Hmmmmm. I think I jinxed our weather by saying that I thought spring was finally here. It’s clearly had a change of mind. It was cold and rainy all day yesterday and I was freezing today. That’ll teach me!
Aside from Mother’s Day this weekend, we were busy, busy making stuff for the wedding. I’m going to have cupcakes for the rehearsal dinner, so I spent some time getting the cupcake decorations and boxes ready. Then I gave my printer, paper cutter and little xyron machine a workout by making labels for water bottles.
The water bottles are for gift baskets for hotel guests. It’s pretty hard to take a picture of a basket wrapped in shiny cellophane, but you probably get the idea. SweetiePie decided on these white baskets for friends and she chose a wicker basket with a lid (and no cellophane) for family members. We put chips, cookies, mints, a bit of chocolate and the water bottles in each of the baskets. Then we tied them with a little tag with a message from the bride and groom.
That’s not very many pictures for all the work that was my weekend! The cupcakes will come later after they’ve been made. In the middle of all of this favor making, there was a little unplanned, impromptu favor to be made. On Saturday afternoon, TheFirstChild’s friends came to pick him up for an overnight bachelor party. I made them all pose for a picture in one of the boys’ jeeps and I was so pleased with the picture, I printed copies and made a little bag with picture and cookies for each of them.
TheFirstChild has been so fortunate to have a group of really good friends that he’s known since kindergarten. I grew up moving around and don’t really have any childhood friends, so watching him with these friends has been an amazing experience. I remember when the boys were all around second grade or so, an older mother told a few of us younger mothers to look around and notice the boys that our sons were hanging out with, because they wouldn’t be the same set of friends that these boys would have in high school. Thank goodness that mother was wrong. These boys have all been such a good influence on each other. Of the eight boys that went to the party on Saturday, 1 was a college friend, 2 are from the class behind TheFirstChild’s and the remaining 5 are all in or on their way to medical school. What are the odds of that? Some random act that landed them all in the same kindergarten class? I often wish TheSecondChild had been so fortunate — his class just didn’t gel like these guys. Nor did any of the other classes within several years. It’s just weird!
So, it’s a great start to our very exciting week. It’s such an honor for me, as his mother (and so close to Mother’s Day!) to watch him surrounded by friends and loved ones as he’ll start his new life with his adorable little SweetiePie. I’ve been thinking what a charmed life he leads, but really, it’s me with the charmed life. All you mothers who’ve been through this before should send me advice (or kleenex) to keep me from bursting!
XOXO,
Anna
It must be pretty exciting at your house these days. Looks like a great bunch of guys! I feel bad for my children who got uprooted every couple of years while the AF sent us hither and yon…They could only dream of having friends that harken back to kindergarten days. Good luck with all your wedding preparations!
I bet your house is busting with happiness right now. I love all the creative things you come up with. your putting Miss Martha S. to shame over there. Your boys are lucky to have such good friends after all those years. Don’t work too hard over there. It’ll all be over with before you know it. So enjoy!!!!
Hugs
This is exciting – since mine are both young, I don’t have any advice as mother of the groom, just a memory. My mother-in-law (whom I adore) sobbed – SOBBED – through our entire wedding. And she likes me! He is her first born, her first married, and she’s the mother of two boys…. it just became overwhelming for her that there was this “growing up” of her son (who at that time hadn’t lived in the same state as them for over 8 years!).
It’s a pretty funny story (now)!
Love all your favour goodies, such lovely ideas.. you all must be getting so excited. It is funny how some school years gel, my daughter’s doesn’t but my son’s does !
what a lovely post, Anna. I was very inspired reading it, as you know I have three boys, and I hope they have their friends like your son still has. My second one has had the same group of kids since kindergarten – they are a great bunch and all the parents are friends as well. Don’t know about the other two and their friends though!
I know you will have a lovely week – everything looks amazing – especially the photo of the boys and the cookies!
You are one lucky and very clever lady. I can’t wait to see the actual wedding day. All the best for a fantastic week.
Anna, this week is a busy one for you but it will also be very exciting. When my son finished putting his tux on I handed him 2 hankies, one for him and a vintage hankie for the bride. So many times the bride does not have a hankie with her while she is saying her vows. I sent the wedding pictures you asked about…. hope you got them. Enjoy every minute of your sons special day and take lot’s and lot’s of photo’s. Happy Wedding Weekend!!!
Miss Anna your post brought back such wonderful memories of Josh and Katie’s wedding…my word of advice is ENJOY every minute. Savor the whole event…and make sure you have plenty of Kleenex.
How incredibly exciting it all is for you all. And what a yummy bunch of young men you have there – no wonder you took a photo!! I’m so looking forward to seeing how it all comes together.
Everytime I read your blog I am inspired. You are surrounded by some amazing people, so much warth and love, your family, your friends. The creativity you have, the great family traditions. I can only hope that as my children grow they keep such good friends around them. Those are some cute guys in that photo, looks like it could be a magazine shoot!
I love all the favors you did for the guests, as you know I just got a Xyron, what a clever idea to put the photo on the water bottles…too cute! Martha Stewart move over, and you have have a full time job too?
How do you find the time!!??
Oh Anna – you are making me well up with tears on your behalf! TheFirstChild and Sweetie Pie are so very lucky to have your fantastic love and support! Those water bottles and baskets are a gorgeous idea and the photo of all the friends together is wonderful – TheFirstChild is VERY good looking!!!!! I hope the wedding goes fantastically! lots of love Lucy xxx
What an exciting week and weekend you are looking forward to! I wish you many blessings and wonderful memories! Soak it all in, dear!
(((HUGS)))
Anna dear, ponder these moments and then blog all you can because I am eager to hear how it goes. What a great group of friends and so many doctors, but TheFirstChild is blessed becaue he has such a great mum. Enjoy the week!
The wedding preparations are so fun and perfect. Everyone will enjoy their goodies.
For me, the best advice I ever received in relation to my children was to treasure each and every moment of their life. I’ve tried to do that. There is no going back in time, only going forward. But being mindful of the memories as they’re being made fortify us in future.
Oh, you must be bursting with excitement. What a lovely milestone to be anticipating. It seems that SweetiePie is every bit as thoughtful and nice as TheFirstChild’s mom.
What a cute idea with the water. The baskets are darling. You’ve thought of everything. This is going to be a very nice event.
Wow, you sure are busy over there! The water bottles are so cute and the baskets are a great idea! I’m sure everyone will really appreciate them.
I love how the picture of all the guys turned out – and five of them are going to med school? That’s really wild. I’m sure you are thankful that he’s had good friends to grow up with – very important.
So how many cupcakes are you going to be making??
Hi Anna! I thought I was the one who jinxed the weather this past weekend. I was in a hooded sweatshirt for three days straight!
All of the favors are so clever. I’m inspired by you, Anna!
You are blessed to have such a wonderful family. This is such an exciting time for you.
XO
Wow! When my DDs and DS get married I’m calling you to be the wedding planner! I love the water bottles and the baskets – what a great idea! My oldest DD, who graduates from college on Sunday has long time friends like that – the first one just got married two weeks ago. Enjoy all the festivities!
Um, Anna, was that the photo that came with the frame? I mean, really, how perfect can one group of people be anyway?
It looks like you did a great job :)
What lovely gifts you created. How cool are those water bottles? Amazing. You could do this for a living, I swear….bottle that talent. I bet you are getting excited about the wedding….you’ll need a honeymoon to relax!
Okay, and so I guess I am not done yet….the story about the boyhood friends. Must be the mama in me….I kind of choked up a bit and I am not the choke up kind of person. That is just so touching and just look at the fine men they have become!!
I love those water bottles–what a great idea! The baskets are adorable. And I’m thinkin’ that was SOME kindergarten teacher :)
Slow down, slow down, slow down. Stop and look around and savor all the magic that is happening around you. And when the day arrives and you see your little boy standing there all grown up – go ahead and blubber your little heart out! You deserve it and I’m sure you won’t be alone with your tears.
Hug yourself that day for me!!!
what cupcakes are you making? i make the vanilla cupcakes from magnolia bakery. they are quick and AMAZING. i just made about 200 of them for a wedding last fall. they taste just like the cupcakes my brother’s wife used to make for me when i was small… which means nothing to you but they are sooo yummy. they sell over 20,000 cupcakes a day. i’m in the wrong business!!
just in case you don’t have it, here is the recipe:
Magnolia’s Vanilla Cupcakes
1 1/2 cups self rising flour
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 cup, (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened (by this they mean that you can dent it with your finger, not that it is a mound of mush – barely softened)
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
preheat oven to 350 degrees. line two 12-cup muffin tins with cupcake papers. Ina small bowl, combine the flours, set aside. In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter until smooth. Add the sugar gradually and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the dry ingredients in three parts, alternating with the milk and vanilla. With each addition, beat until the ingredients are incorporated but do not overbeat. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the batter in the bowl to make sure the ingredients are well blended *****this part is important. Carefully spoon the batter into the cupcakes liners, filling them about 3/4 full. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cupcake comes out clean.
Cool the cupcakes in the tins for 15 minutes. remove from the tins and cool completely on a wire rack before icing. At the bakery they ice the cupcakes with either vanilla buttercream or chocolate buttercream.
vanilla buttercream
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
6-8 cups confectioner’s sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup milk
place the butter in a large mixing bowl. Add 4 cups of the sugar and then the milk and vanilla. on medium speed, beat until smooth and creamy, about 3-5 minutes. gradually add the remaining sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating well after each addition, about 2 minutes. until the icing is thick enough to be of good spreading consistency. you may not need to add all of the sugar. if desired, add a few cups of food coloring and mix thoroughly. store at room temperature. can store in airtight container for up to 3 days.
tips from a girl who has made these at least 100 times:
when i make the icing, i revert my icing recipe, which halves the milk and doubles the vanilla.
also, don’t overfill the cupcake tins. i get more cupcakes out of each batch. if they are overfilled (their tins must be larger than mine) the cupcakes get a rim on them that sticks to the pan and it’s more difficult to coax them out of the pan. if this happens. gently lift the little cupcake hat while rocking from side to side and you should be okay. if by chance you rip off the lid, then just pull out the bottom, frost the bottom, invert the top and have a cupcake sandwich for a snack!!! this is highly recommended.
do i win something for the longest post in the universe? like a quilt from your mom?
i hope you’ll try these sometime.
Oh Anna, I am of no use to you what so ever, pass me the kleenex, will you? Enjoy!xoxo
All that and keeping up with a blog?!? You are amazing. Years ago, my German landlady said that a mother is free to walk into her daughter’s house, but must knock at the door of her son. That was her way of saying that you will always have a closer relationship with your daughter than your son’s wife – but I have a feeling that SweetiePie will be as close to you as any daughter. She’s marrying into a wonderful family.
Wow – you’ve done sooooo much!! I can’t believe just how much wonderful stuff you are making for the wedding…..and still blogging!
Your words about your boy are beautiful. He’s very lucky to have such a great group of friends :)
xxx
What an exciting and happy time you are having! How lucky your son is to have such a wonderful group of friends. The gift baskets you have been making look perfect! love those water bottles. I have a xyron machine as well – the possbilities are endless!
Anna,
I have only one (eldest son) married and one daughter will be married in 17 days. My little bitty bit of advice is to Enjoy every moment. And make sure you have a pretty hanky for the wedding (and a stash of kleenex).
Blessings to all,
Jody
all this wonderful activity and creativity has left me with a lump in my throat and a tear in my eye! You are one amazing woman…how I wish I had thought about gift baskets for hotel guests, now that would have been such a joyful thing to do!
What wonderful ideas you girls had for gift baskets – love the water bottles! Such a cute couple. The pic of the boys is great, and I love that you made a package of it with yummy cookies!
I am totally immersing myself in each step of your child’s wedding. I have no advice for you about surviving all this wonderfulness, but I will send you kleenex. I did not get to participate in my son’s wedding, so I am deeply enjoying every moment you share with us. I am keeping some kleenex for myself, thank you. I know I’m going to need it!
You’re one busy mama!
The gifts look wonderful!
This is such a lovely, happy, Post!!
Thanks for sharing!
Another lovely post Anna, I can feel the excitement mounting, It must be such a wonderful time for you all. You seem to have such a lovely, warm family. Lots of great ideas too for the gifts etc, you’re always busy, busy, busy! Enjoy every moment of it
Kimx
Congratulations! What a fun, happy, crazy, exhausting time for you and yours. It sounds like a wonderful time though. I hope you enjoy every bit of it.
Everything looks so beautiful, it must have been a simply stunning wedding. I can’t wait to read all about it.