High Tea Baby Shower

My co-host wanted something relatively small and intimate, with an air of sophistication. A high tea with all girls. (Lilas is getting a co-ed baby shower in a couple weeks.) The baby shower was a huge undertaking for several reasons. The two main ones being that I like to DIY stuff because it's fun and I can, plus I was only on day 4 of my recovery from foot surgery. The party was co-hosted by Marla S and I. I don't think we would have been able to do everything without the help of several awesome friends. (Especially since Marla S. is terrified of doing anything like cooking, and would rather cater.)


DIY Projects Involved:
-Invitations http://lumpyhead.livejournal.com/273516.html
-Crib Blanket and Pillow present http://lumpyhead.livejournal.com/275126.html
-Sewing cloth napkins and linens (Fabric purchased at the Fashion District and sewn by Mom and I)
-Flower arrangements (Flowers from the LA flower market, and created by Mom and I)
-Ginger scones and plain scones (Baked by Marla S. and her British husband Matt)
-Fruit tarts (Made by Marla S and I)
-Key Lime tarts (made by Mom)
-4 different kinds of tea sandwiches (Assembled by Mom and Natalie)
-White onsies decoration (By guests at the party)

Menu
-Minted cucumber tea sandwiches
-Chicken salad tea sandwiches
-Curry chicken salad tea sandwiches
-Egg salad tea sandwiches
-Mini Quiches
-Waldorf Salad
-Mini key lime pie tarts
-Fresh fruit tarts
-Scones (Ginger/orange and plain)
-Chocolate chip cookie type thing from B's (shaped like a scone but not)
-Mini rainbow cake
-Fresh Fruit
-More tea than you can shake a stick at
-Clotted Cream and Devonshire Cream (for scones)
-Apricot, Strawberry, Raspberry Jam (for scones)
-Dark sugar swizzle sticks for people to sweeten their tea
-Milk to go in the tea

Activities complete with prizes from Lush (bath bombs) and Jaqua (shea butter lotion)
-Decorating white onsies for Lilas' new baby to wear with fabric markers. uber_deutsch decorated one as a long stomach/intestine and inside he wrote the words "Food, food, food, food, pood, poo, poo, poo, poo", which I found hysterical.
-Played the baby guessing game. I got baby pictures from each girl and a current picture. Folks had to guess who's baby picture went with the current.
-Played to poop game! (Passing around diapers with various melted chocolate and other stuff.) People had to guess what it was by sight and smell. Yes... a disgusting game but so funny.
-Played "Never say Baby". Each guest gets a safety pin. If you're caught saying the word "Baby", the person who catches you gets your safety pin. The person with the most safety pins by the end of the shower wins.

Everything went fantastic! It was a little warm, but highlights/things that went well included:
-Having guests sign a baby plate as a keepsake vs a guest book went over really well.
-Giving Lilas her tiara to wear so she could be the "pregnant princess." (During her first trimester she would send her husband to fetch her food claiming she was a "preg princess"... kind of a inside joke between us, but she loved it.
-Decorating onsies. Everyone's was so funny.
-Working on stuff with my mom
-Visiting with everyone
-Lilas made out like a bandit! She loved the blanket I made. Also, uber_deutsch, myself, Mom and Anne bought her the baby changing station she wanted. To make it better, Lilas' co-workers pitched in and purchased the matching Crib for her. She was so touched.
-Lilas loved all the clothes we bought for her. (I got a TON down at the Fashion District for uber cheap)
-Everyone loved the favors Marla S. and I put together, which included a tea pot with cup and saucer, custom tea, and a tea caddy for their tea bag.

And now... PICTURES!!!

The invitations that started it all. Graphics designed by my hubby, and assembled by me. (We do invitations as a side hobby). This is the whole shebang. I got chocolate invites and hand cut pink paper to line the inside. Labels are also pink, and I hand stamped the foot prints. Also hand added small pink crystals to the invitations






Linens that Mom and I sewed. uber_deutsch and I purchased from the Fashion district huge bolts of hot pink silk for the long layer underneath and the napkins. We also got a great chocolate brown fabric for the overlay that had hand stitching and hand beading worked into it which was gorgeous.


Closeup of the the stitching on the chocolate overlay


Table flower arrangements. I did two of these arrangements. The boxes I re-used... they initially held the fabric used to make the baby blanket. I lined the boxes in plastic bags, and wrapped the outside with the matching hot pink silk fabric. Flowers were from the LA flower market: Green roses, Citrus roses, red ginger, a brown tropical flower I don't know the name of, and some purple banana type leaves.


Side view so you can see the hot pink silk wrapped around the boxes


Main table centerpiece which included hot pink roses, green roses, citrus roses, purple banana type leaves, brown tropical flower thingies and curly willow tip.
To see how big it is overall


Closer pictures




And this is an arrangement I threw together with our leftovers that we put in the living room




We took our dining room table and extended it to full capacity to hold all the food. The table for eating was set up just outside under our covered patio area


More tea than you can shake a stick at


Home made fruit tarts


Crazy rainbow cake


Part of our favors.. each girl got a tea for one tea pot with cup and saucer, plus custom tea bags.


They also got a little tea caddy to hold used tea bags


Which we put in these little felt bags, and alternated colors around the table




For our main centerpiece on the table we had a wrought iron tree candle thingie (which I already owned). The pyramids you see in the picture are actually tea bags of various flavors like raspberry, vanilla orchid, coco truffle, and belgium mint.... they are tea forte's desert teas.


Final setup. Initially the plan was to rent umbrellas and have the tables in the yard, but we noticed our patio was very nicely shaded at 2p (when the shower was), so we opted to move our patio furniture into the yard, and then setup umbrellas around that and then hung all the baby outfits we got Lilas around each umbrella.


Baby clothes hung with care. Many of these I got at the Fashion District... and at 7$ per complete outfit (As in bloomers, dress and hat)... I just couldn't seem to stop purchasing... (I'm screwed if we ever have a kid.)






Baby picture game


Our guest of honor


Ladies at Tea


Kristin smells diaper number 7 to guess the contents


More diaper guessing


Presents galore!


Wow, if you made it through all that, you're awesome. I had tons of fun putting this event together. I think Andrew and I will be excited to stop bleeding money from our account though.

Next major party undertaking... uber_deutsch's birthday!