Baby Z Baby Shower Plans…
I am throwing a baby shower for my cousin, Becky, in July. (Imagine that! I’m actually planning a party that is not for myself! How very unselfish of me.) I’m so excited. I love planning get-togethers and this one if for a very special cousin who I’ve sort of taken under my wing ever since I convinced her to leave the comfort of her parent’s home up in the Redwoods to move down here to Southern California where it’s hot, there are no trees and there is traffic all day long. I know, I’ve corrupted her. And now she’s having a baby.
Just before she got pregnant, Becky had decided she wanted to be an oceanographer or have some sort of career that centered around the ocean and marine life. But those plans are on hold while she figures out how she is going to fit a baby into her life. (Not exactly the most stress-free undertaking considering she and her husband live in a very small one room apartment.)
So, because she likes fishies so much, I thought I’d throw her an “under the sea” baby shower. It should be fun. I’m imagining green streamers hung from the ceiling to the floor to look like kelp, dangling fishes made out of paper, maybe even some clear plastic christmas bulbs strung together to look like bubbles… starfish and sea shells on the coffee table, maybe some blue tulle to look like foamy water… I don’t know, my mind is running in a thousand different directions. I love dreaming up decorations to make a party have ambiance.
Thinking up games is a whole other story. I haven’t a clue. So far I think I’ll have big vase or a clear glass cookie jar full of goldfish crackers and make the guests guess how many crackers are in the container. This should be a great job for my niece Rapunzel who loves to count things.
You can probably tell I’m inspired by the ever lovable goldfish cracker. They are so cute! Especially the baby ones. Have you seen those? Totally eatable, just like baby toes.
33 Comments
Becky Z
Thanks SAJ! It’s going to be fun. I’m looking forward to it. You have so many great ideas. I’m glad you are doing a shower for me. :) I’m glad you have taken me under your wing and helped me to adjust to a crazy place like So Cal. I’m so glad that I have a life here now. Thank you!!!!!!
Clownfish
The Clownfish loves Goldfish, mmm mmm good! It’s the circle of life.
NAT
WOW… I didn’t know Becky was Pregnant.
CONGRATULATIONS BECKY.
When is her due date?
Leah
Your creativity blows me away every time.
jennie
Never has a goldfish looked so good to me! That close-up picture makes me so hungry for one.
Can’t wait to see all of your decorations! You are by far the best party-planner I’ve ever seen!
Kelly
This sounds like another occassion for a mermaid costume…
erika
That is awesome. I am amazed by your creativity. This is going to be a wonderful event! Thank you for the inspiration :)
www.redblogblue.blogspot.com
here VIA the bloginbaby… i really like your blog i read the whole front page LOL, im probably going to end up back here devoring the archives before long!
i was wondering tho… how do you get the slide show effect with your pictures?
gliterwolf
One idea for games is memory. Except instead of match the same pictures, match the baby fish with the mommy fish or whale or whatever.
josephine
oh yeah! That’s a good one. It reminds me of another memory game that would work too. I could have a tray filled with sand and misc. beachy items (shells, tube of spf15…, bottle cap, flip flop…)and you have a few minutes to memorize everything on the tray. Whoever remembers the most wins… or maybe it could be the contents of a diaper bag. I’d have to really think of weird things to put in the diaper bag, cause us mom’s have the regular contents memorized already… bzzzzzzz my brain is buzzing! Thanks gliterwolf.
chlamygirl
you really are the bestest when it comes to making things
Sarah in LA
those are the cutest invitations EVER!!!
Jamie
I am a homemade invitation fanatic so I was excited to find these on your site this afternoon. They are perfect! How special for the people who will receive such a lovely invite along with all the usual junk mail. Thank you for sharing!
Kathryn S
You’re invitation looks so cute. What about playing Go Fish? Ha Ha, ok maybe not so good with a big group of adults. :)
kelly
My favorite “game” from my shower was having everyone sign a baby blanket with a fabric marker. A guestbook/keepsake!
AmyinBC
Looks like the makings of a memorable baby shower! Too bad you live so far away, I would hire you as a kid party consultant.
Becky, daddy and baby will do fine in a small apartment. We did it in a shoebox first time around. I did appreciate it when we did move to a bigger place but in hindsight the teeny place was so homey (and took minutes to clean!)
Punchbugpug
What cool ideas!!!! Maybe you can work as a party planner too! In your spare time, of course!
BeachMama
Awesome ideas for the shower. I did J’s birthday in a fish theme last year. Made fish cookies, had a cake that looked like water, and had all the fishies possible (crackers, jube jubes, candy) and added some similar coloured jelly beans. It will be an awesome party.
Ninotchka
We love Gold Fishies! And Anna Sofia’s moniker in utero was “Fish” so yeah, I’m all for the goldfish shower idea. It has long been decided we’re doing a fish theme for Anna Sofia’s first birthday in September. I’ll look to you for ideas, if you don’t mind! The ones you listed here are great. :)
Ninotchka
I forgot to add that we did a “fish” birthday for Natalie’s 4th (she’s now turning 10 in July – eek!). And also, I ADORE the invitations you did. Very, very charming.
aunt kathy
Your invites are so professional! You did an excellent job of them. Sorry. I hope that’s not insulting. I know you are professional!
ms. sizzle
great idea!
Jolee
Absolutely adorable. I have always admired your creativity and style! It’s so good to be seeing you again too. Would love to do lunch sometime if you’re available.
erika
oh, I meant to ask you. Did you do the whole thing in Illustrator or did you use something else with it like InDesign. I took a class on InDesign and I’m finding out that everyone in the world uses Quark.
We all knew that while we were in class but it’s long since been solidified when I ask around. :(
josephine
I know. For years I was a die hard Quark fan… but then I quit my job and worked at home and Toby bought Adobe’s Creative Suite. It was a much better deal (5 programs in one) and Quark was lagging on coming out with a better version. So I learned InDesign and I hated it but that seemed to be the future of the industry. Now Quark has a good version out and I have to talk my husband into buying it. Or maybe I have to accept I am no longer up on the latest programs–being a professional mom and all now. I used Quark 6 briefly at that temp job I had when I was pregnant. It seemed easy enough.
But to tell you the truth because of all this Indesign vs. Quark confusion (pdf, color profile madness…) I’ve started using Illustrator for everything unless my document is heavy with photos. So yes, the invites above are in Illustrator. :)
Phew! Long answer. Maybe I should just email you Erika
erika
I have never seen Quark in person. Show me a logo pop quiz and I’d fail. ;)
haha, I love long answers, they equal less questions. And yes, you should send me emails just for the heck of it :)
Angie
Very cute idea. And the best part – an appropriate occasion for Baby Bug to wear the adorable mermaid outfit!
ginger incognito
I just went to a baby shower! No real theme, but they had a bajillion games. (By the way, five in a row seemed like too many games. But maybe that’s just me.) One of my favorite shower games is the one where everyone gets a clothespin to affix to themselves when they walk in. (You can put different fishies on them.) Have something the attendees can’t do (cross legs) or say (diaper). Whenever someone catches another person doing or saying the forbidden thing, that person gets the other’s clothespin. The guest with the most pins wins. I’m terrible at the game, but it’s fun to get everyone talking with people they may not know. “Hi, I’m Ginger, a friend from college of the mom-to-be. I overheard you say ‘baby.’ Can I have your pin, please? Thanks. So, how do you know Emily?”
Also fun: scrambled words. Guests can figure them out as they stream in and get settled and whatever, and then, partway through, you reveal the answers. All the words can be baby- or fish-related. And: baby-shower bingo. You give everyone blank cards divided into 16 or 25 squares. Have them write in items they think the mom-to-be will get as gifts. Then, while she’s opening presents, everyone marks them off on their cards. The first person who gets 4 or 5 in a row yells out “bingo!” We did it at a friend’s bridal shower, and it was a fun way to draw everyone into the gift-opening.
Oh, and Erika: I work for a newspaper. We switched from Quark to InDesign a few years ago, as it was the program everyone in our industry was moving to. I don’t know of anyone in my industry that uses Quark anymore. So, I guess it depends on what you do?
Jamie
That is the cutest invite…you are so creative!
Lexi
A game idea:
Seeing who can come up with the most song titles containing the word “baby”
The goldfish theme is SO cute.
Amy
these are the most preciously creative pieces of art! love them!
liz
Such cuteness!
erika
Ginger, I was mostly referring to the graphic design industry using InDesign. We’ll see what the future brings. :) It definitely depends on what you do.