An "Alice in Wonderland" inspired Baby Shower (or any party!)

After months of planning and gathering of special, "Wonderland" themed items, my mum & I threw my sister-in-law her baby shower. The Alice in Wonderland theme came about after the mom-to-be found out she was having a girl. She is not a fan of pink or "girly" things, so this posed an interesting problem with setting the theme for a baby shower. Mostly because regardless of personal taste, when people find out you are having a girl, pink is sure to follow and to be expected.


The dining room, set for tea

The inevitable pink for baby girl

I decided on "Alice in Wonderland" after seeing Tim Burton's edgy, funky adaptation, which suited my sister-in-laws personality perfectly. Having grown up on the Disney classic animated film, I was personally inspired by the crazy tea party, which would also be appropriate for a late afternoon gathering of ladies of all ages! (minus a crazy Mad Hatter!! Maybe next time?)

Alice inspired decor in many shapes & colors

It turns out, Alice is still quite popular and easy to find in her many incarnations from classic Lewis Carroll to Disney. My mum and I spent several months gathering tea sets, playing cards, artwork and pretty much anything having to do with Alice! Keeping true to an English tea, there was lots of floral but we kicked it up with some bright, funky argyle patterns. The shower colors were red, white, black and yes, pink. The day of the shower, we filled the main room with red & white roses (painting the roses red, optional!) along with balloons. I found that simply gluing playing cards to ribbon and suspending the cards from the ceiling invoked the feeling of Alice "falling down the rabbit hole"

The main room, with balloons & the illusion of cards falling from the sky

We served tea and sparkling lemonade, along with champagne as refreshments. For food, we went with a modern take on English tea with a mix of sweet and savory bites, including pastries, sandwich bites, cakes and quiche. I decorated a red velvet cake with Madame Alexander Dolls (from McDonalds!!) dressed as Alice & the Mad Hatter, along with a tea set and playing cards. Did I mention there were playing cards EVERYWHERE?!

An eclectic Alice in Wonderland cake

By mixing traditional themes (English High Tea) with modern touches (bright colors & Tim Burton), I believe we fully captured the spirit of the story while making the day enjoyable for the guest of honor and her friends & family. In the end it was a beautiful day and we have since packed away all of the decorations and Alice tea sets to be used at my nieces birthdays in the coming years, creating an heirloom for her.

Little touches of Wonderland on the table

Tips & Hints for An Alice in Wonderland Themed Party

The Story ~ Inspiration from the white rabbit & those poor oysters to "Eat Me, Drink Me" tags on your food & beverages. Go crazy, it's Wonderland!
Tea Sets ~ Don't be afraid to mix and match!
Playing Cards ~ affordable & versatile decorations
Roses ~ Red & White, the more the merrier!
Chess Sets ~ Great for die hard fans & little boys
Not Just Disney ~ while still wonderful and popular, many companies have adapted Alice, making her wonderful for all ages and occasions. Books, pictures, toys, dolls and home decor can be found just about everywhere and make for easy decorating.
Be eclectic ~ Remember everything wasn't always what it seemed in Wonderland, so don't be afraid to mix things up with your menu, music & decorations. Cocktails can be incorporated (Let's face it, there was more than tea being served to the Mad Hatter & friends!)
Don't forget Music! ~ We made a playlist from iTunes, including the Disney soundtrack along with the Danny Elfman composed soundtrack from Tim Burton's adaptation to create the mood! Great for all ages!
Most important, have fun!!!

Shop- Part Deux

My post below about the beautiful champagne gift set from Piper-Heidseick and Christian Louboutin really got me thinking last night as I read about the Official Launch of Le Rituel on facebook and twitter.
Drinking champagne out of a crystal stiletto and not just any stiletto, the coveted, red soled Louboutin. Talk about glorious excess! You can practically hear Edith Piaf singing some classic French song in the background, as I imagine sweeping around my home, slipper of bubbly in hand... Of course, the $500.00 price tag is a little harder to swallow, especially in the current economic climate when many families, like my own, are tightening their belts and going without a lot of those little extras we grew accustomed to in previous years. Sometimes, it is hard to remind ones self that things are tight when you are still using the expensive jar of La Mer that was purchased when the going was still good. Becoming a single mom and then starting a new, young relationship came with it's own price tag and sacrifice. But as I looked, read and drooled over the picture below, I found that it represented a lot more to me than just another extravagance. It reminded me of being a child before a birthday or Christmas, when no gift on your wish list seems out of reach. The naive bliss that if you wish just hard enough, that perfect present may very well appear. Wanting something not out of necessity or practicality, but simply because it is very pretty.
Now as I sit, balancing bank statements and paying off debt, I can't help but feel a little silly for wanting something for myself that will serve no purpose in my day to day life as a housewife and mom, except maybe to make me tipsy midweek, celebrating nothing in particular. Make me forget, for just a couple of hours, the many simple pleasures in my life, replaced by fantasy, whimsy and yes, probably Edith Piaf playing loudly.
Dreaming is a beautiful thing, pushing us through those harder days with the small promise of rewards, big or small. The luxury of that reward could be a bubble bath in candle light, listening to romantic jazz or drinking very nice champagne from a glass slipper like a modern day Cinderella. Most likely it will be the bubble bath, but it is still so nice to dream. I remember reading somewhere a quote that said "Anyone who lives within their means, lacks imagination." Hmmm, my imagination will be running rampant as I picture the Le Rituel set in my display case, but I will stay within my means, for now. I guess, after all, it is the thought that really does count.

Shop

Drool Worthy Champagne & Flute Gift Set

PIPER-HEIDSIECK LE RITUEL BY CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN - OFFICIAL LAUNCH

Time:8:00AM Monday, October 19th

Location:VERY LIMITED QUANTITY AVAILABLE IN THE US