Thank you to the following Vendors who helped make this table scape a reality. 
Table Scape Design and Implementation: Charis On Events
Catering and Dishware: The Gates On Roblin
Table Linens/Gold Chargers/Chiavari Chairs: Planned Perfectly
Cut Flowers: Academy Florist
​Photography: Prairie Blossom Photography

Shiver me timbers all ye pirates out there! If you are looking for a fun idea for a party theme, this pirate theme knocked it out of the park. Whenever I am organizing and planning any kind of event, my go to, of course is Pinterest. You can check out my CharisOnLife Pinterest boards and be busy for hours! I collect all of my inspiration here, add my own touch then, create!

All of the quirky and cute food tags I ordered from The Girl in Glasses, who will create whatever it is that your imagination desires. Her handmade signage with free-hand penmanship and drawings add an adorable touch to any party planing event or as gift items. You can contact her there and order your custom signage through her!

I love D'Ella!!!! This family run business has the wonderful mom and daughter duo making all little girls beautiful for their special occasions! Milu and Annette helped me choose the most adorable dress for the flower girl, and bent over backwards to ensure that it was ready on time. In times where exceptional costumer service is hard to come by, these two gals get an A++

The M.O.B encourages anyone with little darlin's to go visit Milu and Annette!

The back of the M.O.B. Mobile was FULL of decorations, this was all I could see out the back.

The M.O.B. Mobile has arrived ... if anyone spots the M.O.B. Mobile out and about, come say hi!

This was a long, long day but in the end, the bride and groom were happy with how things turned out so the M.O.B. was happy. Thanks to everyone that came out to help turn the Pavilion into a decorated splendor. (I will show pictures after the wedding so as not to spoil the surprise for everyone else.) Thank goodness for the CharisOnLife Staff, making the day productive and possible.

My personal assistant, copywriter, photographer, and all around fab dude, keep the business rolling while the M.O.B. was on active duty.

The CharisOnLife CEO and guard dog was on Protective M.O.B. Duty and kept all questionable characters at Bay.

There will be more to come as time allows. Keep following on Twitter and Facebook! #MOB #MeetTheMcArtons #Vikingland

The car is packed full of decorations and we are off to the Pavilion! Keep posted for updates!!!

Now this was an awesome story in the history of stories.... 

Once upon a time, in a place plagued with ice and snow, skeeters and bugs, lived an aged old thing we call  ... The M.O.B. Now the M.O.B. lived a quiet life by the river in a fell of trees in a little cottage she liked to call MamaC Land. Now the M.O.B., liked to organize and plan, plan and organize but had nowhere to use her creative talents until ... there came a wedding. WOOOHOOOO! So ... you need a little bit of once upon a time for them too ... they met in the university library ...

Yes! The wedding of my dear daughter as you all know. So ... as all mother's dream about their children's weddings and all the glamour and fun that goes with it. Just like we used to dream about being brides. (Sometimes I occasionally, in a weak moment, think about that myself ... no prince charming has arrived on site however ... ps. I'm taking applications) Okay so what can I do, what can I make, what is there to plan?

Nothing mom, we got it covered.

Covered?

WTH? Covered? But ... but ... but ... planning and organizing and planning and organizing ... nothing?

Nope, we got it covered.

Okay... I'm totally poking fun at the kids but it does set the reason for the next part of the story. Actually, I'm so grateful that the kids are so organized, I haven't had to worry about a thing to date! Just myself, and the flower girl dress, and two tuxes. EASY PEASY! I always knew that my daughter and her fiance would have everything under control, that is just who they are and I adore them for it. It is going to be the most carefully orchestrated and beautiful event of this year, barring the shower I planned of course ... lol.

So  ... yes ... the shower.

Where I grew up, there were always community showers for all of the brides in town, it was a wonderful tradition that still exists. The entire community and surrounding areas are invited to attend this beautiful afternoon of gifts and tea and the most DELICIOUS dainties you could ever find.
That is most definitely where I developed my love for dainties, baking, and of course party sandwiches. Now the great thing about our community was that everyone was an excellent baker, not lying, it was unreal. And ... just so that we are clear ... It is all of your faults for MAKING me love sweets ... that I am now doing the M.O.B. Challenge to lose weight. Okay maybe not your fault, but it was worth a shot.

My shower experience started from when I was about three or four. My sister and I were really close in age so, we were always asked to get dressed up in our matching party dresses and carry all the gifts up to the brides. It was quite the honor, let me tell you! When we were no longer cutie putooties, we sang at showers, yes, there was usually some sort of program as well. My grandmother, and my mother were a part of the shower crowd and for years, brides to be have been blessed by our little community with a pile of beautiful gifts to start off their married lives. It is amazing. And ... I myself was so very appreciative when the community threw a shower when I got married. Now another tradition, was for the husband to be to parade his blushing bride into the function so that the community could check out her choice of men and there were always some oooo's and ahhhh's in the crowd. It was excellent! I might even post some shots of my shower just for fun.

Now we live in the city and well ... things are different. My daughter wasn't even sure that they wanted a shower. It's something about this generation. I told her quickly that wasn't going to happen on my watch. So ... Mama C started thinking about the shower of Mama C's dreams. Just kidding, I just wanted it to be a really special time for her and everyone that attended the shower. First thing was to put together all of the things that she has loved over the years as well as things that I knew about the couple that they adored together. So this is what I came up with ...

Let me tell you, it brings tears to my eyes thinking about all of the effort that everyone made to follow these requests to a tee. They received beautifully handwritten family favourites on recipe cards, travel tips and books with lovely inscriptions that they will always remember. Sacred family recipes, favourite books, and travel tips that will save them on all their future travels! It was the most heartwarming thing I had ever seen (I'm actually welling up so much I can't see!).  That doesn't even cover those that made the effort to find hats and gloves for the occasion -- everyone LOOKED ADORABLE. The gifts they received were equally as heartfelt -- thank you all from the very bottom of my heart for making this occasion so amazing. I will share some pics here so that you can get an idea of the entire theme.

We did blend both the tea party aspect and the book theme in all of the decorations and it was absolutely fabulous.

We had such a lovely afternoon. The Maid of Honour sent a video speech and we did a slide presentation of the couple from the beginning of their relationship to current times (of course it too was in a book theme!). When they had their wedding photos taken by Kamp Photography, they even incorporated a library theme. It played the couple's most meaningful songs and had this mom in tears.

Photographs courtesy of Laura McMillan, Tammy Johannson, Kamp Photography
Editing: All Mama C