Party #1: Shamus played football with The Christ Child and dated the lovely Breanne, who went to the protestant, do they call it public? high school. They graduated and he went to Gonzaga, she to the U. Soon she transferred back to Gonzaga and we came to believe what they knew and believed: this was forever. And now, they marry at St. Al's in a few weeks. We are all so very excited.

Bellemaison will host a bridal shower for Breanne this weekend, using the theme "Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue." The Chows have been absolutely knocking themselves out making Breanne a scrapbook with that theme and thanks to the generous donation of old pictures from The Little One, one of those Catholic School Mothers who co-mothered Shamus and Breanne through Catholic grade school, we have a treasure trove of shots that will amaze and delight the bride to be.

The wedding colors are blue and brown and so we are weaving all hues of blue through the house with touches of brown here and there. The flowers in the dining room will be white hydrangeas and ferns with deep blue muscari and croci; blue hydrangeas and hyacinths and tulips in a pussy willow nest in the living room with paperwhites at the punch bowl in the breakfast room. Got some really good clear blue plates at Freddy's for $2.99 apiece and will use the white appliqued table cloth with the tiny, tiny stitches over blue flowers and birds. The Russians are coming for the annual springtime polish of the silver, so we should be all Gorhamed up around here. Least for another year.

We plan to divide the party into six groups and give each group six rolls of toilet paper, paper clips, scotch tape and a stapler and direct them to appoint a model and fashion a wedding dress. Adequately fueled by the lemonade and vodka punch, the results will be a clear indicator of spring, something that's lacking here in the PNW at this date.

And the menu. The menu will fall back on some of the traditional favorites here at Bellemaison. The back of the house is busy with the first party of the year as is the front of the house so we will use some tried and true recipes that don't challenge us and that people love; on this day, the girls at Party #1 will let their nutrition go for an afternoon, in celebration of love and spring and all that is hopeful. We can't wait! Viva la fat, salt and sugar!

Bridal Shower Menu

Passion Fruit Iced Tea
Vodka Lemonade Punch

Sour Cream Banana Bread
Orange Shortbread

Strawberries with sweet cream cheese
Savory Cheesecake
Dill and Cayenne Dip with vegetables

Lemon Waldorf Salad
Hot Chicken Salad
Tomato Salad

Tuxedo Cake
Iced Vietnamese Coffee
Cappucino

Ain't love grand?

JBelle
Bellemaison
The 'Kan EWA