IMG_4966 The owl clip art for the invitation was purchased from this etsy shop

I was so honored to throw a baby shower for my good friend Rachel on Wednesday. She has been such a dear friend to me since we moved here 5 years ago and I was thrilled to be able to do this for her.  Plus she goes with me when I buy things from strangers on craiglist- you know to make sure  I don't get chopped into itty bitty pieces! Now that's a friend!

Years ago I threw a baby shower for my friend Kim and and we made these hanging flowers out of lunch sacks so I decided to give it a whirl again (remember these Kim?):IMG_5216 The idea/instructions are from Martha Stewart on-line. Super easy to make. I think we (thank you, Jean and Peter) made about 16 or so and I hung them all in front of a large window. All you need are lunch bags/sacks, scissors, a hole punch & some string (oh and double stick tape or I used a glue stick.)
IMG_5206 I made mini-brownies with a dollop of ganache and raspberries. I have to say, brownies are one of few things I don't make from scratch. There are so many awesome boxed versions out these days. This one is by far one of our favorites (who knew Amazon.com sold brownie mixes???) And besides I can honestly say I've never had a homemade brownie that was better than one from a boxed mix. These were really small, bite-sized ones and if I don't say myself, were pretty darn delish. I've  never put ganache on brownies before but that is about to officially change. Try it people. Ganache= heavy cream & chocolate. You can do it. 
IMG_5211 And the 4 of us stayed long after the party had ended, chatting, eating hummus & pita's and then doing more chatting & more eating. I love these gals. Rachel was such a lucky duck and received that sweet little red number directly from Paris, France. Erica on the far right is due around the same time as Rachel and is the one responsible for the awesome french bread recipe. That's Jean sitting next to Erica and of course the Mama-to-be, Rachel. I know I've talked about all 3 of these gals at some point here in this space so now you can put a face to the name.  Ann- these pictures were mostly for you- we were all sad you couldn't be here!

And finally, I finally got around to recovering the lampshades which you can kind of see here and the drapes, I pulled down the old ones and found fabric that is working so much better. I really, really, really love the new drapes. I'll share soon. 

Thanks  for the awesome chapter book suggestions- we are heading straight to the library this weekend!

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13 responses to “Showering”

  1. Mom Avatar
    Mom

    Once again …. a perfect party. You’re my hero.
    What lucky girls you are to know each other. Hi Jean!!!
    Did you have to order BC brownie mix from amazon or were you just demo-ing it?
    xxoo

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  2. Kimberly Avatar
    Kimberly

    My baby shower was the best ever. Every time I look at pictures of it I’m blown away by how talented you are. The party looks like it was fun!

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  3. Tammy Avatar

    Can I say I wish I was there (though don’t think me a crazy stalker… Rachel is my sis in law)… looks like fun, and I love those cute flowers, I made a bunch for a YW fundraiser once… yours look like they stayed together much better than mine! Can’t wait for that baby to show up!

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  4. Morgan Avatar

    No – I buy it at the market- but when I googled it- it was one of the first links…

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  5. Morgan Avatar

    Aww..I miss you. I miss Boston. like ALOT.

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  6. Morgan Avatar

    Well- we wish you could have been there, too! Are you Sean’s sister?

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  7. Rachel Avatar
    Rachel

    Morgan – Thanks again for the beautiful shower! My mom – Ann – wants me to thank you for posting the pictures. She loves them! You are the greatest!

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  8. Jean Avatar
    Jean

    That’s such a cute picture of all of us! I had so much fun chatting and eating and eating and eating!! I emailed my sisters and mom-in-law your salad recipe. Any significance as to why it’s named “Westwood” salad?

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  9. Jaime T. Avatar

    It’s so good to see some of the old gals again! I had no idea that Rachel was prego! Will you tell her congrats for me?

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  10. Emily E Avatar
    Emily E

    Hey! Congratulations to Rachel! So great to see everyone. Looks like a great party. I sure miss those baby showers!

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  11. jaz Avatar

    Yum yum yum yum YUM!!! Everything about your blog makes me think, “YUM!”

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  12. maren Avatar
    maren

    I am having so much fun catching up on your blog. I forgot how much I love it:) Now I have all these new recipes I have to try…and I wish I could get some sewing lessons from you too. I agree with you on the brownies…there are some awesome boxed brownies. But have you tried the ‘Outrageous Brownies’ from the Barefoot contessa? They are amazing! You just have to let them set, put them in the fridge and eat them the next day…sooooo good.

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  13. maren Avatar

    This is my first time onto your blog and you have so many great ideas! I had to let you in on my favorite brownie recipe after reading this post. I will NEVER make them from a box after having Julia Childs brownies. You will thank me and hate me all at once after you’ve tried them.

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