Dear Hostesses, Enjoy these fresh themes for this couture styled bridal shower created by the ever talented Kim Kushner and Shirley Serure. These girls have an entertaining arsenal of ideas and I’m so glad that they shared them with us! Thanks girls! Marlene

“There’s nothing like a house party. Especially when it comes to bridal showers.  No matter the shape or size, a party will always feel most intimate when it’s at home. Yes, hosting a party in your home is probably going to be more work than holding it elsewhere, but when the party is in your home, it really reflects who you are- your taste, your style. And isn’t home where the heart is, after all? A few weeks ago I hosted a bridal shower for my future sister-in-law. It was a wonderful brunch for about 30 wonderful women. I decided not to go the usual bagels and lox route, instead I served lots of beautiful fresh salads , and an Asian salmon. The food seemed to go over very well, but the dessert table really stole the show.  In my opinion, it’s all in the details. You can have the most mouth-watering desserts, but if they aren’t set up in a beautiful way, you simply are not doing them justice. To display my desserts, I pulled out all the square or rectangular glass vases that I had saved. Colorful fruit in glass square vases contrasted the sharp white meringues and chocolate drizzled macaroons. Little towers made up of brownies, hello dolly squares and biscotti lined my kitchen island. And of course, a fun cake was the center of attention.  The cake made by Alexandra Zohn a pastry Chef and owner of Three Tablespoons, became the table’s centerpiece as I elevated it by placing it up top a large square glass vase. Displaying your desserts on different levels truly creates a showcase, rather than having all the desserts placed flat out on the table. The little touches become the most touching: hot pink personalized napkins, a glass beverage server (you can find them online) filled with water that’s been flavored with lemon and orange slices and some fresh mint leaves, glasses of Mimosas garnished with a frozen raspberry….  And, of course, every great party needs a great party favor- in this case, personalized bottles of Rose (I forgot to hand them out, but that’s besides the point!). The truth of the matter is, that it can’t only look good, but it all has got to taste as good as it looks. And, I can proudly say that the ladies went crazy for my miniature peanut butter cups, my fig biscotti, and my mother-in-law’s divine carrot cake.  I’ve never seen such drop-dead gorgeous women stand around my apartment scarfing down cookies and cake-and nothing makes me happier!