Celebrating New Beginnings with Our Whimsical Garden Baby Shower

Welcoming a new life is always a cause for celebration, and what better way to do so than be surrounded by family and friends in the beauty of The Historic Seven Sycamores outdoor space. During spring their beautiful venue lights up with bright white flowers blossoming on the grounds and the beautiful golden hills as their backdrop. Our Garden Baby Shower was the perfect blend of elegance and enchantment, offering a unique way to honor the mother-to-be amidst the serenity of a natural garden setting. This event was more than just a baby shower, it was a special chance to reconnect with people we rarely get to see since we moved out of state, and also an experience that intertwines the growth of a new life with the blossoming beauty of spring flowers and beautiful pastel colors. With our Garden Baby Shower, we embraced the spirit of growth and new beginnings in the most literal sense. The outdoor space transformed into an oasis of pastel decorations of balloons, stuffed animals, and flora-related themes. Thanks to a variety of garden accents, we created a warm and welcoming atmosphere.

Starting with a few well-placed garden accents, we set the stage for an unforgettable day. The floral arrangements, each carefully put together to match the baby shower's color palette, adorned tables and served as beautiful centerpieces. Fresh flowers are not just decorations but integral to the event's theme, adding pops of color and scent throughout the space. They also lined the seating area where we opened gifts and the dessert carts. They were sprinkled everywhere, because what is a garden party without florals! Pastel-colored balloons and delicately crafted stuffed animals hung above. These details really brought the baby shower to life and were what I had envisioned for 10 years while we patiently waited and prayed for our sweet blessing.

The food areas were more central points then after thoughts. Food is very important around here and we wanted it focused on and our guests well fed. No garden party is truly complete without the perfect menu that complements the setting. For Our Garden Baby Shower, we made sure that every bite was a reflection of the vibrant outdoor environment. Light and refreshing, the food selection was a clear nod to the bounty that a garden provides. When coming into the baby shower you were greeted with delicious charcuterie cups that were easy to grab as you made your way to your seats.

The lemonade drink station had colorful glasses and many options for everyone to choose from! We couldn't forget about cake and desserts and made a very fun cart with an array of delectable cakes and candy jars. Lastly, our favorite hometown taco truck company came to make delicious tacos with all their tasty fixings!!

Our garden baby shower invitations set the entire tone for the event. Adorned with adorable animals to represent that Jellycat stuffed animals that were all throughout the shower and hanging from the lights. Along with the animals, the cards beautiful pastel colors were of course matched by the party's balloons and flowers. Picking the right invitation for a shower sets the stage nicely for a lovely event and gives guests a little taste of what's to come. Dogwood Hill made us custom menus to also match the invitations for the drink stations and charcuterie cups, along with a menu at each seat to let guests know what exactly was to come. A carefully selected design featuring greenery and florals extended an early glimpse of the garden party. Details such as the event's date, location, and where the mom to be is registered are just a few things you need with everything they needed to know.

As the party gets going many baby showers opt to play many games. These are often whimsical, engaging activities that are great icebreakers. We chose not do games at our shower, but if you are looking for some to add to yours you can combine the beauty in nature of the venue with the much-loved shower traditions. Games can create a suite of activities that have everyone from grandparents to friends smiling and laughing together. Fun games can blossom like the garden around you. A few examples of fun garden games can be "Guess the Baby Herb," engaging your guest's senses and guessing fragrances from small pots of herbs. You can also play "Baby Flower Potting," where guests could actually pot seedlings to take home. This fun game is meant to be a living reminder of the new life to be celebrated. This obviously doubles as a great favor for any garden party.

In the end of our shower, we felt this party was more than just an event, it was a much needed gathering of family and friends we hadn't seen in a long time and a celebration of life's new beginnings. The balance of thoughtful planning, great company and food, and the grace of the outdoors created not just a day to remember for the expectant mother but a delightful experience for every guest. It proved that the best beginnings are those rooted in love and nature, ready to bloom just like the life we came together to celebrate.

The list of vendors we used for this event and made my dream shower come to life:

Venue: Historic Seven Sycamores Ranch

Florals: Emerald Grace Florals

Balloons: Simple Designs

Lunch: Tacos San Marcos

Photos: Courtnie Junio Photography

Invitations & menu’s: Dogwood Hill

Charcuterie: Fig & Olive Company

Cakes & Dessert Bar: Williams Sonoma

Drinks: Splenda

Rentals: CT Event Rentals

Cheese: Truly Grass Fed

Blueberries: Family Tree Farms

Olives: Mezzetta

Dress: Pink Blush Maternity

Other Party Planning & Hosting Blog Posts:

Mom's 60th Birthday Party

Creating a Beautiful & Memorable Mother’s Day Table & Celebration with Evite

Bringing the Joy of Easter to Your Table: Creative Ideas for Easter Spring Table Decor

Creating the Perfect Father's Day Picnic with Table Decor Ideas

Creating the Perfect Summer Tablescape

9th Annual Christmas Cookie Party

This years 9th annual Christmas cookie party was my most over the top fabulous one yet, along with the biggest turn out I’ve ever had!! I had so much fun turning my home into a gingerbread wonderland!! Thanks to all my favorite local vendors I was able to put together exactly what my vision board looked like!! I linked everything I possibly could below! Everything I couldn’t link was a rental. I highly suggest renting table cloths for any party. It makes for such an easy clean up and allows you to mix colors for every party for more variety! I had such fun using a light green to match the plates here and you already know PINK was included as much as possible!! Listing all vendors below. Be sure to click on their names to see more of their work, support them and hire them for your next party!!

List of Vendors:

Florals : Emerald Grace

Rentals : Details Party Rentals

Cake : Sweet Flour Designs

Charcuterie : Fig & Olive Co.

Caramel Brownies : Guiltless Goods

I hope you enjoyed following along with me and being a part of the party as much as I did putting it together! I linked everything I purchased and similar items to those I rented! Happy Holidays and happy Party Planning!

xo, Amanda

Mom's 60th Birthday Party

I had so much fun recently planning my Mom’s 60th Birthday. It was not only the joy planning parties brings me, but seeing the reaction on my mom’s face when I would tell her my plans. It was PRICELESS! When starting to plan her party I knew I wanted plenty of pink to be the main color. Pink is her favorite color and both her and I wouldn’t have had any other color! I also wanted to sprinkle in some elements of the Spring season and using lots of citrus fruits seemed like such a fun and creative way to do so! Then I got to work! I found the very best vendors to help me put everything together for this event!! I highly recommend them all!! Everyone was so amazing and genuinely happy to be working on this special day for my mom and that really made us feel special .

List of Vendors:

Flowers: Emerald Grace

Citrus: The Sisters Market

Rentals: Stockroom Picks

Invitations & Menu: Minted

Catering: Jack’s Catering

Fruit Names Calligraphy: willemina_typography

Chairs: Westwood Barns

Chargers & Linen’s: BBJ Linen & La Tavola Fine Linen

Favor Station: Vital Proteins

Coffee Bike: Nitro Bike

Pastries: Wildgrain

Photos: Ellie Koleen

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Hope you enjoyed being a part of the event virtually! If you want more videos and upclose images they are all saved in my instagram highlight under “Mom’s Party

Xo, Amanda

A Rosy Pink Galentines Party

Are you looking for a unique and fun way to celebrate Valentine's Day this year? How about throwing a Rosey Pink Galentines Party? This fun and festive celebration is perfect for getting together with your closest friends and celebrating love, friendship, and all things pink and rosey! Whether you're hosting a dinner, brunch, or an afternoon tea, a Rosey Pink Galentines Party will bring a bit of cheer and joy to your special day. From decorations to activities, we'll show you how to plan the perfect Rosey Pink Galentines Party. Read on to find out more!

Galentines.. a fun way to celebrate the season of love with your favorite gals. I am always looking for a way to incorporate my very favorite color of pink into any dinner party I throw, and for this time of the year it fit the theme perfectly. Valentines is a month where my favorite color is EVERYWHERE! I turned our dining room into a rosy pink Valentines oasis filled with the most stunning flowers and pink touches everywhere.

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For the balloon wall I found a listing on Etsy that lets you pick whatever letters or numbers you want. I measured the wall to see how many X’s and O’s I could fit onto the wall. The exact ones I got on Etsy are linked -here-! The best part is you can deflate these after you use them and save them to reuse the next time!

For the table setting I used two different sets of glasses to add differing heights and dimensions. One set were crystal wine glasses and the other antique pink glasses that were my grandmothers. To make them even more special I dipped their rims in melted white chocolate and then sprinkles. It adds a cute element and tastes delicious! To layer up the place setting I found the cutest pink heart shaped plates at target for only $3 each! Such a steal and so popular they keep selling out! Just add Target to notify you and they will when they come back in stock, but hurry.. they sell out very fast! Next, I folded and placed cheesecloth napkins (They are the same ones I used on my Thanksgiving table linked -here- for another way to style.) on top of the plate and put my silverware on top then wrapped in a bow. Its super simple but oh so cute! All the layers add such great detail as well!

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Onto the superheroes of any good party.. the Vendors! Luckily for parties we have help and resources and don’t have to hold all the weight of it all. I found the best food and floral vendors to help put this fun party together.

I was so excited to work with Emerald Grace who did all the floral arrangements for the gorgeous table! She is such a doll and did AMAZING work!! I have loved all of her beautiful arrangements she’s done for me in the past but this table really took the cake! She also added a very special unique element that any girls party needs…a bouquet bar! She brought different types of greenery and flowers to put on my bar cart with butcher paper and string. This added a cute focal point and something special for each of the ladies to take home and enjoy the rest of the week! For more of Julie’s work from Emerald Grace head to her website -here-.

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In my opinion party favors are something that every party, big or small, needs. I added an adorable touch next to each place setting with a yummy cookie favor from Just Dough With It! They have a Valentines cookie with The Moira Rose (rose shortbread). They are so delicious and they came individually bagged to perfection! To get cookies for your valentine or for your next event head to their website -here-. On top I placed a valentine card.. because after all it is that time of year. I found the cutest small valentines cards from Minted that went perfectly with everything else!

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Food! It’s probably the most memorable good or bad part of any party. If you leave with a full and happy belly you will never forget it! For this event I started with the most delicious charcuterie board that was perfectly made with heart shaped cheeses and strawberries along with salami folded into the shape of roses. Sandra from Fig and Olive totally created a masterpiece of food. I don’t think I can ever make my own board again haha!! For more info on Fig and Olive and to hire her for your next event or for just a box of yummies on your next date night at home head to her website -here-.

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Dinner was absolute perfection! My friends at Tacos San Marcos made the most delicious spread! They made tacos, Strawberry Limeade, Quesadilla, Quesatacos, rice and beans and delicious churro cheesecake! Each and everything they made was delicious. They even cater so I highly recommend they for your next event! Everything was amazing and they send all the toppings you could possibly want. To see where they will be located this week or to book for your next event head to their website -here-.

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