Elaine Stone

If you’ve been here for a bit, you know my daughter, Olivia (Liv), is having her first baby, a daughter, in a few weeks.

I posted about the “wood” flowers we used for decor, HERE. But, haven’t shared the shower event with you.

All of us have events at times. I don’t know about you, but I gain inspiration from others. My turn to host or help will come around eventually and inputting to my “inspiration tank” always helps me dream and plan.

Plus, I just wanted to share this lovely celebration. It is one I have dreamed of and prayed for. AND… it happened!! I enjoyed every second of planning, making, and celebrating!

Olivia is the youngest of my three children, having two older brothers. I’ve hoped someday we would get an announcement, watch her belly grow, feel gentle kicks, walk through all the baby dreams and plans, enjoy the “parenting” journey begin for her and Danny and celebrate this precious one’s coming arrival. Since the announcement in August, we have been doing just that!! It’s been wonderful!

My youngest baby having her first baby! My baby girl having a baby girl! Unspeakable joy!

As is our family custom, shower plans began.

I’ve mentioned it several times before. I have a group of four friends, plus me, who have offered showers for our collective 13 children, wedding & baby. We have a “few” under our belt 😉 We are known as “THE Committee”, named by one of our husbands. Four of us have been together for almost 40 years!! That’s a lot of celebrating, joy, and love!!

Today, you see their faces… My beloved friends. We’ve faced untold ups and downs together. They are gifts of love in my life; thank God!

On the right is our oldest 2nd Gen. She’s the best help💕

There they are my sweet gal pals, my encouragers, supporters and faithful sisters.

Of course, they wanted to do what Olivia wanted for the shower. We always include the wishes of the one we’re celebrating. We all have our specialties, but we meet to plan and divide responsibilities. Some of our adult children jump in with some tasks, too.

We started with Evites.

The menu began with Liv’s favorites.

We served: Hot Ham sandwiches, Strawberry Spinach salad, Fruit tray with Brenda’s pineapple dip, Deviled eggs, Chicken Salad croissants, Shrimp Orzo Salad (recipe from my sister), Corn Black Bean Salsa & Taziki dip with chips, Cheese Petite Fors, Strawberry & Vanilla cupcakes with chocolate frosting, Ms. Nila’s cheesecake. Sweet Iced tea, flavored water, and coffee.

Ms. Nila’s cheesecake … if you know, you KNOW!

At some point, one of our members purchased glass plates. Enough for a large gathering. We have used them so many times. Each of us has gathered serving pieces and utensils. We use glass and white serving pieces a lot. Collectively, we’ve got it covered. Sometimes, we use glass coffee mugs or teacups we all gather together. We do use paper napkins appropriate for the event and the heavy plastic utensils.

The decor we used for Liv’s shower had a floral theme in the colors of her nursery. Noted earlier, we used “wood flowers”, baby’s breath and paper flowers primarily. The wreath on the front door Liv purchased for the nursery and added scatter pearls. We used some scatter pearls in the decor too. Side note: We used these same pearls in Olivia’s wedding decor: her theme being pearls and lace. It seemed so right to use them in Baby Delaney’s shower decor. I love touching unknown details like that.

We used the paper flowers in her color scheme to frame the couch background where Liv sat to open presents. We delicately pinned them to the curtains. I am not comfortable doing balloon arches or the like. It is so time consuming and then the effort can all diminish when the balloons shrink overnight! A little risky for me. The paper flowers looked just as I hoped! It was a bit time consuming and required a ladder, but my girls willingly obliged.

We used a painted panel that will hang along with two more over Delaney’s crib. I put a piece of plexiglass on the front and used my Cricut to make a sign. It was my first large project on my Cricut Joy. Loved the results.

If the guest of honor wishes, we play a few fun games. We have a “game hostess”; a former teacher who can handle/wrangle a crowd! We had a loud room, filled with competitive game players!

One on our committee has a Kettlecorn business. They supplied the favors of freshly popped kettlecorn. It’s our “go to” favor! Her husband popped it that very morning! So thoughtful, kind, and yummy!

Family and friends-like-family gathered from states away. There were about 35 in attendance.

I could write stories about every one of these pictures! And many more about the loved ones who evaded the camera!

Delany’s two girl cousins were in attendance. Goldie 2 1/2 and Indie 3 months. They will assuredly be her compadres in months and years to come: a powerful force to be reckoned with. Watch out Deacon and Justice, the scales have tipped.

At the end of the shower, Liv and Danny presented his mother and me with a card from Delaney and a bouquet of flowers. The card brought tears… it was our first gift from “Lainey”. The fragrant blooms remind us of all the joy and love to come!!

As is customary, whoever is “showered”, gifts the hostesses after everyone leaves. We have gotten lovely tangle-able reminders of love. (In fact, as I write this post, I am covered by a throw gifted from one of our children’s showers.) The gifts are as unique as our children.

Liv used her artistic abilities to make “The Committee” a logo! Of course, we needed one!! We have existed so long. Why had we never had one before?

Using my Cricut, we put it on an insulated tumbler for each hostess. She also framed a different scripture verse in a floral theme. They were perfect and for some reason… brought us all to tears. Lovely!

Olivia and Danny were overwhelmed with love by those in attendance, those who could not come but expressed their love and support, and by the outpouring of “the committee” hostesses.

Their response was perfect…

“We felt so loved by the day! Overwhelmed with love!”