look what i made

Em's making her social debut this weekend at a good friend's wedding. I actually made her dress - yikes! but it turned out pretty cute, even if she doesn't like wearing it.

decorating

Decorations are the best part about hosting a baby shower (except of course the joy you are bringing to the mom-to-be)! The kind of decorating you do will depend on the theme of your shower, and of course the atmosphere you wish to create. As Martha says, "you'll want to keep decorations to a minimum at baby showers, because most of the focus will be on the mother's growing belly anyway!"

Clockwise from top: Alphabet block cakes (martha stewart), nesting (martha stewart), party chicks- great for place cards, or just hung as decoration (heather bailey), polka dot theme shower (again from martha), fresh flowers are always perfect for a baby shower!, Paper globes are a fun stand- in for flowers... beware though, these take much longer to make than you'd think (heather bailey), a tea party theme, Garlands with pics of mom and dad growing up, or big brother/sister, baby clothes, and candles... lots of votives are one way to bring warmth and comfort to any location.

creepy

As I've been browsing the internet, I've come across a few disturbing, yet amusing things... loosely related to children (but I wouldn't recommend them for that set!) here they are:

The first is one I found in the archives of Design Sponge (a new favorite), the second is from Silhouette Masterpiece Theater - they have a very, um, interesting brand of humor!

baby shower week

As I mentioned last week, many many of our friends are adding to their families... which means one thing - BABIES (and baby showers). I've come across so many cute ideas and things I'd love to put together for these showers I figured I'd give you a little inspiration if you find yourself in the same place. If you have any ideas, or pics of things you've done for baby showers, send them in and I'll post them on Saturday!

#1: Invitations:
The invitations are key to a great shower. Ideally, they should be sent out 4-6 weeks before the shower so everyone has plenty of notice. They let guests know when, where, and for who the shower is being held, as well as setting the tone for the rest of the day. Below is a blend of invites from varying retailers - - -

Clockwise from top: Invites from - Urban Park Papers, Tiny Prints, Petite Pear (etsy), Tiny Prints, Target.com, Chick Print (etsy)

Another option, and one I particularly love, is DIY (do it yourself) invites. This adds not only an original touch, but is fun and (can be) a $ saver. Postcards, stamped invites, and even online invites are all readily available!

stuck up

Sorry for my absence yesterday, I was consumed by the space that is the girl's new bedroom. We switched with them in an attempt to keep toys from taking over our life (living room). Everything is finally together and weeded out, and now it's time to decorate! Sounds fun, but I consider the basis of home decoration to be paint... and since we're renters... that's not exactly an option. I've been a fan of ScribbleIt! for some time now, and they're great. But I happened to stumble across this etsy shop which I felt had a better selection for a little girl's room.


Elephannie - removable wall decals to beautify your space... simply :)

in addition...

I should have tacked this one on the end of my last post, but the bed was calling my name. Something else every mom should have is one of these...

They go by many different names, but it's basically a little pouch for a couple of diapers and a pack of wipes. This has saved my life so many times. For those quick trips out when you're dying to ditch the diaper bag (no matter how cute it is).

They come in many different styles, and some are a tad bigger, but include a changing pad. Honestly, with a little ingenuity and a sewing machine it's not difficult to make one yourself!
click the pictures for links to their etsy shops!

something for mom

I wanted to post about something I'm searching for right at the moment... the perfect diaper bag. Now I realize this means different things to different people. For me, it means something that is big enough to hold all my stuff, easily washable, and most importantly... it looks nothing like a diaper bag! Other people might have differing opinions, so I've decided to post some different looks, all cool, funky and totally worthy of toting around EVERYWHERE with you.

#1 - My Fav, by Retrofied: fully reversible and machine washable HOORAY!


#2 For those who like something more artistic, and a bit more whimsical, try one of these little totes from Bestiary. Not a ton of pockets for organization, but very fun... and many of the fabrics are "upcycled."

#3 Something more traditional, but doesn't leave you sporting "Winnie the Pooh". The Ultimate 9 Pocket Messenger Bag by GlamBaby:


#4 And Runner Up to my favorite is this bag from TTPeas & Carrots:

The best part about all of these bags is that they are not outrageously expensive. When I had Emma, my MIL bought me a gorgeous Juicy diaper bag which I adored... but I had to clean it with the upolstery attachment on our vacuum, not to mention a bag like that wasn't exactly in the budget! The perfect diaper bag is the must have accessory for every mom. So mommies, take a look... just because your baby is a fan of Tigger and Roo, doesn't mean you have to wear them!