The highlight of my weekend was attending a bridal shower for a good college friend of mine in Waldorf, Maryland. I’m usually wary of showers – the hokey games are a bit too reminiscent of elementary school birthday parties for my taste, and I leave feeling like I’m supposed to be some modern day housewife who cooks, cleans, and bakes, all while wearing heels and a poofy dress. But I have to say, the love and effort put into planning such an affair is usually enough to waive off my reservations, at least for the afternoon, and to enjoy a little female bonding.

Waldorf is a little over an hour away from my apartment, and Kirios saw the event as an opportunity to bum a ride and visit an old friend of his who lives out there, so I was lucky to have some company for my journey into a strange place for a beltway broad like me, a city with land still waiting to be developed. Kirios’ friend only lives 2 miles from the bride’s parents’ house, and luckily my GPS decided to cooperate. Upon arriving at the shower, I was pleasantly surprised to see many familiar faces, including friends from college and the groom’s mother and sister. (He’s also a college friend, and his family lived nearby.) I was also pleasantly surprised to be handed a glass, with the couple’s name and wedding date printed on it, full of sangria within minutes of sitting down.

After the typical introductions and chatting, I helped myself to the food, which featured some ethnic treats from the Puerto Rican family, like savory green bananas, as well as a full variety of cheese, crackers, hummus, and the ever popular chocolate fountain. Our hostess, the bride’s sister, then announced our first game – she passed around a collection of around 20 kitchen gadgets, some more obscure than others, then removed the basket and made us write down all of the gadgets which we could remember if we knew their function. I did alright, tying for third place with 10 gadgets. I was the only one to correctly identify the function of the silicone ring used to prevent the edges of the pie crust from burning in the oven. (I usually do a poor job covering them with aluminum foil.) The only gadget I could identify but forgot was the cheese wire/board. But I must admit, until yesterday I was completely unfamiliar with an avocado slicer, pineapple corer, mango slicer, and cherry pitter – I was unaware that knives are only the primitive tool for such activities. The shrimp devein-er was also a mystery to me. Sigh.

Following the kitchen gadgets, we donned puffy-paint decorated aprons and gathered outside for cupcake decorating – another activity that left me a bit stumped. I can’t say my cupcakes were the prettiest of the bunch, but it was fun to mix food coloring to create frosting colors and to try out the different tip shapes for the icing bags. All the while, our bride was tested with answering Newly Wed Game-esque questions about her fiancé, and was forced to stick another piece of gum in her mouth for every response which didn’t match his. Thankfully, she did pretty well.

After turning my mouth blue with highly concentrated doses of food coloring, we returned inside for the obligatory present opening ceremony. I’m definitely not a fan of public present openings. As a child at birthday parties, it was always sad when your friend opened a bag with three Beanie Babies in it, knowing later on they would open your gift and only find one. Maybe my parents were stingy, maybe they had less, regardless, don’t judge me. Of course, you wouldn’t expect a shower without present opening, and all of the presents, including mine were much lovelier than a Beanie Babie or two. It was special to be there when the soon-to-be Mother-in-Law passed down a set of pearls that had been in the family for generations, along with a family tree showing who had had them before her.

Finally, as we said our goodbye we were treated to one last favor, in addition to the aprons, customized glasses, and special prizes for the game winners – we were all given a set of heart shaped measuring spoons. Kirios has shown me them online multiple times and said he wanted to buy them for me, so he was a tad disappointed. But I reminded him that I still don’t have the red silicone heart shaped spatula or the heart shaped tea infuser he’s been eyeing also!

All in all, it was a lovely day, and I’m sure the wedding will be even lovelier!