Well, my not-a-party-planner self hosted another shower…

Party planning isn’t really my forte.

I see people on the interwebs who spend days prepping for elaborate themed parties, and while I am in awe, it’s sort of hard for me to fathom.

I think some people do that sort of thing because they just love every minute of it, and I totally respect that.

(I’ll be me, and you can be you!)

But that doesn’t seem to be where my particular gifting lies.

The good news is that, as it turns out, I can actually put together a functional gathering, so, yay!

My cousin is getting married soon, and so I threw a bridal shower for her last weekend.

However, with both showers I’ve hosted, I’ve had decorating help from friends because party decorating is really where I’m not gifted.

This time around, a friend put together some sweet little daisy flower arrangements, which were both beautiful and simple.

And she and my girls made some white tissue paper flowers to hang on my dining room light.

These are not only for decoration…they also serve as a, “HEY.   There’s a light fixture here! Don’t bump your head.” warning, because once we scoot our table away from the light, it’s really easy to bump your head as you walk by.

I made a lot of the same foods that I did for the baby shower I hosted last year, although I also added a ham/cheese platter and a basket of honey-glazed rolls.

And like last year, most of the food I served came from Aldi.

Because of course.

(My cousin happens to be an Aldi shopper too, actually!)

I considered using disposable plates and cups, but then thought better of it.   This was a fairly small shower (less than 20 people), so I knew I had enough dishes to allow me to use non-disposable everything.

Except napkins.   I don’t have nearly enough cloth napkins for a party!

This was partially driven by my desire to avoid trash production, but honestly, it was more about the fact that disposable tableware just isn’t as lovely to use.

(Life with sturdy, non-disposable things is nicer, after all.)

I just used plain white Corelle-ware plates plus a mish-mash of drinking glasses and wine glasses.

Most of what I served was finger food, so I just put out a mason jar with forks.   Real flatware is so much more fabulous than the plastic sort, and it’s super easy to throw in the dishwasher.

So, even when I’ve used paper plates in the past, I still have always put out real silverware.

I wondered if all of this might make party cleanup a little laborious, but it was super quick and easy.   I just put almost everything in the dishwasher and was finished with all of the party cleanup in about 45 minutes.

(I was surprised!)

You know what always surprises me when I host a gathering?

That it doesn’t have to be perfect to bless someone.

(I wrote that post, so, um, I should know that.)

My house is not enormous.

My house isn’t designed super well for gatherings.

I’m not an experienced party-thrower.

My carpet is old (Though we’re gonna fix that this week!)

I pretty much never prepare a super elaborate menu.

Yet whenever we host gatherings here, everyone seems to feel welcome and happy, they have a good time, and there always is enough space, somehow.

That makes my heart happy.

And really, I should remember that next time I’m having a bout of party inadequacy.   😉

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Just so ya know, this wasn’t sponsored by Aldi in any way.   I’m just a big ol’ fan, and I love that by shopping there, you can make a beautiful, delicious, party-worthy spread without breaking the bank.

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Much of what I made requires no recipe (fruit salad, cheese plate, cracker tray, etc.), but here are links to some of the recipes I used.

Shrimp Cucumber Bites

Honey Glazed Rolls

Not-From-A-Box Brownies (I cut them into bite-sized pieces)

Chocolate Covered Strawberries