A Beatrix Potter Baby Shower

I just wanted to share with you some lovely photos from the baby shower I helped throw for a friend this past Saturday. She is expecting her first (her husband is, incidentally, in the same doctoral program as the Abbot which is how we became so close). The are one of those unbelievably patient couples who actually wait to find out if they're having a boy or girl (soooo not me and the Abbot who are impatient for the gender revealing ultrasound tomorrow!!). So, one of the requirements for the shower was that it's theme had to be gender neutral. The other important thing was to keep in mind the style of this new mama. She is one of those simple but classic ladies, and is planning on decorating the nursery in soft tones (gender neutral but also very practical...soft earthy tones blend perfectly with spit up stains, no?). 

So, we settled on a Beatrix Potter theme. The decorations were made by the Abbot and I and the wonderful food by many of her (and my) talented friends. (Cooking and hyperemesis just aren't a great combo...)

 My favorite food? The strawberries dipped in orange dyed white chocolate...so they looked like carrots! Clever and so tasty! So grateful I have friends who can bake and make yummy desserts.

The Beatrix Potter books were all thrifted, and the wooden and sewn toys were all handmade (inspired by things I found on etsy and the like) and doubled as gifts for the new little family.

(Inspiration for the toys was found here and here - and some were a combination of LOTS of ideas I stumbled upon. The diaper cake inspiration can be found here...except I decided to go with Peter Rabbit, Mama Rabbit, and Benjamin Bunny instead of the characters they used.)

Best of all...it was a tea party! So we spent the better part of a mostly rainy morning sipping hot tea together. Lovely!

Please keep us in your prayers tomorrow - that the ultrasound goes well, and that the baby is healthy. Please also pray for the Cardinals as the Conclave continues!!

Linking up with Keep Calm, Craft On. Go check out that lovely blog while you can! And pray for the blogger...she's entering the Church this Easter!!