baby blue.

Courtney is having her first baby boy. She has a cute, little girl named Sally, who is the same age as Eliza. My friend, Sara, and I threw a baby shower/sprinkle in honor of the little one. Seeing as it was her second child, we decided that this party should definitely benefit mama. So we opted for a "girls' night in," complete with mocktails, food, and manicures.

Sara and I had this conversation about how we were going to keep it simple and didn't need decorations or anything. But, my creative bug got the best of me and I found myself with a bottle of RIT royal blue fabric dye in my hand. I started pulling together this board, and I kind of ran with it. I have always wanted to experiment with dip-dye and watercolor techniques, so it was really fun for me. And, considering we are hoarders of paper and fabric, I only had to spend $3.99 on the bottle of dye- and don't forget the Joann's coupon!

I ripped up an old cotton curtain to create the runners, wall hanging, and tassels. Dying fabric is truly an adventure, and I made a few extra pieces that I wasn't happy with. But, in the end, I had my technique down. I also had such a good time creating the postcard packs that we gave us favors, with several shades of blue watercolor. We had the postcard stamp made for our wedding "Thank You" cards back in the day, and I don't know why I have never made more! I am really interested in playing around more with watercolor, it's so therapeutic. I also created the drink menu and manicure list the same way.

Many of Courtney's friends volunteered to bring food for the shower. And, in Berkeley, you can always count on it being amazing. And, Sara came up with some delicious drinks to serve, including piña coladas, a ginger lime, and shirley temples.

For the manicures, I laid out as many shades of blue and gold polish that I could find in my cabinets. I was worried people might not be into it, but it actually ended up being a great way for everyone to gather around and chat, while painting their nails. We had some good laughs, too!

Congrats, Courtney! We are so happy for you and your little family. That boy is going to be the cutest little surfer stud. We are going to miss you guys in Berkeley, but we better see you often!