Weekend Round-Up: A Few of My Favorite Things

Visiting friends, throwing a killer party and picking up someone from the airport…three lovely things in one weekend.

On Friday, I left work early to drive Rob to the airport. I tripped on the stairs on the way out and nearly broke my ankle, but thankfully escaped with just a big bruise and a scrape. No casts before the wedding please!

After kissing him bon voyage, I drove to Burlingame to visit my friend Margaret at her work. We had gelato at a candy shop and gossiped. Back home to the city around 7:00, I found a good street parking spot and went to the market to stock up. Two giant bags of groceries to lug home. (Isn’t that a great color combination below? Pink, red, white, violet and green)

I worked all evening preparing for the party. It’s a very satisfying labor. I made the tomato soup and sandwich filing. Set the table. Polished silver. Made placecards. etc. At 10:00, I sat down with the intention to just watch the start of A Room with a View and of course watched the whole thing. To bed around 1am.

Up at nine the next morning. Another grocery store run for the odds and ends I forgot on Friday. Surprisingly – and unseasonably – warm outside. So I turned my tomato soup into gazpacho. I prepped vegetables and cut the crusts off bread. At 11, I was picked up by Leslie (the bride of honor) for a trip to the flower market. We ordered fire and ice roses from a Sonoma farm for her event in September and I loaded up on flowers for the shower.

Back home at 1, later than I expected. I kicked into high gear, making the flower arrangements, cleaning house and finishing the food. I barely had changed into a dress when the first guests arrived. I loaded everyone up with drinks and we sat down to lunch shortly after. I’ll have more photos in a separate post soon.

The cold soup was delicious and the tea sandwhich pairings were perfect. We toasted Leslie with champagne and had a nice conversation. After eating, everyone retired to the living room for a rousing game of charades (I switched that for the pub quiz at the last minute).

When the game finished, I brought out the cookie and fudge tray brought by Leslie’s sister-in-law and she opened gifts. A true outdoor girl, she was delighted by receiving snow shoes, a traveling dog bowl, and other gear gifts. Fully stuffed, everyone left at 6:15.

I called Nicole after putting away the food and took the bus over to her new apartment. We went for crepes on Chestnut street and had a girly slumber party. On Sunday, we walked along the marina green, had breakfast at Judy’s and went dress shopping (still not much luck, although there was one good lead). I took the bus back home at 1:00, had a nice bath and launched into the dishes.

I spent the rest of the day getting seriously organized for the wedding; making a binder and a detailed timeline to share with Jill later this week and investigating rehearsal dinner locations. I drove to pick-up Rob at SFO at 7:00. Is their anything more romantic than picking up your fiance from the airport? Or, more accurately, I picked up what was left of my fiance. He was thoroughly worn out from this weekend in Vegas with only a few hours of sleep, lots of drinking and hot temperatures. Back at home, we caught up for a bit and passed out early.