A Spring Baby Shower for Tara

In case you hadn't heard, our Tara is expecting a baby!  A sweet baby girl that is due to arrive in July.  Y'all know we couldn't wait to host a baby shower and start spoiling that baby (and her Mama)!

I would like to point out that to we Southerners, a shower, whether it be for a baby, wedding, house warming, etc., is not just about the spoiling. Showers and parties are the perfect way to make someone feel loved and supported by the community they live in, or by the church family they have chose to be a part of. You've never felt so special until you sit and look around a room filled with the people you loved most, who have all gathered to take time out and celebrate you!  The gifts are just an expression of love and support, as we honor the special times and the new chapters in life. (And... the gifts at Southern showers can be abundant and overwhelming!)    

At The Southern Merc, we love a theme! The chalkboard in our Cafe dining room was already decorated with our favorite Oscar Wilde quote and we thought this was the perfect starting point for the party.  Tara loves old books and the vintage feel so we kept things simple by using simple flower arrangements, stacked old books, and this fresh greenery garland.  

All of the fresh greenery was cut from Mr. Crain's yard. The purple butterfly bush blooms were cut from Jorjanne's yard and the pink and white tulips were purchased from the grocery store.  Mixing store bought flowers with things you grew yourself is a great way to keep the cost down and still have beautiful arrangements.  For some tips on making your own arrangements with grocery store flowers, you can check out Roxie's tutorial! We tried hard to pick all of Tara's favorite foods and made sure that every detail would be a reflection of her sweet personality. 

To add to the vintage feel, we used lace on most of the tables, which made the room feel very sweet and nostalgic.  The food table was covered with a vintage cloth from Roxie's collection. As guests arrived, their fist stop was to sign the guest book.  We put together a little book for baby Lila (with the help of Katelyn's beautiful lettering) for all of the guests to write little notes in.  We thought this would be such a sweet little keepsake for Tara to read later and for Lila to have as a grown up. How special it will be for her to be able to look back and know how loved she was, even before she was born!

It is always a sweet and special idea to forgo the traditional "guest book" and choose something that will be special to the guest of honor.  Perhaps a keepsake picture or special book that can be saved and cherished.  For baby showers, you can make a sweet memory book like this one, or think about using a special children's book for guests to sign that can be added to the child's library.  You may remember from Perry's baby shower, we used a precious book called "The Wonderful Things You Will Be". 

For weddings or wedding showers, think about using a vintage poetry book, or something that would be special to the couple.  For Roxie's wedding, she used a book of Van Gogh's artwork that had been a gift from one of Matt's trips to Italy.  Tara and Phillip used a book of paintings of old churches in Georgia, and the church they were married in just happened to be included!  The sky is the limit when being thoughtful and creative with the details.  ​​

​We keep things pretty simple at our showers so after a time of eating and visiting, Tara started digging in to her presents!  She was so blessed to receive so many beautiful and useful things.

Friends came from near and far, including two of Tara's college friends, which made the day extra special!

The Southern Merc and Fourth and Cherry crew had a blast celebrating our special girl and we can't wait to add baby Lila to our family of littles!  Because of her mother's sweet spirit and ability to love others so deeply, Lila has already won our hearts!

The Southern Merc is full of helpful tips for parties and showers!  Check out our archive to finds great ideas for your next wedding or baby shower!

Our shop is stocked with cute gift ideas for wedding and baby.  Look around while you are here, we'll be glad to send a little something your way!

These cute burp cloths are made from re-purposed vintage hankies and hand made by the Southern Merc girls!

Spark your little ones tea time dreaming with this precious enamel tea set!