Not Your Typical Baby Shower - Pretty Real

Not Your Typical Baby Shower

12:42 PM

I am so so SO excited to be an aunt yet again very soon!  My dear sister is expecting her first baby, a little boy, sometime before the end of this month.  I was privileged enough to throw her baby shower in October along with my mom, sister and our sister-in-law.  Thankfully Colleen shares my lack of love for anything overly traditional when it comes to showers, so I knew she'd be fine if we skipped the pastel colors and did something a bit more out of the box.  The date worked perfectly for an autumn themed event, with primary colors of chocolate and apple green, and delicious fall food galore.



Complete details after the jump!


For invites I used a BRIDES Invitation Kit from Michaels.... I am in LOVE with invitation kits lately!  (And this is a lot for me to say given my do-it-myself nature when it comes to invites... but lately who has time??)  Kits can offer you a truly custom and professional look, with minimal time and effort.  You can still customize the panel to show the personality of the event, but overall it's a great shortcut to take, or a very easy way to make the party seem fab right from the beginning!


I used the invite above, purchased at Michaels using one of their fantastic 50% off coupons!  I got 40 invites (including color coordinated envelopes AND RSVP cards & envelopes for only $20!!  Fantastic deal and can I please just repeat that custom invites like these are SO easy, take SO little time, and generate excitement in your guests from the second they see the envelope in the mail!

The shower was held at my mother's house, and decor was quite easy since her house is fantastically decorated, especially during the autumn season.  We added to it by decorating with some felt leaves purchased from Wal-Mart, and using a ton of gourds (both grown by my mom and purchased at the local grocery store) and also apples.  The apples doubled as tealight holders, with just a quick cut out of the top!  Our main focus in decorating was the food table, where we did a centerpiece with the apples, gourds and pumpkins, along with some candles and silk leaves.  The warm glow was perfect!

Fall food is both delicious and plentiful, with recipes galore for hearty soups, chilis and desserts.  Our menu consisted of appetizers of Apple/Bacon/Cream Cheese pizza (my brother's own original creation!) and Baked Brie, then 3 different soups and a chili for the substantial part of the meal.  Our soups included a pumpkin-y Harvest Cider soup, a Butternut Squash Soup and a hearty Chicken Noodle.  We also did a spinach salad with craisins, feta and walnuts, with a raspberry vinaigrette dressing. The evening ended with fresh apple pie and apple crostada, along with a Pumpkin Torte purchased from Frederick's Pastries.  Delicious!

To complete the autumn theme, we of course needed a fall favor.  What better item to complement our green & brown theme than a caramel apple!!  Wrapped in cellophane with a decorative ribbon and tag, these doubled as adorable decor lined up along the buffet.

Seasonal showers and parties can be fun and affordable, since you oftentimes might already have decor or access to it from friends, and the menu usually utilizes in-season items.  Don't be afraid to think outside of the traditional box next time you're planning a baby or bridal shower, or any event!



The gorgeous mama-to-be with the sisters & Mom!

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