Adventures of a HOH, Part Three: Mandy in Wonderland

Wow, I really lost track of time! It's time to conclude the story of Mandy's shower. Click here for part one and here for part two.

The morning of Mandy's shower (March 29) dawned cloudy and chilly. I woke up at 7 AM and immediately went to work making CDs and finishing up last-minute details. I dragged Roy out of bed around 8:30 so he could walk down to his mom's house and get her ice chest. He was intercepted by our crackhead (but cool) neighbor (I'm using the term "crackhead" loosely), who wanted to borrow Roy's keyboard since the "k" key on his keyboard wasn't working for something he absolutely had to do online right that instant. Once Roy returned, we packed everything up and drove over to Melinda's house. We got there around 10:30 or so. Roy left me there to work on my projects and left to get us some ice and breakfast.

When he got back, Roy and I began setting up the backyard while Melinda made scones. We put different types of tea and playing cards on each table. We hung up the ghetto-fabulous signs that Melinda, Angelina, Kim, and I had made. I cursed continuously at the fabric I was using to cover the tables, because it kept blowing away. I got a little stressed out because time got away from us, and I didn't feel like we would ever have everything ready. Before I knew it, it was 1:00 PM, and the shower was ready to begin. I was also a sweaty pig and ran to the bathroom to change my shirt just as people began arriving. Mostly everyone was right on time (which shocked me), no doubt aided by this, which was hanging in a tree in Melinda's front yard:



Before long, all of the guests (much less than I anticipated) had arrived, and they were exclaiming over the setup, the food, and the details.

















Everyone loved the teapot fountain in particular. Thanks for letting me borrow it, Angelina!



When Mandy arrived, she was averting her eyes because she knew I wanted her to be surprised about the shower theme. So of course I just had to blindfold her!



I think she was pretty happy with the way it turned out. In all honesty, the backyard looked really cute, and I think Mandy thought so too. I loved how all the chairs and teapots didn't match. It totally gave it a Mad Hatter feel.

Adding to that feel were the guests' hats! On the invitation I had requested for each person to wear her silliest hat, and to my surprise, almost everyone did.



I bought Mandy a special hat and a special tea cup. Seriously, what's not to love about a shamrock hat and a rooster mug?





Melinda and I let everyone mingle for a bit, and before everyone started eating, we began the first game. I pinned the names of literary characters to each guest's hat or shirt, and they had to guess who they were based on the answers to any "yes" or "no" questions they asked other guests.



I expected this to go on for quite some time, but Cherie, my other California mommy, guessed hers (Huckleberry Finn) rather quickly, she was awarded her prize, and everyone settled down to eat. I took that opportunity to pose for the camera, in true attention whore fashion.





(Please excuse the cell phone pocket bulge and tummy roll.)

And then it was time for our next game: Pass the Cucumber! I had never heard of this game until Angelina mentioned it the night before. It sounded like a riot, so I added it in. Plus, it was a great way to use the extra cucumber.



In case you've never heard of it, Pass the Cucumber is kind of like musical chairs. You turn on some music, and the participants have to pass a cucumber to the person nearest them. The catch? You have to hold the cucumber between your legs and pass it on that way. Whoever is holding the cucumber between their legs when the music stops is out. And it continues on until everyone but the winner is eliminated.

I was right. It was a total riot. I totally owe Angelina my firstborn for making the suggestion.





Next we did musical chairs (or in Wonderland-speak, a caucus race). It's a game that is fun and nonsensical, and I loved watching people trying to sneak around to make sure that they were in front of a chair at all times.





Once the game was over, Melinda and I began a short-lived impromptu dance game. Merlin (my nephew) had discovered (while helping Melinda with the music for musical chairs) that he loved turning the music off and on. So as Melinda and I began dancing, he would turn it off suddenly and we would freeze. We would stay frozen until he turned the music back on, and then we would begin dancing again. Merlin got a big kick out of it. So did Melinda and I.



Finally, it was time for the last game. I blindfolded Mandy and made her sit in front of everyone. Each guest had brought an item of funky clothing, so I put all these in a box and had Mandy get dressed blindfolded.







Needless to say, the end result was hilarious.

I made Mandy sit in front of everyone for the last bit. This game was called "Who Stole the Heart?', and in it, I acted the part of the judge putting Mandy on trial for stealing the heart of Paul. Each of the guests acted as a witness by revealing something they'd seen or heard Mandy and Paul doing together as a couple. (The list of things they'd experienced as a couple was made by Mandy herself, and I used that for each witness.) I gave it my best bastardized British accent, found Mandy guilty of stealing Paul's heart, and sentenced her to a lifetime of marriage. Towards the end of my sentencing, I got a little weepy, but I don't think anyone noticed. (Damn hormones!)





And then it was time for dessert! The cupcakes were so yummy (and we got to take a whole box of them home with us).





And gifts! I love how Mandy is laughing like a maniac while wielding a sharp knife, with an "Off with their heads!" sign in the background.



And favors! I loved the way the cookie favors turned out. There were a ton left over. My co-workers loved me for bringing in said leftovers.



And then the shower ended. We had a crapload of leftovers but managed to pawn a lot of them off on departing guests. Roy came back and helped us clean up. Even Mandy stayed and helped clean up - what an awesome bride she is! We packed up everything into the car and drove home. I immediately crawled into bed and laid on the heating pad for the rest of the night. I was totally exhausted but totally happy with the way the shower went.

Our living room looked like a bridal shower threw up in it.



But for Mandy, it was totally worth it.

A huge thank you to my girls for all your help! Thank you, Melinda, Kim, and Angelina!