A Baby Shower

My aunt did a beautiful job yesterday with the baby shower she put together for my cousin's wife. The food, decorations and favors were just lovely. The menu included:

* Homemade Ham & Turkey Wraps with a Cream Cheese Spread
* Chicken Salad with Grape Halves, Apple Chunks, Pineapple Tidbits & Sliced Almonds on Mini Croissants or Raisin Bread
* Pasta Salad with Tri-Colored Pasta, Zesty Italian Dressing, Grape Tomato Halves & Cheddar Cheese
* Fresh Fruit and Veggies
* Potato Chips and Pretzel Rods
* Cheese Balls with Assorted Crackers
* Mini Cream Cheese Brownie Cups
* Chocolate-Covered Raisin & Peanut Clusters
* Vanilla & Chocolate Sheet Cake

The tables were decorated with balloons in the center and blue-wrapped mints scattered about. The silverware was wrapped in a pretty pastel napkin tied with a blue ribbon and a silver charm that said, "It's A Boy!" Also at each place was a cellophane bag which contained a duck-shaped sugar cookie decorated with meringue frosting. Attached was a little thank you note for attending the shower.


At the entrance to the community room was a small station where everyone was to fill out an envelope with their address as a help to the new mom when she wrote thank-you notes. Towards the end of the shower, my aunt pulled two envelopes from the basket to each receive a beautiful bag containing a gift. She also had us play a game called, "How Big Is Her Belly?" We passed around a skein of yarn and scissors and cut off a length that we thought corresponded with the size of my cousin's belly. My aunt then measured her with a string and compared it to all the other lengths to find a winner. Aunt Nancy also prepared a pile of small bags of goodies for the half-dozen or so young girls that attended the shower.


This jar contained dozens of tiny pacifers that were created with Lifesavers and Sugar Babies. "Glue" two Lifesavers together (one flat and one vertically on top of the flat one) with a Royal Icing (the type of icing used for gingerbread houses). Then glue a Sugar Baby (which is a miniature Milk Dud) on the bottom of the flat Lifesaver to look like a bottle nipple. Thread a ribbon through the top Lifesaver. Clever!