chanel baby {shower}

Thanks to my three fabulous aunts and grandma, I had the most beautiful baby shower before my son was born. We didn’t know the gender during my pregnancy {best surprise ever in life!}, so my aunts had the challenge of pulling off a gender neutral shower – but {with everything in my life} I didn’t want the cliche “gender neutral” thing of yellows and greens and “baby-looking” stuff. Similarly, I am not one for cliche shower games – I just like to socialize, eat and drink :). Is that so wrong?!?

I believe that a baby shower is a shower for the mama-to-be. Of course the gifts received are preparing for the baby, but the shower is one last gathering for the woman before the baby comes – much in the same way that a bachelorette party or wedding shower is one last fling for the bride before the big day. So, that being said I chose a Coco Chanel baby shower. I went for black, white, grey and pink – girlie, chic and stylish. We posted the invitations and inspiration board before in this post. And yours truly, me at Fleur de Lis, got to design the invitations. It was a wonderful day full of love, style and pampering. I cannot thank my family enough!

During my pregnancy, I ate yogurt with fruit and granola every morning for breakfast – so we had cute little yogurt parfaits at every place setting. I also love wine {very much missed during my pregnancy!}, so my aunts made little wine glass charms for everyone’s mimosa glasses – each with an italian baby name ideas, boy and girl. We ate wonderful brunch foods, and chocolate covered strawberries. Everyone at the shower got to write a message to us parents-to-be and our baby on newborn diapers. Fun!

{images via Tutto Bella and Fleur de Lis}

push gifts

I never heard of a ‘push gift’ until I had my first child. Now, I am fully aware, and a fan of the idea. Of course, a healthy baby is the ULTIMATE AND BEST gift, and second to that is help, love and emotional support from a partner…but if anyone deserves a little pampering, it’s a new mom who just survived labor!

For those of you who do not know what a “push gift” is, let me educate you…it’s a present your hubby or partner gets you for carrying and generally pushing the baby out (C-section moms definitely deserve one too).

I jokingly asked my hubby before the birth of our son, “What’s my push gift going to be?” At the time, he was building our first home, so he simply and confidently replied, “A house.”

Okay, so that was more than enough and I LOVE our home. It’s beautiful.

Well, now I’m a candidate for a “push gift” again as I just had our 3rd child. So, I’m on the look-out for that sweet, fabulous and WELL-DESERVED “push gift.”

Here’s what I came up with…

{I’d love to hear if you’ve received any great “push gifts” and what they were…please share!}

Diamond Stackable Band
If you have the budget for it, I love the idea of adding a diamond band above or below your wedding ring for every child, or designing a “mom ring” with all the children’s birthstones in one unique design.

Calendar Bracelet, Dalla Nonna Jewelry, $125
{necklaces available too}

Numeric Stackable Ring, Gorjana-Griffin {$30}
{buy the number of kids you have…or will have post birth} 

Birth Photographer or Newborn Photography Session
{if she is open to people being in the delivery room, having a professional photographer capture all the unforgettable moments during labor and the first moments you meet your new baby is priceless}

If she is not open to having her birth documented, a newborn photography session is a wonderful gift idea and a nice way to capture a newborn sweet face, cuddle poses and the moments of sweet new life…which moms know doesn’t last long!

Art Date Print, The Memory Gallery via Etsy

Cartier Love Bracelet, $5,575
{a girl can dream, right?}

Designer Diaper Bag, Kate Spade, $348
{help the new mom feel fashionably fabulous with a designer diaper bag}

{images via Harry Winston via Pinterest, Meredith Moran PhotographyDalla Nonna JewelryThe Memory Gallery, Cartier, Gorjana-Griffin, Kate Spade}.

mad hatter tea party

We’re MAD about these photos from this Mad Hatter’s tea party
…and we know you will be, too!

Two hundred guests donned their best hat and garden party attire on Sunday June 10th for Lund’s 3rd Annual Mad Hatter’s Tea & Bubbly in South Burlington, Vermont, where everyone got to be a kid for a few hours and help support Lund’s work. 

It was an afternoon of mayhem and merriment filled with scones, fresh berries, tea sandwiches, pastries, tea from around the world, champagne and more.
Festivities included a treasure hunt, musical toad stools, face painting, hat making and croquet. The most original hats won prizes.

The event helped raise more than $23,000 to support Lund’s programs that strengthen children and families across Vermont. With more than 122 years of experience, Lund annually serves more than 5,000 children and family members.
Lund’s work focuses on three goals: strengthening families, reducing child abuse and neglect, and helping to create new families through adoption. Its mission is to help children thrive by serving families with children, pregnant or parenting teens and young adults, and adoptive families.

VENDOR LOVE

Photographer:  Cat Cutillo Photography, catc@lundvt.org 
Event Designer:  Liquid Studio
Bakery:  Birchgrove Baking

{images via Cat Cutillo Photography}

jill + luke

I grew up with this darling couple in Wheat Ridge, Colorado – so, working with them on such a special occasion was a dream come true! I had the honor of working with Jill (and her wonderful family!) on the paperware for the couple’s wedding day. Both Jill and Luke are two of the most down-to-earth, sweet, humble, genuine, and beautiful (inside and out) people I have had the pleasure of knowing. Their sweet story reminds me that fate does indeed exist 🙂 and I cannot wait to show you these  gorgeous photos from their perfect wedding day on Coronodo Island, San Diego.

The colors were navy and white, and the bride looked stunning in her Alice Padrul wedding dress and Jimmy Choo shoes. The design on the bottom of the custom dress was our inspiration for the wedding invitations – a chic rose design. Love love love everything about this San Diego wedding!

In the bride’s words:
Luke and I became friends in 8th grade when he was my student assistant in Spanish class. He would tutor me on my flashcards and most times give me a few more points than I probably should have earned ;). Our friendship grew more over freshman year but was interrupted when I moved away for 2 years in high school to Washington state. When I returned to the same high school my senior year, not only did we pick up where we left off, but we became even closer. As our friendship and interest in one another continued to grow the timing never seemed to be right. We parted ways and went to separate colleges, him to Kansas and me to Indiana. Throughout our frequent visits home and to visit each others schools, we never skipped a beat. It wasn’t until I visited Lawrence, KS for his graduation that we finally decided to give it a shot. I was moving to Chicago and Luke was also interested in moving to Chicago instead of back home to Denver. By the end of summer we were both living in Chicago and what started as a friendship moved quickly into a strong foundation for where we are today. We have both lived in Chicago less than a mile away from each other for the last 4 years before we got married in April. We currently live in the Lakeview neighborhood just a few miles from downtown, where we both work. We both love to travel, as seen by our careers. I work for United Airlines and Luke for Hyatt. We spent Thanksgiving last year in Beijing and hope to travel a lot this year, and for years to come.

… and they lived happily ever after …

Church: Graham Memorial Presbyterian Church
Reception: Grand Ballroom at the Hotel del Coronado
Wedding Coordinator: Victoria Schroeder at Coronado Weddings
Photographer: Jennifer Dery
Band: Wayne Foster Band
Cake: CAKE
Dress: Alice Padrul
Bridesmaid Dresses: Jenny Yoo
Shoes: Kate Spade and Jimmy Choo
Paperware: Jenna McKinlay, owner of Fleur de Lis

iphone ilove

Okay so let’s take a poll: who is obsessed with their iPhone?!? Another question: who wants their own custom iPhone case with their name, monogram, or even a photo?!?

Well we now offer great quality, fun and customizable iPhone cases at our Fleur de Lis online store! Choose from colorful options with your name, or cases with your own photo. iLove our new custom iPhone cases 🙂 And only $44.95! For iPhone 4 and 4S.

{images via Printswell Fleur de Lis shop}