Weekend fun & the best. gifts. ever.

This past weekend was brideslady M's bridal shower. Now, this is a girl who loves to plan, loves to have control, and is not usually one for surprises.. but against all odds, she was actually surprised at this!! Go us.

This was clearly after some gifts (and some drinks).

It was held at a winery (awesome) with lots of good eats, fun presents, and draaanks.

Me with my MOH Blondie

She got tons of amazing gifts, a lot of which made me so excited for my own shower.. who thought I would ever be jealous of a cake stand?

Best part? She seemed to really love my little DIY monogram!

As for the other gift I got her (along with MOH Blondie).. well, I thought it was the (second) best. gift. ever. I got the inspiration from a gift that Mrs. Panther got at her shower...

...which was a wedding day emergency kit!! Included were items such as clear nail polish, Advil, lip balm, eye drops, oil blotting sheets, mouthwash, travel toothbrushes, gum, Tums, hand lotion, tissues, hairspray, bobby pins, a compact mirror, M&M's, a mini sewing kit, a notepad, pens, and a little bottle or liquor (among other things). Note to others who want to make this: include feminine products! We totally forgot this. :(  As shown, we also decided to spruce it up a bit with a super cute Vera Bradley travel makeup organizer (which I'm totally jealous of and totally want now, btdubs).

*So* cute. And she really seemed to love it, which is even better!!

Oh, and the other best part of the shower? Making and winning the TP dress contest.

MOH Blondie, Sam, me, and Suzanne (an old ballet teacher of ours)

I attribute our win to the fact that we are all dancers and have lots of experience with costumes. Either way, total win = fame and fortune. Or two candles. I'll take it!

So all in all, it was a wonderful surprise shower for M and a total blast being able to see her and some other college friends I haven't seen in ages. It also got me super pumped for my own shower!

What was your favorite non-registry shower gift you received? Or were you all registry all the way?