Shower Power

Hi guys. It's been a while. Again I'm here with a non-Frank post, but I had to share some fun pics from a fun party I helped throw for a fun mom-to-be.

One of my dearest friends Jessie had a baby last week (hi Jake!) so this post is dedicated to the 8lb. hunk-a-hunk-a-burning love.

I remember the day J told me she was pregnant, I instantly started brainstorming ideas for her shower.  We have always shared similar feelings about wedding and baby showers. Lots of food? Good. Lots of dessert? Great. Two hours of watching-the-pregnant-girl-open-onsies? Not so much.  I knew exactly the type of party to throw for Jessie.

Since I live in MD, and J lives in Richmond, the logistics of throwing a RIC shower were a little tricky. Luckily, J's good friend Ryan was up for the challenge of planning a "destination" shower with me, and fortunately, her good friend Cody opened up her fabulous newly-renovated Fan home for the party.

I wish I had taken a picture of the car trunk. Here's a visual: two bags of white candles, three bags of candle holders, candle sticks, votive holders. One overflowing bag of candy. Three folding tables. 18 folding chairs. 1 white dog riding shot-gun.

It was a great night shared with some wonderful women. We were so happy to celebrate Jessie and the soon-to-be Jacob Henry in style.

Here are some pics:

The money shot. Check out Cody's fabulous chandelier! Thanks to the space, we were able to have a seated dinner for 18.

We asked guests to bring their gifts unwrapped. We had them on display in the dining room so guests could see the goods.

What better favor then a candy bar? The chocolate dipped Jumbo marshmallows were a hit. I was concerned they would go stale quickly, but they were fresh in tupperware for at least 3 days after the shower.

This was Ryan's awesome idea. We created a tree for everyone to sign with their thumb prints. A fun alternative to a guest book, and a cute piece of artwork for the baby's room. There are many versions of the tree below many layers of paint, but that's our little secret.

Blue tissue paper flowers on top of chinese take out boxes. Thanks to the labels they served as name cards and favor boxes.