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!!!

Shabby Chic with Rachel Ashwell

A picture with my decorating/lifestyle idol, Rachel Ashwell

Yesterday, I drove down to the Vero Beach Book Center, with my mum, for a book signing with Rachel Ashwell. For those of you that don't know, Rachel Ashwell is the founder of Shabby Chic, an interior design and lifestyle revolving around flea markets and English cottage living. Best known for over stuffed, white denim slip covered sofas and pale pastel accessories, Rachel has produced six books, a television series and affordable version of her line, Simply Shabby Chic at Target. More recently in the news, her company was forced to shut the doors of all the stores and file bankruptcy, much to the dismay of fans everywhere. Lucky for us, Rachel has recently re-opened two of the stores (with a third planned for London) in Santa Monica, CA and New York city under the name of Shabby Chic Couture. According to Rachel, the new stores will focus more on the art of Shabby Chic and less on the commercial. In other words, back to the roots of what made Shabby Chic what it is. The one of a kind, flea market find or a table, hand crafted by artisans. And, yes, there will still be those wonderful sofa's.
The book signing was very informal and relaxed. Rachel talked about her latest book "Shabby Chic Interiors" and the collapse and rebuilding of her company and brand. She took questions from the eager, enthusiastic audience, made up of fans and fellow antique/flea market aficionados. Rachel took time afterwards to talk to all of her guests and posed for pictures willingly. I think tea and biscuits were the only thing missing from the afternoon, which was truly an enjoyable affair.
I have been a devoted fan of Shabby Chic since my aunt took me into the old New York shop location and I sat on a beautiful, over stuffed sofa. Having grown up in a family where flea marketing was a weekend ritual, I could appreciate a design based on making somebody else's discarded items your new treasures. Of course, when I was growing up, I didn't dare say that most of our things came from flea markets. The 80's were all about new, shiny, plastic goods and we were still over two decades away from the reclaim, reuse and recycle movement going mainstream. Shabby Chic, in my eyes, would later be the marriage of yuppie meets hippie, less is more style of today.
Years ago, as a newlywed, Shabby Chic was about the only design that fit my budget. But, by then, I was hooked. The English side of my upbringing craved the dusty treasures full of story and history. I later loved that all of my furniture had a storied past, painstakingly collected and restored. Every ding, knick or mark my things have acquired over the years, from moves or at the little hands of my son, have only increased their beauty. My bed, with all of the feathers, pillows, blankets and duvets has earned the nickname "The Marshmallow" and is a favorite spot for the family to cuddle and watch movies. My home life feels a little more elegant and richer, eating on floral printed china, using cut crystal glassware and having chandeliers twinkling everyday and not just on special occasions. Little touches that make my house a home, and inviting enough for even the sternest guest to feel comfortable falling asleep on my couch. Rachel's "Shabby" ideal melded seamlessly with my flea market upbringing and only further encouraged my creativity.
As the Shabby Chic brand continues it's rebirth and growth, changing ever so subtly as it has matured over the past twenty years, I look forward to continuing my own Shabby Chic quests. Working for Rachel's company would be a dream come true, as I can't imagine a job I am better suited for and more devoted to. Through the good and the bad, the ups and the downs; there is no place like home. Thank you, Rachel Ashwell for your continued inspiration.

For more information and links to Rachel's Blog: www.shabbychic.com

Shop, Live, Love - Kindle application for iPhone

I love to read books. I think since I learned how to read, I have devoured more than I could even count. Many nights of my childhood were spent under the covers with a flashlight, till all hours, as I rushed to find out what happened next in a story. The more books I read, the faster my ability to consume them. My dad would laugh at me and say, "Finished all ready?" as I begged to go back to the store and blow my allowance on more. Laura Ingalls, Beverly Cleary, Judy Blume, Sweet Valley High.
As I got older, my selections moved from paperbacks to the exciting new release, hardback book. Stephen King, Jean Auel, Anne Rice, Jackie Collins. I watched the "Coming Soon" list in the mall bookstores like a hawk. My favorite Christmas present when I was 14 was the new Jean Auel book, "Plains of Passage", in hardback. I think I finished it well before New Years Eve. Of course, it was around this time I learned the disappointment of spending so much money on a brand new book, only to finish it in a matter of hours. Don't even get me started on the price of college text books and required reading lists. I began signing up for bookstore membership and rewards programs to help offset some of the cost. I organized my must read list, begrudgingly putting some of the books off until they were released in paperback. I found friends with common reading interests and we swapped books, saving more money in our little reading community. In the end, there was nothing quite like curling up with a new book. Sometimes for sheer pleasure on a rainy day with a cup of tea and sometimes late at night, as a welcome distraction from stress and grief. (Harry Potter and friends kept me company in the weeks following my husband death.) Books were more than just words and stories in binding. They were friends, companions and guides to far off places. Of course there was the other downside besides price point. Books take up a lot of space and when you move as many times as I do, well, lets just say, they are not easy to cart around the world.
I remember when the idea of electronic or E-books started popping up on the Internet. It reminded me of the library or second hand bookstore. Limited selection and rarely new releases. I couldn't possibly imagine staring at a screen for long periods of time, being chained to my computer. Soon, came the portable reading devices and the Kindle. Now I have to admit, I love gadgets! I was always scooping up the latest cell phone (I had to get the first cell phone with a camera!) or iPod (music at my finger tips!) I relished audiobooks stored on my iPod for long road trips, replacing expensive and sizable books on CD. The release of the iPhone was met with huge excitement. Cell phone, camera, iPod, Internet in the palm of my hand! I was giddy with every new update and new application that made my life easier and more organized.
But, back to books. I began to face the price dilemma again. Money was tight and suddenly, buying new release hardbacks that I would read before the charge was even posted to my account seemed like a luxury I would have to put off. Even with my Barnes & Noble membership and coupon of the week, I was having a hard time justifying my addiction to reading. One afternoon, I was "window shopping" on Amazon, checking on the books that were "Coming Soon" and there it was, right under the list price. Kindle edition. I had read about the Kindle but didn't really know the details. A version of the book 1/3 of the price? A $26.00 new release for $9.99? I had to know more. Then, I saw the price of the kindle. Hmmm, could I offset the price by reasoning how much I would save on books? Did I really want another gadget to cart around and remember to charge? I began searching for answers and then I found it. There was a Kindle application for iPhone and better yet, it was a free application. There had to be a catch.
I downloaded the application and purchased my first ebook, "Twenties Girl" by Sophie Kinsella, guilty pleasure reading. I wondered, would it eat up my iPhone battery or take up too much memory? Would staring at the screen drive my eyes insane? You can imagine my excitement when it didn't do any of the above mentioned. It was easy, convenient and I could read anywhere! I always have my phone with me, thus I had my new book with me too. I read in the car line to pick my son up from school, in the kitchen while the oven preheated, in bed, in the dark while my fiance slept soundly next to me. It kept track of what page I was on (no more dog ears and bookmarks) and fit in my pocket. Best of all, I had saved enough money on that book to purchase another one, "The Last Symbol" by Dan Brown, released today. I can't stop raving about this. I am a dedicated iPhone fan (I still have my original 1st generation) and this only reaffirmed my affection for my favorite gadget! I almost felt guilty as I watched my best friend loading her carry-on with books and magazines for a long flight, knowing that I could do the same thing and not break my back or the bank. I would have to say that even if I didn't have an iPhone or iTouch, I would most likely have purchased a Kindle. The savings on new and popular titles is better than any rewards or membership program the bookstores have offered me. Now I can buy everything from the latest fictional novel to self help book to chick lit and not feel guilty when I finish it in record time (I read the complete Twilight series in a weekend). I love reading. I love books. I look forward to less dusty, cluttered bookshelves and thumbs black with printer ink. Off to start my new book.
♥♥♥♥♥ Five Hearts to the Kindle Application