oh baby | baby shower details

dress (maternity) | earrings | shoes

ribbon backdrop made by me with ribbon from Hobby Lobby and balloons from Target

Today I'm sharing the details of my baby shower that I planned with the help of four of my closest friends. I decided to help plan because I love to plan parties and I'm a bit of a control freak - I had a vision and I wanted it to go exactly how I imagined it! While things didn't go exactly as planned (they never do for me!) I couldn't have asked for a more perfect day! Even though everyone there had to travel at least an hour to be there, most of my closest friends and family were able to make it - and baby McClure and I were definitely feeling the love! 

My friends have made jokes about how Lauren Conrad came out with a maternity line while I was pregnant and how I must have planned it because I love LC, so naturally I had to wear this adorable dress from her maternity line, and even though it's maternity I definitely think it can be worn post-baby! And I had to pair it with these blush shoes and pink ball drop earrings to match the pink theme! Keep scrolling to see pics and more details from the party!

banners from Bannerize on Etsy (in rose gold)

I love Etsy for party planning, and I've found some great little shops in my research. I got a custom banner from Bannerize for my best friend's bachelorette party a while ago (see the deets in this post here) and I was so pleased the first time that I decided to use them again. Excellent customer service, quality products, and great pricing! Check them out here for their custom banners and other party decor! I'm sure this will not be the last time you see their decor on my blog!

What we ate, drank and indulged on:

Walking Taco Bar

Mock Pink Champagne (non-alcoholic - recipe below)

Sweet Tea

Mini Cupcakes

M&M Cookies

Pink Starburst treat bags

{My girlfriends Lindsay and Aubrey and twin sister Alyson taking a selfie in front of the DIY ribbon and balloon photo backdrop that I made - these were three of the four girls who helped make this day go off without a hitch - the fourth had a baby just days before and wasn't able to make it, but she was there in spirit and helped so much! We also got to meet her babe (who is baby McClure's future bestie!) shortly after the shower!}

B-A-B-Y sparklers from TOPS Malibu | mini cupcakes from Scratch Cupcakery

My invite had an illustration of a cake with these sparklers on it, so I had to have them as decor at my shower. I was excited when I finally found them at TOPS Malibu's online store. I reached out to them and they had great customer service and sent me the sparklers along with the confetti popper that I used for my gender reveal in this post here. They have tons of great party decor and they already have me thinking about details for my next party! 

I have been a fan of Scratch Cupcakes since they opened a shop in my hometown, and I was happy to see that they made mini cupcakes! My best friend chose the flavors and they were all so delicious, and I loved that they were able to make them pink for baby girl! The flavors pictured above from top to bottom were:

Oh Happy Day - made with pink sprinkles

Wedding Day - a little off topic, but my favorite of their cupcakes, and they were able to make them with pink frosting!

White Chocolate Raspberry - I'm not normally a fan chocolate and fruit, but these were SO good!

Mock Pink Champagne from 7up.com (non-alcoholic) | Straws from pomtree on Etsy

I got a sample of this mocktail while I was grocery shopping one day and I took the recipe knowing I had to recreate it for a party, and it ended up being the perfect mocktail for my shower! It was so good and was a hit - and if I wasn't pregnant I'd definitely add some champs to it! Click the link above for the recipe!

{diaper bouquet made by my friend Alison - find the instructions here}

{Centerpieces using upcycled McClure's Pickles jars with faux flowers from Hobby Lobby, linens, tables and chairs from Big Ten Rental}

{Big brother Fletch couldn't help but try to be the center of attention at the party!}

The party was a major success thanks to everyone involved and I would have lost my mind if it wasn't for my best friend Lindsay being here all the way from Dallas and my husband Brian helping me set everything up. The party was supposed to be outside, but last minute we changed it to inside because it was so incredibly hot out, and it all ended up being perfect. Even if it didn't go as planned, just being surrounded by friends and family celebrating baby girl McClure made it success enough. She is definitely going to be one spoiled and stylish little girl, and we cannot wait to meet her in 12 short weeks! Thanks for reading! XO

host/hostess gifts | thanksgiving

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Are you hosting Thanksgiving, or even Friendsgiving this year? If not, you're probably relying on someone else to do all the hard work for you, so what better way to say thanks than with a hostess gift? I know that I like to sit back and let my mom do all the work on Thanksgiving, not that she would let me help, but I know a lot of hard work goes into preparing the perfect Thanksgiving meal. My sister and I will sometimes bring her a nice floral arrangement for the table and she's completely content with that, but if you're looking for something different, look no further! I've gathered up a few festive gifts for the host/hostess in your life, and all but one are $50 or less!

I love being festive, so the more holiday themed items I can have, the better. I know that once I start hosting my own Thanksgiving, I will be going all out with the décor, and the serving spoon is no exception! That's why I like this one appropriately stamped "Thanks and Giving" -  I can see several "test tries" of my mom's mashed potatoes with this spoon! These white and gold acorn salt and pepper shakers and these leaf cork coasters are adorable, and would add to the décor on the table as well as serving a purpose! My thought with this "Oh So Thankful" ceramic dish is that you can make a side dish in it and leave it for the host/hostess to keep - that way you don't have to worry about leaving a dish behind or toting a dirty dish home - just make sure to tell them it's theirs to keep, or they may just think you want them to clean your dishes for you! My sister and I used to love making wishes on the wishbone, and this magnetic wishbone comes apart and goes back together, so if there are kiddos in the host/hostess' home, this is the perfect gift to entertain them, and make sure everyone gets their wishes in! There are typical gifts that are still great for the host/hostess, like this candle or these wine stoppers - pair either with a bottle of champs or wine and you'll be in my heart forever! A lot of people eat their Thanksgiving meal at different times - some do lunch, others do dinner. At our house, we eat dinner, so during the day my mom makes some delicious homemade appetizers, like homemade pizza rolls or little cheeseburgers on rye bread. (Sounds weird but I promise - it's the most delicious! I may post the recipe!) This serving tray and these appetizer plates would be a great gift for my mom to serve her apps on! And this "Get Stuffed" serving platter would be perfect to set that turkey on right in the middle of the table!

Once we get settled into our new house (hopefully in the next couple weeks!) I'm hoping to host a Friendsgiving, but I'm thinking by the time we get everything organized it will be more of a Friendsmasgiving instead! For last years tips on a successful Friendsgiving click here, and be sure to check back for some other fun festive posts in November! Thanks for reading! XO

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how to // host a successful galentine's day party

I was watching Parks and Recreation when I was introduced to the idea of Galentine's Day and I was all like, where has this been all my life?! What is Galentine's Day, you ask? In the words of Leslie Knope, "Oh, it's only the best day of the year. Every February 13th, my lady friends and I leave our husbands and our boyfriends at home and just kick it breakfast style. Ladies celebrating ladies. It's like Lilith Fair, minus the angst. Plus, frittatas!" 

what to wear // nye

I hope you all had a great Christmas! It was so nice for both my husband and me to travel to see our entire families. With his work schedule, we are not always so lucky. We got a lot of good gifts and made some great memories. Of course, the weekend went by way too fast, and I miss them all already!

NYE is less than a week away, and if you're like me, you still haven't thought much about what you are going to wear. Christmas just takes a lot of my mental energy! Initially I thought we were just going to be staying home in our small town for NYE, but then last minute we decided that we are going to California to attend the Rose Bowl on the 1st. So I quickly need to come up with an outfit that's Los Angeles approved! Good thing I was a little ahead of the game, and had already compiled a few outfits and accessories for the last night out in 2015. 

dress // clutch // heels

holiday gift guide // hostess with the mostest

Hosts and hostesses work very hard to make a party successful. Hours of cleaning, cooking and shopping, and also making sure everyone is having a good time. So they deserve a little something special for all of their hard work. While I do believe a nice bottle of champagne is a good enough gift, here are some other ideas in case you want to do something different:

how to // host a successful friendsgiving

The holidays are just around the corner, which means holiday parties are also quickly approaching. I love a good party, especially if I'm the one hosting. The planning is one of my favorite things to do. With most of our friends spread out across the country, we try to get together and have an annual Friendsgiving and/or Friendsmas. We are hoping to all get together on Saturday, so I thought this would be a good time to share my plans for a successful Friendsgiving.