18107

Violets are Blue, We are Expecting Baby #2

June 2008

LaChrisa in The Colony, TX, USA

Runner Up

3rd time is a charm.  This is my 3rd time to throw shower over the past few years.  It is my privilege to throw the 2nd one for my sister in law.  She is having a boy and we hope it was't a foot, so we threw around ideas after ideas.  The mom likes brown and blue together, so instead of an actual theme like a teddy bears or rubber ducks we just did a color theme using chocolate brown, tiffany blue, and vanilla white.  I wrapped my front door with tiffany blue wrapping paper and used 4 BOY banners along with baby boy shower scrapbook embellishments, like bottles, carriages, and teddy bears.  I also used felt sticker letters that spelled out BABY SHOWER, CONGRATS, and the family names.  This way everyone knew which house the party was being held.  We had a co-ed shower one Saturday evening, so we could clean up and rest on Sunday before the new work week.  I also placed a baby shower sign and some blue bows around the trees.  Let's start with the invitation.  The mother requested that we keep this as informal as possible since it was the 2nd baby.  For invitations,   I used a graphic a found online of a cupcake with little robin baby birds on top and a blue and white background to set the theme. 

I wrote a little poem, ROSES ARE RED, VIOLETS ARE BLUE, WE ARE EXPECTING BABY #2.  I included a little diatribe with the invite on how their little girl will be expecting a baby brother and we request everyone to celebrate a new addition to the family.  Now on to the decorations, we decorated family room, breakfast nook and kitchen inside the house.   I have paper round lanterns I have bought over the years for all the parties I throw here and there.  I pulled out all the white and blue ones in several sizes, 12/8/6 inches.  The 8 inch lanterns are battery operated as well.  I hung these over my extra large kitchen island (4 X 9) that I always use for the food buffet and main focal point of the room.  I normally have hanging candelabras flanking the sink, but we recently removed them and left the round hooks.  I placed a bamboo stick in the round hooks and then hung the lanterns from it with blue and brown ribbon and mini clothespins.  This helped reduce the thumbtack holes in our ceiling.  I alternated the sizes and colors along the bamboo to give a symmetrically look to the hanging decorations.  I alternated the ribbon colors as well so there was plenty of the brown ribbon used since I did not have brown lanterns.  TIP:  You can spray paint the lanterns any color or design, but I really did not want to permanent change my lanterns. 

I covered the entire island surface with brown table cloth and blue wrapping paper.  I placed the brown tablecloths on either side of the sink and the blue wrapping paper in the center in front of the sink because I did not want to cut the tablecloth to open the sink up.  The drink station (another countertop) was covered with a brown plastic table cover and sprinkled it with confetti that I already have on hand.  (I purchased a large box of different bags of confetti from a local party superstore for $5 about a year and half ago.  I have still have not put a dent in supply.)  Unfortunately, the bags for baby showers had blue pink, yellow, and purple colored confetti, so I had to open individual bags and separate the colors to keep with the theme.  My sink is dead center of the island and it is an eyesore, so to camouflage it I have several glass cylinder vases that I have filled with various home décor items.  I removed my normal home décor and party them décor.

I have 3 vases that are the exact same size, about 6 to 7 inches tall and 3 inches in diameter.  I placed plastic Easter eggs, in white and tiffany blue, with some dried flowers.   I used a ¼ inch brown satin ribbon around the center of the white ones to break up the white and blue at the bottom of the vase.  The eggs were to represent birth.  In the other 2 vases, I took 3 of the tiffany blue candlesticks and put them together with a rubber band.  I covered the rubber band with a 2 inch brown satin ribbon and then put a blue satin bow over it.  I got the bow from the Hershey Kisses bag I used in the party favors.  I put them in the center of the vases and filled clear, white, and frosted glass rocks around them to secure them in the vase.  I also wrapped the 2 inch brown satin around the center of clear 3-inch (tall/diameter) votives (4 of them) with ¼ inch blue sheer ribbon in the center of that to match the vases.  I put battery operated tea lights in them and placed them in between the vases I had in front of the sink and this was the centerpiece for the food.  

The remaining space was used for the food and desserts on the buffet, which I will get into later.   In the breakfast nook, I decorated the table and the light fixture above the table.  I also used white chair covers on the chairs and tied blue sashes around them.   The mom to be's sister owns a wedding business so I borrowed these covers and sashes from her.  I purchased a blue round plastic table cover for my table, to add color and protect it.  I placed a brown cloth placemat in the center then placed a taller clear glass vase, about 8 inches tall and 4 inches in diameter in the center.  I wrapped the 2 inch brown satin ribbon at the lip and base of the vase.  I filled it with the glass rocks and water.  I placed 3 mini rubber duckies tail to tail to tail in the water.  I repeated this with the 3-inch clear glass votives but used ¼ inch brown satin ribbon at the top only.  I filled them again with the remaining glass rocks, added water, and a mini ducky.  These were placed on each corner of the placemat. 

I then took streamer in the tiffany blue and I attached long pieces around to the light fixture ceiling medallion.  I twisted each piece and taped it to each of the light fixture glass covers allowing some to hang down to the centerpiece on the table.  I then took the 8 inch battery operated white round paper lanterns and hung them with brown ribbon from the ceiling around the light fixture.  In 3 different sizes of decorative jars I placed candy in the party colors, M & M's, Cadbury Robin Eggs, and Reese's Eggs that I purchased after Easter.  I placed a brown placemat inside my serving tray on my coffee table.  I took the remaining white plastic eggs and placed them at the bottom of the jars. These too came in all the pastel colors so I separated them and only used the white and blue.  I later let any kids that came fill a small party favor box I purchased from Dollar Tree (12 packs) to take home.  I will explain more about the other party favors later too.  I made the banner out of blue cardstock.  I simply printed one letter of BABY SHOWER out on each cardstock with an umbrella border. I have a heavy-duty mantle my husband built and placed on the fireplace when we refaced it with slate tiles.  I taped each letter across the front of the mantle.  I placed the party favors on top of the mantle along with a diaper cake that I made for the parents.  The party favors where so great in my opinion, see below for explanation

PARTY FAVORS:  I found the best deal on this.  I originally planned to use the pre-made boxes in the wedding section of the Dollar tree.  They are just thin cardboard favor boxes in white that I was going to fill with blue Easter grass, white plastic egg with Cadbury eggs, and a mini ducky.  That was until Target's Dollar Spot had a 75% sale on some of their bath and garden products.  I purchased the silver rectangular planter box about 3 by 6 inches for the container.  I purchased shower gel and bubble bath in Wysteria scent, which happens to be blue.  I could not find enough bubble bath so I substituted body butter for it decided to give that to the girls with no kids.  I also got the foot pumice stone, in blue of course.  I still used the mini duckys and the white favor boxes, but in a different way.  I placed 2 pieces of balled up tissue paper in white on the bottom the container, covered it with brown paper shed, and then placed all the other contents on top of that.  I started with the shower gel and bubble bath/body butter in the back at each corner.  I placed the white favor box with the candy inside between the bottles.  The pumice stone was place in front of that with the ducky to the left of it.  I also had purchased Thank You cards with blue envelopes.  I had the mom to be and dad to be sign each one with a little note.  I put these behind the bottles and favor box.  I then placed white tulle under the container full of goodies and pulled it up to create a bag that was tied with some ribbon that said, IT'S A BOY.  They looked phenomenal and the cost was even better, $1.50 each.  Is that not crazy?  All those goodies and it cost me less than a half-gallon of gas.  (now that was a funny).  They were a big hit and a lot of praise was given.  It makes me smile just writing about it now.  The extra party favor boxes I had I gave to the kids that came to the party to fill up with the candy I placed on the coffee table to add color.  I made a couple of special gifts for the parents and sister.

First DIAPER CAKE: I used about 60 diapers and made a 3-tier cake.  I rolled each diaper and tied it with string then I used a paper towel roll for the center of the cake and surrounded it with the individually rolled diapers.  I had to do 4 rows to make the base wide enough for me to put the 2nd tier and the 2 stuffed animals on top.  First I wrapped the bottom layer with a jungle theme receiving blanket in a cream color with jungle animal print.  It actually did not fit all the way around so I placed a jungle theme washcloth in the void that was white with the same jungle animal print.  It took the 2nd washcloth and put it on the other side in the same fashion. I tied the same brown parcel string around whole tier and blanket.   I then took a painted wood cut outs, a giraffe, a lion, and a monkey, and them in front of one of the washcloths in the string.  I wrapped several more individually rolled diapers around the paper towel roll on top of the bottom tier to make the 2nd tier.  Once I had 2 rows wrapped around the roll I tied it with the string and removed it to wrap a receiving blanket around it.  I used a green and cream striped receiving blanket and tied some more string around it and placed a zebra shaped and painted wood cut out in front of the seam.  The cut out was directly over the other wood cut outs on the bottom layer I then put a monkey and giraffe stuffed animal around the 2nd tier on top of the bottom tier.  I put their paws in their string to secure them to the cake. 

I did the same method for the top tier, wrapped the individually rolled diapers around and tied with string.  I pulled it off to frost it too. On the top tier I used the same printed blanket as the bottom tier along with a yellow washcloth on the top to cover the diapers, cardboard roll, and hole.  I tied the brown parcel string around the blanket and put an elephant shaped wood cut out over the seam as well.  This elephant was directly over the zebra.  I placed a lion stuffed animal on the very top since he is the KING of The Jungle.  I placed this on a white plate and turned a white bowl upside down to create height and a cake plate.  Again this was placed in the center of my fireplace mantle above the BABY SHOWER banner and flanked by the party favors.  It was very festive. I also made a BIG SISTER bag for their daughter so she did not feel left out of the celebration.  I purchased a mini canvas tote bag in pink at Michael's and I ironed on a PRINCESSS iron on decal from the Dollar Tree.  I accidentally touched the straps on the bag with the iron to long so that it melted and broke.  I sewed it back together, but to hide the mistake I sewed a butterfly-embroidered decal on it too.  I purchased a plain white cotton t-shirt (with puffy short sleeves) at Wal-mart and printed a iron on transfer from nickjr.com. It is a picture of Dora The Explorer with I AM THE BIG SISTER under her.  I rolled the new big sister shirt and put it in her bag. I also purchased a ribbon from Dollar Tree that said, I AM A NEW BIG SISTER.  I wanted to put something else in there, but could not find anything else at a reasonable price.  I looked for children's book or DVD about brothers and sisters but nothing.

GAMES/PRIZES: Dirty Diaper  Guest had to guess what type of candy bar was melted inside a diaper by looking at it, smelling it, and tasting it.  Bottle Race  Guest race to see who can drink the most punch out of a bottle in one minute.  The prizes were mini loofah sponges, white chocolate duckies(painted to look like rubber ducks and there was a big one and little one that represent the daughter and there new son), lotion/shower gel set in a mini beach purse, Asian tea cups with green tea. I also purchased some beer mugs and tape measure keychains for any guys that one. Now for the food and drink 

FOOD:  The grandmothers to be catered the food for me, but I had a hand on the desserts.  I made 2, baby boy sugar cookies and baby bird nest cupcakes.  For the baby boy cookies, I used frozen sugar cookie dough and kneaded about ¼ cup of flour in it.  I rolled it out to about ¼ inch thick and used a gingerbread man cookie cutter to cut the shape of a boy.  I baked them and then decorated them sugar cookie glaze, made from scratch (go to allrecipes.com for the recipe) then sprinkled blue sugar crystals over them.  For the cup cakes, I was going to do this great recipe I found on marthastewart.com that used white cupcakes, toasted coconut, and baby bird fondant, but the mom suggested to make a Vietnamese pound cupcake that looks like a nest and will be better since they do not eat that much sweets.  So I got the cupcakes from her and they were white with a blue centers and then I added marshmallow chick Peeps to the top.  I used 2 white plates with a pedestal bowl to make a cupcake tier trays.  I placed the cookies on my pedestal cake plate with a hurricane glass in the dead center.  IN the hurricane glass I placed blue Easter grass and white plastic eggs in it. 

I placed all the food on white and clear serving dishes for presentation.  I purchased tiffany blue napkins that popped when laid on the brown table cover. I put the clear plasticware in side the metal buckets I had left over from party favors with a blue napkin unfolded underneath. DRINKS: I made several drinks to go with the colors of the shower.  I made peach tea and sweet tea.  I purchased Tampico blueberry raspberry juice that was a vibrant blue.  Then I made a punch with Hawaiian Blue Berry punch, pineapple juice, gingerale, and pineapple sherbet.  I also froze the Tampico juice above and pineapple juice in ice cube trays that I placed in the punch so when the ice melts it added flavor instead of watered down.  I placed the punch in a large clear punch bowl with a clear plastic ladle.  I also set up the blender to make virgin Pina Colada.  This way I had blue, brown and white drinks.  The party was a success and everyone left with smiles on their faces.  This is the last baby shower I will probably throw for a while, but I am planning my niece's 3rd birthday party, PRINCESS, of course.  Stay tuned

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