The Wise Baby :: Whimsical Butterfly Garden Nursery

I love the fun and carefree vibe of this butterfly garden nursery.  For details head over to The Wise Baby.  Happy Tuesday!

The Wise Baby :: Pink Woodlands Nursery Inspiration

We are over at The Wise Baby today with our feminine inspired woodlands nursery.  I was so enamored with that wallpaper that it was the jumping off point for the entire nursery.  Check out The Wise Baby for sources and all the details.

The Wise Baby :: Gold & White Nursery Decor

We are over at The Wise Baby today with our gold & white nursery design inspiration.  We found out that the newest member of our baby pack is going to be a girl, and a gold & white nursery is the perfect place to lay her head down at night.  Get all the design inspiration and links over at The Wise Baby.

Soiree :: Sunshine Baby Shower

Today we're sharing the details behind the 'you are my sunshine' themed baby shower.  I love the combination of yellow and grey, it's the perfect contrast to drab and dreary December.  Fortunately the weather cooperated with us and there was plenty of sunshine to go around.  Here's a look back at the inspiration behind the party.  All in all, it was the perfect way to shower the parents-to-be and Baby G with lots of love.

 We had a little of something for everyone to enjoy.  Beverages included a mimosa bar, a prego-tini punch, and beer.  As this was a couples shower we decided to add the concept of a diaper party.  The guys provide diapers and in exchange we provided the beer.  To make sure they didn't end up with a million newborn diapers we indicated sizes on each invite.  And to make things a little more interesting, we had guests leave the parents-to-be fun love notes for their late night diaper changes.  Turns out their guests are pretty hilarious and some of the messages will make for entertaining diaper changes.

The welcome table housed the favors, little boxes filled with yellow candy and treats, and the guestbook.  Each guest signed a yellow sticker, which was then laid out into a bouquet of balloons and framed for the nursery. 

The parents-to-be sat front and center while guest played games and opened gifts.  Love the way the 36" balloon looks above the chairs, like their very own sun.  The fringe tassel was an easy DIY project, you can craft one yourself, here's the tutorial.  The dessert table featured cupcakes, cookies, cheesecake bites, rock candy, and oreo pops, yum!

 The soon to be parents with two of my favorite DIY elements from the party.  The ray of sunshine photowall, which was accomplished using tissue balls and streamers as sun rays.  And the personalized beer mug, that was etched 'Dad est. 2014'; wine glass which was blinged out and featured a charm that read 'momma knows best'.

You are my Sunshine Baby Shower

My cousin welcomed her little Man into the world earlier this week.  And in like fashion this week I'll be sharing the details behind her baby shower.  We threw her a 'you are my sunshine' themed baby shower this past December.  I love the theme as it's perfectly gender neutral.  And it's the perfect warm and cheery contrast to chilly December weather.  I'll be sharing the details behind the shower next week.  In the meantime here's the inspiration behind the soiree! 



{Photo Credits:  1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7}



Monday, Monday

It's been an exhausting weekend from a baby shower, to a wedding, to a funeral, and a Halloween & Chili Cook-Off party.  The Mister and I sat on the couch last night after the little Man was asleep and all the dishes put away and just savored a few quiet moments with our feet up and not having anything to do, that was until the dog needed to be walked.  Sunday was particularly rough as we stood by a friend as he said goodbye to his dad.  Words can't express how difficult a situation that must be, but he spoke at his father's funeral and promised his mom that she would never be as sad as she is today ever again.  Needless to say, I went home and hugged my little Man.

 

Our weekend started off with a surprise baby shower for a co-worker at  Vosges Haut Chocolat in Lincoln Park.  It was such a fun way to spoil the mommy-to-be, and indulge in delicious truffles paired with champagne.  Our Halloween and chili cook-off party last night was a success, and I'll be sharing that with you soon.  In the meantime, you can check out the inspiration for the party here.  As for our Halloween costumes, we went as a family of Mad Scientists.  Happy Monday!

TrendyTots: Fall Wardrobe Essentials from the GAP

I'm loving these adorable fall pieces from the GAP.  Your mini me will be incredibly stylish and at these prices you'll be able to pick up a few things for your wardrobe.

Monsieur: sweater | vest | mr. fancy pants graphic onesie | flannel shirt | ghost onesie | beanie | moccasins
Mademoiselle: leopard hat | coat | flats | stripped dress | kitty mask pjs | boo onesie | cat tights

Soiree :: Fashion Show Themed Baby Shower, Part 2

When we were brainstorming for this fashion show/brand launch themed shower we knew there were certain elements we wanted to capture, so that guests felt as though they were at an exclusive event.  We transformed our friend's loft into a pink boutique oasis.  Complete with a backdrop and runway featuring the "brand" logo, goodie bags lining each side of the runway, and a designer chair for the guest of honor.  We transformed the fireplace into a baby boutique with pink, black, and white clothes hung with glittered clothes pins.  And framed "Vogue" magazine covers featuring our gorgeous mommy-to-be and the "brand" to create a feature wall.  We had guests take polaroids with the guest of honor that they then added to the guest book/ brand look book and left a message for the mommy-to-be.   The look book was completed with sketches of baby clothes, fabric and color swatches, and handwritten design ideas.  And as requested by the mommy-to-be the books that guest brought were featured on another table.  We also had stations where guests designed a page of a fashion themed alphabet book, so that the new babe could learn her fashion ABC's, as well as a design your own headband station.  In addition to the usual baby shower games, guests played the celebrity fashion version of  "The Price is Right", and the wining team took home pink nail polish.  And each guest went home with a reusable pink shopping tote, which fit the theme perfectly.  As a finishing touch we created event staff lanyards for all the ladies that were hosting the shower with an extra special one for the mommy-to-be, and encouraged guests to Instagram/Tweet using the hash tags we created.  It was such a fun afternoon, with everything coming together perfectly, all for a very special mommy-to-be!

Soiree :: Fashion Show Themed Baby Shower

Today we're sharing the foodie aspects of the fashion themed baby shower we threw our gorgeous friend.  With a pink, black, and white color palette and ombre accents this gorgeous shower came together perfectly, thanks to the hard work of several amazing ladies.    The food table featured a pink ombre balloon wall, which really popped off the exposed brick wall.  Mirroring the pink ombre balloon wall was the gorgeous cake, with ruffles, and the phrase "Little Toes, Meets High Fashion".   On the menu: mini cupcake push pops, cucumber tea sandwiches  yogurt parfaits, rosemary potato muffins, mini quiches, deviled eggs, a munchkin topiary, and the main event: a waffle bar.  The waffle bar featured fruits, nuts, honey, chocolate, maple syrup, caramel sauce, nutella, jams, and whip cream.   Hop over to rnlMusings to see the fashion week inspire invitations we created for the shower. 

Soiree :: Fashion Show Themed Baby Shower

I'll be sharing the baby shower we hosted for our adorable friend Payal tomorrow, but first, the fabulous invites.  As the fashionista in our group of friends, we decided to throw her a fashion/brand launch themed shower.  The brand, the nickname she gave her adorable bump.  Inspired by a Chanel invite for fashion week, we created these invites complete with VIP passes, social media hash tags, and a request for books in leiu of cards.  We created these invites using A7 half moon enclosures  and envelopes from Paper-Source.

Modern & Girly Birthday Party

Playing off of a 'favorite things' theme, this lucky toddler had all her friends over for a lavish modern yet girly 2nd birthday party.  How adorable is that dress up station!  Details I love: each child had their own place card, Storey's favorite things were written out in calligraphy on canvases throughout the space, and the table that featured 36' balloons with tassels.  And that dessert table is to die for! 

{photos via Hostess Blog}