Best Friends And Baby Showers

Such a cliché to say it but seems like yesterday my daughter was a baby herself. So it took a moment to digest her words, "Hana's having a baby."



I had my children in my twenties. But somehow I still considered my daughter lily, and her friends, still to be girls.



This group of girls have been friends from pre-school through high school and continue as they enter their adult lives. I would be lying to say a few years of those girly teenage years weren't challenging. But somehow, having lived through some crazy happenings, (many I am sure I don't even know about), has made watching the girls become women, even more endearing.



So even though I am crazy busy with The Prairie By Rachel Ashwell about to open on March 23rd and shooting my book (out in stores in October,) I was touched when "the girls"asked if I would "help" pull the decorations for the shower together.

They had their limitations of time and budget, and I was determined not to supplement financially or with time. Always so easy for me to just takeover and "DO" myself. But seeing as there are likely to be many more celebrations of weddings and babies to come amongst these girls, I thought this was a good opportunity for a lesson on how to pull together a celebration.



First thing we did was all sit together, at 7 am on a Saturday morning I might add, that alone was impressive. We reviewed some ideas from my old books.



We got specific with a budget, projects and schedule. Then off to the flower market and art supply stores we went.

The girls got so inspired.....



Wandering the aisles of the art and craft store we found some foam signs ready for decorating.

Pink wax flowers and a package of "it's a girl" and pink teddy bears. (Wax flowers are good for this kind of thing as you get a load in a bunch, they have strong stems to poke through the foam and they last awhile.)



During our design discussions I shared my love of the use of feathers and letter stamps. Have done this loads of time. They loved the kind of hippie bohemian association of feathers (in the end we bought these feathers online.)







The biggest part of their budget was spent on flowers. The girls didn't want the shower to feel to wedding like, and nore did they have rose money. So they did a wild flower vibe.

They purchased wax flowers, stocks, baby's breath and other very affordable wildflowers, after our flower market field trip they are now fully educated for future flower needs.



Nowhere is more magical for me.



I borrowed an idea from my Sumptuous Settings book.



Back at the work station the girls began prepping flowers.

Along with the flowers, they bought mason jars, manilla hang tags, stamps and ink pads. Each floral display was under $4.00.



With lots of giggles they completed their decorations.

I decided to give Hana a bedding set from my Simply Shabby Chic collection at Target.

The inspiration for this collection was a bed lily had when she was a little girl. Keeping with the bohemian theme.



Rachel Ashwell Shabby Chic Couture has just launched a baby bespoke bedding collection. Customers can choose from a lovely selection of floral prints and yummy white fabrics to custom make anything for a precious nursery. (Adult custom and ready made bedding is also available at Rachel Ashwell Shabby Chic Couture stores.)



With all the decorations behind them, the girls enjoyed their efforts for their friends special day.