A Lo and Behold Life

Thursday, June 19, 2014

Rustic Backyard BBQ Baby Shower

Nowadays baby showers aren't just for the ladies. Trade in the Baby Bingo games for a chic backyard BBQ shower that can be enjoyed by everyone! Come on in and take a gander at this baby bash I recently planned for a very fun & creative couple :)

Party Details

Mom & Dad To-Be envisioned a casual California vibe that felt more like a party than a traditional baby shower that all their family and friends could enjoy. We decided to go with a playful & rustic BBQ theme. My jumping off point for the decor was this cool blue herringbone fabric which was perfect since they are expecting a boy.

The playful herringbone pattern was incorporated throughout all of the party decorations. My girl Amber at Half Pint Prints helped design the shower invitation that was mailed to all the guests. Mixing different fonts really helps pull off that rustic casual look and feel.

This feature table was front and center for guests to see as they arrived.

A few very subtle baby shower details were worked into the decor like these adorable onesie kraft paper cutouts I used to create the cake bunting.

For the thank you favors I had custom mini BBQ sauce bottles made up and used the same onesie cutouts and twine for the Thank You message.

Guests were encouraged to write warm wishes and take an instant Polariod of themselves to create a memory album for the parent's to-be and baby.

These 36 inch balloons really add such a WOW factor. They work great for daytime parties to create visual height to a party space - they add the same affect as strings of lights for a night party.

The hostess and aunt to-be mixed up some of her specialty sangria. YUM! And how cute are these little tequila shooters?! That's my kind of baby shower!

What's a BBQ without some of LA's finest BBQ food?! Guests feasted on ribs & chicken, mac n cheese, cornbread and some of the greatest coleslaw around.

White cotton diaper cloths rolled with twine and stacked on display were used as napkins. The best part is that after a nice washing these can be used as burp cloths for the baby!

Per Dad to-be's request I created and set up a onesie decorating station. TIP: place a little paper bag inside each onesie to make it easier to decorate and hang when completed. Also the marker or paints won't seep through to the backside of the onesie. PS - how amazingly epic is this backyard view??

Grandma to-be picked up these vibrant sunflowers at Trader Joe's and these adorable little onesie charms from Michael's crafts store. They made for the perfectly charming and rustic centerpieces in mason jars tied with twine.

Vendor Credits

- Party Planning and decorations by Lo & Behold Events

- Cake by Danielle at Shelia Mae
- Onesie kraft paper cutouts by Sarah at ScrapStarz

- Invitations by Amber at Half Pint Prints
- BBQ Sauce party favors by In Nonna's Kitchen
- Barbecue Food by Baby Blues BBQ in Los Angeles

I'm sharing this post with these fun parties this week:
Hit Me With Your Best Shot at Just a Girl and Her Blog * Work It Wednesday at The Turquoise Home * Inspire Me Please at Liz Marie Blog * The Inspiration Gallery at Craftberry Bush * Weekend Bloggy Reading at Serenity Now * Frugal Friday at The Shabby Nest * Link Party Palooza at I Heart Naptime * Party In Your PJs at Simply Sweets by Honeybee * Show Stopper Saturday

Monday, June 9, 2014

Pottery Barn Inspired Hyannis Lanterns

You know what Graduation and Father's Day cards in Target means? Yup. Dust off the patio furniture & BBQ and get your citronella candles out cause it's officially Summertime! I'm dressing up our mosquito repelling candles with a super easy and cheap PB inspired lantern knockoff using materials from the hardware store!

My inspiration was the Hyannis Lantern at Pottery Barn which normally retails for up to $70 for the largest size.

Pottery Barn Hyannis Lantern

All the materials for my DIY lantern were purchased at the hardware store - one large and medium sized pickling jar, twine, rope, drawer knobs and clamps. All tallied I spent $16 for my large lantern and $14 for my medium sized lantern. BOOM! (microphone drop)

Here's how….

First, remove the hardware and lid from the jar
Place the clamp around the neck of the jar. Using a pen mark the clamp where the holes for the drawer knob and screw should be placed on each side of the clamp

Next place a board or piece of PVC pipe through the middle of the clamp to prevent it from bending and to provide a hard surface to drill into
Use a drill bit that is as wide as the screw for the drawer knob you choose. Drill through the marking you made on each side of the clamp
You may have to drive a nail through the drill hole to speed the process along and prevent the drill bit and clamp from getting too hot
Note: don't worry if the clamp bends a little when you're drilling the holes. It will retake it's shape once you secure it on to the jar

Mount the screws and drawer knobs onto the clamp
Place the clamp around the neck of the jar. Use a screw driver to secure the clamp tightly to the jar

Place the rope (I used 1/2" round rope for the medium sized jar and 3/4" rope for the larger jar) around the screw between the knob and the clamp. As you tighten the knob onto the screw it will act like a vise securing the rope
Next tie some twine tightly around the rope to make the handle