While planning a couples bridal shower for her son (A Buffalo Plaid Affair), my mom's friend got the wonderful news that her daughter was expecting their first grandchild. I was incredibly honored to help plan and decorate for a baby shower this time!
After talking with both mom and the mom-to-be's younger sister, it was decided that the theme would be vintage Winnie the Pooh. The mom-to-be, Ali, liked Winnie the Pooh when she was younger, but her favorite character was Eeyore. The event was going to be held in Ali's childhood home, and so many little touches were put into the planning.
I will be honest, after I got off that first phone call, I was a little nervous. I had no idea how I was going to bring vintage Winnie the Pooh to life. I had nothing in my house to decorate with, and I wanted it to feel special. If there is one thing about me, I don't like a cookie cutter event. I don't want any of my events to look the same, with just different colors or different characters. I also want my events to feel like a step above, with little added details that give it that added punch. That is why I try and customize as many aspects of the event as I can.
So, the wheels in my head starting turning. In the end, I think we pulled off the design and managed to surprise the mom and dad-to-be with a beautiful shower.
Party Type: Couple's Baby Shower
Venue: Home of the Mom-to-Be's Parents - Forest Hill, MD
Party Theme: Vintage Winnie the Pooh
Total Guests: 35
Dessert: cake, fruit tarts, Tigger Tails (made by the mom-to-be's sister)
Favors: Hunny Pots (customized by mom-to-be's family)
The event took place in July, with nice weather. I wanted to bring the theme outdoors in. My thought was to make the indoors feel like you were walking into the 100 Acre Wood. I knew right away that I wanted to have some signs lining the walkway, greeting party guests with a glimpse of the theme. I used some old pallet wood, some paint sticks, and some paint to create custom signage that lined the walkway.
Flashback to my wedding. When I got married outdoors, on a very humid August day, I knew I wanted florals lining my wedding aisle. I saved a few of the shepherd's hooks we had purchased for the wedding, as well as the wired mason jars. Using these outside the door brings a little bit of the beauty outside!
Let's talk a little bit about florals. I knew for this party that I wanted a wildflower look. I was ecstatic a few months ago when I was able to gain access to the flower wholesaler and could make my own arrangements for a portion of the cost of going to a florist. Couple that with the fact that the shop is right around the corner from my house (though they ship all over the east coast), and I had it made! I had so much fun creating gorgeous floral arrangements using mums, waxflowers, limonium, dianthus, hypericum, and larkspur. The vases were all mason jars that I painted with chalk paint and then distressed. They were absolutely gorgeous.
Other details that I brought in for the Hundred Acre Wood... I was so excited when I found these vintage Winnie the Pooh stuffed animals. I found them on Facebook marketplace! The wonderful gentleman shipped them to me from Ohio and they were the perfect touch! I also brought in lots of wood, pinecones, acorns, moss, and rocks to bring the outdoors inside. I also used candles, lace doilies, and old bottles as decor. You also may see hints of different gingham overlays. These were a simple way to add dressiness to the tables!
Two other customized touches that I really liked were the book pages and beehives. I found pages from a vintage Winnie the Pooh book on Etsy. I picked my favorites with some of the drawings, mounted them, and put them in frames. They were scattered throughout the event. The beehives I made out of rope! Didn't they turn out so cute?
The area where the mom and dad-to-be sat was surrounded by mosquito netting draped in willow leaves. The baby's name is going to be Willow, so this was a nod to the name. I also made a banner to hang from the fireplace with vintage Winnie the Pooh characters, as well as custom chair signs.
Ohhhh, the dessert table was my favorite aspect of the whole design. A lot of work went into it, but it turned out just the way I had pictured in my head.
My husband helped me to make a boxwood backdrop for the table. I ordered a special rose gold crinkle tablecloth to make it stand out, and then hung yellow paper lanterns with little bees glued on them to hang from the ceiling.
I also created the custom "Willow" sign to hang from the boxwood. Though way more time consuming than I thought, it turned out absolutely beautiful in the end.
But the most amazing part of the whole table was the desserts. The mom-to-be's sister works at a bakery, and she made some amazing desserts! Just LOOK at that cake! It is too pretty to even cut in to! She also made the apple crisp and the fruit tart. They just look so pretty. Her sister even made the chocolate covered "Tigger Tails."
The guest book was a child's version of the classic Winnie the Pooh book. There were also some offered games that were downloaded off of Etsy.
The favors were "Hunny Pots" filled with Hershey kisses, honey sticks. and bit o' honey! They were made by the mom-to-be's mother and sister and were the perfect end to a perfect party!
I just LOVE how this event turned out.
"Sometimes the smallest things take up the most room in your heart." ~Winnie the Pooh
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