Letters to baby

This is a sneak preview to all of the goodies I've been making for the baby shower this weekend. I am so excited to see everyone. I'm especially excited to see my students while I'm up there, I miss them!

DIY Bride's Survival Kit

Ryan and I are heading to Vegas tomorrow, for my best friend Stacey's wedding! I wanted to put together a little kit for her before we left. One never knows what kind of last minute emergency will arise while the bridal party is getting ready, which makes a little kit like this a relief to have around. It turned out to be really easy and fun to make.

I started with a red tin lunchbox (leftover from a store-bought hot cocoa kit) and used double-stick tape  to hold the paper on the front. Isn't that second font amazing? It's called JFRingmaster and you can download it here.

I brainstormed for things a gal might need on her wedding day while getting ready: all those little just-in-case items, things she might need and didn't think to grab. I put together a list and hit the store. The shopping was pretty easy. A lot of the items can be found in the travel size section.

I posted the list of items inside the lid, so that she can easily see exactly what's in there without having to dig through it all. Not that bride's are ever crunched for time. :)

A Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Thank You

We had some very ripe bananas sitting in our kitchen, so I decided to make some bread to share with family. I love this recipe. My mom and I have been making it for years. You will absolutely love the smell of vanilla and cinnamon as it bakes. It's amazing for breakfast or a midnight snack.

Caprese Panini

Ryan and I just bought a panini maker. 3 days later...I don't know how I ever lived without one! It takes only a couple of minutes to create an amazing sandwich.

I love love love Caprese salad, which is weird since I'm not the biggest fan of tomatoes. It's just so light and fresh. With fresh mozzarella sitting in my fridge and an out-of-control basil plant on my porch, I decided to make a Caprese panini.

All you need is:

• Bread, sturdy and thickly sliced (I used sourdough from Trader Joe's)
• Fresh mozzarella 
• Tomato
• Basil leaves
• Olive oil
• Salt 
• Fresh ground black pepper

Bottle Shower Favors

I've been working on the favors for my sister's baby shower. I was inspired by these Christmas gifts using the same bottles at Kerry's Paper Crafts. I went in search of paper and all of the paper stacks were 50% off at Michaels. Total score! This set is from My Mind's Eye. I love it because it's boy-themed and it has a retro look to it.

This is what they look like after the first step. They're still a work in progress. I'll post the finished product soon. They're really cute!

To see the finished product, click here.