Welcome Baby B!

When StyleBlueprint received an email chronicling a “not so ordinary” baby shower, we knew we wanted to share it with our readers. As you’ll see, not only is Annie Barnes one precious, expectant mom, she obviously has friends and family who adore her.

Annie and her mom, Suzanne, arrive at the party

White pumpkins, thumb tacks and some expert carving make for interesting party decor.

OK, I am dating myself, but my memories of the quintessential baby shower went something like this:  Saturday afternoon, fruit tea, petit fours, sooooo many presents to open and frankly, not much fun.  Just as maternity clothes (sans the the puffy sleeves and bows) have seen a remarkable transformation, so, it appears, have baby showers.  It’s OK to serve a little sangria and festive appetizers.  And if you think about it, what a fun party to plan for a buddy.

For an October party, flowers and pumpkins together create a great tablescape.

One bite wonders--Oreo cake pops.

Who cares if we can’t get away from those darling onesies and booties.  This is a good thing, don’t ya’ think?

Annie Barnes, by her own admission, has lots of Type “A”  friends, many of whom have strong creative bents.  If she said to me once on the phone, she said a million times, “I just want you to see how much work my friends put into my baby shower.” 

Catch a glimpse of the cake with the fondant monkey on top of the blocks.

Their hard work is obvious in these photographs of the small details at work throughout the party. 

A replica of a sock monkey adorns the cake created by Crumb de la Crumb.

Most of the guests guessed the arrival of a girl baby. Read to the end of the post to find out the correct guess.

Her sister-in-law, Beth Winterburn, is a photographer from Memphis and captured the special party moments so beautifully.  Her buddy, Amber Lehman, worked hard to create the overall look of the party.  She’s a stylist in town with a resume a mile long, having styled celebrities like Amy Grant, Stephen Curtis Chapman and Julianne Hough.

Banana pudding cups were part of the delicious buffet lunch.

The flowers were arranged by Libby Johnson, an independent florist and friend of Annie's.

But details aside, what Annie also wanted me to know was how much fun everyone had at her party, too. What a lovely way to anticipate the arrival of a little one!

Annie and her friends gather for a photo at Cassie Kelley's house.

We’re happy to report, Baby B was born on November 21st!  He is just precious and so glad to be a part of the Barnes family.