Baby Shower in Bloom--Fresh Ideas!

I was asked to design a simple, at-home baby shower recently. Now as everyone knows, I love a theme, and I was inspired to think "in miniature" for all the party elements. We envisioned the mom-to-be and all her friends and family gathered in the living room around a big coffee table, so instead of a big centerpiece, I created "baby bottles in bloom"! This idea was not only fun and fresh--it was budget-friendly, too. I bought colorful baby bottles and sippy cups and filled them with flowers in bright yellow (baby's gender is still a surprise).

If you look closely, you'll also see that I added tiny bumble bees on wires to the vases, for a whimsical touch that also coordinated with our color story.

We had twenty guests at the party, so we made twenty unique arrangements of just a few flowers each, and ladies took them home at the end of the night. Aren't they festive? I gave the tops of the bottles to the chef to place on hors d'oeuvres trays as a fun accent.

And speaking of hors d'oeuvres, we served everything in miniature. Bite-sized "piglets in blankets," mini, mouthwatering, melted croque monsieurs, and tiny fruit tarts, for example.

In the entrance foyer, I arranged a display of simple flowers (just one type in each vase), and nestled gifts for baby here and there. Stuffed Pooh Bears, receiving blankets, and some wonderful books, like Shel Silverstein's "The Giving Tree" which always makes me cry.

To personalize the party, we displayed photos of the mom-to-be when SHE was an adorable baby... and of course we organized games, such as "Name the Baby Animal" and "Guess How Many Animal Crackers are In the Jar." We gave out DVDs of "Knocked Up," "Mamma Mia," and "Baby Mama" as prizes. So much fun!!!