gin & pearls : Throwing a Garden-Inspired Baby Shower

My best friend recently, two weeks ago, gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. She is perfect with 10 adorable toes and fingers, jet black hair, and the cutest little face.

Before the baby however, was the baby shower, and I was the lucky one to get to throw the shower. :)

Throwing a shower can be tricky; trying to have the right amount of charm and sophistication without going overboard or taking a turn for the cheesy.

Step 1: Picking a Venue
Personally I am not the biggest fan of showers in peoples homes, unless the crowd is exceptionally large. I feel like when you bring people together who might now know each other they feel a level of comfort in public places, where as they would feel rather uncomfortable in someones home. With a guest list on the smaller side I knew having the shower at a restaurant would be perfect.

Step 2: Invitations
I had so much fun with this. I knew the look of the invitation would set the theme for the shower, so I wanted it to be a simple one that wasn't too busy or cluttered. Being a gender neutral shower, mommy and daddy wanted the sex to be a surprise, I chose the colors grey and yellow.

Step 3: Decorations
When the venue was booked and invites were in the mail, I was able to dedicate my time to the most important part, the decorations (the decorations set the tone for the entire shower). Being familiar with the venue helped me create the perfect theme to blend with the grey and yellow color palette. The bright sunshine yellow reminded me of blooming flowers so I immediately chose to go with a garden theme.

I had so much fun creating decorations. From the "Mom-To-Be" banner for the chair, to Goody Bags (filled with Pop-Corn, Blow Pops, and Tootsie Roll Pops), to plotted plants in mason jars and tins.

Step 4: Games
Choosing games is by far the hardest part about throwing a baby shower. There is a thin line between having a good laugh and embarrassing the mommy and/or making it disgusting (candy bars in diapers and baby food tasting). Therefore, custom-made "Mommy Libs" was the perfect idea. Fun enough for certain friends to make it goofy and gross, while family members try to make it sweet and kind. Either way, a good laugh for all. I printed "Nursery Rhymes" for guests to fill-out during the down times, and I hosted a "Present Exchange" as a get-to-know you, with the garden tin centerpiece being the prize for the winner.

Step 5: Final Touches
A few small things added the final touches to the beautiful garden shower. From the orange Italian soda that looks like mimosas (for mommy and others who don't drink), to polka dot yellow napkins, to a homemade cheesecake banner, and using a baby book to write gifts and whom they were from in lieu of a piece of paper.

The baby shower was everything is should be: relaxing, fun, casual, and sophisticated. And the mommy even got to go home with the garden centerpieces.