Favors....

A simple pretty blue box with a grey and blue ribbon with a little pendant, the boxes were filled with blue candy covered almonds.

A votive candle, with a lid made out o of blue flannel striped fabric, tied up with the same ribbon I used for the boxes.

Flowers....

I'ts a Boy!

One of my friends, was expecting her first baby.

It's a boy!

Blue Hydrangeas, white roses, Phlox, delphiniums, and for fillers: asparagus ferns. That was the flower arrangement for the desert table.

I baked an apple tart and ordered a cake in the supermarket after giving them the items for the decoration of the cake( Babies R Us those pretty blue boxes and I had a blue gingham ribbon at home)

So, I just had to explained how I envision the cake we would like to have, and voilà! The cake came out beautiful!they got the idea.

The baby Shower was at my sister home.

When my daughter was 12 years old, the Rosenthal china store from my then, hometown,was going out of business and all the sets were 50% off.

So I decided to purchase a set and put it away for my daughter.

So, what a better occasion to use it for the fist time.....We used the plates,without the cups and saucers, the set came with demitasse sizes cups only, So we decided to use white cups from another set of china, and we thought look very nice.

We bought African Violets for center

pieces we use them as favors as well.

The tablecloth was used for the fist time , 29 years ago, when my daughter was a baptised.
The trends has changed, and I think I have evolved with the time, I love the new trends However in this particular occasion it was important to have the Baby shower with things that has a meaning to us.

It was planned with a lot of love. and

My daughter's Baby Shower

This was a big celebration! My daughter was expecting her first baby and my sisters and I, other than being so happy with the idea of a new member in the family, were very excited about planning her Baby Shower.

Summer time

I live in Florida, where the summers are very hot and humid, we live indoors. It is a way of life during this season.

However that does not stop us from entertaining, I love to have friends over.

The planning , starts a week before the party :

1- make the list who are going to be our guest.

We always try to invite people we think they have enough things in common that they will find interest subjects to talk about.

2- pick up the phone to invite our friends. I usually send a written invitations by mail if is a big party.

3- Start thinking in the menu. Do I want a formal party or just a BBQ.

Usually in the summer time, we try to entertain very informal even if is not a BBQ. I leave the formal parties for Fall and Winter.

4- Go through my cookbooks and decided the menu.

I am not a professional chef, but I love to cook and I try very hard to serve a good meal. I love to experiment, so far, I am been lucky enough not to have a disaster on the table. So, usually I look to make something new, every time we have company.

5- Music? Can be some Jazz or if we are having an Italian dinner,we are going to listen Andrea Boccelli, sometime during the night.If we are having a tapas nights the Gypsy Kings will join us.

6-Making a list of the ingredients. Check my pantry if we have part of the ingredients.

7- The day before the party, go to the supermarket, for the ingredient.Clean my house,

Make a desert. Set the table, buy flowers, make the flower arrangement.

8-The day of the party, get into the kitchen 4 hours before the party, prepare the food.

My menu, always has to be food that can be prepare in advance. Just ready to be cook in the oven. I never do anything that I need to use a million pots and pans, I hate to have my kitchen disorganize while I have people over. Plus ,I love to be part of the party, not to be in the kitchen.

I always buy the appetizers, very rarely I will go thought the trouble to make them from scratch, only if is a cocktail party, or a tapas night.

9- Usually we invite at 7 p.m. that gives me enough time to prepare the meal, check all the aspects of the party and make sure that I have time to get dress myself. I don't like to be stressed out and look like I have worked all day in the kitchen and look like a mop.

I want to look fresh and enjoy the evening.

I will keep you all posted for the future gatherings, with menus, tables setting and thoughts for a wonderful evening.