Oh Baby! Pink & Blue Baby Shower

Amy emailed me looking for ideas for a blue and pink baby shower. Though she already has inspiration ready for an upcoming shower I am happy to add to that with a few ideas of my own.

- Add a small floral centerpiece and light blue rimmed china to a blush pink tablecloth for a beautiful and sophisticated table setting.

- Light pink tulle maternity dress for the mom-to-be

- Petit fours with blue and pink booties are an elegant and appropriate dessert for the occasion

- A simple favor consists of a light blue box topped with a pink slip of paper that can denote the guest's name. Make the scroll element by wrapping the paper around a pencil.

- Pink invitations with blue text and a damask-patterned blue envelope liner [via]

Oh Baby! Bright & Modern Spa Baby Shower

Daysi emailed in asking for some inspiration for a modern and warm multi-colored spa baby shower. There are many things you can do to make a home environment into a spa setting. Light tons of votive candles to create a nice ambiance. Purchase or create cds to provide soothing background music. Give each guest a pair of slippers which also can serve as a favor. Though this may be a little costly, consider hiring a masseuse to give 10 minute massages to the guest of honor and all guests.

- Modern and fun, this place setting combines a bright dotted placemat and a contemporary floral napkin [via HWTM]
- As a fun but low-key activity have guests help read a few children's books aloud. How great for your little one to have these recordings of friends and family reading to them as they grow older. Idea and cute packaging from Martha Stewart.
- Give the mom-to-be a color-coordinated spa gift basket [image via flickr user Gift Guru]
- Cute, modern silver favor bags can hold spa supplies like nail polish, nail files, samples of perfumes, etc
- Fresh florals in a vase decorated with a coordinating contemporary flower design [via HWTM]
- Customized water bottles fit the colorful theme and add the ultimate healthy spa beverage [via HWTM]

Oh Baby! Lavender & Brown Baby Shower

Niharika emailed in need of inspiration for a co-ed baby shower with a lavender theme. To make the color palette a little more male friendly, I added in the darker hue of chocolate brown.

- Chocolate truffles adorned with miniature lavender blooms are an elegant and color-coordinated dessert. A similar look could be achieved with mini chocolate muffins or brownie bites. [via Martha Stewart]
- White china with a subtle lavender flower and branch design would be lovely for serving dishes or each place setting. [via Michael C. Fina]
- These lavender and brown paper flowers are great as place cards or as table decorations. [via Martha Stewart]
- Striking table centerpieces made with lavender hydrangeas, sweet peas, manzanita branches and golden centre tail feathers. [via the Knot]
- Patterned chocolate cookies in a white favor box wrapped with a lavender ribbon [via Brides]
- DIY lavender booklets can be used as guest books or favors

Oh Baby! Red & Pink Valentine Baby Shower

Melanie emailed me searching from some red and pink heart inspiration for a baby shower she's planning around Valentine's Day. The theme really couldn't be more perfect as the couple's last name is actually 'Hart'. So, though no typography is used in the images above, I would definitely take advantage of that fact and use the last name spelling wherever possible in the party elements.

- A scoop of red sorbet looks extremely elegant when placed in a lovely white dish and garnished with a pale pink sweet-pea. [via Brides]
- Homemade stained glass heart card [via Martha Stewart] - using this as your invitation is a great way to uphold the traditional element of hand-making valentines
- Pink floating heart candles could be set on the table on placed atop water in a low rectangular vase
- The Mom-to-be should be stylishly comfortable - this red, soft knit maternity dress from Olian fits the bill
- Seating cards attached to strings adorned with clear, pink beads and pink roses. Not having assigned seating? Use this idea for a photo wall instead. [via Brides]
- Beautiful red and pink floral arrangement for a centerpiece [via]
- Raspberry macaroons are a lovely and delicious dessert. [via Brides]

Crayon 1st Birthday Party

A reader left a comment the other day in desperate need of some inspiration for a crayon/color themed 1st birthday party for her daughter. Here are my suggestions:

To start, I would pick up some card stock and make your own invitations. Be creative with this- maybe trace your child's hand and hand-write the party details. Show the crayon theme as opposed to stating it by using crayon as the only medium on the invitations.

For decor, find a large roll of craft paper and use it as your table cloth. There is nothing more fun (for children and some adults) than doodling on the table with crayons. Use crayons as your centerpiece - try using clear glue and rimming a low clear vase with them. Then fill the vase with the crayons for use on the table. Also, tie up a bundle of crayons (maybe make these a special edition like glitter crayons or special colors) for a favor at each place setting. To help fulfill all these crayon needs select a larger quantity pack such as this 400 piece crayon set from Oriental Trading.

Hang large crayon shapes such as the ones picture above to add to the room's crayon decor. (image via flickr use Kid's Birthday Parties) Can't find these? Make your own- this theme should be all about creativity and artistry!

Dress the birthday girl in this adorable crayon carrying apron.

An excellent idea for special crayons are these 'crayon cakes'. No, they're not edible but they are super fun to use and easy to make at home. Baking tray image, finished crayon cake image and idea all found at Providence Homemade. These will certainly add to your table display too!

Lastly, as far as food think anything with multiple colors. Maybe make a candy buffet based on the primary crayon colors- M&Ms are perfect for this. For dessert, ask your baker if he/she can make a crayon themed cake or use a homemade favorite and top with these crayon candles from Everything But Cake.

Preppy Baby Shower for a Girl

Pink and green combine into preppy stripes and polka dots for today's baby shower theme. My inspiration arose from this lovely table setting featuring green place mats and pink napkins tied with a pink striped belt. Invite your shower guests with a this pink and green striped invitation from FineStationery.com. Serve up this rose drink of pink lemonade (with or without the vodka depending upon who's drinking it) alongside a slice of this adorable pink, green and yellow cake as photographed by Rebecca Thuss. For favors, send guests home with some sweetly decorated candy treats that fit perfectly into the color scheme.

Oh Baby! Sports Themed Couple's Shower

Today's Oh Baby! feature was requested by Nicole. She's planning a September couple's baby shower with a blue and green color scheme combined with a sports theme. Here are my inspiration picks for Nicole:

- Blue sports invitation from FineStationery.com
- Blue and green paper lanterns to add color and design around the event space
- Sports lollipop mold - great for favors, just place in a clear plastic lollipop bag and tie with light blue or green ribbon
- For a sports themed centerpiece consider using multiple football, baseball, basketball and soccer ball frames. Fill with family photos, images of the new baby's name (if known), sport team logos or meaningful words. These would make nice decorations in the baby's room afterwards too.
- Light blue cake with sports adornments [image via flickr user gelcolet]
- Wooden sports themed ring toss game - I saw this in my sports search and thought it was really cute! There are lots of ways that baby or family trivia can be incorporated into a game using this classic piece.
- Add sports themed adhesive embellishments to light blue and green place cards for a sports place marking

Oh Baby! Rubber Ducky Baby Shower

Today's Oh Baby! feature was requested by Krisinda who needs inspiration for a rubber ducky baby shower. As soon as I received her email, I immediately thought of an amazing event theme that Jenn, of Hostess with the Mostess, put together. Entitled Bubbly Ducky Brunch, Jenn assembled lots of excellent details to create an event scheme that's a ton of fun for both the mom-to-be and each guest who attends.

The following images are just a few of many on HWTM. Please visit the Bubbly Ducky Brunch page to see additional pictures and to learn where to find the elements needed to create this look.

Oh Baby! Turquoise & Brown Baby Shower

Welcome to the first Oh Baby! feature. Today's theme was requested by Heather who is in need of inspiration for a turquoise and brown modern/vintage baby shower. Heather, I hope the collection of items above helps with your shower planning!

- Clear Teal Vases - This is a great idea for a centerpiece! Check out your local thrift or antique stores to find vintage vases in clear or in teal. Group together for easy but super attractive table decor.
- Teal and Brown floral table decor - Beautiful teal linens and multitudes of white florals makes this table setting truly come alive. Lots of little details that work together to create a stunning look. (via Jennifer Dery 's blog)
- Gorgeous turquoise chandelier - Though this may be a little too extravagant for a baby shower, try to use the style in other ways - maybe use vintage (or modern) teal beads strung together to decorate the backs of the chairs. (via the amazing Snippet & Ink)
- Brown & Turquoise favor boxes
- Modern turquoise and white cake - Can easily be interpreted into a smaller cake depending on the number of guests (also via Snippet & Ink)
- Turquoise ceramic crackle dinnerware
- Modern baby shower invitation- The tropical turquoise, brown and orange elements of this invitation are fun and modern for a co-ed baby shower.
- Turquoise table decor - Another table decor that infuses deeper browns and orange as an accent color. (via Jennifer Dery's blog)

Oh Baby!

Today I'd like to present a new feature on Tastefully Entertaining entitled 'Oh Baby!' Are you planning a baby shower for a friend or family member? Do you need some help coming up with theme inspiration? If so, then help me help you!

I'm looking for baby shower planners out there with a basic idea in mind. Did you want to plan the shower around a specific cake picture, a room decor, a favor, an invitation, etc? Send me your initial inspiration, no matter how crazy, and I will plan a shower based on that element!

Interested? Email me at OhBaby[at]tastefullyentertaining.com.

Please note, that depending on the number of idea submissions, I may not be able to incorporate them all into this feature.