Time For a Shower
I took a break from my adventures to prepare for a special event I hosted on Saturday. J&V- my brother and sister-in-law, as I've mentioned before- are due early this September and so, as most excellent Aunts or friends do, I threw them a baby shower. So on the 26th, Ben and I made the trek up to my riverside hometown to celebrate Baby Eisch in style.
A nautical themed shower was the obvious choice for these two sailors- it was also a fun theme to decorate around. I sewed felt maritime signal flags which spell E I S C H; my mom supplied blue and red velvet cupcakes. I glued rope around a set of candles to match a jute table runner. I found a small life preserver that says, "Welcome Aboard" on it as well as a floating model sailboat. I had custom invites printed by Paper Source. I couldn't resist the matching napkins...
Like I said, I couldn't resist.
And then we loaded the table full of food.
The plants are herbs we picked out for prizes for winning games. We played three games, including one where we individually measured with string an estimated baby-belly circumference: the closest measurement won. In another game, I listed 15 animal "mommas" and the player had to list the animal baby name. Finally, we played Baby Supply Price is Right. It was fun to hear what people thought items cost, some guesses really high and others really low.
Ben picked out The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein to use as a guestbook for the party. Every guest wrote a message to Baby Eisch in the margins of the pages. I thought it would be a touching keepsake in the years to come.
It was a great way to celebrate my newest family member- I can't wait to snuggle that little guy very soon! Thank you to both my parents, Anne, JoMarie for flag help, Dianah and Sarah for keeping my ideas flowing, and the man behind the woman (me): Ben.