Yesterday, I hosted a baby shower for my sister. This shower was planned meticulously for months, and was such a joy for me. I got to try so many new crafts–things I'd seen on other blogs and saved away for "someday." Honestly, it wasn't long after my sister's positive pregnancy test that I was begging her to let me do the shower.
Here is a brief photo overview, and a teaser of things to come. Several posts to follow will show in detail the invitation, the decorations, the games, the favors, my gift to the new baby, and more.
The baby's nursery is going to be decorated in green and brown, so I designed the shower around those colors. My vision was a simple, sophisticated presentation with a warm and cozy vibe, given that our weather in November is typically cold and dreary.
Disclaimer: these photos were taken hastily as guests were arriving. They're admittedly less than great. But I'm actually surprised they turned out at all, so I'm happy.
Tip #1: Burlap table runners. You probably wouldn't want an entire tablecloth of burlap, but a little runner was a great way to add some texture and warmth for very little money.
Aren't the flowers gorgeous? They were masterfully created by Carol from VanKirk's Florist. I gave her the colors and theme, we discussed a few kinds of flowers, and she arrived with the perfect arrangement. (OK, full disclosure–she's also my husband's aunt. And she was an amazing help to me at the shower! Big thanks also to Leanna, Jennie, Jen, my mom Betsy, and everyone else that pitched in to help. I couldn't have done it without you.) Carol also found the tiny cypress trees that completed my vision for the food tables.
Hands down, my favorite element of this fall shower was the treat table. We had a hot cocoa bar (with coffee also available for mochas) and handmade doughnuts. The cocoa bar (idea from Hostess with the Mostess) included cocoa obviously, three flavored syrups (which could definitely be spruced up further with flavored liqueurs for a party without pregnant ladies), marshmallows and whipped cream.
The doughnuts were a big hit. I knew I wanted a green glaze, and that I needed to make the regular vanilla glaze more opaque somehow so the green color would show. I added a cup of white chocolate chips to the vanilla glaze, and some food coloring. The white chocolate glaze was so yummy, and I'm not usually a fan of white "chocolate." (It shouldn't call itself "chocolate" if it's not really chocolate, right?)
It just so happens that my sister's two closest friends are also pregnant right now, so even though the shower was for Brittney, I tried to accommodate the other ladies with comfy chairs that were easy to get out of.
Here's a sneak peek of my gift for the baby. This blanket deserves a post of its own. It was really fun to make and I love how it turned out.
Facebook fans–here's that new scarf I posted about last week. I'm loving it!
