.

What did you think of my first attempt?! Have you ever helped to plan a more 

formal girls' get-together like this? What did you do to make it special?

Apologies again for my lack of blog chatter...work, class, and life have been getting in the way! Don't worry...I'll be back at it soon! As always, thank you so much for your blog love. You know how to make a girl feel wanted ;)

Can't wait to hear your thoughts! 

Have a great Wednesday! xoxo {av}