Yesterday I hosted a baby shower that looked like it came straight from the pages of a magazine, but I really can’t take any credit for it! I feel so fortunate to have met Ashley of Ashley Thunder Events; she took what was just a vague idea and transformed it into something that was better than I could have even dreamed.
When I found out that my best friend Stephanie was expecting her third daughter, I knew immediately that we would need a party to celebrate! However, while it was easy to look at pretty ideas on Pinterest, it was another thing entirely to plan, shop, and execute a party while juggling a business and home life, so the idea of having someone help me was a no-brainer.
Enter Ashley. I pinned a few ideas on Pinterest, and she took off running. She sent me an idea board, and we divided up the work that need to be done. Honestly, I hardly had to do anything! I ordered a few supplies online and picked out some fabric and scrapbooking paper, and she kind of just made a party appear out of thin air! She shopped, picked up items I had rented, showed up at my house, and effortlessly transformed my basement in what seemed like the blink of an eye.
Everything was perfect and coordinated down to the very smallest detail. And I think what I loved, more than not having to make anything myself, more than not having to stress about the party for months leading up to the day, was the fact that when the party was over, I didn’t have a bunch of “stuff” I had purchased just for the day, only to have no use for it ever again. My guests and I ate the food and drank the wine, I did the dishes, and voila! Life is back to normal, and I don’t have to store anything.
Besides being the ultimate DIY queen, Ashley is a blast to work with and wasn’t annoyed by my million questions or weird text messages. I’m really excited to be working with her in a professional capacity later this summer, and I’m already brainstorming who deserves the next ATE party because I’m hooked!
A huge shout out to Kim Kline of Rock’n Sugar Confections for the cookies that were almost too pretty to eat and to Jennifer Cicero of Baked! by jen for the cake that looked exactly like the picture I sent her! The work these ladies put out is of the highest quality and is true ART. And thank you, lastly, to Jessica, the new owner of Thode Floral, who saved me from a floral crisis on the morning of the shower, even though she was totally swamped because it was prom! NOTHING completes a party and makes your house more beautiful than fresh flowers!

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