Pickles And Ice Cream

Well "Baby Shower Weekend" has officially come to an end. I had an awesome time visiting with my oldest and dearest friends but y'all.....I am exhausted!! Wiped out! I fell asleep around 5pm last night, woke up to eat and stuff and loafed in bed watching TV and talking on the phone to B (that stands for Bench) before I closed my eyes again. And I slept later than usual today too. I will probably go to bed early again tonight. The older I get, the harder it is for me to get a decent rest anywhere but my own bed. So I always come home from trips needing at least 24 hours to recover.

Anyway, I thought I would just share a few gift photos with you today. This is some of what I made for Florida Baby Boy. Florida is the closest thing I had to a sister growing up- we've been friends for about 30 years now. Yes, you read that correctly. THIRTY!! Totally amazing, I know! We can re-hash childhood stories from just about every year of our rockin' friendship. We are ten months apart (I'm older....which was important when we were tots....totally unimportant now that I am....ahem....in my early 30's) and lived next door for many years. From gymnastics to every type of dance to church to choirs to bells to plays to Indian Princesses (tell me someone else out there in Blogville knows what this is) to sports (I had a short-lived few years in junior high when I played (or sat the bench is more like it) school sports because it was the "in" thing to do. Go ahead- it really does deserve a good laugh!) to weddings (hers of course....not mine....hello, what wedding?!) and now babies (again...hers). We've been through it all.

She still lives in our hometown. If you were to talk to me in person, I would have you believe it is stinkin' Mayberry. Years ago, Little and I went on a cruise that left out of my hometown port. So we went down a day early to show her around said hometown. Half way through the tour-de-hometown she turned to me and said, "You've always described it here as this tiny town where everybody knows everybody else's business and gossip. As a very small town location. KK, this is a major destination city, not a small town!!" Perspective, I suppose. I continue to have reason to believe it is a small town where the only way to escape the gossip and chatter is to move far, far away. Not that I don't salivate at a good gossip catch up session though. You can take the girl out of gossipy-hometown but you can't take the gossipy-hometown out of the girl! Back me up here, B (that stands for Bench)!

Overall I had an amazing weekend. It was fast. Faster than originally intended due to flight issues. But it was fabulous to say hi to so many friends in one weekend. I actually only took a few photos because I was so busy at the shower I hosted on Sunday for Florida. I was paranoid- seriously just beside myself worried- that the shower would be a royal disaster. I mean, I'd never been to the location. Just found it online, it was available and in my price range and called it a day. But as soon as I walked in with the Tweedle sisters, I knew it would all work out OK. It was the perfect size and a great location and the service and food were impeccable! I wore the new long Lilly dress that I got during the last Rue sale. It was so fabulous- LOVE it!! There are a few people pics up that you can see if curious on Facebook if we are friends on there too. Not many though- I was just too busy to stop for a photo I guess. Florida received some amazing gifts and everyone seemed to have a nice time.

Because I didn't do much in the way of decorations (I decided not to ship anything down and instead took a big suitcase that I checked. So everything came with me on the plane in one bag!) so I decided to do an over-the-top favor to compensate. I gave each guest an ice cream cozy and a sugar cookie in the shape of a pickle. Get it? I made it all. It was one of the many projects in my life that plans out one way on paper and takes eight times as long in real life. I never learn. And the cookies did not look even one ounce as cute as Laura's. But by the time I was icing them, I was so over tired. I only did the outline/flood bit on five lucky cookies. The rest just got a sloppy slather with a butter knife (as seen in the photos below). I figure the sprinkles sort of hid the imperfections. And OMG I found THE BEST sugar cookie recipe ever! I'll post that later or tomorrow. Anyway, overall it was a great weekend. It was sunny and hot (and humid) and I miss it. I got off the plane to find it was 57 here. So not OK in June!!