With only a little over a week to go until my sister’s anticipated delivery of baby Emryk I am over the moon excited with anticipation. As the days have ticked closer and closer, and as Sarah’s belly has grown bigger and bigger, the realization that my sister is about to embark on this grand new adventure in her life is becoming all the more apparent. And it is SUPER exciting!
Back in August I had the total pleasure of co-hosting her baby shower (although we called it a baby party) along with my Ma and little sis Coli and it was SO much fun! I was given full creative liberty which felt nothing less than AWESOME, and was totally stoked to really see where the zoo animal theme could go. The whole design was inspired by these adorable cardboard cutout zoo animals my Mom stumbled upon during her last visit to Seattle, as well as an animal invite I had fallen in love with from my favorite paper company: rifle. Lucky enough for us Sarah was also decorating her nursing in cuddly animal prints so the theme just made total sense. I wanted the party to be personalized and unique but most of all I wanted my sister to feel loved and adored.
I envisioned the use of a bright primary color palette (think red, blue, yellow, green) and intermixed unique and whimsically textured florals as well as little paper details for unexpected pop’s of color. I was so excited about the possibility of doing not just the paper details and decor but also to dip my hands into the floral aspect of the event as well. Let’s just say I loved EVERY second of it. It was one of those designs and weekends that just made me feel totally alive and bubbly with excitement! It was MOST exciting to see the total shock and awe on my sister’s face when she walked into the party. B-E-S-T feeling in the world to have your “client” thrilled with your design!
I used milk glass, as well as eclectic jars and bottles from my scout. vintage collection to sporadically place cheery florals around the party. I wrapped the eclectic vases in varying colors of yarn for added texture and a little extra whimsy. I continued the zoo animal theme onto the paper details by labeling each “station” or table with a different animal….i.e. “w is for walrus, w is for wishes” or “g is for gorilla, g is for grub” for the entrance and food tables.
One of the little details I was most excited about was the cake push pops. I’d found these super rad containers through the adorable party supply company shop sweet lulu. Aren’t they fun?!
We baked some confetti cake, punched out the cake in circles to fit down in the containers, and then squeezed in yummy icing to the containers. Finished ’em off with some sprinkles and voila! SUPER EASY!
I did have to get a little creative to get the little suckers to stand up, but with a little floral foam and one of my antique pepsi crates from scout. they were a HUGE success at the party. Everyone was so delighted by them! The kiddos were gobbling them up!
With sewing help from my ma (I have never been a wiz with the sewing machine) we hand-crafted little favor bags and attached thank you tags to them. I placed them atop the antique high chair that has been passed down for generations in our family for that extra special touch.
I loved the idea of decorating both the inside and outside areas of the party with paper chains. I stocked up on tons of bright colorful patterned paper, as well as a bunch of solid sheets and got cutting. A bazillion hours later I had NO clue how many pieces I had actually cut, but we ended up having enough chains to decorate the entire dining area and the outdoors…3 gigantic fences in all! I also cut smaller pieces to create tiny chains that could be used to accent the chandelier over the food as well as to hang from the umbrella tables outside as a substitute for centerpieces.
The one thing that Sarah said she absolutely had to have at her baby party was a “onesie” station. I will admit that I was just a wee bit nervous to see what type of “artsy” creations Sarah’s nearest and dearest would come up with but I was actually pleasantly surprised! The tiny tees were super personalized and were the sweetest touch to the day.
I wanted everyone to have the chance to display their masterpieces so Coli helped me create a “clothesline” effect with mini clothespins and some string.
I’m so thrilled with how the party turned out and was so grateful for help with the day of prep from my family. So excited for Sarah and I can’t wait to meet Emryk next week!!!
photo cred: {jenn elliott blake} event & floral design + styling: {bow tie & bustle} vintage rentals: {scout. vintage rental company}
bow tie & bustle: the blog 