Fishing Line & Baby Showers

In case you didn't know, the two go together.

I know this because I have become quite the shower-thrower. This would be because the girls I'm closest to in life, my Bible study girls, continue to become pregnant. One right after the other. Within three years this group will have yielded something like six babies.

Two things I've learned in my party planning: a) Do not use all your good ideas on one shower. b)Bring in special ops.

Exhibit A: Let's call this one "The shower that Martha built." Here's the thing about this shower. It was for Julie, my most loyal and faithful friend, and she has taught me every single thing I know about how to throw an even remotely tasteful party. And because she and I are not Publix cake people (sorry if you are, but I have to ask you: What is special about a Publix cake? Here's the thing I know some of you like the icing (not me) but anything you can walk into a store and have somebody practically spray paint a birthday wish or shower congrats on is not necessarily, shall we say, special. I rest my case.) So for Julie's shower I wanted special, so I went straight to the source: marthastewart.com.

I immediately got on the phone with Melissa, who makes amazing tea cakes and is hands-down my favorite florist in town. She makes everything feel so personal, which is a quality I love in her work. And then I called Jenny, who is quite possibly the classiest and most hospitable person in this town. And she's from Texas, and we all know everything is bigger in Texas--including the baby showers. And we got to work.

FYI: Jenny & Melissa are special ops. I know. This blog is already so hard to follow.

You should all run straight out to the store and get the ingredients for this cake. It is the antithesis of a Publix cake. And you can make this. You really can. Just be patient with the egg-shaped truffles. They are tricky but worth the work.

The shower was successful.

So, last Monday Special Ops, Julie, and I had our turn at hosting a shower for Jessica, another Bible study gal. (Remember, them, the girls who are working with God to help populate the earth.) Now, that I set a standard with the whole bird/nest-themed-shower-that-Martha-built, I wondered what we could do, you know, a little extra touch to make Jessica's shower cute.

This is where the fishing line comes in. We went with a polka dot theme for the shower and because Jessica is one of the most creative scrapbooky types I know, it felt right to make something with paper--a sweet little polka dot garland draped across the window.

It was as easy-as-pie to make, time consuming, but easy. Here's what you need: small plastic rings (sewing section at JoAnn's), fishing line (do not try to find this at Target. May as well load up and drive to the nearest Dick's Sporting Goods), card stock or scrapbook paper. I used paper with adhesive backing so that I could just place the line between two circles to seal it in place. I recommend using a circle cutter, but if you feel ridiculously good about your ability to cut perfect circles, knock yourself out.

Jessica posted pics from the shower. Melissa did the flowers--lovely as usual.

As for the dots, what if you strung them across a playroom, or your creative space. They'd be so sweet in baby's room tacked from corner to corner. Or maybe you could make them for the next shower you throw!

Tomorrow,
Amy