A Garden Bridal Shower

Over the weekend my daughters, 

 Heather and Jennie (with a little help from me) 

hosted an outdoor bridal shower

in Heather's garden. 

They are bridesmaids in the upcoming wedding

of my son Dustin and his sweetheart, Jen. 

It was a beautiful day and before the guests arrived, 

I was able to sneak a few photos. 

The theme was 'rustic romantic'. 

Wooden crates, burlap, crocheted lace, and pink roses. 

Simple place settings...

Canning jar 'glasses'.....

Carnation garlands....

Cork label holders and blueberry ice cubes...

Corseted wine.....

Martini glass mint holder.....

Special seat for the guest of honor...

Paper lanterns...

And parasols. 

Most everything gathered or handcrafted from things already on hand. 

The beautiful bride to be is about to arrive.....

She surveys her kingdom - princess for the day. 

Her 'crown' awaits...

A sweet smile.

On the menu - tea sandwiches, scones.....

Quiche and...

'salad' - veggies in ranch dressing cups. 

Fruit salad with lime yogurt sauce to begin the meal. 

Sweet cupcakes to end it. 

Games were played....

'Guess the age in the photo of the bride to be',

'What's in your purse?',

and 'Name what the bride to be is wearing'.....

(after she leaves the garden room!)

Gift bags for the winners. 

Guests were asked to write the 'perfect date night' 

on wooden sticks for the guest of honor to take home. 

Gifts were opened...

Favors given...

And all too soon the day was over. 

It was a beautiful day for a beautiful bride to be. 

With many blessings for a beautiful life. 

xoxo

Linking to Floral Friday - Thank you Trishie for hosting this fun blog hop! 

City Scenes with Good Fences

Every once in a while, this country gal takes a trip to the city! 

Come along with me and we will explore some pretty scenes.....

This beautiful building is Union Station in Tacoma, Washington. 

Once a bustling train station, this copper domed building

had fallen into disrepair. 

Now the city has brought it back to its former glory. 

Chihuly glass lights up the domed windows overlooking 

Commencement Bay.

The top of the dome.

Another view.

Some gorgeous architecture.

The building is now used for Federal offices,

We were not allowed to roam....

Beautiful iron fencing line the sidewalks.

Sidewalk detail.

Street scene.
The whole of Downtown Tacoma
has been restored and revitalized.
What was once a very run down area,
has been turned into beautiful shops,
businesses, cafe's and even a branch
of the University of Washington.

We have watched this happen since we
moved to Washington over 30 years ago.

You can see more beautiful buildings and views of
Downtown Tacoma here.

The Tacoma Dome is in the background.
This building hosts concerts, sports and cultural events.
The dome is made of wood and must be painted regularly.

It is scheduled for a face-lift soon, with a new paint design.

Wide stairways help walkers navigate the hilly landscape.

Vine covered walls and pretty railings lead down to the parking garage.

A last glimpse.... raindrop on my lens.

I survey the bay.
It is a cool and rainy day.
My Mr. keeps me laughing.

No, I haven't locked him in a cage,
although sometimes it's tempting....

Some wonderful old advertising.

The red banners are for the Tacoma Art Museum
This museum has just acquired a very large Western Art bequest.
They are building a new wing.....
It is set to open soon.
Paintings from one of my favorite artists,
Albert Bierstadt will be featured.

I can't wait to see this new acquisition.

Now let's travel north to Seattle...

We live about midpoint between the two cities.

The tall black building is the Columbia Center

which is the tallest building in Seattle and the state of Washington.

We attended a retirement party on the top floor once.

The views are incredible.

These photos were taken as we drive into the city.

Here are photos and the names of Seattle's Downtown Buildings.

Some interesting fences along the freeway.
Looking down on a curious scene.

Railings and the Space Needle along Lake Union.

A float plane circles for a landing....

Down she goes......

Seattle is a very pedestrian friendly city.
Stairs in West Seattle.

We leave the city behind....

Almost home...

I hope you enjoyed visiting my two beautiful cities
with some Good Fences along the way.

Although I love to visit,
there's no place like home!

xoxo

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