Making the arrangements.

In honor of the baby-girl and her mommy-to-be, there was plenty of pink at this Baby Shower!

Tortellini Salad with Spinach, Cherry Tomatoes and Lemon Dressing.

Shrimp Salad with Feta Cheese and Olives on a Bed of Fennel.

Pasta, Chard and Fontina Torte.

Setting up the buffet table.

Baby Shower: Brunch Buffet

Mushroom and Chard Galette.

Asparagus with Artichoke Hearts and Orange Zest.

Quinoa Salad with Roasted Vegetables (Baby Shower Luncheon)

Boneless Chicken Breasts Stuffed with Goat Cheese and Sun Dried Tomatoes with Tomato Sauce.

It was wonderful news to hear that my friend Krista, who does a lot of the beautiful photography on this blog, was having a baby. Then I got the news that it was a girl.  I immediately volunteered to give a baby shower.

Krista and I had lots of conversations about the shower and decided that in some areas we would follow tradition and in some areas we would create something more contemporary. Since she was having a baby girl, tradition demanded that we included some pink.

Usually when you see photo layouts in magazines or online, baby showers for little girls feature copious amounts of beautiful sugary confections. These usually include gorgeous cupcakes, luscious cakes, dazzling mounds of candy and irresistible cookies. Krista loves dessert but she didn’t want to leave her baby shower with a sugar hangover. As much as I love dessert and I make them for every party I give, I wanted there to be real food. Krista and I agreed, real food it was.

There was pink in the invitations, tablecloth, napkins and flowers. Some traditions are worth observing.

For this party, I had to design a menu that would allow for gluten free, vegan, vegetarian diets and whatever other surprises might present.

One-Bite Cherry Pies.

Baby Shower Luncheon

Our mommy-to-be Krista with one her guests (and her artistic creation).

I set up a drawing station and invited each woman to design something for the baby.

These creations are wonderful and something our mommy-to-be can use.

The Baby Shower Luncheon ended in my living-room — with dessert, of course!

It was a perfect luncheon and a perfect afternoon.

About to set-up the drawing station for the ladies, in my courtyard.

Chocolate Dipped Coconut Macaroons (Baby Shower Luncheon)

Black and White Cake from La Provence Cafe in Los Angeles.

We decided on a luncheon on a Saturday afternoon. There were approximately 20 women most of whom I had never met. I had to design a menu that would allow for gluten free diets, vegan diets, vegetarian diets and whatever other surprises might present. We had guests ranging in age from their 20s to their 80s. So the menu had to appeal to everyone. And of course, the food had to be delicious.

One of the traditions at baby showers includes various games. Krista was clear that she wasn’t a fan of games. Instead, I set up a drawing station and invited each woman to design something for the baby. I had plain white onesies, twosies and bibs, markers especially for fabric and encouraged the ladies to channel their inner artist. Most of the women had never met and this was a great ice breaker and gave them a chance to get to know each other. You can see the results. They are wonderful and something Krista can use.

Next, keeping it a secret from Krista, I asked each woman to write some words of wisdom advise, observations or wishes for Krista and her little girl. Just after lunch, we sat in an informal circle in my living room and read our thoughts. Some were wise, some were funny but all were heartfelt. One of the guests was videotaping the party and Krista will have a permanent record of this moment.

Hours had passed and the shower ended. It was a perfect luncheon and a perfect afternoon. The party itself was a blend of traditional and contemporary styles, and truly reflected our mommy-to-be Krista.

Of course, there was pink in the invitations, tablecloth, napkins and flowers. Some traditions are worth observing.

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