Baby Shower Bliss

It was a day dreams are made of. A baby shower like no other, and a celebration of life, of love, of family, and of friendship. It was all that I hoped it would be, and really so much more. I knew it would be a day that I would hold close to my heart always, and to ensure that every last beautiful detail was captured forever, I had the amazingly talented Jeanna Hayes photograph this smashing soiree.

With a picture being worth a thousand words, thankfully the gorgeous images that she took will do most of the talking for me. But of course, I will add in some Suzanne commentary in between. WARNING: there are a bazillion photos, but how could there not be? I'm a girl that loves a fancy party, loves and appreciates the details, loves the girls who worked for countless hours on end to coordinate such a special event, and not to mention I have been dreaming of a day like this day for many moons.

So without further ado, I am honored to share with you my babies' shower, as told through their mommy's eyes. This is how the spectacular event unfolded start to finish...

First there was the to die for adorable invitation mailed out a few weeks prior. My sister Angela was the "creative director" for the project, but let's just say (for obvious reasons) that her older sister may have a small hand in them as well. Regardless, they were so perfect and so sweet. Here is what it looked like when it arrived in the mail. I have always been a fan of the clear envelope, and man is that one spiffy address label!

And here is the back view of the invitation that read "About To Hatch"...how cute is that?!

Upon opening the envelope, this what my recipients saw...the front of the invitation coordinating to the address label, a darling picot edged bow, and two little diamond (crystal) eggs in a nest. CAN YOU STAND IT???!!! Such a special touch since the babies have always been referred to as "The Diamonds."

A little peak at the inside of the invitation (I loved the fun bird pattern!).

A shot of how the 3 enclosure cards came all bundled up...

And then un-bundled...Enclosure #1 - a cute RSVP card

Enclosure #2 - a special note for the mommy to be that everyone filled out

Enclosure #3 - a misc. card with directions, registry info, etc. (I adore the wording used for the registry portion)

And a final peek of how the entire ensemble looked placed all together. It was paper perfection!

So with the baby bird theme in place, and an invitation that perfectly set the tone for what was to come, the big day had arrived.

The day didn't come without a ton of tears though. All happy tears of course. The car ride over with Jeff was just the start of it. Maybe it was the thoughtfully cued up music he had playing, or the heart felt words we exchanged during our drive over, but it was a car ride I won't ever forget.

Jeff dropped me off so that I could ride with my Mom to the shower and then Jeff, my Dad, Andrew, and Jon all had a boys night out planned and "were going to dinner and a movie." Or so I thought.

The date was Saturday, October 3rd and the location was at Tammy's beautiful home. Here I am arriving at the shower...

and being greeted by my beautiful sister...

There were a few "ugly cry" photos (as Oprah calls it) that were taken as well, but I'll not show those today. Or ever.

Instead, I'll gladly show this photo of one gorgeous Grandma with the mama to be, along with a few others that Jeanna took...

This one is particularly precious to me.

And now I would like to introduce "Grandma Bunny." Isn't she so cute?!

These babies are already so loved (read: slightly spoiled) by their Grandmas!

So after we were finished taking a few photos, I was given the thumbs up to approach the front doors that were adorned with 2 adorable wreaths. This one was on the left door...

And this one was on the right. Just by the wreaths alone, I knew the fabulous factor was going to be unlike anything I'd ever seen.

So the front door was opened

and right before my very eyes stood all the main men in my life!!!! I was beyond touched. And of course the tears began to flow. Again. We all know that men typically don't attend baby showers, but then again this shower was far from typical and my girls were thoughtful enough think to have everyone in attendance that is special to me in my life - including men- at this event. And indeed they figured out a way of how they could be involved - they were our servers for the evening!!! How sweet is that?! The men serving us. Love, love, loved it.

After I recovered from that surprise, Regina, Angela, and Tammy had yet another one awaiting. It looked like this...

It was so thoughtfully and beautifully packaged.

So I opened the lid to find a tiny box laying on top of some pretty petals

And within the little box was this little beauty! A NECKLACE THAT MATCHED MY SHOWER!!! Really? Yes really! I about died. But instead, I cried. They know what a sucker I am for sweet sentiments.

I was so honored to wear it that night

Soon after all the surprises, the guests started to arrive.

And it was then time for the servers to take action for the appetizers and mocktails! I think they were having a lot of fun!

The passed appetizers consisted of Caprese Salad Stacks, Italian Meatballs (on custom made flower picks), and Garlic Stuffed Mushrooms. Yum-o!

The mocktails were rather divine and creatively named as well...Oh So Precious Pink Punch, Baby Bliss Citrus Punch, and Lullaby Lemonade. Too too cute!

Oh! And here I am excitedly sharing my necklace story with some of my peeps...

As the guests arrived, Jen had them make their way over to the "Wishing Tree." What's a Wishing Tree you ask? A place where each guest had a chance to write a sweet little wish for me and/or the babies, and it also doubled as a guest book to always help me remember who was in attendance. How brilliant!

Here are a few more of the details from the table...

The photo that Jeanna took of me a week before the shower (loved that crystal frame!)...

Cute little card...

The cards that hung on the tree...

And of course there was a custom made feather pen to write with!

Front view of the card...

And the back view (with the adorable bird pattern again).

Of course the darling decor didn't end there...

There was the fireplace with some of their clothes that Angela asked me for in advance...

Baskets of real eggs...

Nests filled with lush blooms...

And yes, even the bathroom was decorated!

After greeting all my guests, while enjoying the yummy appetizers, it was about time for our sit down dinner. But before doing so, my girls wanted to give me a sneak peak before everyone else. Here is my reaction to the beauty that was before me...

And of course a few more tears (dang those pregnancy hormones!)

Regina and Angela were the masterminds behind the gorgeous table. Everywhere I looked, there were things so beautifully crafted and so perfectly placed. Never before had I seen such a GORGEOUSLY set table at a baby shower. Three words to describe what I was feasting my eyes upon: WOODLAND CHIC EVERYWHERE. Please enjoy all the fabulous details...

Tall vases filled with moss, river rocks, wild branches and little 2 little birds perched on each arrangement. Oh, and the little flowers were all hand glued on one by one as well. What a labor of love! They were so sweet yet dramatic and definitely made a statement! I simply adored them.

How about these little beauties - these arrangement were so unique! I love that they looked ruffly and so chic!

And just in case you were wondering, YES, they were sitting atop real slices of wood!!! JJ was to thank for not only gathering them up from the wilderness, but cutting them all down to size. So, so adorable.

Also gracing the tables were these crystal pedestals topped with moss, a nest, fresh flowers, and feathers! Hello fabulous!!!

Now to the cute wooden chairs. They rented ones that happened to be the same shade of brown as the branches, and each one had a big beautiful bow tied around the back of it. The bows alternated with pink...

Then blue...

And looked so sharp!

And on my chair, they tied on both! What a cute touch.

There were also softly lit pretty hanging lanterns...

And the place cards! Oh the place cards. I could barely take it they were so adorable! My sister wrote each name on actual wooden paper, glued on a few feathers and placed them in little seed cups that had 2 little speckled eggs in them too (thank you Jelly Bellys).

Here is a photo of my place setting...this vintage pregnant dress form was the perfect little accent if I do say so myself. Oh and I loved that we ate on real plates too. Certainly an unexpected, out of the norm touch! Thank you Tammy!

Oh, and the custom made for the occasion table runners were just so over the top! Becky spent HOURS I'm sure sewing those babies! I truly loved them.

The infamous custom water bottle label also made an appearance...

And I actually had a little surprise up my sleeve - a little note for each of my guests at their place setting. I originally ran the idea by the head honchos of writing everyone a personalized note, but they told me I was insane. So this is what I came up with to try and share all that I felt in my heart.

Still can't get enough of the table, really...

And how about this cute detail - handmade fabric napkin rings created using a fabric that totally coordinated to the table runners! Again, so over the tipsy top! The nice table linen and napkin ring were placed on top of each person's menu...

And speaking of the menu, here is what was served...pure deliciousness if you ask me and the nicest shower food I've ever tasted.

The yummy pasta was a Giada De Laurentiis recipe but my favorite part of the meal was the mixed green salad that was nested in an edible Parmesan cheese cup (that actually reminded me of a nest)! My, oh my. I heard Brittan spent hours on end making them. Now that is love!!!

Here is closer peek at them before they were served...

Now being the thoughtful hostesses that they are, I was asked if I had any special requests for the occasion. Well...since they did ask...why yes I did! Here was one of them: I love the look of long rectangular tables pushed together vs. circular tables scattered about. It's a look that's modern, chic, and adds a "family style" feel, and in the end I just wanted to look down table after table and be able to see the faces of everyone who is so special to me and who I love so very much. Here's me doing exactly that...

And some of my guests enjoying their evening...

And me in all of my baby shower glory...

And here's the proud papa who at this point in the evening was the D.J. playing songs straight off of my "iTunes All Time Favs." Sneaky!! Here were some hits included in this eclectic play list: "Bittersweet Symphony," "With Or Without You," "Yellow," "What Goes Around," "Glamorous," and "Sure Shot." Fergie and Beastie Boys always bring a touch of class to a baby shower, don't you think?

Next, we played a game that my sister orchestrated. It was called "How Well Do You Know The Mommy To Be?" Here was the cute game stationery...

And here we are, as I answer a slew of questions such as "Suzanne will never leave the house without the babies:
A. Pacifiers
B. Change of clothes
C. Shoes
The answer being shoes, of course!

Here's everyone playing the game...with the winner being NO, NOT KAREEN (aka K-FRAUD), but Katie who scored 14 out of 15. Way to go!!!

After dinner and the game, it was time for a very special dessert. Are you ready to feast your eyes on THE most spectacular baby shower dessert ever made?! I hope so. All thanks to Karin, she made these individual mini bundt cakes with yummy ganache frosting, each topped with a sugar spun nest!!! Yes, you read that right! They were as delicious as they were beautiful, and a dessert that truly did take the cake!

They were also served along side carafes of milk

We now had made our way back indoors and it was time for gift opening. Boy oh boy, were people generous. It was like Christmas on crack. I can't believe how many wonderful and thoughtful gifts went home with us that night. WOW.

A few that were photographed beforehand...

And a bird's eye view of some of my guests (pun intended)

And now for the grand finale...the perfect party favor for each guest to take as they were leaving. Brace yourself...

Inspired by Bakerella, Kellie and Kara were the ones behind the "Sweet Tweets" (aka cookies in a jar). Are you kidding me?!?! How perfect. How adorable. How delicious. And how much work must these have been? Ah, they were seriously the most fabulous favor I have ever seen, and though I have enjoyed a batch already, I am hoping to keep one forever as a keepsake. They were confection perfection if you ask me, or anyone else for that matter.

A snapshot of some of my guests...that's one good looking group if I do say so myself!

And as a final note, I would like to give a big thanks from the bottom of my happy heart to:

-all my dear friends who traveled from out of state to be there. You are all so selfless and thoughtful. I love you and loved sharing the evening with you!

-the husbands and all the men involved to pull this event off! I know you had to be without your wives on many late nights, as well as putting in a few late nights yourselves, so thank you so very much.

-Jeanna Hayes for capturing every last beautiful detail that night. You know how much special memories and tender moments mean to me. You are an amazing photographer with talents like no other.

-all 64 guests that came that night. I loved having almost everyone in my life there. The presence of your beautiful faces and warm spirits filled me with a feeling of indescribable happiness.

- the ever amazing "shower committee," namely Angela, Tammy, Regina, Kellie, Kara, Karin, Jen, and my Mom for being so giving of your time, your talents, and offering your best of the best ideas to put together an evening I will cherish in my heart forever. You took my breath away so many times throughout the evening and made me feel so loved. It was a celebration fit for a TWINCESS, that's for sure.

-my family, thank you for being a part of one of the best days of my life. I am so thankful you were there to share it with Jeff and I.

-my incredible husband, for keeping such a good secret for so long and for those special looks you gave me across the room that night. I know we were thinking the same thing...

-and last but not least, my precious babies who gave us all a reason to celebrate, and for making the last 34 weeks and 3 days the most joy filled days of my entire life.