trust me, she'll dig 'em: creative bridal shower gifts

here are just a few unique, useful & cute bridal shower gifts that i've had the pleasure of experiencing firsthand. not that registered gifts aren't the cat's meow, but sometimes a girl could use a little something outside the norm. any of these could be tweaked to work for other occasions, like baby showers, weddings, bon voyage parties, housewarming gatherings or any other dreamy events you attend!

numero uno ~

addressed & stamped thank you cards for the bride to send to all bridal shower attendees. seriously, does it get any better? the shower is such an amazing day for the future bride to be showered with love & attention. but a week later she's stuck with the daunting task of finding creative ways to say thank you for the blender, linens and plates she registered for. help a sister out & at least take care of the even more boring task of addressing all the envelopes!

it would be fantastic if you could match the thank you cards with the wedding invitations. it doesn't necessarily need to be by the same vendor, but staying within the color scheme and theme would be gravy.

{via merry blues art}

{via daydreamers}

{via codesign}

numero dos ~

a personalized tote filled with goodies for the honeymoon. find out where the bride & groom are going and use that as a guide when choosing the contents. for example, if they're whisking away to tahiti, you could create a fun beach getaway package. fill a big tote with colorful towels, suntan lotion, a pretty necklace, flip flops and perhaps some lingerie to show off the new tan. you could also include a gift certificate to a local restaurant and cute maps of the destination. the more personal & useful the better.

{via the spoon sisters}

numero tres ~

this last idea is my favorite. first, i must give my sister-in-law 100% credit. she created a personalized cookbook for my husband and i for our wedding with recipes from all of our family members and bridal party. she also included photos and commentary that made the whole thing so beyond special. in a word it was, amazing. i cried. it is a gift to top all gifts. and i will have it forever. it's currently on display in our kitchen right now. she used tastebook to create the masterpiece!

{via sew liberated}