Nautical Baby Shower

A few weeks ago we threw a baby shower for a sweet friend that is expecting her first baby...a little boy!  It was a small shower, with just a few friends, but that didn't stop us from going all out.  Since the nursery theme was nautical and Jen and I are both pretty much obsessed with all things nautical, it was a pretty easy decision to do a nautical shower!

Jen made adorable invites to send out to our guests.  I was just thrilled to finally be hosting an event in our brand new house and couldn't wait to prepare all the food, drinks, and decor.

We mixed southern (drinking from mason jars) with our preppy nautical theme (anchors galore) to create the perfect afternoon of celebrate the upcoming arrival of this sweet baby boy.

I get really excited for any excuse to change my chalk-board message, and this one was lots of fun!

The menu was a classic southern shower spread complete with cheese straws, chicken salad, pimento cheese and petit fours.

Jen made the most adorable diaper cake for us to use as a center piece AND to give as a gift to the mother-to-be.

At this point in our lives, throwing showers just come pretty natural to us.  From bridal to baby showers, the set-up is always pretty much the same and there are a few things we have learned to keep the planning simple, yet extremely personalized for each event.

*Pick a theme and stick with it!  Cute invites set the tone for your event and then it is easy to carry the same theme and colors through with the menu, decor, favors, and thank you notes!

* Set a menu that works with the guests you are having and make anything you can ahead of time.

*Don't feel like you have to make all of the food! Magnolia Mama Tip - We've learned over the years that it is all about the presentation.  Find a great bakery, yummy sides at your local grocery store, and out-of-the-package goodies.  Just make it look pretty and present it on a gorgeous platter and no one will ever know or care (and you will save yourself a lot of time!).  That being said, I do make a mean chicken salad and I will be sharing that recipe soon!

*Find fun, colorful ribbons to match the theme and colors of the shower and tie them around EVERYTHING!  For this shower we used an anchor wired ribbon, twine, and colored ribbon matching the invites.  It was all tied around vases, mason jars, signs, serving pieces and more!  Basically, if it was sitting still it got some sort of ribbon tied around it.

*Have fun and enjoy!  Guests will pick up on the mood of the hostess, so if you are stressed they will be, too.  If you are relaxed and having fun...so will they!

We would love to hear any shower throwing tips y'all might have, as well as, time-saving tricks and recipes, so be sure to leave us a comment and share your ideas!

Email us to snag these adorable nautical shower invites and coordinating thank you note set!

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