baby book shower

My brother and his wife announced over the Christmas holidays that they were expecting their first baby. After the initial screams, tears, hugs, and congratulations, I immediately began scouring pinterest for the perfect baby shower theme. Lucky for me, my sister-in-law is pretty much a super laid back chick and gave my Type A, OCD self free reign over the creation of the best baby book shower ever. 

I was drawn to the idea of a children's book themed shower. Pinterest was a wealth of pin-spiration for all things shower related from invitations and decoration to food and favors. This is an overview of the finished product. Over the next few weeks, I'll be posting about individual elements with some tutorials and freebies sprinkled along the way. 

So Welcome to Natalie's Baby Book Shower

Guest were greeted by this hand lettered chalkboard sign announcing Story Time. The window frame is a salvage from the family barn. 

The scene was set with many vintage toys and books from both new parents' childhoods. The check- in and thank you paper boxes were Target dollar aisle finds customized with hand lettering and mini paper pennants. I love the book themed sign in book that I found several months ago at World Market. 

These vintage blocks were a steal at one of my favorite local antique shops. My daughter and I spent a good hour searching through a huge wicker basket looking for the perfect mix to spell out the baby's last name. These are now proudly on display in the nursery.

The food for the brunch time shower was centered around our book theme. The menu was printed on coordinating scrapbook paper and displayed on the spines of brown paper covered books.

This little corner display is jam packed with family toys and vintage children's books. A quick look through my teacher stash of books helped to fill the shelves.

An old book was transformed into these paper fans and book wreath. A tutorial for the book wreath is in the works.

One of the biggest hits for the guests was the Mimosa Bar. The inspiration came from this pin from kojo-design.com.

This vintage family playpen was the perfect spot for guest to drop off their guests and books.

As friends and family headed home, they picked a custom bookmark from the Thank You box. Another tutorial is in the works for these simple favors. Several of the guest are teachers that are waiting to get their hands on this printable.

Photo credit for this post goes to my fabulous cousin, Heather Smith. Thanks for taking on the challenge of shooting this photo story. <3 

throw me something mister

There are just some things you miss when you move away from home. As a SW Louisiana girl, I miss Mardi Gras at this time of year- king cake, parties, fleur de lises, and the parades. Shouting, "Throw me something mister" among the throngs of people for beads is a time honored tradition at the house. Well, if I can make it back for the great food and entertainment, I can bring a little Mardi Gras to Texas with this cute burlap bunting tutorial. Laissez le bon temps rouler.

Stamped Burlap Bunting

Gather your supplies. You'll need:

1. 1/2 yard burlap (or less)

2. craft paints

3. stamp

4. brush

5. twine

6. hot glue gun and sticks

Cut your burlap to size. My pennants are 5 in X 7 in rectangles. I made a template on card stock. Folded it in half and cut out a small triangle to my liking. This bunting had 9 pennants.

Begin by painting your stamp with the craft paint. The traditional Mardi Gras colors are purple, green, and gold. I need 3 pennants of each color for this project. If the stamp is not as even or dark as you would like, touch it up with a small paint brush. 

Here are the lovely finished pennants. Let them air dry ( or if you can't wait, use a hair dryer). Next, you'll string them together.

Cut your twine to length. Measure out the spacing for each pennant- I began with the center pennant first. To attach the pennants, lay a line of hot glue on the back on the burlap about a 1/4 in. away from top edge- apply the twine. Add a second line of hot glue along the top edge and roll it over the twine. I think it makes a more polished look. Repeat until done.

This blog is style & {im}perfection- so here's my goof: I put the pennants in reverse order (duh). Not a big deal, but if it were lettering, make sure to spell in reverse. 

If you like this tutorial, please leave a comment or feel free to pin it. You could send in your finished project too!