Baby Lifestyles LAUREN HALPERIN
Publisher, Creative Director
TARA STEINLE Managing Editor
ELLEN FELDMAN, BETH MERAN Contributing Editors
LOLA STEEVENS Sales Director
AUSTIN “Mr. Z” RAPPAPORT Website Architect
MICHAEL GUSTMAN S.E.O. Management
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Baby Lifestyles is published bi-monthly by Baby Lifestyles, LLC. All contents ©2011 Baby Lifestyles, LLC. All rights reserved.
On the Cover Say hello to cover girl Emery. She celebrated her first birthday with a pink and yellow lemonade stand themed birthday party. Find it on page 107 and you’ll see why she’s smiling for summertime.
HOW DOES YOUR BABY PARTY? WWW.BABYLIFESTYLES.COM
CONTENTS June/ July 2012
PAGE 130
PAGE 96
PAGE 40
PAGE 24
PAGE 68
PAGE 120
IN EVERY ISSUE
NURSERY REVEALS
STUFF WE LOVE
PHOTOGRAPHY
10 CLASSIC BOOKS 11 HOT PRODUCTS 142 LAST CRY
10 PREPARE YOUR PET FOR BABY
DO IT YOURSELF
12 COFFEE FILTER WREATH 15 HAND PAINTED NURSERY RUG
40 BOY’S MODERN MASTERPIECE 44 CALEB’S COOL PAD
30 OUTSIDE BED MATERNITY 50 PHOTOGRAPHER’S SHOWCASE 84 COMING SOON MATERNITY
CELEBRATIONS
24 ROCKING MIXTAPE BABY SHOWER 60 BLUE SKIES AND SUNSHINE 68 NO TOY LEFT BEHIND BIRTHDAY 76 BRING A BIB BABY SHOWER 96 SCREAM FOR ICE CREAM PARTY 107 LEMONADE AND SUNSHINE 120 LILLY PULITZER INSPIRED
MAKING A DIFFERENCE
130 OPERATION SHOWER HOLE IN ONE GOLF EVENT
Newspaper Announcements Announce your baby to the world with a completely customizable newspaper!
www.NewspaperAnnouncements.com
We Heart our Summer Contributors!
Mikkel Becker Your dog is your first baby, but how do you prepare your fourlegged baby for your two-legged one? Mikkel has the answers on page 20.
Ivona Foster
You know you are a product of the 80s when you have a collection of cassette mix tapes. Ivona used her love of pre-iPod music to create this rocking baby shower on page 24.
Lynlee Beckett
Adam + Alli
This lovely couple specializes in While Lynlee might think of herself as a dessert impressario, weddings and their knowledge of she knows how to think outside details is on display on page 76 at Nicci’s bib baby shower. the ‘cardboard’ box to create a Toy Story 3 party on page 68
Jenna Clark
Lavara O'hanlon
Lavara brings a stunning materFinding unique ways to do a maternity portrait is no problem nity photography shoot to us all the way from the land down for Jenna. She took some under. Check out page 30 to see beautiful beach photos on page how gorgeous her pictures are. 84 to showcase new life.
Whitney Shepard
JoAnne Wuneburger
Jennifer Froehlich
This mom goes all out for her There’s nothing more summer JoAnne has an eye for colorful than pink lemonade. Our cover details which you can clearly see kids’ birthday parties. On page 96 she shows off the ice cream photo comes from the beautiful on page 120 in Presley’s Lilly pink and yellow first birthday Pulitzer inspired birthday party. party she threw for her two sons. party Whitney shot on page 107.
Classic Reads Make a Comeback Pat the Bunny Book & Plush Toy
Considered the original touch-and-feel book, Pat the Bunny was first introduced to children in 1940 by Dorothy Kunhardt who incorporated everyday activities like looking into a mirror, smelling flowers and feeling Daddy’s scratchy face to encourage interactivity and sensory stimulation. "Pat the Bunny" is so dear, so simple, and so very, very perfect that it is deceptive. It really can teach a very young baby about textures and colors and the fact that the world is a varied and wonderful place.The deluxe edition of Pat the Bunny includes four pages restored from the original 1940 version and now offers a plush bunny for your child to call their own and pat to their heart's content.
Where the Wild Things Are
In the forty years since Max first cried "Let the wild rumpus start," Maurice Sendak's classic picture book has become one of the most highly acclaimed and bestloved children's books of all time. Now, in celebration of the jubilee anniversary and the recent passing of Sendak, a new generation is being introduced to Max's imaginative journey to Where the Wild Things Are. This book does what all great books should do, it opens your mind and imagination. One sunny day, a caterpillar pops out of an egg. He is very hungry and begins searching for food. The gimmick in Eric Carle's book is that the caterpillar eats holes through all the food, holes that are actually punched into the pages of the book. It's a good gimmick, actually. Die-cut pages, each page has a hole where the "caterpillar" ate through the food item, illustrate what the caterpillar ate on successive days. This story is a hit every time. Carle's bright colors and clever die-cut artwork never cease to entertain even the youngest child, and there is surely nothing in nature closer to magic than the emergence of a butterfly.
The Very Hungry Caterpillar Book
Great Gift Ideas Want to get that fauxhawk look celebrtity babies like Kingston Rossdale are always sporting? Hot Tot Styling Gel keeps baby’s hair and even curls touchable and soft. The medium-hold formula tames frizz and flyaways without feeling sticky or stiff. You’ll love making baby look like a rockstar while taming those unruly curls. Get Styling Now HERE! Ever wonder what to do with all those baby clothes your little one is growing out of? The patchwork Keepsake Clothes Bear is made entirely from your baby’s outgrown outfits. The perfect first birthday keepsake gift, now your baby can have those precious beginning outfits forever nearby. Create a Keepsake Bear HERE
Tea Stained Coffee Filter Wreath
Wreaths are a beautiful way to dress up your baby shower and baby's nursery room. We've seen some amazing wreaths as DIY projects from themed to colorful. But this shabby chic creation by Taryn of Design Dining and Diapers is more than a decorative wreath made of coffee filters, it holds part of her family history and was a special pat of her daughter's first birthday party. Wanting a more vintage look she stained the coffee filters using tea. "I love the texture and the romantic look."
MATERIALS NEEDED: dark color tea bags large pot spoon Styrofoam wreath form ribbon screwdriver
DIRECTIONS:
1. Place five dark color tea bags into a large pot. Bring to boil and then place on low-medium heat.
2. Place 20 coffee filters into the pot and use a spoon to make sure they are fully submerged. Soak them for 10-20 minutes or until you get the desired color. Repeat until all of the coffee filters are stained. 3. Let the coffee filters dry completely so they are not as fragile. Helpful Tip: Clip the coffee filters onto pant hangers and hang them to help them dry faster. Spreading them out on paper towels works well too. For this wreath, Taryn used about 100 filters.
4. Wrap the coffee filter around a screw driver and push it into the wreath. "You may need to do a few extra jabs to really get it secure in there." 5. Place the coffee filters about 1-1 1/2″ a part to get the fullness of this wreath.
Taryn's daughter was named for her great grandmother and she used gems belonging to her in the wreath making it a priceless family heirloom. "The pink and white pearl clusters were actually a pair of her earrings and the brooch was a gift given to her for 30 years of volunteer service at a local organization." The beautiful ribbon also holds sentimental value as it was from Taryn's wedding day.
Hand Painted Rug Tutorial
When completing her son Chase's nursery, Cristi of Charm Home Design wanted to spice up the floor with a patterned rug. Originally loving one from West Elm, she didn't want to spend the money to liven up her floor. Instead, she created her own rug in perfectly matching colors and couldn't be happier with how it turned out.
Materials Needed 1. plain white rug (Cristi's is the Erselv rug from Ikea) 2. paint 3. stencil 4. Clear contact paper 5. double sided tape 6. sponge roller Step 1:
Buy your rug. Lay it out of the floor and measure it to determine how large the pattern should be.
Step 2:
Create your stencil. "I spoke with a friend who is a faux painter and she gave me a great tip. She said to use clear contact paper, the kind you line your shelf with. Once I determined the size that my stencil would be, I made my stencil pattern out of an extra large sheet of graph paper. Then I traced it onto my contact paper and cut it out."
Step 3: Once the patterns are cut, peel the backing off of the contact paper and stick it on the rug. Helpful tip: Use double sided tape to secure the paper to the rug.
Step 4:
Using a sponge roller, paint a light coat over each of the openings in the stencil. Once the paint is dry, peel up the contact paper and move to the next sections.
"The Rug is absolutely perfect in Chase’s nursery and really helps complete the space."
Preparing Your Furry Baby for Your New Arrival
While bringing home a newborn baby is an exciting time in any family’s life, many parents may be concerned about their pets sharing this same enthusiasm. Vetstreet.com’s Mikkel Becker, professional dog trainer, author and mother, dogs can safely and happily cohabitate with newborn babies, and training can begin months before the big day. After experiencing this firsthand when introducing her newborn girl to her two dogs, the daughter of “America’s Veterinarian” Dr. Marty Becker offers the following tips to prepare your dog for the baby’s homecoming – including how you can use a doll and baby scents and sounds to help teach your dog how to behave around the newborn.
Assess whether the dog has aggression or fear issues. Take special notice of how your dog acts when you get near his food bowl, chew toys and resting area. Pay attention to any sensitivity your dog shows when being approached by people, especially children and toddlers. Note how your dog acts when he is handled in uncomfortable ways, including tail tugs and grabbing his feet, mouth and ears. If you notice any areas of concern, address these with remedial training and enlist your veterinarian, a certified professional dog trainer or animal behaviorist if needed. Teach proper manners in advance. Jumping up isn't only a nuisance; it becomes a safety hazard when you are holding a baby who can be injured or knocked out of your hands. To prevent your baby from being jostled or stepped on, train your dog to sit for greeting and to come up on furniture or your lap only when he is invited. Practice the "leave it" and "drop it" commands, which will come in handy when getting your dog to leave baby items like stuffed animals alone or to drop them if they’ve already been snatched up. Think pet-proofing as well as baby-proofing. If your dog currently sleeps in your bed, you may need to relocate him; having the dog on the bed may not be ideal if your baby will be sleeping in a bassinet or cosleeper next to your bed and could possibly be jumped on. Consider crate training your dog or setting up a doggy-proofed area for the times when you will not be able to supervise your dog. Child gates should be set up at the edge of the baby’s room to prevent the dog from going inside unsupervised. Move the dog’s food and
water bowl out of areas where the baby will be, and get a diaper pail with a secure lid to help keep your canine from spreading unwanted dÊcor around the home. Help your dog be independent. Soon-to-be-parents are often tempted to lavish extra attention on their dog because they feel guilty about the time they will be taking away from their pooch once the baby arrives. But the smoothest approach is to prepare your pet to be independent, so that he is already used to a decrease in attention before you bring the baby home. Stock up on food puzzles and chew toys to keep your dog’s mind engaged, and prepare an exercise routine for your dog that you can stick to once the baby arrives.
Acclimatize your dog to the sights and sounds of a new baby even before he or she arrives. Use a baby doll to mock activities you will do when your real baby arrives. You can use the mock baby to teach your dog to respect the baby's space and remain calm when you do babyrelated things. Play recordings of baby noises, such as crying, and pair them with tasty rewards so your dog associates them with something good occurring. On the day your baby arrives, have a family member take an item home that has been on your baby (either a piece of clothing or a blanket). As soon as your dog smells this item, give him a highly palatable reward, such as a piece of a turkey hot dog. Since dogs are so keen on smell, he will begin to associate your baby with good things happening before he and your baby even meet. Introduce the baby and the dog carefully. Have your dog meet the new baby on neutral territory. Although it was winter when we brought home our precious Reagan, we had the pugs come outside for a quick visit before we brought Reagan inside. While the pugs were meeting Reagan, we kept the visit under control by giving them known behavior commands such as "sit" and "down" while rewarding them. We allowed brief sniffing, and then directed them to do an action that was compatible with a baby in our hands. Always supervise your children and pets together. The majority of dog bites happen to children when they are not being supervised by an adult. Monitor all interactions between your dog and your baby, and use baby gates or crating when close supervision is not possible.
Rocking Mix Tape Baby Shower By Ivona Foster
It seems like only yesterday you and your best friend forever were rocking the big teased hair and sung in hairbrush microphones to Debbie Gibson’s “Electric Youth”. Now she is a mommy to be. The mission: a colorful mesh of 80's nostalgia and homage to the greatest rock ballads of all times that is sure to bring a grin to your bestie's face. It’s a baby shower worthy of the little rocker to come, no pastel blue onesies here! With the Eurythmics playing in your head, it is time to get this party started. Ivona from Sugarsticks Parties is on the 80's train. With her colorful Mixed Tape stationery designs and it didn't take her long to transform them into a party set worthy of Madonna's early years, especially after handing over a cassette of favorite songs.
Ivona used Sophie and her husband John’s song list as inspiration for food and drinks offered at the brunch shower. And since mommy and daddy already have their playlists, it is only natural that they start working on baby Liam's ultimate playlist. As the baby shower hostess, you want to remind Sophie of the days way back when the walls of your rooms were covered in Dirty Dancing and Tom Cruise in Top Gun posters. Ivona used these posters as a backdrop to both the food and the favor tables. To create a colorful geometric backdrop pattern that allowed for the playlist posters to shine through, Duct Tape allowed for a perfect design. Since bunting would have been too cutesy, circular stickers were put on CDs to add to the original theme.
Flipped boxes of cassette tapes are used as stands for food labels, and food labels, which mimicked the cassette tape wrappers. All food listings were also accompanied with the song that inspired them. “Lady Marmalade” accompanied jelly bites croissants, star shaped “Rocket Man” sandwiches, “Purple Rain” was perfect for grape sodas and “Back to Black” was ideal for licorice candy. As a keepsake for the little rocker to be, a poster where all the guests could leave their autograph for baby Liam, as well as fill out a playlist card that mama Sophie will put in a book for him. And remember those cassette tapes you used to dance to while they played on your boom box? Ivona used the actual tapes as the final touch on the Sugarsticks' flat favor bags. Little rocker Liam and his mama were showered in true 80's style! Photography by The Picture Ladies
Maternity Photography By Lavara O'Hanlon
Modern Masterpiece by Tara Steinle
When it came to designing the nursery for her baby boy, interior designer Erin Sander wanted a vibrant and happy palette. She swooned over the ISaK wallpaper of aqua facing penguins. After marinating the other colors like lime and bright yellow to complement the fun blue she decided that orange made the combination pop. "One of my favorite design elements to incorporate is a bold wallpaper or tile pattern to set the mood for a room. When starting out to design his nursery I knew that I wanted a great pattern on that wall that would anchor the space and provide a backdrop for a more modern and simple crib. It didn't take me long to decide on the Isak paper. The graphic simplicity of the pattern made it a great choice for a boy and the colors were perfect for what I wanted to achieve in the room."
Erin had a wonderful custom workroom that she used for the more detailed window seat and window pelmet, but for the bedding, she wanted a simple design that wouldn't distract from the bold pattern behind and in front of the crib. She selected Carousel Designs for their assortment of fabrics, quick turn around, and customization options. "It was the perfect solution for the clean and modern style I wanted here." Erin used gray as an updated neutral to work with against the aqua and orange, and thought the bold design and stronger lines in the rug also added an element of masculinity the space needed.
A Colorful Haven By Tara Steinle
While her design style is always a work in progress, Janette Drost says it always comes back to traditional as it did with Caleb’s nursery. “I know that inspiration can sometimes come as a stroke of genius, but I think that it usually comes through a lot of research! I spent a long time looking for items I loved that worked well together. I knew that I wanted to base it on feeling cheery and fun, but sweet and babyish at the same time.” Drawn to light-filled rooms, Janette remembers that her family’s nursery was very yellow and sunny, and she wanted a bright and cheery room like that. Other than an adorable tousled blonde head peeking up, the first thing you’ll see when you enter Caleb’s room is the crib, however Janette says the artwork above the wainscoting her husband made get the comments first. She found all of these images at a stock photography site and chose ones that had a cohesive look to them. After hours of doing the math, they were positioned just right to fill the wall in Ikea frames.
Not wanting a “bed-in-a-bag” set, Janette started designing Caleb’s crib bedding with the crib skirt. She found a fabric she loved and made the skirt herself. “I gave my mom a general idea of what I liked for the quilt, and the colors she picked work perfectly! And the knitted blanket adds such a babyish touch.” “The hand-made items are absolutely my favorites. The crib was a gift from my aunt and uncle. They found it in a neighbor’s garage and the whole family refinished it for us! I also love the quilt that my mom made, I get so much of my creativity from her. There is a fabric activity book that my mom
made for me when I was a baby, definitely a treasure. The knitted blanket was made for Caleb by his great-grandma, and we also have another blanket made by his great-GREATgrandma. I just love that Caleb’s room is filled with clothes, books and toys from people who mean so much to us.” What does Janette love most about Caleb’s room: her wonderful baby. “A pretty room is great, but he’s the one who brings it alive.” Crib & table – vintage Bedding – handmade (except sheets from Babies ‘R’ Us) Dresser – IKEA “Hemnes” Chair – Best Chairs “Hagen” swivel glider & ottoman Artwork – IKEA frames, iStockphoto images Wall paint color – Sherwin Williams “Quietude”
Photography by Betty Ospina of Serendipity Photography
Photography by Taken Photography
Photography by Gina Cristine Photography
Photography by Heather Barlin of Venus Girl Photography
Photography by Jason and Heather Barr of Revival Photography
Photography by Jenna Clark of Creatrix Photography
Photography by Samantha Foster of Jonathan Ivy Photography
Photography by Sweet Poppy Studio
Photography by Tammy Bacon of Country Roads Photography
Photography by Heidi Orcino
Blue Skies and Sunshine First Birthday Party By Irene Amido of Petite Pomme Design
To celebrate Mari's first birthday, Irene designed a summer party inspired by all the fun things that come with warm sunshine...popsicles, blue skies, ice cream, and pretty flowers. A simple chalkboard and hanging paper wind chime inspired garland greeted guests on the porch. As they entered, 3-D clouds hung over a darling photograph of newborn Mari along with a cluster of white vases and the popsicle invitation.
The showstopper was curtain of ombre paper ringlet garlands cascading overdelicate sheer panels to create the perfect background to the sunny sweets. This simple paper effect drew everyone's attention to the sweets station, stocked with delicious summer treats like popsicle treats, kid-friendly jello shots, meringues and flower shaped cookies.
The simple Happy Birthday cake topper and pineapple flowers perfectly decorated the home-made Kahlua cake.
No Toy Left Behind
By Lynlee Beckett
One of the main themes of Toy Story 3 is how quickly children grow up. As Lynlee watches her daughter Anabelle grow with each passing year, she was reminded of this and knew a No Toy Left Behind party was perfect to celebrate a year of her daughter’s growth. Focusing on the third movie where the toys' owner, Andy, is packing up and leaving for college and they are mistakenly donated to Sunnyside Daycare, Lynlee wanted to play up the use of cardboard boxes to represent the toys being boxed up, as well as throughout the decor. “I also thought the use of color was really important to capture the vibe of a school, while also corresponding to the rainbow logo of Sunnyside.”
To set the tone for the party, Lynlee envisioned the invitations coming out of cardboard donation boxes. She used an adorable illustration of a little girl resembling Anabelle, dressed up as her favorite Toy Story character, Jessie, by artist Carolyne Tillery and utilized it in the design of the invitation, along with additional graphics. When smiling faces of Annabelle’s friends arrived to
play and celebrate, they were greeted with giant "magnet" letters reading "NEW TOYS", as the characters heard when they arrived at Sunnyside Daycare. “I wanted the kids to feel like they were toys themselves and the oversized letters and alphabet blocks were perfect! My father did such an amazing job with the blocks with the use of wood/paper mache letters, masking tape and paint! I just adore how the
blocks turned out!” The backdrop for the dessert table was built out of cardboard boxes and filled with the Toy Story toys popping out of them, while the banner was strung with alphabet block letters. Boxes were clearly labeled if they would end up at ‘College’ the ‘Attic’ or ‘Sunnyside’. Lynlee made fondant toppers of characters from the Toy Story movies and placed them on cupcakes in individual boxes. Beautiful recreations of Woody, Buzz, Rex, Hamm and even the Pizza Planet aliens were recreated in detail so beautiful you want to get on the floor and play with them. Printed out block letters, rainbows and additional characters topped the rest of the cupcakes displayed on the table inside plastic Slinkies. Instead of a tablecloth, the kids' table was lined with drawing paper from a tabletop paper holder from Ikea and all
the kids had their own Sunnyside lunch box. “Two days prior to the party, I unwrapped the lunch boxes and realized the latches were not of the highest quality and after brainstorming with my family, my father came to the rescue with his idea of securing them with a rubber band, which I embellished with a tag.” An art area with easels, coloring pages and Sunnyside art boxes was set up for the kids to let their imaginations run wild. Drawings from Andy's room were pinned across a string, while a blowup bookworm welcomed the toys/kids. Lynlee found the fun and colorful art boxes and attached the Sunnyside label to them with Mod Podge. Inside, the kids found a box of Toy Story crayons, character erasers and crayon bubbles. “Some of the activities we had in store were kept in these numeric mesh containers from Ikea and labeled with the box
cards. The colorful paratroopers from Oriental Trading were a huge success! The kids also had fun with the trash bag races and saving characters that I cut out out of cardstock with a grabber...the claw!” For the menu, Lynlee wanted the kids' food to be exactly what a day care child would find in a packed lunch with a sandwich, apple slices, rainbow goldfish crackers, fruit snacks and juice. “I found the Toy Story sandwich boxes, as
well as the themed snack bags and tissues which were just perfect!” The adult food was displayed separately in the "Parent Cafeteria" section with colorful plates, cups and plasticware. The kids had a fun time with Toy Story coloring pages and dressed up for a “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” hoedown. One of the new characters introduced in "Toy Story 3" is Lotso Huggin' Bear, who {spoiler alert} turns out to be
bad, but once Lynlee saw this humongous, huggable stuffed bear at her Costco store, she just couldn't resist! “Anabelle's great-grandmother bought it for her and it is indeed a hugger!� We laid out empty boxes with an oversized post-it note for guests to "donate" their gifts to Anabelle! The favors were hiding in these "TOYS TO DONATE" boxes... The kids went home with a set of Toy Story characters and the note quoting Andy in the movie, who just donated his toys to a deserving little girl as he departs for college: "Now you gotta promise to take good care of these guys. They mean a lot to me." So long, partner.
Handmade Bib Photography by
b Baby Shower y Adam + Alli
The invitation for this baby shower came not from the mommy-to-be, but from her baby. Written from the perspective of the baby being born, the invitations were uniquely handmade bib designed by Quirky Finch.
Coming Soon to a Beach Near You By Jenna Clark of Creatrix Photography
We All Scream Birthda
By Jennifer Photos by Moncr
m for Ice Cream ay Party
r Froehlich rief Photography
While planning her sons' dual birthday party this year, Jennifer wanted to let her boys have input on the theme. They both asked for their favorite things: ice cream, bounce houses, and popcorn! She went with an ice cream theme using her favorite locally owned and home made ice cream. While that would have been yummy all by itself, she had to have a fun toppings bar! The pavilion she had rented has a turquoise blue background wall so she added a fresh orange complimentary color and had her frozen color palette.
With ice cream as a theme, each guest got to pick their ice cream flavor, then choose either waffle cone or a cup and top to their heart's content from 17 different options. "The kids just loved that they could get all they want, they were in heaven! I tried to keep several of the toppings in our matching color scheme- all orange reeces pieces, blue/orange/yellow sprinkles, yellow pineapple, easter colored M & M's and sixlests which matched perfectly too and many more in other bright fun colors." After the sugar rush was in full effect, the bounce house castle was perfect for burning off that extra energy.
At birthday cake and singing time we passed out ice cream cone cake pops instead of cake to go with our theme and its also just easier and cuter than cutting cake slices and serving them! On the side we had a popcorn machine for a little bit of something salty after all the sugar, plus its my son's absolute favorite food
Milk glass bottles were perfect to hold all of the toppings and Jennifer used old coke crates to elevate them and give them some height. To attach the food labels onto the milk glass she used tiny orange clothespins. She used them again for the sugar cone party favors topped with cotton candy to look like ice cream. The labels had stickers of the boys eating their ice cream printed saying "Thanks for coming!"
Photography By Moncrief Photography
Invitations and paper goods By Modern Moments Ice cream cone cake pops by Sweet Chicks
Waffle cone paper wrappers and large ice cream cups in orange by Shop Sweet LuLu Tiny hand painted orange clothespins by Paper and Present
Lemonade and Sunshine First Birthday Party Photography by Caught on Camera’s Whitney Shepard
Has pink lemonade in the summertime ever looked so good? Emery’s Mommy Hannah went all out for her sweet baby girl’s first birthday party! The entire Lemonade Stand themed party was planned out in pink and yellow detail and even featured a real life lemonade stand that Emery's Daddy made just for her!
Apothecary jars of lemonade, vases filled with pink and yellow pinwheels, mason jars holding bunches of dainty sweets and treats, the decorations were perfect for a a girl as happy as Emery.
A Lilly Pulitzer Inspired Garden First Birthday Party for Presley By JoAnne Wuneburger
A Hole in One for Opera By Lauren Halp
ation Shower perin
On May 6th, 2012, a “Celebration Fore Baby� baby shower was held in Ponte Vedra Beach, FL on the Stadium Golf Course at TPC Sawgrass, sponsored by Birdies for the Brave, The PGA Tour and the Lend Lease Community Fund. Forty-one local military moms and moms-to-be arrived to be showered with support, recognition and gifts donated from high-end companies.
It was the first time I had partaken in an event for this incredible organization after writing about them for years, and was the most moving charitable event I have ever had the privilege to attend.
There is something to be said about the quiet strength of these women. I sat at a table with amazing mom-to-be Courtney, who was scheduled to deliver her second child via C-section three days after the event. She works full time while raising her two year old daughter. She told me her husband is stationed on a nuclear submarine, his exact location she does not know and cannot be told. I think she feels it’s better this way to be a little out of the know.
Courtney’s husband was deployed when she was six months pregnant and is not scheduled to be home until their son will be four months old. I asked her if she got to Skype with him to communicate. Clearly, I have been brainwashed by commercials on television, as she informed me that she gets to send him an email once a day and gets a response back every few days. However, at that moment the submarine was on high alert—doesn’t that sound scary!—which means that all communication must be ceased and she had not heard from him in two weeks. It was unclear if he would be able to get in touch at all as she went in to give birth in a matter of mere days. She says all of this without an air of worry, like someone describing what they did last weekend, cool, calm, collected. Balancing a career, a child, and a household on her own while being pregnant and alone, I honestly can say I don’t know how she does it.
What touched me most about Courtney and these other women is that while I teared up, and even went to the fullon ugly cry once for what they have to go through, they exemplify courage. This is their way of life and have accepted it fully. There is no feeling sorry for them, for they are simply doing their duty in supporting those who defend our country. It made me want to kick myself for being upset with my husband when he comes home 30 minutes late for dinner. One expectant mom arrived at the shower after saying goodbye to her husband that morning for a six-month deployment. Her husband will miss the birth of their baby and those first moments where everything in the world is new because that little face is looking up at you. I couldn’t even begin to imagine going through that experience alone.
Instead, what continues to pull at the heartstrings is how grateful they were for the simple act of acknowledgement of their service and sacrifice with a party that can only be staged by the industry best. A team of party designers and planners from all over Florida, and some from much farther, arrived the day before to style the event, do craft projects, move tables, and create table masterpieces, transforming a tent on the 18th green into a blue and green Golf-themed baby brunch. Paper and Pigtails and Pen N’ Paperflowers designed and donated a really fabulous dessert table, all in the shower’s golf theme. Frog Prince Paperie designed adorable printables placed throughout the event in signs, cupcake toppers, flags and more. The list of amazing websites and companies includes: Celebrations at Home, Half Baked, Malu’s Boutique, The Flair Exchange, Let’s Get This Party Started, Malu’s Boutique, Love and Sugar Kisses, Cookies are my Canvas, Great Gatherings, and Mommy GPS.
After being chosen to attend the event, moms let Operation Shower know if they were expacting a boy, girl or were waiting so that the shower-in-a-box could be personalized to baby’s gender. Every last mom received a baby shower box complete with almost everything a new mom could need or want for their baby. Remember these are women and families living on a military salary, so to receive everything they
Me with LeAnn Morrissey and Amy Belle Isle
Paula from Frog Prince Paperie, Kori from Paper and Pigtails, Me representing Baby Lifestyles, Amy Belle Isle, Carrie from the Cake Blog and Jessica from Pen and Paper Flowers
could possibly need for baby is truly an amazing gift. Amongst the items in their shower box were a Petunia Pickle Bottom diaper bag, teddy bears, pajamas, blankets, and bathrobes and floaty toys donated by the staff at Baby Lifestyles. While many moms were excited at hearing there would be one car seat raffled off, they were overcome with emotion at hearing that the Jim and Tabitha Furyk Foundation would be donating one to each of them. Other surprise raffle items to the entire group included McLaren strollers. Watching the range of emotion on the faces of these women was truly extraordinary. Disbelief that they now had everything they need, sheer appreciation at being recognized, and sadly that they could not share this wonderful moment with their spouses were all present in their smiles and in their tears. It’s an incredible thing to know that you’re making a difference in someone’s life, but to actually witness it first hand gives instant gratification to your heart. The organization started by LeAnn Morrissey and shepherded by Amy Belle Isle is truly remarkable. In an effort to help even more military families, Operation Shower recently partnered with Babies R Us to help purchase items needed for the moms-to-be and to help celebrate the new arrivals. Through this partnership, it’s easy for everyone to help support our military families!
"Any man can be a Father but it takes someone special to be a dad." Anne Geddes
Photo by Ryder Photography