Sugar and Spice baby shower

Meet my sweet friend Angela. (She's the gorgeous one on the left and that's pasty me on the right)

She actually has a waist now and the cutest little baby girl that she carries everywhere.  But, a couple of months ago, she was very pregnant and I threw her a baby shower.  This post is long overdue.  But, I was having too much fun with my kids this summer to spend time uploading pictures on blogger.  At least, that's what I tell myself.

She was having a girl. Since there aren't nearly enough of those in my house, I went very girly with the decor.  I designed the pink wooden sign for the party but might add it to my etsy shop soon.  The pink topiary was made by wadding up some scrap paper, wrapping it in duct tape, then shoving a stick from my front yard in in.  Then I cut some circles from pink flowy fabric and hot glued them on to make a Dr. Seuss style flower.  This project proves just how cheap I can be.  I had all the materials on hand and just made them work, even the white pot I fished out from under my sink.

The topiary sat atop my mantel along with a bunting that spells out gifts.  

Hanging from the gift table are some streamers I made by glueing circles punched from scrap book paper onto fishing line.

I used those same streamers all over the room to add some more girly flare. 

Here they are again with another simple bunting (scrap book paper glued to twine)

And again on the food table.

This is where this post gets exciting.  Everyone loves treats, right!?

But. before I expose you to all of our saccharine joy....I have to dwell on my favorite part of the party...the Chalkboards!

I saw a tutorial on pinterest on how to make your own oversized chalkboard here.

I just had to have one for my house and finished it just days before the baby shower.  I was so smitten by my newest project, that I just scribbled some girliness on it and propped it on the table.  I feel like it totally Made the buffet!  I am too OCD to stop with just one chalkboard and thus made several more mini ones to label my treats.  I loved how they turned out and need to host another girly get together so I can use them again!

On the menu was some tasty pink lemonade cupcakes.

Platters of mini lime tarts.

Baby fruit pizzas.

Antipasto salad.

Homemade breadsticks.

And a garlic and herb spread.

My kitchenaid and I definitely got a workout prepping for this one.

I'm getting hungry just remembering.

Here are a few pictures of the lovely ladies in attendance.

It turned out to be a wonderful day, thanks in large part so my amazing and very patient husband who offered to take all 3 boys to the movies during the shower.  

Sweet baby dreams,

Story Book Baby Shower

Two of my adorable friends are having babies any day now.  In honor of their hard work, I hosted a story book baby shower for them last Saturday.

The event was so much fun to put together.  I had a blast living vicariously through them for a few days!  Most of the decor was made up from found items in my own house.

For example, an old paperback became this wreath.

I never really did like that book anyway.  I won't share which one I mutilated at risk of ticking someone off!

A little close-up!

The same book made its way into my pinwheels.

Obviously, I was going for a grey and yellow theme.  One of the moms to be wanted to keep the gender of her baby a surprise, so things needed to be androgynous.  Beside, yellow and grey just look so chic together!

These bins may have been my favorite part of the whole shebang!

Found them at Lowes near the paint section and then spruced them up with some vinyl and ribbon.

More book pages were used to make the fanned circles for the garland 

and of course, some more pinwheels.

You can't have a baby shower without delicious munchies.  I started by brainstorming some nursery rhyme themed treats (Martha Stewarts web site helped out a bit here).  Several sweet friends of my contributed by offering to bring some of the dishes.  I never could have pulled it off without them!  Seriously, I never could have made multiple dishes by myself, and have them taste good, and have a clean house for every one to party in.  

We had Little Miss Muffets Tuffits.

Little Boy Blueberry Muffins

Humpty Dumpty Deviled Eggs

Mary Quite Contrary's Garden Salad

Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Parmesan Stars

Little Bo Peep's Punch

Jack and Jill's Water

And you can't forget...the Dish ran away with the spoon

Another Book wreath acted as a center piece

And mini books and stars were strung as a backdrop

I wanted all the serving trays to be silver but, only had a few.  Thus, I supplemented with a couple  $1.99 plastic ones from Hobby Lobby.  They blended in perfectly.

I loved the flowery table runner down the center.  I saw it at Home Goods and had to take it home.  I'm thinking it might find its way onto my Easter Table next year as well.  The mini star tea light holders added a touch of sparkle.  I found them a couple of years ago at Walmart of all places.

Before my guest left, I made sure each received a bookmark to take home

I made them using bottle caps and jumbo paper clips

That's pretty much a wrap.  We just added some lovely ladies and some terribly fine books and had ourselves a great time.

It was scrumdidillyumptious!

Wall Monograms

Introducing one of the newest trends in vinyl wall art... Personalized monograms. I added this one to my son's room earlier this week. Isn't it sweet!? It measures approximately two feet across.