Try This Thursdays- DIY Ice Cream Parlour

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Ok, I know that summer's coming to an end. However, since everyone loves ice cream, the idea of a DIY ice cream bar allows you to enjoy it this guilty-pleasure year-round! Is this not the most adorable thing you've ever seen in LIFE?! Great for parties and baby showers! Head on over to Eat, Drink, Chic for full tutorial.

'Ice Cream' Baby Shower...

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I don't know about you, but I certainly scream for ice cream! We've all heard of the 'pickles and ice cream' shower, but what about a straight-forward ice cream shower, complete with a sundae bar? How CUTE is that??

Aren't these ice cream cupcakes by Hello Naomi absolutely adorable? I thought so, too!

You could set the tone with these charming ice cream cone invitations. This little Zazzle boutique has an assortment of matching stickers, stamps and note cards as well.

There are lots of cute ice cream shaped vases out there, and placing flowers in them gives your party a dainty look and feel.

Setting up a sundae bar for your guests is made simple with this idea from Country Living. Just premake your ice cream cones, dip them in melted white chocolate and chocolate, then roll them around in coconut flakes, nuts, sprinkles etc. Saves you a lot of hassle on the big day, too.

Your guests will drool (I sure did) for these for these sweet enough to eat Neapolitan Popsicle soaps from Soapy Love. They'd make for some cute favors!

Or opt for these heart-shaped ice cream scoops found here.

Go ahead and treat yourself; you deserve it!

'Lil' Buckaroo' Baby Shower..

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Yee-Haw!! Cowboys have been an American staple pretty much forever; I'm convinced that before riding horses they rode dinosaurs. What a unique and fun baby shower theme this is!

There are plenty of cowboy baby shower invites and thank-you cards available today, and this is a great way to set the tone for the big day.

Bandana cones filled with popcorn are cute and easy to make- they also make for a great table display. You can substitute the bandanas for cowboy inspired scrap paper as well. Search online for tutorials and how-to's.

Cowboy cookies make sweet favors; just put a few in a cellophane bag and tie with pretty ribbon. Make sure you speak to all of your guests with a thick, western drawl in order to keep this authentic! Ha Ha; just kidding! Enjoy...

Top Row (left to right):
♥ Cowboy Baby Shower Cake
♥ Cowboy Invitations ($25.00)- www.crafteegyrl.etsy.com

Middle Row (left to right):
♥ 'Hey Cowboy' Cookies ($19.99)- www.lorisplace.etsy.com
♥ Cow Print Balloons

Bottom Row (left to right):
♥ Bandana Tableware
♥ Bandana Popcorn Cones

'Look Whooo's Having A Baby' Baby Shower....

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Owls seem to be growing in popularity these days, huh? They are just adorable and make for a great baby shower theme! This should be simple enough to put together, too.

Start by searching online for owl-themed invites and thank you cards. Keeping the color scheme bright is a clever way to add more vibrancy to the normally dull brown and gray colored owls.

Decorate the favors with colorful owl-themed gift tags. The owl-shaped soaps also make cute parting gifts for the guests.

Be creative and have fun!

Left column (top to bottom):
♥ Owl Baby Shower Cake
♥ 'Apple Of My Hoot' sweetheart gift tags ($2.95)- southernbellescharm.etsy.com
♥ Night Owl Soap ($3.50)- soaplane.etsy.com

Right column (top to bottom):
♥ Owl-themed notepads
♥ 'Whoo Are You' magnets ($6.75)- paperpumpkin.etsy.com
♥ Personalized cupcake toppers ($6.00)- apaperlane.etsy.com

'So Sweet' Vintage Baby Shower...

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For some reason I am in love with all things vintage right now, and baby showers are no exception. I was pleased to find that there are many resources available to help you throw the perfect classic event! YAY!

Thrift stores could be a great place to start as far as tableware like classic drink pitchers and table linens are concerned. Some are in great condition! And most department stores carry lots of 'Shabby Chic' designs and decor that would be fitting here as well.

Search around for vintage baby shower invites and gift-tags for the game prizes.

Light fare would work well for the menu, but make sure to incorporate vintage staples such as petit fours, deviled eggs etc.

Contact your local bakery to see if they can make cookies with edible vintage images on them for favors (see my 'So Very Vintage' post for pics). Not only is this a sweet way to welcome baby, but the blast from the past setting is sure to be a hit with guests!

(top row from l. to r.):

♥ Vintage favors- (thebabygardner.com)
♥ Pretty Little Flowers note cards- (leesiebella.etsy.com)
♥ Petit Four's

( second row from l. to r.):

♥ Sweet Pea vintage gift tags- (sweetcuddlecakes.etsy.com)
♥ Vintage Tableware
♥ Cupcake Toppers - (thebabygardner.com)

(last row from l. to r.):

♥ Vintage table setting
♥ Rose in birdcage
♥ Gift Tags - (karlanathan.etsy.com)

♥ Lead picture courtesy of breathingbesideus.blogspot.com

A Beachy Baby Shower...

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Right now is the perfect time of year to fire up the grill and throw a beach-themed baby shower! How much fun will that be? I'll tell you- LOTS!

Take advantage of the all the cute summer tableware on sale now (you know, the ones right next to the picnic baskets) in stores like Target, Walmart and Party America. You could also grab a few inflatable beach balls for added color.

Drink umbrellas could also double as cupcake toppers or even hor d'ouvre picks. Fill a few kiddie buckets with sand and a tiki torch for an authentic beach feel.

Beach-themed cookies make for a cute display as well as sweet favors for guests. You could even grab a couple of beach umbrellas and set them up; inexpensive and cute! Trust me, it'll be a BLAST!!!

♥ Under the Sea gift tags ($4.50)- ciaobambino.etsy.com
♥ Sand pail/shovel invites ($25.00)- plumparty.com
♥ Easter buckets ($21.00)- bellahope.etsy.com
♥ Tropical Punch cupcake toppers ($6.00)- thebirthdayhouse.etsy.com

ZEBRA THEMED BABY SHOWER....

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Who says all baby showers have to be tame and conservative? I sure don't!! Add some excitement, flair and spice with a zebra-themed baby shower!

Make sure to have splashes of color throughout as the black and white print can become a bit redundant. Bright colors work best- think chartreuse, fuchsia or even orange.

Paper lamps in coordinating solids are ideal for decor. Also consider candles as they are inexpensive yet elegant.

Zebra-printed cookies could serve as favors, or grab some cute little favor boxes and fill them with candies. I guarantee your guests will go wild!!

♥ Zebra-printed note cards ($20.00)- paperfrostingdesign.etsy.com
♥ Favor box ($2.50)- lilyelle.etsy.com
♥ Party banner ($18.00)- annemarie303.etsy.com

OLD McDONALD HAD A FARM...

'Old McDonald Had a Farm' has got to be one of the oldest songs in the history of the universe, wouldn't you agree? While it certainly seems like ages ago since I visited a petting zoo, seeing farm animal baby things never ceases to bring a smile to my face. Here are some great dessert ideas for a barnyard inspired baby shower. Yes, people have those too..









♥ Lead picture- Farm Book ($30.00)- niftykidstuff.etsy.com

'UNDER THE BIG TOP' BABY SHOWER...

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Come one, come all! The greatest baby shower on earth!!! That's right, guys- a circus themed baby shower! How cute is that??

Invitation ideas are endless here. You can opt for invites with clowns on them, a merry-go-round theme, or a standard circus-styled flyer such as the one above.

The table setting should be color, color and more color! Red, yellows and blues are the primary colors of a circus (but adding a few more splashes here and there won't hurt). You could also add hanging streamers from the ceiling for a 'tent-like' effect. Colorful balloon bouquets are also suitable here as the atmosphere should be festive, fun and childlike!

For the menu, go with circus-themed foods with a grown up twist. Chicken fingers and fries with zesty dips, corn dogs, individual cotton candy servings and gourmet flavored popcorn are a great way to go. 'Colorburst Cupcakes' are also simple to make and could be topped with clown cupcake toppers for a sweet display (recipe link below)!

For favors, these cute little popcorn soaps are adorable and unique. Trust me; your guests will never want to leave!

♥ Colorburst Cupcake recipe- http://www.ourbestbites.com/2009/05/cupcakes.html
♥ 'Under The Big Top' invites ($1.75)- charmedbeginnings.etsy.com

GARDEN BABY SHOWER

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Hi, guys!!! Needless to say, I'm back from my mini-vacation. I had a ball, but there's no place like home- I missed you guys!!! Ok, ok, enough of the mushy-ness...I have a beautiful garden shower to get to...

Now would be an ideal time to have a garden-themed shower as summer isn't totally here yet; the mild weather is the perfect backdrop!

Colorful invites with pastel flowers is a great way to set the tone for this theme. Also consider using phrases such as "A baby is blooming" in the wording.

The table setting should be full of color. Consider grass-like place mats with colorful tableware for a unique twist. I also love the look of these Martha Stewart paper flower kits. Simple and elegant, they make for interesting conversation pieces! DIY flowered votive candles gives off a pleasant ambiance, and are easy to whip up with a few fresh flowers, tea light candles and a glass vase.

For the menu, go with grilled chicken breasts with an herb-dipping sauce, cream of watermelon soup and strawberry Bellini's. I also thought that the mini-garden cakes were absolutely adorable!

For favors, little seed packets are sweet memento's that are usable, however, I think they might be a bit too cute to open! There you have it! Enjoy!

♥ Invitations ($15.00)- greenapplepaperie.etsy.com
♥ Cream of Watermelon Soup recipe- recipezaar.com

PURPLE BUTTERFLY BABY SHOWER

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Since butterflies are said to represent beauty and new life, having a butterfly-themed shower (and a purple one at that) could certainly celebrate both!

Look for invites with butterflies on them to set the tone. You may have to do a bit of searching here, but there are plenty of customizable invites that could be geared towards a baby-shower for pretty reasonable prices.

White or lavender table-cloths with fresh cut flowers will spice things up nicely. Incorporating vases with shades of purple in them along with rich purple votives is a simple way to keep with the theme.

For the menu, consider an exotic fair such as spicy Thai-salad with vegetable spring rolls served on a bed of purple cabbage leaves. You could also consider having a dessert table filled with different shades of purple delights (a la Amy Atlas) for guests to choose from. Top it off with a butterfly themed-cake or cupcakes with edible butterfly toppers- which could also serve as centerpieces.

For favors, crystal butterflies are not only dainty, but will help guests to recall the symbolic meaning of this beautiful gathering. And when all is said and done, the guest of honor will be floating on air as if she, herself, were a butterfly!

♥ Butterfly invites- ($14.00)- decadentdesigns.etsy.com
♥ Butterfly/dragonfly centerpiece- balloonacy.net