Doing multiple things at once (like vacationing and thinking) rarely works out well for me, but between Michigan's bountiful fruit and veggie supply, and my Mom and Sister assisting from the beach (yes, I put the guest of honor to work on her vacation), things couldn't have gone more smoothly.
But as always, there are a few things I would have done differently, and a few that went better once I bucked the plan. I'll have a full post later in the week, but here are a few things I learned from yesterday's event.
Wear gym shoes when working with veggies. I'm a huge believer in doing as much as you can the night before so that you might be able to throw on some eyeliner before your guests arrive the next day. This works especially well in the winter, when many of your foods can be marinaded or assembled the night before.
Not so much with a fresh menu. Chopped fruits and vegetables, whether on pastries, in salsas or served by themselves, don't do well in the fridge overnight, even if you throw some lemon juice on them. If you're going for the farm-to-table experience (and you should - it's delicious and healthy), be prepared to stand for a long, long period of time the day of your event.
Expect the unexpected. Since we had a more intimate group, my often unused shared back yard seemed like the perfect venue. It's shady so that the preggos wouldn't overheat, spacious enough for the guests to seat, and has cute furniture for al fresco-ing.
But in a rare act of my anxiety dreams actually coming true, we walked downstairs to find that the cushions for all the couches were being laundered that day.
Yes, a simple email to my landlord could have totally solved the problem, but when the cushions have been there every other day of my residence, I didn't think it would be a problem. But you betcha I'll be letting everyone in a three block radius know next time I'm having a party.
Find the right balance of sound. Showers are always tricky, in that they are awkward in nature. Watching someone open gifts that they picked out is awkward for both the guest of honor and those surrounding them.
Though everyone did the appropriate ooh-ing and ahh-ing over the adorable baby gifts, a little music could have gone a long way (and for the record, a last minute Colbie Callait pandora did NOT solve the problem. Yikes.).
Be flexible on favors. Up until two days before the shower, I totally thought I was giving the guests peaches. What's more perfect than a peach to say, "You're so sweet for coming."
But then, across from the farmer's market, I happened upon the Yankee Candle Outlet. I'd love to take full credit, but it was Mom who pulled these sand dollar votives off the sale rack. From there, it was easy to add "baby powder" and "soft blanket" themed candles to the mix.
By adding a little beach grass and sand, I called these favors a Summer success and (earmuffs, party guests) did it for less than three dollars a piece.
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