​In honor of kicking Indiana polo season off, I'm bringing back the baby shower series to highlight two fantastic polo-themed showers thrown for me a little over a year ago to celebrate Baby O&O. Because of Mr. O&O’s and my combined love for all things southern and preppy, we decided on a polo theme for Baby O&O’s nursery, which inspired the two hat-wearing showers that came to be. The room has served its purpose well into toddlerhood as Baby O&O now loves pointing out all his "neigh-neighs" before bed. 

The first was a small, family shower that started with the most perfect blue and white polo onesie invitations and ended with a matching cake. Everyone got in the spirt and came wearing a hat and dress, with many sets of pearls to boot. The most special part was the old family cradle used to display a gorgeous array of goodies for my little man. 

​A few months later, a family friend on Mr. O&O’s side also caught wind of the polo nursery theme and put a Ralph Lauren polo spin on her celebration. After discovering an old RL teddy bear fabric, she incorporated this print into everything from the boots and rocking horse welcoming guests to the spiced nuts adorned with horse charms sent home as favors. While the details were jaw dropping, my favorite part of this shower was the game she played during presents: each guest had a mad-lib style questionnaire that they filled out and read part of before their gift was opened. The hostess wrote the personalized story, incorporating many sweet things such as Baby O&O's anticipated career and advice for him as he grows. As the guests read their stories, the hostess collected them and placed them in an album for me to keep. It is so heartwarming to go back and read the stories and see how the imagined Baby O&O holds up against the real deal.

​Upholding the legacy set by this painstakingly decorated nursery and fantastic showers, we took Baby O&O to his first match last summer and are gearing up to head out again this year! I hope you’ll join us at Hickory Hall Polo Club this summer.

Just after completing a 30-day self-love journey where I made a deliberate effort to love and prioritize myself a bit each day, I received the most perfectly timed invitation to attend a “Love Yourself Portrait and Beauty Celebration” from photographer, artist, and owner of Lusicovi Creative, Elise Rorick. Mr. O&O and I have a stunning collage in our dining room from a Charles Dickens themed Christmas photo shoot she did for us a few years ago, so already knowing how talented she is, I was thrilled to have the chance to pose for this #loveyourself themed shoot. 

The event included several local vendors offering a variety of self-care themed items, my favorites being the complimentary hand massages from Hillside Avenue Spa & Salon, a fun just-because flower arrangement I took home from Southern Sky Design, and some heavenly-smelling tea I picked up for a friend from Lesley Saligone Wellness.

​But the highlight of the day was a festive photo booth where you could color a heart and write one thing you love about yourself to hold in your photos in exchange for amazing, complimentary, edited pictures from the lovely Lusicovi Creative. What a perfect way to show yourself some love! I even got to fulfill a secret goal of mine to wear a flower crown. Elise was tons of fun to work with and she is incredibly talented. If you are looking for a photographer, give Elise a call and mention this post for 15% off your booking fee.

This event was such a blessing! I loved spending an hour just enjoying some me-time surrounded by gorgeous flowers while quietly coloring. As an extrovert, I of course also enjoyed chatting with the local small businesses about their passions and mission to promote self-care, but it was a great reminder to take time for myself. Even Jesus withdrew from the crowded world to pray and recharge in solitude, so I’m thinking that this self-care stuff is totally legit! Thanks Elise for putting on this awesome event at the most perfect time. Can’t wait for next year!   

​I don’t know if it is my age or something in the water, but I think I’ve attended at least one baby shower a month since September, which provides the perfect excuse to start a baby shower post series! The first in this fun saga of celebrations is a rustic take on an early-fall shower for my dear friend Laura that two friends and I teamed up to throw to celebrate her upcoming baby boy. 

The most important decision in this endeavor was choosing a venue. While I always love hosting in my home, this particular foursome had decided a while back that once we all started having babies, we were going to host each other’s showers on location somewhere to both add an extra element to the party but also to cut down on the work for the hostesses! True to our word, we went with a locally owned Arcadian café in Westfield, Indiana called Rail Epicurean Market for this first one and we were not disappointed!

​Once we chose this charming eatery, everything else quickly fell into place. I ordered some simple yet playful invitations from Paperlesspost.com that pulled in a part of the baby's nursery theme and picked up some matching paper from one of my favorite places, Paper Source, to make envelope liners and a banner. IMHO, envelope liners step it up a notch on class but also on cost, so I invested in a DIY liner kit a while ago so I can stay classy without breaking the bank by making them myself. 

​When the big day arrived, the accommodating staff created a personalized menu from which each guest ordered a specialty hot beverage. One of the 3 hostesses created heavenly smelling lavender body scrubs for favors, and the remaining hostess and I threw together the table décor on a whim and a prayer! We still aren’t quite sure how it happened, but somehow it all came together in the 15 minutes before guests started arriving with the finishing touch of a blue pashmina I grabbed from my closet as I was running out the door.

The guest count was about 15 and we all gathered around a large wooden table, passed around charcuterie boards and pumpkin bars, and showered this special mama with love, gifts, and advice. I can’t praise the staff and venue enough: the food was delicious, the service timely, and the atmosphere warm and picturesque.

​Invitations are one of my favorite parts of planning an event. As Oscar Wilde put it, “You never have a second chance to make a first impression.” The invitation is the first contact you make with your guests before a party, and it sets the tone for the whole occasion. Invitations also provide all kinds of important information for attendees. In addition to the essentials, guests may look to the invitation for attire hints, such as formality and color schemes for weddings, or gift ideas for showers, and may even partially base their attendance decision on how appealing they find the invite. That is a lot of pressure for one piece of paper! Here are 2 examples of Pinterest-worthy invites that no one would dream of turning down!

​Will you be my bridesmaid?
Did I say one piece of paper? Scratch that, because this bride said, “I’ll take your paper invitations and raise you a bottle of champagne!” One of my dearest friends just chose Trump winery in Charlottesville, Virginia, as her wedding venue and presented me with a truly jaw-dropping invitation to join her bridal party. Her fiancé is a whiz with design and printing, and he put those skills to work in a big way. He created personalized champagne bottle labels for each bridesmaid, wrapped them around a bottle of champagne from Trump Winery, and his wife-to-be presented me with this fabulous invitation. The front looks like a normal bottle of champagne, but the back includes not only my name, but also a short poem ending with a very special question. Not only was this classy and creative, it cleverly played on the theme of the venue and gave a personal salute to her favorite adult beverage, champagne. Needless to say, I accepted with pleasure and I can’t wait until next year when I can drink this fabulous invite! 

​Do I get a plus one?
One major problem a bride can run into is adequately communicating whether or not guests can bring a date or children. When a date or kids are invited, this can sometimes be indicated by including “and guest” or “and family” on the front of the interior envelope. However, this can get tricky because an invitation may not have an interior envelope, or some may feel it is rude to not know the name of everyone in the party. Furthermore, when a bride doesn’t want her guest to bring a date or children, it is even harder to communicate. Most of the time, there is simply a lack of indication that anyone but you is invited, which can often cause confusion. I recently received an invitation from my cousin with a brilliant solution to this conundrum. His wife included a line on the RSVP card for us to fill in stating that ___ of 2 will be attending. In my opinion, this was a perfectly classy yet completely clear way to communicate the number of guests invited. Granted, I ended up bringing 2.5, but I believe they forgave me on account of Baby O&O still being in the womb! However, if Baby O&O were already born, I would have known from the filled-in 2 that we would have needed to get a sitter. Way to go, Amy!

October 13th is International Plain Language Day and to celebrate, the editors at my work threw a plain language party! 

Using plain language in your writing helps explain complex information in a simple, easy-to-understand way. Plain language is especially applicable to anyone working with federal agencies. In 2010, President Obama signed the Plain Writing Act, which says that federal agencies should promote “clear Government communication that the public can understand and use.” The act goes on to define “plain writing” as “clear, concise, well-organized, and follows other best practices appropriate to the subject.”

In true overdressed editor fashion, we themed this open-house plain throughout from the outfits to the snacks. Dressed in plain white tees (or blouses) and black pants, the editors supplied plain snacks, including plain M&Ms, saltines, and Nilla wafers, to name a few. Attendees received a passport to plain language upon arrival and traveled around the room to 5 different stations dealing with various areas of plain language: jargon, active voice, tone, word choice, and simplicity. After completing each station, travelers received a stamped letter on their passport to eventually spell out PLAIN. Once they had all 5 letters, they enjoyed a thick slice of “Plain Cake” while listening to the Plain White T’s and Weird Al’s “Word Crimes.”

​Busy busy busy! This has been the tune I’ve been singing lately, due largely in part to a new member of the family that is happily growing his way into Mr. O&O’s and my hearts (as well as my belly)! We are expecting our first little one, whom we have recently learned is a sweet baby boy! We are over the moon about our son, and I have been savoring all the exciting celebrations that come with a new baby. One of these jubilant occasions was learning the gender of this little guy! Mr. O&O and I had several decisions to make surrounding this one piece of information, though. Our first choice was whether we wanted to find out at all, which we easily agreed on a big YES! The next choice, however, was more complicated. How do we reveal to family and friends? Do we find out before and tell them ourselves, or keep it a secret and find out all together? And who to invite to this “gender reveal,” or should we have one at all? It turns out there are many opinions surrounding these gender-related decisions that boil down to two main sides: private and public.

​Keep it private.
Many people believe that finding out the gender of your baby is a private moment best spent as just a couple. Some think that creating a big occasion out of an often-emotional moment can belittle the specialness of it. Additionally, with all the showers, gifts, and attention that already surround a new baby, attending yet another party to reveal the gender may be seen as an imposition, especially because the denouement is only three words that could be communicated via phone, email, or social media. The etiquette of a gender reveal party is also typically unclear – do you bring a gift? (I say no, but I’ve seen it done.) And what if the parents didn’t get the gender they wanted? Their emotions are on display for everyone to see, and if disappointment is one of them, things could get awkward. 

​Any excuse for a party is a good one!
On the other hand, some families and friends are just as excited to learn the gender as the parents-to-be and desperately want to be included in any and all celebrations for the new little one. A party also gives the parents a chance to get creative with their reveal and make some fabulous memories. Cakes, balloons, mustaches/lips, and even squirt guns are some amazing ideas I’ve seen executed to reveal a baby’s gender to anxious guests and parents. 

Compromise?
After weighing our options, Mr. O&O and I aimed for a compromise. We went out to Virginia for a shower thrown by Mama O&O (post to come!), and the timing worked out that our 20-week ultrasound was a few days before we left, so we decided to do it that weekend. We considered revealing to all of the guests at the end of the shower, which we thought wouldn’t be an imposition because they would already be there, but then realized that a few key people wouldn’t be there (Papa O&O, for one) and also that it may be a little overwhelming with so many people watching. In retrospect, I’m glad we didn’t because I was so nervous I couldn’t stand it, and I wouldn’t have wanted to feel that way during my whole shower! Instead, we waited until Papa O&O got home later that night. We opted for a Russian roulette-style cupcake reveal (courtesy of Richmond, VA's Shortcake Bake Shoppe) with just my immediate family and Mr. O&O’s immediate family (FaceTime), plus Bestie O&O as the photographer. We did wait ourselves and find out at the same time as the families. In my opinion, that is the only way to do it party-style because it makes all the lead-up worth it. If we had found out beforehand privately, I would just do a cute announcement on social media. I would feel bad already knowing and putting my family through an entire waiting-game party just for show. This way, the moment was still incredibly special and intimate, but also fun, celebratory, and inclusive. We then put a blue balloon on the mailbox for inquiring neighbors and posted a fun shot to social media to let everyone else know.

​And now it’s on to suspenders and bow ties for this growing family! Note: All photos except the squirt gun reveal are courtesy of Destin, FL photographer Kelsey Dodson Photography. 

Quick, complication-free deliveries seem to be a rarity these days (UPS and FedEx excepted), yet what a blessing when they do occur. My sweet friend just delivered a healthy baby girl as seamlessly as they come. Practically racing out of the womb, baby Josie took only a dozen or so minutes of hard labor to enter her expectant parents’ arms, already taking after her marathon-running mom. And marathoner she is. Lisa, Josie’s mom, lives and breathes running, using it not only as a means of physical fitness, but also as a spiritual outlet for prayer and mental clarity.

A few months ago, I had the honor of throwing a baby shower for this fit momma-to-be, and it was clear that I needed to incorporate this huge part of her life into the celebration of her first child. After a lot of brainstorming and many failed attempts at locating baby-running-shoe décor, I decided upon a “Bibs and Bows” theme, playing on the racing-bib/baby-bib homonym with a bit of little girl flair.

My first task was choosing invitations, which were extremely difficult to find but proved to be the key in creating the rest of the décor. After numerous failed search terms (surprisingly, “baby shower running bib bow invitations” doesn't pull up many results), I finally discovered a great starting point: running bib birthday invites. Thankfully, the Etsy shop owner was willing to customize, so we tweaked a few words, reworked the bottom motif, and added some color (I went with coral and gray to incorporate Josie’s nursery colors).    

I printed these on 5 x 7 card stock from Kinko’s for a reasonable price, borrowed a friend’s paper cutter to professionally trim them, and then splurged on matching envelopes and gray and white chevron envelope liners at Paper Source. Invitations really set the tone for an event, and I wanted to ensure that despite the running bib, these sent the message, “No workout clothes; this is still a classy event!“ I, of course, wore a bib-collar dress (bib and tucker, as it were) with little bow motifs all over it.    

From the invite template I was able to create almost all of the other décor with little additional effort. I adorned my front mantel with a banner of these bibs sporting the headline, “Lisa’s Bibs and Bows Shower” and used smaller versions for signage, menus, and name tags. On the rear mantel, I used coral and gray paint to repurpose a generic baby shower banner.

For outside, instead of your typical balloon on the mailbox, I hung a “Bibs and Bows” wreath I fashioned using dozens of coral, white, and gray ribbons to greet guests upon arrival. After entering, guests encountered a welcome station at which they could fill out their own running bib name tag, attach it to their clothing with safety pins, and sign a children’s book I found called Pellie Runs a Marathon, to write wise words and well-wishes to mother and baby. 

Next came the “Hydration Station” where guests could quench their thirst with gold-medal-adorned Gatorade bottles* and enjoy a chocolate milk recovery drink, the one thing Mom-to-be consistently craved during her pregnancy. The food menu included a “Carb Station” of croissant sandwiches and bow-tie pasta salad*; “Runner’s Goo” Jell-O salad; and watermelon and pineapple cut into bow-shapes* (*special thanks to several friends for pitching in these items). I cinched gray napkins with coral ribbon to resemble bows for a finishing touch on the food table.

After appetites were satiated, we began the “racing events.” I really wanted to carry the theme over into the games, and I love the idea of crafting things that Lisa could take home later, so these were the true “bibs” and “bows” of the party. In the dining room, guests could decorate “race bibs” for baby Josie, and later, Mom picked her favorite and the artist won a prize. Similarly, in the sunroom, guests had the opportunity to make bows for baby girl, also as a friendly competition, and the designer of Mom’s favorite also won a gift.

I still wanted to have one true organized game, but I definitely didn't want to do any of the clichéd clothespin/baby food guessing games. I eventually came up with an idea that stemmed, once again, from the invitations. When I was editing the invite template, I debated over which number to put as the main race bib number: the date of the party, the baby’s due date, a different number on each one, or something else completely. I ultimately decided on the date of the party, but in the process, I created my final game. When I designed the name tags that guests pinned on at the beginning of the party, I used a different number for each bib, and each number represented an important date leading up to the birth of Baby Josie. Examples included her due date; Mom and Dad’s birthdays, first kiss, and anniversary; gender-reveal date; conception; and many more. After crafts, we all congregated in the family room and I read off the various milestones represented. Then, using the bib numbers people were wearing as an answer bank, each person guessed which number matched which milestone, and the person with the most correct answers received the prize. Staying true to the theme, craft and game prizes consisted of a combination of water bottles, chamois towels, running socks, and hairbands.

To finish off with a sweet treat, I snuck off during presents and served up a “Post-Workout Reward” of Mom’s favorite chocolate cake with vanilla buttercream-frosted sides and powdered-sugar-stenciled bows on top. When the afternoon ended, guests each left with a coral, gray, or white sweatband, in hopes to inspire the runner in all of us.    

With couch-to-5K programs taking off and running culture gaining popularity, hopefully you, too, can use some of these ideas to honor a race-loving mom-to-be of your own. 

This weekend, I attended my third nautical-themed baby party in the past 4 months, and yesterday, I received an invitation to a fourth in September. My colleague is also starting to plan her son’s Sharknado-themed second birthday party. Who knew the ocean was so popular?! But the great thing is, each party has surprised me with a new, creative way to make sea creatures out of food. 

Let’s begin with party #1. This was a first birthday party for a friend’s daughter, which I actually thought was really unique, considering that the other three sailing guests of honor were boys. Plus, navy and pink go wonderfully together. The mom had been planning this event for about 6 months, so it was pretty amazing. My personal favorite detail was a display of single-serving blue Jello "fish bowls." She also provided water bottles labeled “Sea Water” and sent pretty adorable invitations. We left with gold fish favors and a smile.

Party #2 celebrated a friend’s son’s first birthday and equally blew me away. The mom wrapped silverware in napkins tied with Life Savers and string, and she made the cutest croissant tuna-salad sandwiches into crabs with toothpick googly eyes. She completed her display with a variety of homemade sea creature cookies and a glass jar full of gumball “sea pearls.” I actually didn't see any ocean repeats from party #1, which I appreciated – it’s always more fun to see new ideas! The one thing both birthday parties did have wasn't related to the theme, but it was one of the best ideas ever: a banner with one photo from each month of the baby’s life. As a guest, this was so much fun to admire and see how the baby grew and changed over one year. I recommend doing this at every first birthday party!

My mother-in-law hosted party #3, a baby shower for Mr. O&O’s sweet cousin, which meant I got to help! MIL O&O asked me to bring deviled eggs, and because I knew it was sailing themed, I took it upon myself to oceanize them by adding cheese sails to make “boats.” I was feeling pretty good about myself, until I got there and I saw that A. MIL O&O had already purchased paper sails for my boats (which looked a lot better than my cheese ones) and B. Mr. O&O’s other cousin (who happens to be a new mom) had carved an entire watermelon into the shape of a whale, filled it with fruit, and had also made sea creature lollipops out of chocolate. Deviled eggs boats didn't seem so crafty after all.

Now, if watermelon whales and chocolate sharks weren't enough, this same cousin also hit it out of the ball park with her present. One of the cute touches this shower invitation included was a request for guests to bring a “whale of a tale” so baby Bennett could arrive into the world with full bookshelves. My go-to baby shower present is always books, so this was easy for me. I love giving classic baby lit books, which are frequently on Groupon, and they usually go over well with the crowd. Well, Watermelon Whale cousin took this book request to a new level. Among other things, she presented the expecting mom with the three following books:

•  A custom book that incorporated personal details — such as the baby’s name, his aunts and uncles names, and his home town — into the story itself

• A memory book with places for Mom to jot down quick observations about baby each day for 5 years

• A homemade baby’s-first-year scrapbook with pages themed for each month already decorated and ready for Mom to insert pictures as she takes them
  

I have never seen a better baby shower present. I am definitely stealing this idea for the next shower I attend, nautical or not! But now that I have my present idea, what on earth am I going to wear to my next sailing shower? I am running out of ocean dresses!

Mr. O&O and I went to dinner at our friends' new house Wednesday night and we were totally blown away at how they've transformed it in a few short months. We had a blast chatting about all of their DIY projects, new neighbors, and furniture wish list. All of this house talk reminded me that moving is a huge deal! It is crazy expensive, requires a massive amount of time and effort, and is downright stressful. It is also a major life milestone, especially if it is a house. However, think about how we treat other life milestones: It is a given that expectant mothers celebrate with baby showers and blushing brides have bridal showers, but how many housewarming parties have you attended or purchased presents for, by comparison? New movers are just as excited, stressed, and in need of love and gifts as parents and newlyweds, and it’s time to take a stand!

First of all, to you movers out there, do yourself a favor and throw a housewarming party! People want to see your new digs, and it is a great way to announce your new address, get to know your neighbors, and give back to the people who likely helped you move. Understandably, after having just moved, throwing a party may not be the first thing on your list. I not-so-fondly recall the massive amounts of cleaning, unpacking, painting, DIYing, and furniture shopping I crammed into 2 months so I could have something to show at my own housewarming party, but A. I am a crazy person and B. It was SO worth it. I am a huge fan of working hard first so you can enjoy and relax after the fact. 

But crazy isn't for everyone, and people get that. Don’t feel obligated to obtain perfection before inviting everyone over – as long as your home is clean and presentable, there are places for people to sit, and you provide food and drinks, your friends and family will happily come celebrate. Also, here’s a tip for making it legit: Send invitations! Paperless Post has some darling ones, many of which are free. 

Now, for all the old friends or new neighbors of movers out there, give your new home-owning friends some love! If you've ever moved, you know how meaningful a small, special something can be when you are overwhelmed with empty rooms to furnish and boxes to unpack. Let me emphasize the word “small.” It is definitely not necessary or expected to go all out; a little will go a long way! One of my favorite housewarming presents was a personalized address stamp, which Paper Source happens to have on sale right now. Another classic gift is a set of luggage tags. Kate Spade has some darling ones you can write the new address on, or Shutterfly will personalize theirs for you. If you want something a little more personal, Etsy has some really unique ways to utilize a picture of a house. Mr. O&O and I just presented our friends with a custom sketch of their house. You can also get a hand-painted picture of the house on a Christmas ornament. On the flip side, if you are simply looking for something to take to a new neighbor’s house to welcome them to the neighborhood, try wrapping a bottle of wine in a new dish towel. 

Do you have any go-to housewarming presents you love to give or favorites you've received? Leave me a note with your ideas!