a baby shower? i know, maybe not what you were expecting next out of this blog right? well fear not my friends… i hope by now you also wouldn't expect a typical shower design overflowing with pink or blue and bad plastic baby bottles. my goal in this design was to give the mom to be something based a little more around her taste. something that her and her friends would enjoy instead of dread going to because they had the cheesy games to look forward to (we have all played those dreaded games right?). and if i'm being totally honest as i usually like to do around here, i originally designed and shot this for a blog that i was super excited to work with. one of those bigger than me blogs that i admire and was flattered to be asked to collaborate with. well, that fell through after months of planning (and after i spent time, money, and gathered a small team to produce the shoot). i want to share more about how to handle those crappy situations and how to potentially protect yourself, your work, and most importantly, your time that your fabulous customers are paying your for… more on that later this week though! now, i'm happy to share all of the fantastic details here instead ;)

i'm a big fan of natural elements mixed in with polished details. mixing and matching. so i started out with bohemian textures like woods, furs and fringe and paired them with crystal and metallics.

as the main piece of decor, i created a large piece of art that could be used as a party backdrop then taken home after to hang in the baby's nursery. using lyrics from 'my wish' by rascal flatts, i lettered a hand dyed piece of fabric and finished it off with a simple frame. wood bead garlands paired with teal tassels created a larger backdrop among the fabric draped walls. garlands are a must at all of our celebrations. i feel like they are the simplest way to make a large space festive!

air plants were placed in crystal candlesticks in place of flower arrangements. potted palms were also placed around the room as well as made into fun cocktail stirrers.

a fun way to incorporate a bar without making your mom to be feel left out is serving the booze on the side. make a tasty punch that can be served alone or spiked. i mixed a few different fresh juices together to make ours and served with a variety of mini liquor bottles to accommodate everyones taste.

vintage plates and glasses in mixed colors were set out along side pre-made pasta salads in mason jars. i pre-portioned out the salad and refrigerated. pull out the jars right as your party is about to begin and let guests grab as they get hungry. make it easy on yourself so you aren't slaving in the kitchen and actually get to mingle.

fresh flowers are such a simple way to create a unique cake. meringue bake shop made a yummy 2 tier cake frosted with delicious vanilla frosting. then we added in some of those palms that made an appearance in other areas of the party as well as some blooms to fancy it up.

instead of those bad games, i thought it would be fun to come up with something functional for the baby girl after the party. i set up a headband station with faux flowers, cotton headbands, needles and thread. after the party you'd be set with enough adorable accessories to last them weeks, months.. probably years!

as a keepsake, you could create a sort of 'guest book' that each guest could sign and leave a note on. have them write letters to the baby, or maybe notes of encouragement for the new parents! i made this one with a long strip of fabric attached to a hanger. set out sharpies and you're set.

last but not least, a party wouldn't be complete without the favors. i lettered a few fun quotes and put them all in simple frames wrapped with fabric bows. they were just fun, inspirational reminders to keep life light and fun! i lettered these guys on my tablet and will have them available for you to download! check back tomorrow for those.

i love sharing ideas that don't necessary have to be used in the setting i created them for. you can take any of these ideas and adapt them to any celebration you may have coming up!

[ all images by tammy mendoza of dez + tam photography ]

[ cake by kristin ausk of meringue bake shop ]