Inspiration Board: Summer Fruit Spectacular Baby Shower

Even for a Type-A like me, it's hard to think "event planning" when I'm busy debating whether to have a Heineken Light or Rolling Rock for my four o' clock beer. I mean, could you focus on a day like this?

So instead of fighting my Michigan mentality, I decided to give into it and go with a  Summer fruit spectacular theme for this Saturday's shower honoring my pre-natal niece or nephew.

Summer in Michigan is all about farm-fresh fruits. Blueberries, strawberries and perfect peaches are all in season. They require almost no recipe to enhance the natural goodness - baby, they were born that way.

Since the shower starts at 2, the main event will be more devoted to fun-sized foods with king-sized kicks, than a full meal. Though I'm still nailing down the final details, here are some items I'm eyeing.

Peaches add sweetness to any meal - or color scheme - but in a savory dish, they can be refreshing without being too sugary sweet. After reading Mary Schmich's column on a worthwhile Summer, the idea for a peach-basil caprese on pastry came to me in a dream (well, technically in a daydream in a cubicle).

I was into cucumbers way before vodka was, but I can totally see why this veggie is having the best Summer ever. It's refreshing, it's good for you and it's subtle enough to be non-offensive when mixed with other delicious fruits and veggies. I'll be making Beth's favorite preggo punch, pink lemonade punch infused with cucumber slides, as well as a chop salsa including avocados, jalopenos, onions and - you guessed it - a healthy dose of cucumbers.

Blueberries are nature's perfect power food. They're good for you, and so delicious you can pop them like potato chips. I like creativity as much as the next blogger, but when nature gets it right, they got it right. I'll have blueberries set out for the taking, naked as God intended.

Though more than one of my valued guests will be off the wagon while preparing for and recovering from the arrivals of little ones, the others can enjoy some of my favorite Michigan wines. This one, from St. Julian winery, is a light enough for Summer but bold enough to stand up to the most seasoned red wine drinkers.