Day 5. 25 days left to go.

Mmm...something delish is going to be necessary for today. My girlfriend SJ has a bridal shower this afternoon, and part of the invitation requested that everyone bring their favorite dessert to share and the recipe to give to the new bride-to-be. Such a clever idea!

I'm not gonna lie, but I'd like to think that I'm pretty decent in the kitchen. But, I couldn't think of anything super fancy or outlandish that she would absolutely love, so I stuck with one of my current faves....CAKE POPS! Super easy, and always such a crowd-pleaser.

After slaving away for hours (or just 30min, plus cake-cooking time), I finally ended up with these bad boys...

Red velvet insides, with a dark chocolate shell. And the pink pearls on top? Those are just to make it gah-geous!

My fave part? The container of "books". Found this box at Goodwill, and actually planned on using it for a different shower I'm hosting. But, the bottom three "books" were the perfect size to hold all the pops, so I unscrewed the hinges off the lid and...voila! A perfectly adorable (and easily portable) container, absolutely free. Ah, free....one of my favorite words.

Day 4. 26 days left to go.

This might come as a shock to you, but I made today's project because I needed something for my bff LP's shower. Shock, I know. Anyways, all the projects I've done thus far (and tons before June showed up) are finally gonna be put to the test with a real live audience.

LP is not necessarily high-maintenance, but when it comes to dessert she does have some particulars. Due to health reasons, she can't have caffeine or chocolate. And, she doesn't like cake. (What a terribly sad dessert life she must lead!) So, it was up to me to find something incredibly delish and within her restrictions.

First, I knocked out some golden oreo pops, dipped in white chocolate. Nothing too snazzy to look at, but trust me when I say they tasted awesome. Realizing I needed just a little something more to feed to the hoards of women that were about to descend (or 15 of them, whatevs.), I decided to make some of Martha's Espresso Bean Shortbread Cookies, with my own few twists on them to make them amazing.

Using decaf coffee and a hint of vanilla instead of full-caf espresso (which LP loves!), I whipped up these little darlings. My favorite part has got to be how awesome they looked when I shaped them like coffee beans. Almost too cute to eat! (Well, almost...)

They were a huge hit with everyone at the party! One of the guests, (who owns a local coffee shop) said if I could find a commercial kitchen to bake them in, she'd totally let me sell these in her store! Such a compliment. I'd say these cookies are definitely gonna be put back in the recipe box under the category, "MUST make again".

Day 3. 27 days left to go.

Day 2. 28 days left to go.

So, coming up for something to create for Day 2 was tougher than I thought it'd be. I mean, it's not that I couldn't just draw up a quick sketch and post it. I just had SO many things on my to-do list that I couldn't concentrate on what I wanted to do. Needless to say, more shower things popped up, so I went at them like a DIY ninja.

With only days before the party, I started to realize that I didn't have any games planned. Really? A bridal shower with the only activities being eating snacks (deliciously prepped by my madre!) and opening gifts. Seriously? Now, I'm not exactly a kitschy game type of girl, but it's a tradition to at least have something for everyone to do (and of course, get a chance to win a prize!). So, nose to the grindstone (aka: searching Google) and I finally found something that I know the bride-to-be will love!

My best friend, LP (soon to be LS), adores Scattergories. What better way than to make our own version, just for her? I thought so too.

So, off I went to my trust-y Photoshop, tossed around some categories in a table and voila! A personalized LP-wedding version of her fave game. I was pretty stoked, not gonna lie.

I paper-clipped all three lists together, so everyone can get a full packet. And since we're sticking with the country-esque theme for the shower, I thought a tiny wraphia bow tied to each clip would just make it perfect. And whaddya know? It's pretty darn close.

Day 1. 29 days left to go.

Ok, so I'll be honest and for a few days, I'm gonna take the easy road and "create" things that I already have to do. I want to reach outside the box one of these days, but right now I just don't have time. That being said, here comes numero uno.

I'm throwing a country-ish bridal shower for my bff this weekend, and I have very limited funds. I wanted to make it super adorable for her, so I decided to go the DIY route. And I have to say, I'm pleasantly surprised. Most things are turning out just how I want them, with a few minor setbacks here and there. Nothing a good strong cup o' joe can't solve, though. With only a few days left, there's just minor projects that need to be tackled.

Day 1 is all about making a guestbook. Well, it's more of an "advice" book. Or, a tell-us-your-fave-memory-of-the-bride, give-her-something-insightful, or whatever-else-you-want book.

I would have gone through the steps, a la photos, but unfortunately I don't think that far ahead and completely forgot. Whoops! Better luck next time. Needless to say, I love how it turned out and the entire thing only cost me $.50! Seriously.

[Hint: the front and back covers are from a yellow notepad, that I covered in scrap paper. I may have a floppy notepad, but I've got a rad guestbook!].

I'm pretty jazzed with how it turned out. Just using scraps that I already had made it super affordable, and totally fit in with the theme of her shower. Can't wait to see what she thinks!