Strawberry Rock Wall Art

I made piles and piles of strawberry rocks for my friend's "Jamberry" baby shower.  Here they are... 

Now, the minimalist in me knew I should get rid of them after the party.  They are indeed cute, but useless.   I don't like having a lot of tschotskes around the house.  

But I just couldn't bring myself to throw them away.  They make me happy!  I remembergathering the rocks in the garden with Sisi and washing them together with the hosse.  I remember hand-painting each and every one while Sisi proudly painted her own rocks. 

I decided they might make some cute and quirky wall art.  I bought white shadow boxes (one on amazon and two from Ikea) and glue gunned the rocks to cardstock.   That's it!  

These would look adorable hung together as a triptych, but thanks again to my minimalism, I'm trying to embrace the beauty of empty walls.  We hung one up in Sisi's room, and will give the other two to friends. We're spreading the strawberry cheer!  

I just love that particular color of red- red with a hint of fuchsia and coral. Anyone know a good lipstick that color?  

Look at my munchkin all tucked in.

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Berry Themed Baby Shower

My friend Aime's favorite kids' book is Jamberry, a delightful story about a bear and a boy who go on a berry-picking adventure.  I wanted to throw her a pretty, feminine shower in honor of the little girl who is due this Summer.  (See the Hawaii themed shower I hosted for her boy, Hitoshi!) 

Aime's half-Japanese, and while we don't look like twins, I definitely think we could be siblings.

 This felt ball wreath welcomed guests into my home.

The flowers were punchy berry blues, pinks, purples and reds.  Lots of sweet william, veronica, sweet peas, chamomile, and of course, hypericum berries.

The following pics were snapped by our Church friend Pat.  She served as our historian and captured some sweet moments! Thanks Pat!

I whipped up this berry fascinator so our mommy-to-be would fit in with our theme :)

The invites were gorgeous (and so reasonably priced) by Pixel Paper on etsy.  She was super fast and accomodating.

Super low-key food spread: salads, build-your-own-sandwiches, etc.  My friend Kathi helped a lot with the food (Thanks Kathi!!)

Paisley linens (plastic, can you believe it?) with simple flowers and strawberry painted rocks.

Build-a-bow station!  I just put out ribbon-covered barettes, tacky glue and random baubles, felt flowers, and buttons from my collection.  I've learned that the more simple the project, the more likely guests will actually participate.  

Dessert station!  I definitely put my Silhouette Cameo to work cutting all the banners and signage. I definitely think it's paid for itself by now.

Paleo strawberry short cake!

Dairy free fondue was a big hit, made with coconut milk and chocolate.

Aime:  I am so grateful for the friendship that has blossomed over the past few years.  You are a woman who I look up to in so many ways (even though you're quite a bit younger than I am :) ) I feel like you are always full of kind words, optimism, and grace.  Can't wait to welcome baby Sophia!!!

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Berry Crafty!

I hosted a Jamberry themed baby shower for my good friend Aime yesterday.  What a sweet time!  I'll share pictures soon, but here is a sneak peek at some of the decor.

This first project was something I pinned on my Fun DIY Projects board (check me out on Pinterest!)  Supposedly people use these painted rocks to deter birds from eating their real strawberries.  I just thought they were cute.  

Sisi insisted on painting her own rocks!

Then I put my Silhouette Cameo to work and cut little strawberry blossoms.  I used some spray painted thumb tacks as the centers and hot glued them to twigs.  I also added some adorable felt blueberries.  I figured the more non-perishable decor I could make ahead of time, the less stressed I'd be on the day of the shower.  All these projects were super cheap, too.

And of course, no ex-florist is gonna leave out fresh flowers.  I chose country flowers in bright berry shades.  

Decorating for parties (especially for wonderful, appreciative friends!) is super fulfilling, and so much less stressful than decorating for weddings.  

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