Jacey is going old-school for her pregnancy and delivery, so she will not know whether the baby is a boy or a girl until he or she arrives! This called for a gender-neutral shower. I wanted something that could be pretty and sweet, but not necessarily girly. Somehow the idea of a hot air balloon came to my mind, took root, and blossomed into one of my wild party ideas.
The invitation was hand painted, with a lace detail for the basket and a mini picket fence and bunting. The gold curving accent along the top was copied from the cupcake liners I found on clearance at Macy's which were the inspiration for the color scheme. They were peach, light teal and yellow. I made color copies of the invitation and the framed the original to display at the shower and to give to Mommy as a keepsake. The frame came from Goodwill for $0.99. All I had to do was clean it and paint a matching blue strip in the center to make it go perfectly with the stationery!
For dinner I served a BBQ chopped chicken salad bar. Guests could make their own salad however they chose. There were several vegetarians and gluten-intolerant guests in attendance, so this format allowed for a perfectly customizable light meal (invitations promised a light dinner with copious desserts).
Ice cream punch is a must at any party I throw. I chose juices I thought would give me a lovely peach color: 2xPineapple-strawberry-orange juice concentrate, 4 cans of water, 3/4 liter lemon-lime soda, and orange-pomegranate sherbet. The color came out great! (PS, check out the napkins! I found paper plates and napkins that matched the theme perfectly just a week before the shower! I left the store praising God. It may sound so silly to some, but I felt so blessed that God led me to just that aisle when I wasn't even looking for anything shower-related that day).
Voilà the copious desserts! The spread included 2 varieties of cupcakes, crème brûlée, macaron, jello cups and sour gummy candies. The table linen was gathered and tied up with paper bag ballasts to highlight the theme.
My labor of love was turning 12 of the cupcakes into individual, whimsical, floaty hot air balloons. I found basket-like cupcake wrappers and transformed glass Christmas ornaments into the balloons. I'll post a tutorial before too long on that process. It is as simple or as complicated as you'd like it to be. My next task, now that the shower is over, is to turn them into a mobile for baby's room.
Apothecary jars helped the table reach new heights. Macarons in three flavors (and somewhat matchy colors) filled the one. Gummies from WinCo filled the other (and yes, I picked out the teal candies from a mix, late at night, using a bag to cover my hand).
Crème brûlée, macarons and jello cups provided delicious gluten-free options for guests who could not eat cupcakes.
Prizes for the two games (Baby Shower Bingo and the Price is Right Baby Shower Edition) came in the tiniest brown bags with larger ornaments as the balloons.
If there was one thing I could have done differently, it would be turning this giant balloon into a hot air balloon. I didn't have time to do a proper job, though, thankfully, my iPhone picture doesn't show it. Guests filled out envelopes with their address to make writing thank-you notes easier for the mommy-to-be.
Mini bunting name tags were the final touch, letting this mixed group of friends and family know the names of other guests. They also make a sweet keepsake from an evening filled with lots of celebrating.
Any day now we'll meet this new heart!
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