Rubber Ducky Baby Shower

This past weekend I helped host a couples baby shower for some close friends. If you haven't already guessed, they are expecting a baby BOY! I had so much fun decorating for this shower. As you can see, we choose a rubber ducky theme.

Simple cupcakes with simple rubber ducky toppers.

Rubber Ducky Punch: lemon-lime soda, white grape juice,
vanilla ice cream, and several drops of blue food coloring.

Top with cute clean rubber duckies.

Rubber Ducky Centerpiece: Baby bathtub, diapers, baby
wash, baby lotion, etc., and a rubber ducky topper!

The happy momma and baby to be.

Congratulations Brandi and Travis!
We are all so excited for you both!

Indian Theme Night

(These two pictures are from Goggle Images)

A few months ago, I posted about our monthly Girl's Night. This month we decided to have an Indian theme.

(This picture of Chicken Tikki Masala is from Goggle Images)

We made several authentic Indian dishes including: Appetizers: Spicy Stir-Fried Mushroom Bruschetta (Cooking Light) and Indian Samosas; Main Dishes: Chicken Tikki Masala, Indian Style-Chickpeas, Indian Style Basmati Rice, and Naan.

(My hand)

(My back, designed by the wonderfully talented, Kate)

After our wonderful dinner, we began our paintings. Well we didn't actually paint on traditional canvases. We used our own bodies as our canvases. Using Henna paint, we each took turns painting traditional and nontraditional Indian designs.

(The cover of my mom's own copy of Monsoon Wedding)

Finally, we watched a wonderful Indian movie. Monsoon Wedding is fun, colorful, and an experience not soon to be forgotten. As Peter Travers from Rolling Stone states, "Monsoon Wedding tackles the chaos that results when a large Indian family, whose members are scattered around the globe, assembles in contemporary New Delhi for an old-fashioned marriage ceremony. Director Mira Nair aims for pure joy and achieves it."

Let me know if any of you have every tried or are thinking of trying some of these wonderful Indian dishes, Henna paint, or the movie Monsoon Wedding.

(These two pictures are from Goggle Images)

Dinner Party for Eight

This past weekend, my husband and I hosted a dinner party for eight at our house.


Realizing that I did not have real plates to feed eight people, I purchased these fun white with black swirls, matching plates and napkins.


I made some simple appetizers including: baguette rounds with melted butter and parmesan cheese, toasted French bread with roasted garlic spread, and French bread with slices of roasted red bell peppers. For the main course, I made lasagna. The other dinner party guests brought a Caesar salad, dinner rolls, and a strawberry cake with a strawberry cream cheese icing and fresh strawberries.

The food was wonderful and the company was refreshing!