A Baby Shower

Fanciful touches were everywhere ~ hints that something special was soon to take place.  As I mentioned last week, a baby shower for my niece ~ Brittney ~ was in the making.  And there was no baby blue to be seen anywhere ~ Brittney's preference ~ vibrant colors for her baby boy.  Here are a few highlights from the days festivities.

Above, a number of baby cups ~ some mine, some my cousin Krissy's ~ with lime green blooms line the mantle.  Fresh flowers popped up everywhere ~ thanks to Krissy's (aka Birdie Pearl) handiwork ~ check out her blog here.

 

More of Krissy's talent ~ colorful ribbons draped on the chandelier above the table added a colorful and festive touch.

The inspiration for Brittney's cake came straight from the bedding she chose for the baby's crib.

via

A friend of mine ~ Wendy ~ a pastry chef created the beautiful and tasty cake.  It was truly a piece of art.  You can see more of Wendy's cake creations on her Facebook page here.  

A view of the table with some of the foodie items ~ I was pretty busy with the guests and the party and didn't take tons of pictures ~ oops, I'll do better next time.



The napkins were crafted from simple beverage napkins ~ stamped with a stamp that read, "welcome little one" on each corner of the napkins. 

In lieu of tablecloths, I opted to use brown builder's paper ~ an idea I borrowed from my friend Sharon, over at Bless Your Neighbor.  I decided I wanted to echo the bedding theme on the "tablecloths" by stamping cars and trucks on the edge of the paper to form a border (thanks Julie!).  This could easily be adapted and customized for your special event, simply by using the stamps and ink colors of your choice.

Pretty flowers in vivid colors topped almost every surface ~ here little blossoms are held in a sweet little cherub vase.  A flea market find for a dollar ~ a heavenly deal.  :)



Wendy also supplied us with plenty of vanilla scones and banana bread ~ not to mention yummy sausage balls as well.



My son's girlfriend, Michelle, graciously agreed to come over one evening and draw a puppy and snail on my old vintage chalk board for me.  Hugs Michelle!



A most appropriate rhyme compliments Michelle's handiwork.  Thank you Julie for owning the lettering task!  



Here's a helpful hint most any guest of honor will surely appreciate.  It really helps to simplify the process of sending out thank you notes.  *Note how the multi-colored m&m's worked perfectly into the color scheme of the shower.  The striped murano glass dish came from Venice.   



I also wanted Brittney to know how much she was loved with thoughts and sentiments from family and friends for her and baby.  On the table (above and below) again...covered with brown paper ~ I left a note and supplied markers, instructing the guests to write a note for Britt and baby.

After the shower was over, I rolled it up for Brittney to take home with her ~ for her to read and ponder over ~ at her leisure.

My beautiful niece ~ Brittney ~ enjoying one of her many gifts.  Check out the sweet onesie above ~ baby clothes are so stinkin cute!  

Some of the family and friends ~

~ who came to celebrate with Brittney.

Brittney and me :)

I would be remiss if I didn't share the unfoldings of last week.  For several days our son had an onslaught of seizures and, needless to say, he became our primary focus.  It's during times like these, that I thank God for family and friends.  They certainly came to my rescue and helped out with Brittney's shower.  Thank you to Sharon, Julie, Jade, Wendy, Krissy, Kelley, Michelle, Gavin and Nat for being so wonderful.  You are all a blessing and I love you more than you can possibly know.

And as for Brittney ~ you are loved by so many ~ we anxiously await the birth of your sweet baby boy.  Thank you for letting us help celebrate your little miracle with you.  XO

Expressions From the Heart

You can't help but know that Valentine's Day is quickly approaching with the abundance of jewelry commercials on TV..."Every kiss begins with K." (I think it's a given that this commercial was voted the "Most Annoying Jingle" in our household). Regardless, it causes me to stop and reminisce about memorable gifts from the past and realize that some of my most treasured ones actually have very little monetary value. Although these tokens of love weren't costly, didn't come in little velvet boxes and by most standards are far from perfect, they make me feel loved every time I see them. To me, these heartfelt expressions of love says it all.

Nana's Charm Bracelet ~ A treasured keepsake, this belonged to Nana when she was a teenager.

"I Love You, Nat" ~ I received this from my hubby-to-be via snail mail when I was in college. It was dark and dated so I gave it a coat of cream spray paint.

Gavin's Flower ~ Lovingly created by Gavin in elementary school. I gave it a "shadowbox" effect by hotgluing it atop the glass of a vintage picture frame.

Corbin's Recipe Holder ~ I love this recipe holder that Corbin made in kindergarten (it has his little thumbprint on it). It's holding Nana's crepe recipe that she gave me years ago (so yummy!).

Teacup and Saucer/Pearlized Initial ~ A heartfelt gift Reagan picked up for me when he was in Switzerland. The letter "D" was a gift from my friend, Pamela.

Heart Shaped Rocks ~ A freebie ~ We gathered these heart shaped rocks on leisure walks, an idea I stole from my friend, Janet.

The Girl with a Broken Arm ~ A gift from a Brussels flea market ~ Nat nailed it, absolutely perfect!

Mimi's Cookie Cutters ~ My mom passed these vintage cookie cutters on to me. They have dished up many a sugar cookie (too bad the boy's favorites are chocolate chip!).

Vintage Silver Spoon ~ Sharon of the "Bless your Neighbor" blog gave me this imprinted cheese spreader yesterday....Just Because. The truffles, compliments of Kelly of the "Healthy Happy Eater" blog.

Scrabble Letters ~ Nat surprised me last year with a box full of Scrabble letters that he purchased on Ebay. Definitely one of my favorites! So many uses...I love spelling out names and using them as place cards for table settings.

Tokens of affection needn't be expensive to convey the sentiment behind them. Some of the most meaningful and treasured ones are simple expressions from the heart.