A showering of the woodland ones!

My sister is having another baby!!! I say this with all of the delight that a loving twin and proud aunt can   muster up. I also say this with a good dose of relief, in the fact that she is producing the children in our family so that I don't have to....(I love my daughter like a fat kid loves cake...but I'm way too crazy to procreate again...) 

This is their second child, so I wanted to do something simple for her. A small gathering of family and close friends to celebrate the new little critter, who is scurrying our way in January. The theme was "Woodland Baby Bash" and I didn't go overboard at all. And by "didn't go overboard at all" I mean "flung myself overboard with wreckless abandon". Thanks to some crafty friends and a beautiful apartment from the early 1900s (which used to be an old parachute factory, fun fact), the scene was set.

Enter beautiful friends.
Enter Celtic music.
Enter a table, spread with woodland delights of all shapes and sizes.
Enter my lovely sister and her cutest little baby bump.

In this case, I will let the pictures and captions speak for themselves. This post is rather picture heavy...(understatement- picture obese) I gathered inspiration from different sources (Pinterest, friends, the woodland wonderland living in my brain) and we came up with the following Earthy extravaganza!

My mom found the sweetest fabric at Ikea and these little stuffed hedgehogs! 
So naturally my friend Maddie and I turned them into the party banner!

"Hi. I'm the cutest squeaky hedgehog holding a strawberry you've ever seen in your life. You're welcome."

Terrariums housed little butterflies, courtesy of friends Laurel and Cassandra

Madeline and I finishing set-up. Her vintage home provided the perfect backdrop! 

The table is set!

Cupcakes were my personal project! (one of 4,000 projects??)

Just love toadstools. These are dark chocolate cake topped with a cream cheese icing 
and dusted with red sugar!

Stump from my backyard made the perfect cupcake stand!

 

Other delectable treats included......but not limited to....

Owl cake pops, thanks to Deanna

Bonnie came up with the sweetest little tree stump cake, topped with birds, bugs, and grass!

Tree stump flower arrangements

         

Beth and I made milk chocolate butterflies, ladybugs, and frogs. 
And peanut butter bear paw lollipops as favors.

My sister is literally the hardest person on the planet to surprise. So, naturally our scheming was all for naught because she figured out that this was her shower. But, she fakes a smile with the best of them (we have something in common there). "Guys...I'm SO. SURPRISED. I had NO. IDEA." -Lauren

Our friends all played along with headdresses of every sort! I'm obsessed with making hair garlands right now. I picked up some crafting wire from AC Moore and found the most natural floral arrangements I could. Mixed them with some feathers, boxwood from my own garden (a healthy dash of lunacy) and voila! 

"I will make a dainty garland for my head and sing"- Daria 
(via my friend Bethanee, who reminded me of this quote)

My sister and I in our homemade garlands

Many lovely friends sporting their own earthy garlands and hairpieces!

Bethy's handmade owl mask

Ironman is delighted with the flowers I adorned her with

(Yes, Ironman, the cat, is a girl)

Bon Bon <3

We made a tree of advice, where friends could leave quirky sayings, words of wisdom, or whatever their hearts desired. Some of them were quite funny...like my sister in law, Bonnie's helpful hint...

 Friends, music, laughs, feathers flowers, creatures, food, food, food, food food, and food...Our signature drink was simple spiced cider with rum (or without) and good old fashioned wine, which flows like water in our little corner of NJ. Gift opening and adorable friends/family...

Lolo enjoys these little MukLuks 

(mukluk catalog modeling in her future for sure)

Model Cassandra and a gaggle of adorable guests

Party cuties

My beautiful sister and my soon to be niece or nephew

Wooden toys!

Bathroom photo sesh

Bathroom confessionals

Sweetest gift from Sam and Maddie- handmade teepee! What every mom needs! 
(no seriously I'm jealous, I want one! Now!)

I am so happy for my sister and her already sweet little family. I can't wait to be an aunt once again. Oh, what fun we'll have!! I get my baby fix throughout the dead of winter...perfect timing! Can't wait to spoil this new child (meaning lots of food I'm not supposed to feed him/her, riling up, singing, dancing, playing, throwing in the air, trapeeze swinging, sword swallowing, flame throwing, fairy hunting, and the like...) with love. 

Congratulations Lolo!! 

All done....what now?