Inspiration: Pumpkin Baby Shower

I have always wanted to throw a pumpkin themed baby shower for a friend.  The timing hasn't worked out yet, but in the past week 2 separate readers have reached out to me asking for ideas for Fall or Halloween showers...so I thought I'd put together an inspiration board. Maybe someday I'll get to use it myself. :)

There are so many fun invites you can use for a pumpkin theme. I love these by Oh Creative One.  (Its technically for a bridal shower, but I've worked with this designer before and she is very flexible and can make changes you request no problem.)

A classic pumpkin-themed tablescape by A to Zebra Celebrations, spotted on Hostess with the Mostess).  Love the brown and orange linens and the pumpkin garland. 

Natural elements are a must for decorating for this shower.  Acorns, flowers in oranges and yellows, mini pumpkins, and gourds are perfect! (my photos) You can also incorporate pine cones and fall leaves. 

Pumpkin foods are perfect.  Serve lunch of a hearty stew and flaky rolls. Followed by pumpkin desserts...like these Cheesecake Filled Pumpkin Cupcakes by Rachael Ray.  (Yum!)  Pumpkin cakes, pies, cookies, pudding...the possibilities are endless.  Don't hesitate to make a dessert bar with all of the above and some pumpkin candies thrown in!  (All of these items make great party favors as well).

A children's book that doubles as a guest book is a must at a baby shower.  (Seriously - you must do this at the next shower you throw. People love it, and its such an easy way to carry through your theme.) I thought this book called Pumpkin Pumpkin worked well with my board, but any pumpkin or fall or even a Halloween book would be great. 

Pumpkin onsies can double as a gift and decoration.  Baby stores have plenty of these in the fall, or you can try Etsy for some extra special ones. Make a banner by stringing them on a line. 

For a game, gather some pictures of the mom-to-be in her Halloween costumes as a child. (Ask Grandma-to-be for help!) Post the pictures at the party, and have guests guess her age in the different pictures.  This is a great way to get the crowd laughing. 

What other ideas do you have for a pumpkin-themed affair?

Real Party: Nesting Baby Shower

If you've been reading this blog for the last few months you know that my friend Lindsay and I are both expecting.  Our high school girlfriends threw us a joint baby shower earlier this summer.  And it was amazing! I'm so excited to finally be able to share the pictures! 

My friend Megan made the adorable invites, which set the scene for the nesting theme. 

There was a banner for each of our babies.

The food table was gorgeous.  

My most favorite detail was the 2 bird houses painted for each of us and hung above the food table.  Aren't they adorable? 

Lunch was tea sandwiches and assorted salads.

Our friends also baked up a storm!

Vanilla cupcakes, bird nest sugar cookies, grapefruit sandwich cookies, lemon tarts were just a few of the desserts.

Around the house were flowers, birdhouses, and bird nests.  

 Linds and I opened amazing gifts for our baby girls from friends and family...

...and then played the best game I've ever played at a baby shower.  With the help of our friends Deb and Leslie, our husbands were secretly interviewed on camera about our pregnancies and parenthood.  We had to guess how they would answer. It was hilarious!

The boys were very good sports. :)

 Party favors were individually packaged macaroon cookies from one of my girlfriends' favorite bakeries. 

Lindsay and I with our hostesses: Linnea, Marci, Megan, and Morgan.  Love those girls. :)

Thank you so much for the amazing shower! I could not have asked for anything more. 

Photos by Morgan McGinn

Tea Party Sip and See Party Favors

Yesterday I shared a tea party sip and see that I had attended recently.  

The hostess Julie asked me to help with the party favors. 

I decided to make cupcakes in mason jars.  

Didn't they turn out cute?

I put stickers on the top..."Welcome Addison" over a subtle teapot graphic, as a nod to our tea house location.  

They were a hit! 

I used this cupcake recipe, and this frosting recipe. 

Real Party: Tea Party Sip & See

Last weekend I attended an extra special Sip & See.  My friend Adrienne just adopted a baby girl and it was a party to celebrate both of them.  Adrienne's friend Julie was the hostess. 

Julie used this invitation from Tiny Prints. 

Julie found the perfect spot to hold the party.  This venue is so amazing on its own that a hostess doesn't need to add a single thing to decorate. 

Crown & Crumpet Tea Room is in San Francisco's famous Ghirardelli Square. 

Check out some scenes from this amazing venue: 

We sampled assorted teas and had some traditional tea party foods: tea sandwiches, crumpets, scones...YUM!  (I had no idea what a fan of crumpets I am!) 

And then Adrienne opened gifts for her baby girl.  I hear Dad is trying to figure out how to add onto the house to hold all the new clothes she received. :)

Congratulations Adrienne! 

And Welcome Baby Addison!

Check back tomorrow to see the favors I made for the shower!

DIY Idea: Baby Shower Gift

I've mentioned a few times how many baby showers I have coming up.  This weekend they are officially starting.  I have one on Saturday and one on Sunday.  

Purchasing gifts for all these showers in such a short time can get expensive (especially when I'm getting ready for my own baby!).  So I decided to make something to go along with store-bought gifts, to make my money go a little farther.  I settled on ribbon tie baby blankets. What a fun little project! And I hear babies love them, with all the colors and textures. 

Let me warn you that I am not a seamstress by any stretch of the imagination. I have a basic skills with a very basic sewing machine.  (I've never even used a pattern before.)  I took a few wrong turns with this project, but I finally figured out a method that works well and doesn't take too long. Thought I'd share it with you!

1.  Cut the front and back panels of fabric.  (I did 13 inches x 13 inches)  I used a soft material (which I'll refer to as the back) and a regular cotton (which I'll refer to as the front).

2. Use an iron to crease the edges of the front fabric. 

3.  Pin loops of ribbon around the outside of the front fabric.  Place the pin near the base of the ribbon loop.

I used 16 total ribbon loops, or 4 on each side.  Use a variety of colors, textures, and patterns.  

4.  Sew each ribbon loop to the front panel.  

Sew the outside edge first. Then remove the pin. 

Continue sewing around the base of the ribbon loop to anchor it. Lift the "foot" at each corner and swivel the fabric around the needle until you have sewn a complete square. 

5. Repeat until all 16 ribbon loops have been sewn to the front panel. 

6.  Place the front and back panel together. The back panel will be slightly larger, which is what you want.  

Pin them in place with a few pins.

 

7.  Switch your sewing machine to a zig-zag stitch. Stitch the front and back panels together.  Try to get the stitch at the very edge of the front panel.  

8. When the panels are sewn together, cut the extra fabric from the back panel as close to the front panel as possible. 

Ta-da! 

Here's the finished product from the front and back: 

And I made a second one, since I have two showers to attend this weekend: 

I love the way they turned out with all the different ribbons! So many fun color combos you can use.  I have plans to make many more in the next month or so... :)

 ***

And...we have a winner of last week's giveaway! 

I'm happy to inform Bethany Freitag that she has won a $25 credit to Sweet'n Treats! Congratulations Bethany! And thank you to everyone who entered! 

 

Dinner Party Round-Up

I've attended a few photo-worthy dinner parties over the last few months that I thought were worth sharing.  Either beautiful food or creative menus have earned these a spot on the blog today.  Enjoy...

Leslie hosted a few couples one night for dinner.  We dined on roasted garlic chicken, crusty french bread, smashed potatoes fried in duck fat, green beans, brussel sprouts (my contribution).  Lindsay brought homemade tarts for dessert.  Yum.  I still think about those potatoes...

During Lindsay's first trimester she had crazy cravings for Greek food.  During that time she decided to host "Falafel Fest" at her house.  It was delicious! She fried up homemade falafels, and had all the fixin's to make yummy pitas.  And of course french fries and my Greek salad on the side.  I'm hoping her craving comes back, because this is a party I'd love to repeat!

Lastly, Lindsay had a small gathering where we barbecued several different kinds of pizza.  Not sure how, but Katie, Lindsay, and I ended up in charge of the grilling (I usually leave that up to my husband!), and it was quite an adventure.  We made 3 different pizzas, I brought a salad, and Katie brought a cobbler.  It was really fun to do pizzas this way and the crust ended up very crispy. 

Are you inspired?

Don't forget to enter the giveaway of $25 to Sweet'n Treats! Click here to enter.