I’m having a tiny break from writing The World’s Longest Article (10,000 words and counting…) to share these pics. No time to write a blow-by-blow but not really much to include in one anyway! So Sunday was my sister Kristie’s baby shower, held at her home in Sydney. My other sister, Gretchen, and I held a high tea for her so went pink and girlie to fit the tea party – not because she’s having a girl. She may well be having a girl, but we won’t find out until Delivery Day. Here’s what we did…
Martha Stewart’s pom poms - of course! Is it a party without them? Stuck to the freshly-painted ceiling with masking tape. If you don’t look too closely, it looks fine!
Steve was given a T2 sample tin containing nine varieties of loose tea tins as a press release at work. It sat in our cupboard for a month or so because we don’t reallydrink tea, so made perfect little gifts for guests. I took off the original T2 stickers that sealed the tins and stuck a little sticker on the bottom with the tea name. Then I tore up fabric strips, wrapped around and tied with a ribbon. They were a hit!
Napkins wrapped with ribbon and Martha Stewart gift tags with each guest’s name handwritten. These plates were bought by my nana for my mum’s first wedding – it was held at their house. I rescued them from her garale sale (she was selling them for $3 – the whole set!) and took them home. While cleaning out the cabin las week for a council clean up I found the tea cups and saucers that matched that I thought I’d lost, put them aside for the baby shower and then accidentally put them out in the clean-up and they’re gone forever. Devastated.
Tea! We had three popular kinds. I made the little labels from paint swatches. Fold over, use a decorative corner punch on each corner then a single punch to do the three little holes. Handwrite the name. Also work well as place settings (maybe paint the inside of the paint swatch or cover in white paper to banish all that exciting paint info!)
Flowers were chopped from the apartment complex’s garden naughtily by me in the rain. Got busted too… Oops.
Close up of garland. Adapted from A Field Journal’s Christmas garland last year I cut out baby shapes from white cardboard and painted in glitter glue which you can’t see unless you stand right up close to it and shake your head to get it from different angles.
Cake toppers made with scrapbooking paper and gift wrap. I cut the edges with scalloped scissors just to make more work for myself! But they looked better that way!
Instead of traditional baby presents, we requested guests gift a book – a fave from their childhood, one their kids loved or one they think will be loved and well-read – to start a book collection for the bub. I made little book plates so we could write in them similar to the teapot labels. This one about a female pilot was from our mum – a perfect fit for Kristie, who is a pilot!
My two baby sisters, Gretchen and Kristie, and the baby bump!
It was a lovely afternoon despite the rain and the easiest kind of party – no major food, no games. Just sweets and prettiness and good company. And now, I return to my decorating guide where I am constantly reminded of all the things I did wrong!
Thanks for sharing Belinda, i have been hanging out waiting for the pics, well done
simple… and gorgeous.
I love those pom poms too — we had them in hot pink and orange for my baby shower: http://bubbymakesthree.blogspot.com/2009/09/my-birdie-baby-shower.html and then I made them again for my daughter’s naming day: http://bubbymakesthree.blogspot.com/2009/10/ferns-naming-day.html
Is there an occasion they WOULDN”T be appropriate for?
ps. Love those T2 tins, though I don’t know how you parted with them. T2 teas are yum!
So pretty! I love the idea of books as gifts that you liked as a child. My fave was Blinky Bill. I found it reprinted again and I bought it recently to give as a christening gift. Congratulations to your sister! xx
I am in complete awe of all that you put together for your sister’s baby shower!! Love the T2 gifts which you presented so prettily and adore the plates. What a shame you’ve lost the cups and saucers now. Love the different teapots with the different teas. My favourite part of what you did was the book giving idea. I think this was a wonderful thought. Loved seeing the photos of what you came up with.
Books as gifts for baby… brilliant idea.
Sorry to hear about your poor teacups
Super cute party Belinda
ooo!!! you did such a fantastic job decorating!! LOOKS GORGEOUS!
I love how you shared all the tiny details and you also made note that you took that extra effort because it looks better.
I do that all the time, I do things and think “why am I bothering to hand cut out these tiny things that no one will notice anyway”. but you notice. and that is what matters.
I did a blog post sort of about this sort of thing yesterday. Saying do we blog about these moments because, for example, the people at the party might not have noticed or appreciated your cupcake topers as much as your blog readers would
I appreciate them. So pretty. xxoxox
Wonderful.
Love every element of this decoration.
Thanks for sharing.
Raru
79ideas.org
You’re parties are the BEST! And high tea is my favorite and my best! Great job!
What a great baby shower and such fun ideas.
Love the books as gifts.
Alison
Beautiful. Just beautiful! Almost makes me want to have another baby. But not quite.
I love the garland, so cute!
I also did the fav book idea in lieu of pressies for my baby shower and now at 7 months she is already addicted to books and has a great collection. I like reading them too as most are books i grew up with. I love the Martha range. So glad it is available here in Aus.
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LOVE the sweet garland & fun pom poms
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