Today’s real party is a modern baby shower that I know you will just love!  The shower itself AND the gorgeous images capturing the event are both the work of Jennifer Skog, a talented photographer we’ve featured before on Half Baked.  Jennifer hosted this shower in honor of her best friend who was expecting her first baby.  The bold color palette of the nursery and two modern art pieces displayed in the nursery were the inspiration for the shower…. a black and white drawing of a Boston Terrier and a cute abstract of little purses.  Put all of that together and what you get is not your typical baby shower.  Let’s take a look at this modern black, white and yellow affair.

“I took a lot of inspiration from one of my favorite designers, Gloria Wong’s French Whimsey themed wedding. I absolutely loved what she did, so I sort of did a mini version similar to it.  I found various different cups, vases and candle holders to paint white and use to hold flowers. We rented the chairs, table cloths, plates and glasses from Stuart Rental. My mom and I mixed her silverware and my silverware (which came from my grandmother) to give the tables a little more of an eclectic look. My mom and I designed, printed and stamped the labels ourselves.  My good friend Karen of Fresh Bloom provided the flowers….Karen made these totally cute arrangements with white branches and yellow blooms. I have a bunch of crystals on hand from my own wedding and marketing supplies, so we used them to hang crystals from the branches…. My new studio manager, Mel helped me bake the cookies. They match the shape of her dog and purse pictures. To cut the cookies, I printed out a large version of her artwork and traced the lines with folded up foil and wire. I was able to cut out the perfect shapes! My mom helped me frost them. We used them as our favors!”


From the purse shaped flower arrangements to the black and white dog cookies, I just adore this shower.  It is not your typical baby shower – it’s so much better!  A special thanks to Jennifer for sharing her images with us.  You can see more of Jennifer’s stunning work on her website and blog.

Coming up later this week, yet another modern baby shower you’ll love… only this one is yellow and grey!  And, be sure to enter our Cupcake Note Card Giveaway if you haven’t already.  We announce a winner on Friday!

Today’s post is the first in a new series featuring real parties. You don’t have to be an event planner to throw a memorable event. It is really just about attention to detail… doing those extra little things that stand out. So let’s take a look at this ‘Behold the Turtle’ baby shower!

• Finger sandwiches filled with either Sundried Tomato Goat Cheese or Cucumber Chive Spread were cut into the shape of a turtle using a copper cookie cutter. Be sure to select a goat cheese that is made with pasteurized milk so the mom-to-be can enjoy without worry!
• Chocolate turtle candies were a sweet treat that fit right into the theme.
• The cake is one that I made, using the napkins as inspiration for the stripes. The turtle on top is hand sculpted out of fondant.
• A baby clothes line was hung on the mantle above the present area. It featured monogram items created by one of the hostesses, along with baby booties, a turtle onesie and pacifiers.
• I designed these turtle cookies to match the color scheme… bagged and tied with a blue ribbon. What a perfect little favor.
• The adorable turtle invitation is from Inviting Smiles.
• Game cards were made from coordinating scrapbook paper. Striped pencils were topped with polka dot turtles made of felt and pop sickle sticks. Could they be any cuter?
• Iced cucumber water was a refreshing spa-like treat while lime sherbet punch added to the sugar rush!

I hope this provides some great inspiration for you next baby shower. Questions on how to replicate any aspect of this shower… just leave a comment!

That’s right, I’m spicing things up a little with a new feature called ‘Real Parties’. This covers everything from birthday parties to baby showers, bridals showers, baptisms, anniversaries, holidays, and of course weddings! The type of events that will be showcased are those with that extra little something… the ones where your guests are swooning over how clever you are – Miss Hostess! The event where you’ve either found the perfect item or better yet, made the perfect item that is truly a show stopper. This is not about your party budget… I’d love to feature both small and intimate gatherings as well as large, over the top bashes. More importantly, I’m looking for creative and clever… chic and modern.

If this sounds like your party, please submit your photos to me for consideration. Tell me about everything… the invitations, the decorations, food, favors and cake. Your party just may be featured on Half Baked!

**Please Note: Before submitting photos, please make sure you have the proper authority to do so! If the photos are the work of a professional, please contact the photographer for approval and then provide me their information so I can give credit where credit is due! For all photos that include your friends and family, please make sure they approve of having their image on the web. By submitting your photos, I assume you have done your due diligence!

I look forward to seeing and sharing your outstanding parties! You can forward your photos and party details to carrie@thecakeblog.com