'Baby' Baby Shower

guest of honor, due in a couple weeks. Can you believe how tiny she is?

Everything came together for Alexis' baby shower SO well! Karen, Ashley, and Jane handled refreshments and I took care of decor.

First, the spread. The shower was at 2pm-perfect for light snacks without feeling still full from lunch and not yet ready for dinner.

mini dirt cups, the teeniest bananas I've ever seen, gherkins, petite carrots, grape tomatoes, and melon, cantelope, and strawberries ready for dipping.

Ashley's amazing ginger-lemonadebeautiful diaper cake made by Karen {newborn diapers made THE tiniest layers}Karen also made dirt pudding cups. We used little 3oz cups for these and for the lemonade

Also, but not pictured above, tiny cubes of cheese, fruit kabobs {on pretzel sticks}, a DElicious curry dip {I have to get the recipe-when eaten with the vegetables it tasted sweet but with the fruit it tasted spicy-because it was seriously good} and a fabulous cranberry dip all courtesy of Jane. {See how teeny our silverware is? LOVE it.}

We opted to forgo games and instead had everyone work on pieces of a wall hanging we'll give to Alexis. Ashley came up with the idea and organized it. Everything she touches turns out perfectly, so I can't wait to see what the end result is!

For the decorations I chose to keep it really simple and in a muted color palette of blue and gray/grey {sometimes when I spell it with an 'e' I feel a bit snobbish}. I used scrapbook paper and red/white bakers twine and made about 60 feet of bunting. Since I had all the materials already, all it involved was 4 hours of time--cutting and gluing takes a lot longer than you might think!


The place settings were so simple. I purchased a sheet of 12x12 scrapbook paper for $0.25 each, cut them so the end result was 9x12, perfect for a placemat. Used cocktail napkins, 3oz. dixie cups, the most adorable silverware (they were each 4.2"!) and a 6 3/4" plate. Walmart sells them in a pack of 24 for $1.50. Can't beat that.

I purchased wooden squares (about 4"x4") from the craft store for $0.50 each, drilled a hole in the center, spray painted them grey, and inserted a 12" dowel. I should have used an 18" dowel. I'll remember for next time. The little knobs on the top are also from the craft store and were on clearance for $0.06 each. Yup! That's not a typo.

The cake stands were simple, too. I went back on my promise never to go to the local Goodwill again, but I'm glad I braved it this one time. Each plate and each cup was $0.50. For $1 plus paint and glue, I have a cake stand.
{For anyone interested, use duco cement to glue the two together. It can be used on glass, ceramics, porcelain, etc. and you can even put the glued pieces in the dishwasher.}

Here's how it all looks together. Pretty darn cute, if you ask me.

The cakes were a trial and error for me. I wanted something little (about 4" in diameter) to fit on the stands. Did you know they don't make round pans that small? They don't. Even if they did, I don't know if I'd have ended up buying them because then I'd have to store them.

What ended up working was baking the cake in a 9x13 pyrex, letting it cool a little then using the bottom of a whipped topping container to cut circles out of the cake. Each cake had 3 or 4 layers of cake. I ended up with two chocolate, one strawberry, three vanilla. I simplified and used store-bought frosting. Looking at these pictures makes me really, really hungry. I want some o'that cake. What was even more awesome is the fact they doubled as decor AND dessert.

Some of the gorgeous guests chit-chatting while we finished last minute things.

Overall, I think it was a GREAT success. Ashley, Jane, Karen and I worked really well together to throw a great party and celebrate Alexis and her little boy. We are so excited for her and for all the babies soon to arrive.