Ashley Brooke Designs: A Shower In A Box!!

This is why I love my clients!!

The lovely Penny contacted me a few weeks back needing something extra special for her daughter and son-in-law who are expecting their first child! Penny desperately wanted to throw them a shower but wasn't able to since they live in Colorado! So she came to me with the "Shower in a box" idea, which I think is SO brilliant! Penny is asking all of the "guests" to mail or bring gifts to her home for the parents-to-be and she is going to put all of the gifts in a box to ship to Colorado! How fun would it be to open up a huge box with tons of pink wrapped gifts over flowing out of it!

I hope you enjoy your shower in the box Luke and Destiny!!

xxoo- Ashley Brooke







Content and Illustrations ©2010 Ashley Brooke Designs. All Rights Reserved.

Ashley Brooke Designs: From "Mom To Be" to "Mom And Baby"

Let's face it, when you are getting ready to have a baby you are not only nesting and putting together the nursery and researching car seats, you are also writing a ZILLION thank you notes! Everyone loves a baby, and nothing beats buying itsy-bitsy shoes and sweet cuddly pajamas! Even your neighbor down the street will bring you something she "just couldn't pass up!" So the fact of the matter is, you will be writing A LOT of thank you notes and if this is in fact the case, you might as well write them in style!

I have been doing these "Pre & Post Baby" sets lately where I will draw the mom-to-be with the baby bump and without! I think this is such a great idea and helps your thank you notes transition as smoothly as you will into motherhood!




Content and Illustrations ©2010 Ashley Brooke Designs. All Rights Reserved.

Ashley Brooke Designs: A Bridal Shower + A Baby Shower (in the same weekend!)

This weekend was full of lovely ladies, great food, and TONS of cupcakes! That is right I hosted a Bridal shower at our house on Saturday and I co-hosted a Baby shower at my Parents house on Sunday with my sister and mom! There is nothing more fun than putting on a shower for your close friends to celebrate life's biggest moments!

I was thrilled to be apart of both showers and both Deanna (the bride) and Shavaun (the mom-to-be) were blushing with excitement!

Also, I was able to make both shower invites which is always so much fun! I kept both invites similar and changed out colors, pram, and wedding dress! I thought since they were in the same weekend it might be fun to do *almost* matching invites!


(Pink and yellow are Deanna's wedding colors so the shower kept that theme! Deanna is one of my dearest friends and I was honored to do something so special for her!)
-My sister made the delicious cupcakes and I prepared the rest!
- The gift was, a grocery list note pad with her new name, personalized recipe cards, and coordinating thank you cards!
** Oh and don't mind the photo where I am totally looking at the WRONG camera! Oops!

I love you Dee!! I Can't wait to stand by your side on your BIG day!
xoxo



(Sweet baby Anna is due in just TWO weeks and I know that I speak for the entire family when I say, we couldn't be more excited!!)
Shavaun is my cousin's wife but friend first! Shavuan is like a sister to me so throwing this shower for her was EXTRA special! We all know that Shavun will make a fantastic mother!


- Once again my sister made the delicious cupcakes! And my fabulous mother prepared all of the goodies!
-The gift was THE cutest tutu bathing suit, a mommy-to-be notepad that 10 sheets in turns into a mommy-to-do list, and of course matching thank you cards.


I love you Shavaun and I can't WAIT to meet sweet little Anna!! 
xoxo

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Content and Illustrations ©2010 Ashley Brooke Designs. All Rights Reserved.

Ashley Brooke Designs: Inspiration Fabric = Pretty Paper!

How sweet is this little design? The mom-to-be contacted me in dire need of some custom thank you notes. She wanted them to match her baby's bedding that she and her husband had just picked out! I was thrilled to be asked to create something so special!

Baby Shower Invitations

I am super pleased with this baby shower suite. I think it has a unique high-end look. I'm sure all of the guests will be excited for this shower!

Shower Do's and Dont's

Do:
-Serve delicious food that is easy to eat
-Have a close friend or family member record the gifts to create a handy reference tool when its time to write Thank Yous
-Select gifts on the registry. People register for things they want and like--use this tool to your advantage
-Send out invitations 3-4 weeks in advance to give guests ample time to respond

Don't:
-Leave anything open to interpretation. Specify start and end times, and any other boundaries like "adults only"
-Come empty handed. If you are a guest, bringing a gift is cutomary. If you are the guest honor, bring at minimum a hand written note to your hostess thanking them for having your shower. You can also bring a small gift like a flower arrangement or something sweet for their home.
-Ever coerce someone into hosting a shower for you. If you are getting married, a member of the bridal party or close family friend should host a shower. If you are having a baby a close friend or relative should host the shower.

It's All About Timing!

Ideally baby and bridal showers are held 1-2 months before the big event, be it a birth or a wedding. However, do take into count other events that may be going on at the same time and choose a date that works best for the guest of honor and the majority of her invitees.

The duration of a shower should be about 2-3 hours. Feel free to include a start and end time on the invitations to communicate this to your guests. As a hostess though, be prepared for the shower to last a little longer than your anticipated end time, as people chat and slowly make their exit.

The timing of a shower can make or break the experience. Although 2-3 hours may be customary, take into account your guest list and planned activities. Showers shouldn't be a rushed affair but you don't want your guests to feel like captives either :)

Topic of the Week: Bridal and Baby Showers!

This coming Sunday is my very first bridal shower and I could not be more excited! The shower is being thrown by a dear family friend and I am super excited to get together and celebrate with everyone. Because this is what's going on with me and based on an email from a reader, this week's topic will be bridal and baby showers! The do's and don'ts and the ins and outs. So without further ado...

Rachel writes:

I've noticed a number of women and couples my age bringing babies and young children to gatherings like weddings, showers, etc, which I think is completely inappropriate! Perhaps you can write about the etiquette of bringing children to typically "adult" events. And/or how to tactfully request that guests leave the little ones at home when you are the hostess.


I think the best way to handle this is to be as clear as possible on the invitation. It's perfectly acceptable to include a note at the bottom of the invitation indicating "women only" or "adults only." Understand that this may lead some guests to decline your invitation, because they are unwilling or cannot find child care. If its the bride or mom to be's wishes you may even provide some sort of child care in another room or a nearby home. Ultimately it is the responsibility of the hostess to communicate the wishes of the person being honored at the shower. Hopefully your guests will respect those wishes and abide by whatever boundaries are set on the invitations.

Aw, Thanks

I came into the studio today and was overwhelmed with blog love!

The fabulous Miss Monogram posted about her adorable personalized birthday gift. I am SO glad you like it Miss M. You and Stella look perfectly preppy!!

The lovely Annabel Manners did a fantastic post today on a Sip and See and used my newest baby invitation as an example of a great invite for such an occasion! Thank you Annabel, I am thrilled to be included!

Sip and See Invitations for twins!!!

Aren't these "Sip and See" invitations just adorable! I love the way they turned out.