Baby Shower :: Baseball Theme

Let’s go out to the ballgame, shall we? My brother, Jeff, was obsessed with baseball as a boy. When Jeff and my sister-in-law Kelly found out that they were going to have a son, my mom came up with the idea of throwing them a baseball themed baby shower. She came up with the adorable invite above (you’re looking at three different photos of it) which was worded:
Come celebrate Kelly’s little slugger-to-be
Saturday May 22nd • eleven am
GUESTS please come 2 the HOME of the (last name) (address)
Kelly would love to get her mitts on her stroller (it was a group gift and everyone contributed money.)
Thrown with love by (names & RSVP info)I have to say, though technically I was a hostess at this shower, my mom did just about everything herself. She’s a party genius. For tablecloths, she went to the hardware store and bought a bunch of astroturf. She’s repurposed this as well for garden-themed parties and I am sure she’ll be able to come up with other uses for it as time marches on. The tables were decorated with baseball mitts that we collectively owned, baseballs, peanuts, cracker jacks, and bright read potted geraniums and gerber daisies. The pennants and a few other decorations were bought on sale at Pottery Barn Kids. Each table setting had a red plastic food basket found from a local restaurant supply company, tissue paper lining, potato salad, and burger accoutrements with an American flag toothpick ready to go.My mom turned a white skirt into a baseball dress for the guest of honor to wear. How cute is Kelly? My mom, sister Ellie, and I all donned Dodger or Angel gear and we had my brother, my dad and Kelly’s dad grill up hot dogs and hamburgers for the ladies. It was a family affair.How good is baseball food? Yum!I think at one point that styrofoam baseball was supposed to hold the fruit skewers. Early on we figured out that wouldn’t work but it still looked cute!After lunch and before dessert, my mom and sister lead the crowd in a “7th inning stretch!” It was hysterical! Here are all the ladies singing and stretching…We all sang “Take Me Out To The Ballgame” before heading to the dessert bar.Hot fudge sundae time! My mom found these baseball helmets online from somewhere like this and we turned them upside down to create ballpark sundaes. And who doesn’t like a candy bar? For games, we wrote notes to their baby (as we did at the Birds & Bees shower) and ‘Diaper Doodled’ – which I mentioned before, we do a lot around here. Using permanent pens, leave a station out with newborn diapers and let the guests draw or write on them. You’re left with a series of funny diapers for the new parents. This sign said “Let’s hope Jeff & Kelly aren’t diaper Dodgers!” Ha!The mantle was decorated with a photo of my brother from his little league days along with a clothesline full of baseball inspired baby clothes.Throw a popcorn machine into the mix for fun……and some other details from the party… (Batter Up game also from Pottery Barn Kids.)… and then we sent the guests home with a Janned out cookie trio (FYI: my mom’s name is Jan and her insanity with the cookie decorating is on display again.) The cookie tag said “Thanks for making Kelly’s shower a Home Run.”  This was quite a day at the ballpark and a fun way to personalize a baby shower but can you also see this as a boy’s birthday party? Throw in a baseball game or two and it’d be perfect for a baseball loving little boy!
Hope you all had a great weekend and are excited for another week of party love! I am!