From the Book of Life: A Baby Shower

"I love these little people; and it is not a slight thing when they, 
who are so fresh from God, love us."  
~ Charles Dickens

I had the privilege of throwing my sister-in-law a baby shower this weekend.  She is having a little girl in a few weeks, and she and my brother plan to name her Lizzie.  Ah, Lizzie.  Such a wonderful name.  

I set out to throw her a perfectly amazing, perfectly feminine baby shower.  But as a mother of five boys, when it comes to all things "girlie," I feel a bit like a fish out of water.  Or my grandmother using Twitter.  Or a man during labor. 

So I pushed all my creative sparks aside and went with PINK. 

Yep.  I threw a "pink" shower.  (Lame, I know.  But I panicked.)

In my defense, pink IS a unique color around these parts (unless you are counting the loads of laundry my son does where he inevitably throws his red t-shirts in with his white socks, in which case "pink" is not so uncommon.)

But here is the good news: Somewhere between the refreshment table and the party favors, no one really cares WHAT the theme of the party is as long as they are well-fed and favored before they leave.

So I made sure to offer my guests a tasty brunch, including . . . 

strawberry yogurt parfaits

 

 Quiche squares with ham, spinach, red pepper, and carmelized onions

 and maple bacon muffins.

The food went fast and mom-to-be was showered with generous gifts.

At the end of the day, I'd have to say I was tickled "pink" with the result. :)

 

Little House on the Prairie: Lemonade Bar

'Is your lemonade sweet enough?’ Mrs. Oleson asked. So Laura knew that it was lemonade in the glasses. She had never tasted anything like it.

~ On the Banks of Plum Creek, Laura Ingalls Wilder

It is roughly, oh, 8 MILLION DEGREES here right now! Cool lemonade is a welcome respite from the unrelenting heat all around us---even if we made the mistake of setting this up outside. 

I made a couple of carnival booths for a birthday party recently, but they work perfectly as lemonade stands too, so I set up a "Lemonade Bar." I started by pureeing a bunch of fruit and pouring it all into mason jars.

Then I printed these letters onto packing paper using the free font "Showboat":

Then I strung jute through them...

(You could hang this from your patio, or even from two dowels stuck in the grass)

And I printed the name of each fruit or mix-in on more packing paper

 (Again, with the showboat font) and wrapped each paper around the corresponding jar...

I made some delicious lemonade, 

added some fresh mint and vanilla syrup to the spread, 

and we all had at it!

 

My favorite combo was Strawberry Mango lemonade with Mint leaves.

This was a ton of fun. 

You might even end up with a lemonade server if you wait around long enough :)

I can't recommend this enough---especially for a 4th of July party.

Best of luck!

Linking Up:
Tutorials Tips and Tidbits at StoneGable

Thriving on Thursdays at Domesblissity
Transformation Thursday at The Shabby Creek Cottage 
Treasure Hunt Thursday at From My Front Porch to Yours 
Foodie Friday at Rattlebridge Farm
Strut Your Stuff Saturday at Six Sisters' Stuff
Weekend Wrap Up at Tatertots and Jello 
Tip Me Tuesday at Tip Junkie 
Tutorials and Tips @ Homestories A to Z 
Tuesday's Treasures @ My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia
Cowgirl Up! at Cedar Hill Ranch 

Jane Austen Month, Day 20: Mocktail Soiree Invites

So I can tell that I am stuck on this whole gray blue color scheme, because I spent yesterday re-doing our blog background, and today I made mock up invitation that totally matches. Forgive me, but my creativity (Or lack thereof) is what it is.

So here's how I make an invitation:

Scour thegraphicsfairy.com for a neat graphic (Like the frame below.)

Open a blank file in Photoshop or Gimp (Free) or whatever other program you have

Paint the background your chosen color

Add your words!

Easy as pie

N

(And yes, we have our own country club.) ;)

 

Now Adding the frame can get a little tricky, so I turned this one into a PNG file for you, so you can just open this as a layer or lay it on top of what you are doing, and all the white parts will be transparent. Makes it WAY easier if it's already transparent. Trust me.

And there you go. Someday I will do a whole tutorial on how to use GIMP or PSE to make this stuff, but that day is not today, as I have a baby on my lap whose happiness has a limited shelf life. Happy Mocktailing :)

Jane Austen Month, Day 19: Mocktail Soiree Hors d'Oeuvres

What would a mocktail soiree be without tasty hors d'oeuvres?  As Miriam and I referenced Jane Austen books for snacky ideas, we found "cold meats" mentioned an awful lot.  While I had quite the career as a child of consuming bologna (including the plastic strip around the edge), I'm afraid my fascination with cold meats has run its course.  However, Miriam, Katie, and I are all huge fans of a good hors d'oeuvre.  So while these hors d'oeuvre ideas may not contain ham or haggis or head cheese, we are confident they will still be the perfect addition to your Austen-inspired mocktail soiree . . .

Holiday Caprese Salad

At Katie's mocktail soiree (see Day 18), her friend and chef Shawn Bucher, served his famous Holiday Caprese Salad on individual crostini.

Bacon-Wrapped Dates with Goat Cheese

via

Miriam, Katie, and I have never met a slice of bacon we didn't like.  Bump that sentiment up to "love" when it is wrapped around a juicy date and rich goat cheese.  If you aren't a fan of chevre, just skip it.  These are still just as tasty.  If you like a little crunch in your munch, stuff your date with an almond.  Oohs and ahhs all around!

California Squares

via

Cut this recipe into small squares and you have an instant hand-held hit at your soiree.  This is a tried-and-true Pampered Chef recipe that never fails to please a crowd. 

Cucumber and Radish Sandwiches

via

It wouldn't be a true Austen soiree without at least one cucumber sandwich on the menu.  This sandwich pairs the crisp crunch of cucumber and radish against the mellow smoothness of boursin cheese (a type of herbed cream cheese).  Experiment with different breads and shapes for a beautiful and tasty presentation. 

With your drinks and hors d'oeuvres taken care of, all you need now for the perfect evening are guests!  Come back again soon for invitation ideas to your mocktail soiree . . .


Linking Up!
Tatertots and Jello
Lolly Jane Boutique
Family Ever After
Funky Junk Interiors

Jane Austen Month, Day 18: A Mocktail Soiree, Part 1

We asked our fantastic little sis, Katie, to do a guest post on her most recent "Mocktail Soiree."  It is fitting that she take on the social side of Austen living for us since she is more popular, more fun, and more "well-connected" than either of us.  We're just hoping that one day we can be worthy of attending one of her most esteemed evenings of entertainment . . .

Here's Katie . . .

 

My siblings would tell you it is because I have a yellow personality. I would say that I was born with it. Wherever it came from there is some deep desire that lies within me that gives me an insatiable need to party! I have always found any excuse I could to have friends over. There is nothing I love more than to enjoy a night of entertainment, socializing and good food. It must be the Austenesque ideal that has been ingrained in me since I was a very little girl. I have always dreamed of attending soirees filled with beautiful dances, dresses, and unassuming glances from the dashing suitors across the room. Though my romanticized ideal may never be realized in quite the way I would imagine (I guess I would look a little silly showing up to my friends birthday party in my favorite empire-waisted dress with tight tendrils framing my face), but I have managed to throw a party or two that Jane would have been happy to attend herself.

Being that I don’t drink alcohol, I thought it might be fun to have a ‘mocktail’ with some of my dearest friends. It was a smashing success, starting with the drinks.

I figured out how to create mixed drinks that would still taste great without the alcohol. May I suggest (this site) http://cocktails.about.com/od/mocktailmocktail/Mocktail_Recipes.htm as a great resource? It is full of recipes.  Here are a few favorites:

via

Virgin Mojito

crushed ice
8 mint leaves
3 oz lime juice
1 ½ oz sugar syrup
2 oz club soda

Directions
Fill a pint glass 1/3 full with ice, then add mint leaves. Lightly mash the leaves together with the liquid using a muddle stick or wooden pestle, being careful not to tear the leaves. Fill the glass with more ice, then add club soda. Garnish with mint or lime, and savor!

via

Virgin Daquiri

1 14 ½-ounce can pineapple chunks in juice
1 12-oz bag frozen strawberries
2 tablespoons superfine sugar
2 medium limes, juiced
fresh strawberries, optional, for garnish

Directions
In a blender, combine pineapple, frozen strawberries, sugar, and lime juice and puree until smooth. Pour into glasses, garnish with fresh strawberries, if desired, and serve immediately.

via

Virgin Cosmopolitan

2 ounces cranberry juice
Splash Rose's sweetened lime juice
Club soda to taste
Lime wedge or twist to garnish

Directions

Fill highball glass with ice. Pour in juices and top with club soda. Alternately, fill cocktail shaker with ice and shake juices until chilled, then pour into martini glass and top with club soda. Add lime garnish.

After I created my shopping list, my husband and I hit the store, getting all the things we needed.

If you are planning your own, the must-haves are: club soda, a variety of syrups, garnishes like olives, cherries, and mint, and some plastic glasses for everyone.

Tomorrow we'll talk about the hors d'oeuvres for your soiree. In the meantime, get mixing!

Linking Up!
French Country Cottage
Common Ground
Stuff and Nonsense
At The Picket Fence 
Shabby Nest
Fingerprints on the Fridge  
One Artsy Mama 
Tatertots and Jello
Lolly Jane Boutique
Family Ever After
Funky Junk Interiors
I Heart Naptime
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