A garden baby shower to remember

Afew months ago my brother announced that he was having a baby! What exciting news for anyone to hear, but especially exciting for me as I have a true soft spot for ALL babies, never mind a relative of mine.  Can you believe this baby will be the 5th grandson to my parents and my 3rd nephew.  Yes ALL boys.  So when I was told the baby shower would be in yellows, oranges and browns it was a welcomed challenge from the traditional blue and white or green and yellow. There was a cake budget and a food budget but there was no budget for decorations.  On went my thinking cap and I am so pleased about how it turned out.

My family are all from Johannesburg and my sister in laws family are all from Pretoria. How on earth would we be able to cater for both areas. Well a huge network of moms helped me out with that one. Centurion. It’s roughly halfway for both. Now not knowing the area at all made this a tricky decision. BUT, the reviews for a little place called The Lime Tree Tea Garden were overwhelming and made the decision on where a little easier. We managed to discuss seating, food and drinks over email and the staff were incredibly welcoming and helpful.

We took a drive out the week before just to make sure that the pictures we were sent were real and have a little breakfast. OH MY WORD. Driving in I was a bit taken aback as it was off a main road but then, just like in a fairy tale, a nursery appeared and a long road covered by trees took us to the entrance of The Lime Tree Tea Garden. It was so beautiful. It was like being in the secret garden. There was nothing to be heard except the birds and kids playing on the jungle gym which caters for very small kids to kids about 10. Theres a sandpit, plastic bikes, monkey bars, a duckpond, and a large display of birds in cages to feed around the playground. To top it off the coffee was great, The milkshakes delicious and the food had a quality I can’t explain. Like it had a secret touch to it too. I was so very impressed that I even added the samosas to the upcoming baby shower menu. The Lime Tree Tea Garden do external catering for the Embassies around the area so you can imagine the presentation too. And as said again… ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS!

The toilets were hidden in a giant rock building and were so clean too. This venue ticks all the boxes for any event but especially for a babyshower!

The venue offers the basic set up of tables and chairs, gorgeous damask white table clothes, crockery, cutlery and glasses. The rest is up to you to bring in but the ladies there are absolutely skilled to assist you in putting down the decorations you have and make it look fabulous. Having no budget for decorations made it very difficult and I had to really think hard and try to keep it as cost effective as possible. We bought the serviettes from crazy plastics. Having them be so bright added a perfect touch to the base of white.

I designed the invitation, signs and elephants and changed the colours to suit the baby shower. I then printed them on white cardboard on my home printer. I spent many hours cutting out signs and elephants and cards and had the helping hand of two little boys (even with my OCD I let them help). On the cards we did a little prediction game. The closest prediction wins a prize once the baby arrives. The mom and dad were adamant they didn’t want games, so along with the prediction cards we did a “sign the baby grow” station. It acts like a guest registry and the baby can use the signed baby grows as we placed a fabric marker with the baby grows or it can be kept as a keepsake. To finish off the tables we added a “washing line” of baby clothes. I bought baby grows in different sizes for my nephew in the baby shower colours with the same gorgeous elephant, and hung them on the washing line. Now he gets a present and the baby shower gets a decoration. The table decor was also very simple. I have lots of empty plastic jars I use for crafts so I used those and stuck little orange elephants onto ice cream sticks and spread them out over the table filled with orange petals. The orange petals and overlays I got at the Party Spot in Woodmead’s closing down sale! I think all together the baby shower sign, which I customised with the petals and elephant, the orange tissue paper overlays and the petals cost me R100. The green leaves and white flowers acting as a runner across the table and the gold overlays I borrowed from my moms school where she teaches. Fresh flowers are so expensive and these really just did the job.

And now onto the two details that absolutely everyone commented on. The gorgeous cake and the elephant biscuits.

The mom and dad bought a pair of vellies for the baby and these were made into exact replicas in fondant on the top of the baby shower cake. The cake is a two tier cake with chocolate on top and vanilla on the bottom. The off white buttercream is piped with the exact flowers from all the signs and the invitation. Before the party started the cake was moved by someone (no names mentioned), and damaged. In come the orange petals to the rescue and it turned out beautifully. “Everything happens for a reason” is my life motto! The little elephant biscuits were identical to the signage, invitation, baby grows and signs and couldn’t have fitted in more beautifully. Bears Bakery did ALL of this for me. Jess always has an eye for detail and her stuff not only is perfect but so tasty too. I can’t wait to see what she comes up with for my next party!

I won’t lie, going into this baby shower was so daunting.  But it turned out to be the perfect day.  I couldn’t have asked for better catering.  I couldn’t have asked for a better venue or baker.  Thank you all for making me look SO good!