BABY showers
tips on planning, inspire you on a theme and my gift ideas for a baby shower party. Talk about parent baby shower parties, mother-only baby shower parties and father-only baby shower parties.
As I laid my eyes on these sunflower cupcakes by Joycelyn of Kuidaore, I knew I found the topic for a post.
Be ready for seeing your guests in awe if you bake and decorate similar sunflower cupcakes.
Prepare in advance you dessert table, the sunflower toppings look too great to not show off your cupcakes.
Menu Ideas
Here are some recipes with simple yet stylish food presentation. This menu can be an alternative to the real-life sunflower bridal shower party and gerbera birthday theme I shown you this week.
Sweets
Kuidaore gives no recipe but the site lists the ingredients for the sunflower icing. If you have some experience, you probably can concoct your own version.
Categories:
FOOD + drinks
BABY showers
DINING
KIDS + BABY
posted @ Thursday, July 31, 2008 10:22 AM | Feedback (1)
After the sunflower bridal shower, it is the turn of the even more popular and accessible gerbera daisy to be the center of attention.
I imagine this tablescape for a teen girl birthday party. The tablescape was designed by the team at Bellenza as a showcase for their party favors, place card holders and votive holders. The concept fits a Sunday family brunch, a lady lunch, a bridal or a baby shower.
Décor Tips
Wrapping your napkins with a ribbon and a fresh flower is easy. You must delay the execution it until the last minute since you cannot hide a phial. The gerbera should be sturdy enough to support the lack of water. If you wish to preserve the flower longer, put a low height bud vase in each place setting.
Categories:
TABLESCAPE
PARTY ideas
BABY showers
PARTY supplies
ENTERTAINING
KIDS + BABY
posted @ Wednesday, July 30, 2008 12:48 PM | Feedback (1)
I am introducing my new weekly must read section. I compiled the list on Sunday from what bloggers published over the last 7 days. Enjoy!
+ I fall in love with the Shinzi Katoh trays with square handles available in the USA at Penelope’s. I have a thing for trays. The drawings of Shinzi Katoh are so adorable. So many cool stuff features his design. I am looking forward to introduce his treasure boxes on an upcoming post. Via ohdeedoh
+ I adore eating homemade cookies. They are great to bring on the road, for a picnic or as hostess gifts. Bea baked her Dark Chocolate Chip and Nut Cookies with 5 types of flour. As usually, her pictures add to the pleasures. Via La Tartine Gourmande
Categories:
HOME decor
BABY showers
KIDS party
FAMILY style
KIDS + BABY
HOME + GARDEN
posted @ Sunday, July 27, 2008 2:27 PM | Feedback (0)
If you or your children participate in a sport team, a party is certainly taken place at the end of the season. Or you may organize an alumni meeting this summer.
You typically want something special yet affordable. Get inspired by these adorable event design ideas.
Photo Display
The photos hanging by clothes pins on a twine is a concept that can be applied to so many events in so many ways.
From a graduation party, an engagement party, to a first year wedding anniversary or the first birthday of your baby, displaying photos creates a connection. Your guests feel more inclined to share memories.
For a baby shower, create a family tree line. The center will be filled by a few photos of the pregnancy and the happy couple.
Drinkware
Serving food and cocktails in mason jars is favored by cool bars, bistro restaurants and caterers. The details of this real wedding designed by Rebecca Stone of Duet Weddings are featured on Style Me Pretty.
Categories:
EVERYDAY
PARTY ideas
BABY showers
DISHING tips
BIG events
ENTERTAINING
DINING
KIDS + BABY
posted @ Thursday, June 19, 2008 12:23 AM | Feedback (2)
A superbly decorated cake makes a statement at any party. Here are some adorable and fun cakes for a graduation party, a baby shower or a kid birthday party.
On LovinSullivanCake Web site, we can read that the owner Kate Sullivan learned baking and cake decorating from books, and many trial and error. She has more than learned it, she mastered it. Her designs are cutely refined.
If you always dream of creating your own fabulous birthday cakes, do not be shy to try a simpler version. Kate Sullivan is not only a cake decorator, she is also an author of a cook book. Grab a copy of her book Fun & Fancy Cake Decorating: Tips and Techniques for Decorating Unique Cakes for any Occasion to discover her tricks.
Categories:
FOOD + drinks
BABY showers
KIDS party
BIG events
ENTERTAINING
DINING
KIDS + BABY
REVIEWS
posted @ Thursday, May 22, 2008 1:20 AM | Feedback (0)
Recall my story last month about Menus Bébé, a brand in France that produces Ready to Serve Gourmet Baby Food. I have found a similar company in California.
Why to choose Pomme Bébé?
Pomme Bébé produces small batches of fresh organic baby food. The food is simmered slowly to retain the maximum amount of wholesome nutrients that your baby needs.
You get the basically same advantages that Menus Bébé provides. The food is more nutritious, displays vibrant colors and is tastier. The menu changes every season at Pomme Bébé. Their menu relies heavenly on the freshness of seasonal produces.
You can buy Pomme Bébé food at their Newport Beach store, online or by phone. The food can be opted for next day delivery at your door or quickly pass by the store for a curbside pick-up.
Categories:
FOOD + drinks
BABY showers
FAMILY style
DINING
KIDS + BABY
posted @ Monday, May 05, 2008 11:51 PM | Feedback (0)
New parents can save until April 18th, 2008 with the Buy 1 Get 1 free event on their new Birth Photo Announcement Cards. From their design studio in Toronto, Penny People Designs ships worldwide.
Penny People will double the ordered quantity of any Birth Photo Announcement cards if you answer Eupdate to the question "How did you hear from us?" during the checkout process. Offer valid until April 18th, 2008.
The design of the Penny People cards can be changed to suit your taste. So do not worry if you do not like the shown colors, the fonts or the fact that the picture is in black and white. As far as I understand, these design changes cost nothing.
Added Attention
Because Penny People knows that you will be quite busy after the birth of your infant, parents-to-be can receive the envelopes early for an additional $3.00 mailing fee. Therefore, it makes senses to order the birth announcements prior to the arrival of your baby.
Categories:
PAPER goods
BABY showers
ENTERTAINING
KIDS + BABY
posted @ Thursday, April 03, 2008 5:08 PM | Feedback (1)
I do not have kids but I watched closely the hip modern trend regarding baby gears. I think this trend illustrates well the desire of consumers to get the products they want.
Several hip baby brands and stores were founded by style-conscious parents who did not like what big chains are selling. It is also a sign that more people are not ready to give out style because they became parents. As a stylish living advocate, I am thrilled.
If you are attending a baby shower soon, you may want to check out the inventory of Quilt Baby. Founded by parents of two toddlers, Quilt Baby is an independent modern baby bedding and accessory company located in Asheville, North Carolina.
Practical Baby Gears with Modern Style
Quilt Baby provides high quality, practical products to style conscious parents. Their catalogue contains over 20 bold and fun patterns.
Categories:
BABY showers
ALL occasions
TRENDS
KIDS + BABY
GIFT IDEAS
posted @ Sunday, March 30, 2008 1:26 PM | Feedback (2)
Instead of a design mood board, I composed one around potential gift ideas. I will tell you all about why these items have baby shower written all over them.
Aprons
You probably know by now that I adore aprons. And with a new baby, the mother needs more than one for years to come. It is not because you have a baby that you should stop being fashionable. Since you have less time for yourself, it is better to protect your clothes while you are running your daily errands in the house. For example, when you start to give solid food to your baby, the apron protects your clothes up to a certain point.
This Cherry Tart Chef Apron is from an etsy’s seller called BellaBeeDesigns. A hostess version was also available; I just bought it. Every Bella Bee’s apron is handmade with designer fabrics that are 100% pre-washed cotton fabrics. She used designers like Amy Butler and Joel Dewberry. These aprons are created to withstand many years (even generations) of use and washings.
Categories:
KITCHEN tools
BABY showers
ALL occasions
DINING
KIDS + BABY
GIFT IDEAS
posted @ Thursday, January 31, 2008 10:30 AM | Feedback (0)
I received an email from Jennifer of Alphabet Photography to inform me of a new art product. I look at it because it intrigued me. What I discovered is a unique concept.
Starting from black and white photographs taken around the Niagara Region during the summer of 2007, you can custom your own word art. Their Web site has a pretty simple to use Create a word interface. You can adjust each photograph individually and see the result automatically. I did it for the name of my husband and my name.
Each photograph is a 4 x 6, so the art work does not take too much space. Depending on the number of letters, you can find an integrated photo frame or align several frames in a row. Look at Umbra; they are my favorite brand for cool and stylish photo frames.
An excellent gift idea
For the upcoming Valentine’s Day, Alphabet Photography proposes a personalized gift solution. Make sure to make a good lasting impression and select a series of upscale photo frames that match the decor.
Categories:
BABY showers
ALL occasions
KIDS + BABY
GIFT IDEAS
posted @ Monday, January 28, 2008 2:11 AM | Feedback (3)
Located in Brooklyn, New York, Supermarket is a cool market place that connects designers with consumers.
If you are looking for a special gift to complete your Holiday shopping, browse their catalogue. I compile a fun wish list to speed up your shopping.
A hanging vase
To give you a head start, I made a list of four fun and practical products. The first one is a white ceramic orb hang with a long woven sisal cord called Plantorb. Sold under her own brand called Perch!, Amy Adams designed the cutest vase to grow your own herbs in the kitchen.
Cute Egg Cups
Created by Design Glut, Egg Pants is a cute duo of egg cups. Made with a ceramic lookalike material that is soft and flexible, Egg Pants perfectly fit around any egg. If you friends are not familiar with egg cups, at least you can brag that Egg Pants made the front page of the New York Times last week.
Categories:
BABY showers
ALL occasions
KIDS + BABY
GIFT IDEAS
posted @ Wednesday, December 19, 2007 12:13 AM | Feedback (1)
With people having children at an older age, the deeper implication of fathers and a higher sense of design than in the past, there is a need for more stylish baby shower party themes.
More and more future parents value schemes that are far away from the same old matching baby showers offered by large retail chains. If you are planning a baby shower party for hip urban parents, I got a few ideas to pull off this challenge.
First, any event revolves around the food, the décor and the atmosphere. That is what I show you on my inspiration board.
The Invitations
Even if it is the first thing you should send, you must work out the details of the party before selecting your invites. An invitation sets the tone of the party. The festive note cards I displayed are miles away from the juvenile look typically associated with baby showers. Since it is a parent baby shower, a gender neutral model is the way to go.
Categories:
FOOD + drinks
PAPER goods
BABY showers
ENTERTAINING
DINING
KIDS + BABY
posted @ Monday, November 05, 2007 2:15 PM | Feedback (0)
A reader T. asked for my advice. She is planning a baby shower at the office for her sophisticated boss. The baby room décor involved red and white toile fabric with gold and yellow accents.
T. told me she enjoy the French style baby shower board I made earlier this month. But since her event will occur at the office; she would prefer a simpler scheme. I put the accents on what she mostly needs help: paper plates, napkins and cakes.
T. expects 40 guests at this baby shower. From a cleaning time and money viewpoints, she opts for disposable products.
How to determine the decor style?
First, I decided that the napkins will harbor the Toile theme. With that in mind, it appears that a plate model with solid center where the rim as the center of attention will harmonize nicely with the napkins. I feel that full pattern plates lose their appeal once you filled them with food.
Categories:
PAPER goods
BABY showers
CAKES
ENTERTAINING
DINING
KIDS + BABY
posted @ Tuesday, October 16, 2007 1:34 AM | Feedback (4)
A reader B. asked me for advice. She needs help decorating a baby shower that she is throwing for her friend who likes Toile fabric. Very French indeed!
I was giving a color palette to start with: brown, black, sage and a hint of pink. Not your typical baby shower color scheme. I like that! Different shades of greens, French vanilla and almost black are hot colors right now. Browns are still going strong. It is the Fall season, so I am making the best of it.
Where to start?
I selected items with a typical French style. My goal was that even if you have access to these specific products, you will be able to reproduce the look wherever you live.
You can mix epochs if you examine the pieces carefully. You do not need to be an expert to do it. For example, the Toile fabric dresses share similar thread styles with the Marie-Antoinette plate set although they refers to different social classes and periods.
Categories:
TABLESCAPE
BABY showers
ALL occasions
ENTERTAINING
KIDS + BABY
GIFT IDEAS
posted @ Tuesday, October 02, 2007 7:17 PM | Feedback (2)
We are seeing the popularity of cupcakes at birthday parties, baby showers and even as wedding cakes.
The Cupcake wave caught Montreal over the last twelve months with the opening of several cupcake shops; we had none before. We are more used to the taste of French pastries here. So we may judge cupcakes from a different viewpoint than most Americans.
My mom often baked cupcakes for me when I was a little girl. The icing was a nicely done frosting of the right thickest and she even put sprinkles. So I fully understand the nostalgia and the deep feeling towards cupcakes that is all over the cupcakes industry. But the stylish hostess is worried.
Go for stylish cupcakes
Nostalgia is one thing but the world has evolved and even more on how we present food. I am showing you different alternatives in cupcake decoration in order for you to avoid my DON’T version taken from the style shot of Sur La Table Web site.
Categories:
BABY showers
KIDS party
CAKES
DINING
KIDS + BABY
posted @ Monday, July 30, 2007 1:33 PM | Feedback (4)
If there is one thing that can simplify the life of parents with young children is the advent of calling cards. This way, you always have on hand a little piece of paper with the important information and facts about your children.
With all the play dates, kid birthdays, baby sitters or new preschool teachers that your child attends to or sees on a monthly basis, it saves you times and money. Calling cards do not only help you. They help the other parents to stay up to date. When you arrive equipped, you increase the chances to be invited again.
What to write on a mommy / daddy calling card?
At the minimum, you need to print your names, address and phone numbers, the name of each child. Printing the birthday dates is appreciated by the other parents.
Put down important medical information and allergies. Include your cell phone as well as your home number. This is a lot of information to put on a 2 x 3.5 inches piece of paper, spread the info with a recto/verso design look a lot better.
Categories:
PAPER goods
BABY showers
FAMILY style
ENTERTAINING
KIDS + BABY
posted @ Friday, July 20, 2007 1:24 PM | Feedback (5)
I just discovered this collection through Rare Bird Finds, a blog where you dig up unusual gift ideas.
I wanted to add a cute and affordable gift option for an Animal Kingdom baby shower theme, here it is.
The Baby Cie La Jungle Wild Animals is a 5-piece Lunch set with tray, beaker, fork, spoon and bowl. Other available themes are pirates, farm animals, ballerina, ocean seaside and transportation. Starting at $23.50 USD per set, you can visit Amazon.com to see the entire line.
Another option is La Jungle Wild animals Dinner set with tray, cup, spoon and bowl for $23.95 USD. The Pirate theme sets would work well for a first year birthday with a pirate theme.
Categories:
BABY showers
KIDS + BABY
posted @ Monday, July 16, 2007 6:17 PM | Feedback (0)
Following Blueprint hip baby shower, I come up with another stylish inspiration for a baby shower party. This time my inspiration starts out with the Wren handmade fabric stuffed animals.
Fabric stuffed animals instead of plush animals are popular these days. You can find many styles on etsy stores. But my favorite ones are the giraffes and elephants by Wren handmade designed by Laura Normandin. The animals are cutely shaped and I like the fabric selection at Wren handmade. The 11 inch high giraffe and the 8 inch high elephant each cost $60 USD.
Be aware that the Wren handmade stuffed toys are for kids over 3 years old. But why not decorate the baby room with them until then? Display the animals on individual thick shelves nicely distributed on a wall or on the top shelf of a bookcase. Both options look great.
Categories:
BABY showers
KIDS + BABY
posted @ Monday, July 16, 2007 11:38 AM | Feedback (0)
I was looking to design an inspiration board for a hip baby shower but Blueprint magazine beat me to it in their July edition.
In their Special Deliveries article, the staff of Blueprint concocted an orange and teal party theme. The modern style design looks fresh and in vogue. The beautiful color palette runs throughout the buffet.
Do not be shy to display gifts in your design. Here, the Binth alphabet poster sold at Generate store for $85 USD creates the perfect backdrop for the dessert buffet table. Inspired by Mid-Century Danish wood toys, the ABC poster designed by Suzanna Bierwirth, Peter Dunham and Linnea Gits sits perfectly with our baby shower party theme.
Making a mobile
The mobiles are cute, inexpensive and easy to make. The instructions are published on the article republished on Martha Stewart’s Web site. If you want to play a little but with volume, you can try to mix a few spheres with the circles. Another option is to throw a few acrylic orange squirrels from the Acrylic Ornament set by Ferm Living in your mobile.
Categories:
BABY showers
DISHING tips
DINING
KIDS + BABY
posted @ Sunday, July 08, 2007 4:50 PM | Feedback (2)
Whenever we wish to make an announcement, send an invitation or thank somebody properly, we want something that represents us. You can glue your picture on a folded card board but frankly, this DIY approach is not the most sophisticated one.
Designer Lindsay Stephenson of Penny People Designs takes the personalization concept to a higher level. You customize the Penny People from her card collection to look like you by changing the skin tone, hair style and hair color. The cards from this Toronto-based stationery studio display cute modern drawings.
Baby Stationery
For announcing a newborn, the Baby makes 3, 4+ cards looks adorable. You customize individually the mom, the dad and the baby. If you want to give something more special to your relatives, make a nice package with the note card or the correspondence card inside a picture frame.
Categories:
PAPER goods
BABY showers
ENTERTAINING
KIDS + BABY
posted @ Thursday, July 05, 2007 2:26 PM | Feedback (1)
We all have at least one girlfriend that fits this description. As a follow up to the reader question, I got inspired to make a board around this style. For this baby shower, I imagined a tea party in a modern garden or a chic loft apartment.
I started with this gorgeous invite pattern at Fine Stationary, available at $92.25 for 25 custom printed cards with envelops. Designed by Bonnie’s StylePress, the invites are clearly chic and hip.
The color palette and the elegance are the key elements that make me choose this floral arrangement. The bouquet complements my design for this baby shower party. This floral arrangement was done by the talented florist behind housemartin blog. I love her work.
Rosanna’s dinnerware came to my mind instantly when I planned this inspiration board. I got to use the very Parisian look of the tea lunch set called Ladies who lunch. The set comes in a beautiful gift box with two luncheon plates with teacups for 40 dollars.
Categories:
PAPER goods
PARTY ideas
BABY showers
ENTERTAINING
KIDS + BABY
posted @ Sunday, June 03, 2007 12:11 PM | Feedback (3)
A reader, Carrie, asked for my advice to choose the best napkins to go with the invitation card called Expectant Mother by Doc Milo. She will like that green be the focal décor color of the baby shower party.
I know Expectant Mother by Doc Milo is a popular invite so I agree to do this because there is a good chance others wonder about that issue.
In fact, lots of people have a hard time to mix and match colors, patterns and shapes. And there is a good reason for that: this is a hard thing to do.
We learn in design school a large set of rules that guide us in making our selection. Unfortunately, we also learned that it is not only pure science; art plays a role in making wonderful compositions. Designers rely on their trained sense of style and years of experience to create a fabulous look.
My idea with this post is to share my savoir-faire with you. I will explain in simple terms how to and why I selected these 3 napkins as companions to the green Expectant Mother card.
I started by examining the color palette of the card. I put my emphasis on the focal point of the card, which is the expectant woman. What the expectant mother is wearing provides the best clues. I made the conscious decision to eliminate black and white. My color palette reads this way: lime green and hot pink are the dominant colors with orange and light blue acting as secondary colors.
Categories:
PAPER goods
BABY showers
ENTERTAINING
KIDS + BABY
posted @ Friday, June 01, 2007 7:46 PM | Feedback (0)
The newest trends towards men-only baby shower party and the even more popular parent baby shower party has contributed to the popularity of the dad diaper bag in the wish list.
Modern dads take care of their babies. But& men do not want to be seen with a female design diaper bag. So why not give a truly masculine diaper bag to the father to be.
I came across these dad diaper bags that are on sale. Available in camouflage or black color, this stylish shoulder diaper bag comes with a super comfy strap that goes across the chest with a padded back for extra comfort.
A padded changing pad, two handy clips for keys and a cell phone holder adds practicality to this bag. The Dude Shoulder Diaper Bag is currently on sale at wrapables.com for $39.95, a $20 savings.
A Brand from Two Dads
If you are looking for something even better, then check out the DadGear product lines. DadGear is born out of the mind of two dads to be who realized that the diaper bag market felt short of father expectations.
DadGear worked hard to ensure that their products don't look like diaper bags because this is not what men want. Their collection looks like normal backpacks, messenger bags and sport bags on the inside. The difference is in the inside. The bag interior is cleverly made for carrying around all the baby gear with lots of easy access features.
Categories:
BABY showers
ALL occasions
KIDS + BABY
GIFT IDEAS
posted @ Monday, May 28, 2007 1:21 PM | Feedback (3)
I got inspired by the creativity of a gorgeous baby shower invitation this afternoon. So I decide to talk about invitation choices and how invitation cards can make or break your party.
I said it before; printed invitations grab more attention than an email or a phone invitation to a party. Except for wedding and milestone wedding anniversary where printed invitations are customary, sending a printed invitation tells right away that your event will be something extraordinary. You create hype which usually increases the attendance.
Letterpress and calligraphy create stunning design cards with a personal touch. Lots of small card companies have emerged in the last couples of years to suit a wide range of tastes. The printing techniques make their charms.
Custom letterpress cards and calligraphy are expensive because it is a labor intensive job. Egg Press offers custom letterpress baby book at retail locations around the USA. The Kangaroo card is from Egg Press.
You save even more by going with a card in a collection instead of exclusive design. With personalized printed cards, you select a model from a collection for which you add your personalized text.
Categories:
PAPER goods
BABY showers
ENTERTAINING
KIDS + BABY
posted @ Monday, April 23, 2007 6:08 PM | Feedback (0)