Thursday, September 27, 2012

Babies, Blues and Buttercream

In just over a week I have the pleasure (really?) of hosting my little sisters baby shower. I never even had one of those so I have no idea what I'm doing but I'm hoping to pull together something awesome. Her only instructions were that she wanted rainbow cupcakes with red coma-cream icing, blue and white for the colors and a nappy cake made of clothes instead of nappies! Help! Anyway, a dear friend of mine got me a little bit hooked on this incredible site called WeHeartit and I thought today I'd do a bit of a roundup and show you what I found off the site for my sisters baby shower.

Rainbow cupcakes are ridiculously easy to make. Simply separate your batter into equal portions for as many colors as you want, then add some food coloring. 
Food coloring itself has come a long way in the last little while, there are plenty of different types. Liquid is the most familiar form of food coloring. It gives the weakest color compared to other types of food coloring and, because of its liquid consistency, it will thin out whatever it is being mixed with. Liquid gel gives a deep, rich color without thinning and blends well. It is available online and in specialty stores. Gel-paste gives deeper, more vivid colors than gel or liquid. It is very concentrated and should be used in very small quantities. Powdered food coloring is very concentrated. It can be combined with sugar to decorate cookies, and with lemon extract to paint onto iced cookies (just roll cookies in it to color them).

The next thing is a new obsession for me. Fairy Floss Cocktails! Delicious fairy floss drowned in apple cider or, in this case especially for pregnant people, fizzing apple juice. A few months ago the most AMAZING store opened up near me and I have literally never been the same. Spun Fairy Floss is vegan, gluten free, fat free, sodium free, lactose free & preservative free. All their ingredients are certified kosher AND they have over a hundred flavors. For a sugar junkie like me there is just no equal. I was at an event recently where these guys had a stall and me-oh-my, I could have stayed there the whole day just tasting but once I got a hit of the Pomegranate I was hooked. Their flavors aren't overpowering nor is it a massive hit of sugar and you can't get a sugar high from sniffing it so I think my waistline is safe. They have a couple of online stores so please, check them out.

Now, you can't tell me these aren't adorable. My sister already has more bibs than she will ever need thanks to my own son but I had the idea of doing them with singlets instead. They're easy to make to and can be constructed in very little time. Simple take your bib or singlet (folded in half) and roll on a slight angle to produce the 'bud' in the middle of the fabric. Next, gather up a handful and wrap them in a sheet of pretty paper as though they were fresh flowers and tie off with a pretty ribbon! There are any number of ways to do this one, which is great because I simply hate doing things the same way.

According to an ancient Japanese legend, the gift of a thousand Origami Cranes will bring the recipient incredibly good luck. We might not get the full thousand but it's the thought that count. To make it special for a baby shower you could write something encouraging or helpful or inspiring on the right wing of the bird, the right being the side more commonly linked to the 'magic' of childbirth. Aside from all of that, hundreds of pretty colored paper cranes would be sure to brighten any little bubbas room. Instructions.

What childhood isn't complete with a rubber duck or two for bath time? This is a simple game which everyone can play whether you have kids or not. You can find cheap rubber ducks at any dollar store as well as colored permanent markers and paint pens and all sorts of other bits and pieces. Simply get everyone to decorate a duck and race them in the nearest body of water. The mother-to-be or whomever else you're hosting the event for can then keep all the ducks to remember the quacking good time!

And the guest book, no party is ever complete without a guest book and there is absolutely no shortage of ideas for these. I waded through literally hundreds of ideas before I came upon this one which, if I do say so myself, is absolutely perfect for a baby shower. The picture says it all really. All you need is a calender (it doesn't even have to be a current one or a fancy one just any old thing) and a Sharpie! All your guests have to do is find their birthday and sign their names on their date of birth and there you go! A simple but interesting keepsake which will help you remember your friends birthdays for years to come. Now that's what I call two birds with one stone!

Lastly, who doesn't remember Tupperwares longest standing product - The Shape Sorting Ball. I had one as a kid growing up and bought one for my son when he was born. I doubt there has been a baby shower in the last forty years where one of these wasn't used. There are heaps of team and individual games that can be played with a Shape-O but my favorite is the Treasure Hunt. You'll need two or more balls and all their shapes. Hide all your shapes around the place before your guests arrive and have the balls ready. Split your guests into two or more teams and give them a ball each then send them running like loonies around your home till each team has found one each of all the shapes. The first with a complete set inside their ball wins!

Have a great weekend and keep yourselves amazing!
Sonne


1 comment:

  1. Good job love, try pintrest, they always have plenty of idea's for baby showers. :)

    ReplyDelete