Tear-Jerker Shower Gift

 In my last post I wrote that my new SIL gifted me with a really sweet gift that made me laugh and cry. She was gifted a similar basket at her bridal shower and was thoughtful enough to share it with me.

It is a basket of different colored candles, with a poem instructing the bride-to-be when to burn them throughout her married life.

I held it together until I read about burning the red candles to celebrate promotions. Mr. Barrettes works so hard and I appreciate all the time and effort he puts into his career and our future. Followed by burning the purple ones on the birth of our baby?! Ugly-face tears, I tell you!!!

See! Not cute! But I'm sharing with you ladies because I want to to know what I'm dealing with here! The frequency with which I've been crying is directly related to the amount of time we have left until our wedding. All these emotions! I'm usually more composed! Not quite sure how I'm going to react on the actual day. Waterproof mascara will be my friend.

Did you receive a tear-jerker shower gift?

New York Bridal Shower

This weekend was my bridal shower in the Big Apple! Our friends and family (some of whom cannot attend the wedding) in the New York area gathered to shower me with love and smiles.

We started with a wine tasting downtown, followed by dinner and games at Giorgio's of Gramercy. I'll let the photos tell the story!

We hopped on the subway to the WTC site, where we hoofed it the rest of the way to California Wine Merchant for our tasting.

Yours truly ain't no fool. I know better--I switched into my heels right at the front door.

My two cousins, who are bridesmaids, met us there and we all tried about 4 different wines before it was time to head back uptown to dinner.

I said goodbye to Mr. Barrettes at the tasting and he headed off into the city with my uncle for the evening. The shower was for ladies and gay men only!

I hopped in a car with my Mom and Aunties and we all made it uptown.

Once we were seated, Bridesmaid Melissa gave instructions for our 'icebreaker' introduction and adorned  the bridal party with sashes. John loves his bright pink "Maid of Honor" sash!

Our lovely family of ladies!

Seriously, the food KEPT coming. Each platter bigger and better than the last.

After I was embarrassed by everyone's "favorite" memory of me, it was time to open gifts!

My last gift was from my newly minted Sister-in-law, and it started the waterworks. I will do a separate post on it because it's such a great idea to share!

I laughed...

...then I cried.

I was also gifted my attire for the wedding rehearsal.

So happy to be reunited with my cousins after too many years! They are both recently married and would like me to be first with the 'baby-thing'.

How could I forget this one-- our party was split into 3 teams and had to dress my 3 attendants in toilet paper, while I picked the winner. Loved it.

At the end of the evening, Mr. Barrettes came back to say hello, and to meet some of my family members who are unable to attend our wedding.

He was digging my "Bride-to-be" sash. Can you even believe it matched so perfectly with my dress? Not planned!

We took a few more photos, I threw my ribbon bouquet (which Mom caught), and waved goodbye...

...jumped into cabs, and drove off into the New York night.

My Guam Bachelorette!

It started out with shots. It ended with shots. Ryan came home and found me on the bathroom floor. Yes, it was one of those nights. My hard-partying days are over, but something came over me! Bridesmaid Amy did a fab job-- we played games, wore silly masks; I had a super-fun violet feather boa and 2(!) princess veils. I started on my "Bachelorette Checklist" at our 2nd stop and it was all downhill from there...