baby shower

Today was my baby shower, and I don't even know how to begin writing about it! I didn't have any expectations for this shower, but even if I had, this amazing day would have exceeded them all.

Do you want to know what made this shower so great?

We haven't lived in Tennessee that long, so I was truly surprised by all of the people who showed up to celebrate this baby with us. There were friends from our church, friends from MOPS, and friends I have made through Jim's work. It was so fun and so special to see all of the support we have, and my heart was so touched by the outpouring of love.

I tell ya, my friend Christy is such a master cook. She made everything from scratch including a tomato pie that was divine. (I know, I know, tomato pie doesn't sound that terrific. Trust me. Everyone left wanting the recipe.) She also made homemade truffles that were in these cute little black boxes with pink bows.  And her cupcakes?  Mmmm....

Everything for the shower was done in black and white damask with pink, to go with the baby's nursery.   It was truly beautiful.  It was elegant and fun and oh-so-girly. 

We got so many terrific things for the baby, and it was all stuff we need and can use.  Each gift was one-of-a-kind and so much fun to open, even for this girl who hates to open presents with everyone watching. 

There were five babies at the shower today ranging in age from 10 days to eleven months old (four of the five were under four months, I think).  The amazing thing is that I didn't hear more than a peep out of these sweet babies all morning.  They were a total joy and in no way a disruption.   They reminded us all of the gift that a new baby really is to a family.

There was a candy bar for people to fill candy bags, and the candy included some of my favorites.  I love black licorice, jelly beans, and chocolate, and these were all included!  (How lucky that they all came in black, white, and pink!) 

We also played a few tasteful games (I hate shower games, but these were actually no-pressure, no-awkwardness kinds of games), and one of the games encouraged people to figure out my answers to some questions.  Fun.

One of the best, most thoughtful details is that I was provided with lovely, homemade thank you notes and pre-addressed envelopes.  Seriously? Coordinating, handmade thank you notes?  Do these ladies know me, or what???

It was truly a memorable morning, and I was so touched.  I got home and told Jim it was the prettiest shower I had ever been to, and I started to cry.  He said, "Wow... You are so pregnant."  I know he's right, but I would have been moved even without the help of my hormones.  Thank you, thank you to everyone who came today and made me feel so loved and special.

I saw some amazing cookies featured on Everyday Celebrating, and when I went to check them out for myself, I couldn't believe what I saw!  These cookies are gorgeous, and I found some that perfectly match the decor of my nursery with the black and white damask and pink with black (too bad we're not sharing the baby's first initial!). 

Amber, the creator of these artistic confections, is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, and her degree is in baking and pastry. So, you can bet that the cookies are going to taste as good as they look!  The next time I am hosting a baby shower, I may have to send her a swatch of the baby bedding and see if she can custom create cookies for me.  I'm certain she could!  

Go check out SweetAmbs on Etsy!

This morning was Kylie's baby shower, and it was so much fun! It was so girly, even though she is having a boy! (Baby showers are for girly moms, no matter what gender child they're having, right?) Honestly, it was one of the most elegant showers I have ever attended. Christy, Tricia and I worked together to host. Christy and Tricia teamed up on food while I took on the decor. We were a fierce trio, mostly because we each truly enjoyed the roles we chose.

As an inspiration for the shower, we used Kylie's nursery decor of brown, green, and polka dots. We chose to do a "sweet baby" shower, with lots of delectable treats for the guests.

It all started with the invitations, which set the tone for the whole affair.  The top part of the cupcakes were made with color copies of one of Kylie's nursery fabrics.  The text was printed with chocolate brown ink on green vellum, the cupcakes were made 3-D, and they were all finished with chocolate brown ribbon.

The sweets table was the hit of the party.  It was filled with delicious green and brown treats for guests to bag up and take home as favors at the end of the morning.  The treat bags were made to match the nursery fabric, too.

It is hard to see in the photo (you can click to enlarge it), but Christy made the most adorable (and tasty) cake pops that looked like mini cupcakes, and we bagged them and attached a tag that said, "So sweet of you to come!"  

Some of the other decor included the banner on the mantel (shown at the top of the post), and several fun hanging elements above the tables.

We did a word search made just for Kylie, and when everyone was finished, we drew one for a door prize.  We also asked people to write notes to Kylie and the baby.

The food was incredible.  We had chicken salad croissants, banana bread fingers (with a cream cheese filling), fruit salad, and three different kinds of muffins.  Everything was made completely from scratch!  It was all incredibly delicious.  For drinks we had homemade lemonade, sweet tea, fruit tea, regular and decaf coffee, and, of course, there were a few flavored creamers.  They thought of every detail.

After the food, it was time for gifts.  One of my favorites was this bib that was bought on Etsy.  Kylie's husband is our worship leader at church and plays both guitar and drums.  There was a drum set onesie to go with the bib, which was just perfect.  Too cute!

It is hard to believe that our own baby is scheduled to come just eight weeks after Kylie's (twelve weeks from now).  I so don't feel ready.  Someone asked me today to share a photo of the nursery, and it nearly gave me a heart attack.  I have got my work cut out for me.  But for tonight, I need to put my feet up and relax...  I loved every minute of helping with this shower, but I am one tired momma tonight.  Happy shower day, Kylie!