Hey, Dude: A Cactus Baby Shower

We’ve hosted a really huge number of baby showers around here – with just as many themes to match. As easy as it could be (and maybe should be) to  pick a theme for a baby shower, sometimes it’s not! Kristy and her husband Michael are expecting Baby Blake to arrive towards the end of September. The nursery is a full-on dedication to all things Texas – but I thought it would be predictable to  do a Texas theme, or cowboys, ranching, hunting, etc, etc. So to play off the nursery and what Kristy and Michael like, I settled on a single element on which to focus. The cactus. (Also, a subtle nod to a classic from our childhood – at the end of the intro for “Hey Dude” – a reference to “killer cacti” on the ranch… so… there’s that.)

Sometimes better associated with more of a Mexican Fiesta vibe around San Antonio, it was kind of hard to keep it feeling clean and un-Fiesta-y while also not breaking out the cowboy boots and branding irons. All that thought process for a simple baby shower – it’s no wonder I can’t decide what to cook for dinner some days! (I kid. Kind of.)

Our friend Haeley, from Design Improvised, recently published the cutest cactus balloons – and when you know a balloon expert, you turn to them for the balloons! She graciously delivered the table centerpieces and – as the reigning wreath Queen – an adorable cactus wreath for the door.

I love something outside to let guests know they’ve arrived at the right place.

The food was decidedly un-themed – tea sandwiches, fruit and crudités, and fabulous cupcakes from our favorite local bakery. The drinks, however, stole the show for me.

We did a rosé spritzer (with hibiscus blossoms because they look like cactus blossoms – just beware – they’re bitter, so compensate with more sweet!), cucumber/lime/rosemary water (all the shades of green!), and a prickly pear lemonade (prickly pear juice/syrup/mixer is available at fine grocers and with mixers at liquor stores).

I have an adamant disdain for baby shower games that make people uncomfortable – I’ve found that really people just want to visit and ‘ooh and ahh’ over the mom-to-be.  We had several games planned but ended up only playing the “Timer Game” – which hands down – is my favorite. As the guest of honor is opening gifts, one of the hostesses sets a timer for a few minutes. When the timer goes off, whoever’s gift is being opened gets a prize! Easy, right?

We did double duty with decor and favors, sending guests home with tiny cactuses in gold pails.

I sprayed a few glass jars with some gold paint to nestled some interesting looking cactuses in for extra cactus flair and painted cardboard cactuses (with hot glued toothpick pricklies for depth and realism. I kid. It was because I don’t know when to stop…) for height and interest.

The ceilings are super high in my studio, and I love hanging banners at normal “ceiling” height (8-10 feet up). I made two ‘pennant’ banners that spanned the majority of the air space. They took about 2 hours, 24 sheets of cardstock and some twine to put together with hot glue. Above the monogram (cut with my Silhouette from adhesive denim from the ‘vinyl’ section) hangs one of my favorite gold foil pennants from My Minds Eye and a fringed tissue paper banner I made.

As a gift for Kristy, I pre-filled a Project Life book with a year’s worth of pages and cards – so all she’d have to do was add some notes/journaling and pictures each month.

To start the book off, we asked each guest to write her a little note and take a picture with her to put next to it.

It made a great present and was a fantastic small but meaningful activity for the guests to do as they arrived and were making themselves comfortable. We appointed a friend to be in charge of pictures, directing people to write a note, and then while the gifts were being opened she inserted the pics and notes. It’s always amazing to have a friend who will come to a shower and take on a job!

I’d say it was a successful shower that blended the guest of honor’s likes with a simple, beautiful and on-trend theme. It doesn’t hurt to get to hang out with some of your best friends (and Vivi’s “Aunties”) from college for a few hours, too!