Author Archives: mrsalexpaul

A Peter Rabbit Baby Shower

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So, something amazing happened last month.

My mom hosted 2 baby showers for me. They were Peter Rabbit themed. And incredible. And perfect. And I absolutely loved them.

How great does my mom look for being a grandma-to-be?!

And even though my mom was in charge, I may have taken over a couple of the details because I’m a control freak like that. #sorrymom

As guests came in, we had a Peter Rabbit book as the guest book with no-bleed sharpies (very important!).

We also had our first game – one of my faves- the Don’t Say Baby game. To jazz up the clothespins, I added these adorable baby bottle stickers by Jolee’s Boutique.

For the tables in the backyard, we did rounds with chiavari chairs (my fave!) and this BEAUTIFUL linen from La Tavola.

   

For the food, we went with a veggie inspired menu – Peter Rabbit was all about sneaking into the garden afterall.

We had little sandwiches (all pescatarian friendly!), assorted salads and a make-your-own-veggie-tray station with lots of vegetables, hummus and ranch.

For dessert, we had two cakes (two is better than one, amiright?) from my favorite bakery – SusieCakes in Newport Beach, CA! We ordered the luscious lemon and southern red velvet. Heaven.

We also ordered petit fours and delicious fruit tarts from Assal Pastry in Irvine, CA. SO incredible.

For the second shower, we had another red velvet, bunny-themed cake from SusieCakes. #addicted #imayhaveaproblem

But it’s adorable, right?!

Now onto my favorite part of baby showers – GAMES.

I wanted to try out a new game – Fruit of the Womb. Matching the fruit/vegetable that corresponds to each week in pregnancy..not easy, my friends!

The winner correctly guessed 8…8 out of 34 guesses. So definitely a tough one – but it’s gender neutral and all it requires is the gamecard (printable at the end of the post) and a pencil! Plus it’s kind of fun to torture your guests for 10 minutes..

The second game we played was Guess the Baby Food!

(Printable below)

This is another torturous game (I mean, have you tasted the the green beans they make babies eat?!) – but again, so fun for me to watch people play.

For the baby shower favors, we gave my favorite little candles by Voluspa. They had the perfect light blue and white candles – and as a bonus, they smelled SO GOOD.

Printables:

Dont’ Say Baby Sign: don’t say baby peter rabbit

Fruit of the Womb Gamecard: Fruit of the Womb

Fruit of the Womb ANSWERS (Word): Answers for Fruit of the Womb game
Fruit of the Womb ANSWERS (PDF): Answers for Fruit of the Womb game

Guess the Baby Food Gamecard: Guess the Baby Food
Guess the Baby Food Paper Wraps: baby food wraps

Only 5 more weeks ago until the baby is born – and my mom officially becomes a grandma!

L,
Mrs. Alex Paul

A Rosy 80th Birthday

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My grandmother – the most incredible woman on this planet – just had a major birthday.

And throwing her an 80th birthday party was one of the greatest honors of my life.

Look at her killing it at 80.

All 6 of her children, 9 grandchildren..and 1 ex husband…turned up to celebrate this wonderful matriarch.

Her dream? A rosy 80th birthday with dinner and dancing.

My favorite decoration was the floral, textured photo backdrop and a sparkling 80.

That same coral fabric helped make the roses pop in our centerpieces. AND it matched the coral “80” straws in the champagne glasses. #matchymatchy

I printed old, black and white pictures of my grandma and put them in antique-style frames. Guests each got to take one at the end of the night – such an easy party favor and it’s extra sentimental to my family.

One of my favorite parts of the decor were the custom plates..and by custom, I mean plates from Party City and a clear, personalized sticker from Etsy. Put those two together..and bam, an awesome custom place setting.

#felizcumpleaňosluz

Once dinner was over and people had had a little too much bubbly, we busted out the photo props!

Thanks to my Silhouette (#OBSESSED), I made some custom photo props especially for my grandma.

Along with the normal mustache, lips, crown..I added a Peru (obviously), a sparkly silver 80 and a heart that says Mamayu, which is a nickname that her oldest grandkids call her.

But the most popular photo prop was a word bubble that says CARAJO..her favorite Peruvian swear word. #classygrams

Happy 80th grandma – here’s to many more! <3

L,

Mrs. Alex Paul

Disneyland Pregnancy Announcement

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So recently, my husband and I made a little announcement.

Baby Paul arriving November 2017.

Exciting. Terrifying. All of it.

One of the first things I did when I found out (other than go into a deep emotional panic) is look up pregnancy announcement ideas.

I knew I wanted something that really reflected my husband and I…not that we’re Disney freaks or anything..but being that we’ve been to Disneyland, Disney World and some Disney Cruises…we might just be Disney freaks..

Going to Disneyland and scoping out photo spots was so fun – and an opportunity to sneak in a churro in between takes.. #priorities

We almost went with the It’s a Small World photo – and the caption Something Small Arriving November 2017. I mean, it just begs for that sentence!

But we decided to go with the close-up castle shot – just so classic!

So excited with how our announcement turned out. And what’s awesome, is that we have an awesome, built-in keepsake in our Mickey Ears hats! Hope it helps you plan out any special announcements you have in the works! 🙂

Love,

Mrs. Alex Paul

Mini Alcohol Bottle Christmas Tree

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This year, my husband asked for my help for his work’s white elephant gift exchange.

“Every employee needs to bring a wrapped gift worth $25. I don’t know what to get. My coworkers just love booze.”

SAY.NO.MORE.

The perfect white elephant gift: Mini Alcohol Bottle Christmas Tree.

I went to Daiso (my new favorite store) and purchased a mini Christmas Tree for $4. It came with a base and was a perfect 2 feet tall.

Supplies:

  • 10-15 mini alcohol bottles (I used 11)
  • Twist-ties to attach the bottles to the tree (I got red twist-ties)
  • Tiny ornaments (I bought a 16 pack for $1.50)

It took about 10 minutes to attach all the bottles and ornaments. And voila! You have yourself an easy, go-to gift when you don’t know what else to get..or if you have boozehound coworkers like my husband does..

Wishing you all a very happy holiday season!

L,
Mrs. Alex Paul

Rustic White & Green Baby Shower

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This weekend, I was busy #celebratingbabymateo

Wood Slice Sign on Gate

My cousin and his wife are expecting their second child – a baby boy! And for us hispanics..babies are a BIG deal.

I hosted the baby shower at my aunt’s house – the mommy-to-be chose a rustic white & green baby shower theme.

We started out with rustic invitations from Shutterfly. I added a gold pocket on the back for the attire insert (guests were asked to wear white) and a diaper raffle card.

Invitation and Inserts

Wood Slice Sign for Baby Shower

Baby Shower Diaper and Gift Table

The entrance courtyard had a diaper raffle table (a MUST for any baby shower, imo) and a gift table with some activities.

Diaper Raffle Table

Baby Shower Gift Table

I had some activities for the guests to do right when they walked in.

When guests first arrived, they grabbed a clothespin for the Baby Shower Clothespin game. It’s a classic! I painted them white and added a baby rattle or baby bottle sticker to theme them a little more.

The next game we had for guests as they entered was the “Guess How Many” game.

I’ve seen this game done at a lot of baby showers – usually filled with candy. I wanted to update the game and fill the baby bottle with items that are actually useful to the mom! (Lord knows no one needs 400 blue MnMs hanging around.)

And let me tell you, shoving those baby socks in that bottle was no easy feat!

For the guest book, guests had to take a picture with the mommy-to-be, use washi tape to tape it to a page and write a heartfelt message. I made a blank photo book on Shutterfly and it worked perfectly!

Baby Shower Guestbook and Polaroid

Baby Shower Guestbook

Two of my favorite decorations were the alphabet blocks arranged in the baby’s name (painted in a forest green and stuck together using glue dots) and the green and tan diaper cake,

Baby Name in Letter Blocks

Rustic Diaper Cake

Baby Shower Diaper Table

Once guests were done with the activities in the courtyard, they headed to the backyard where the tables were set up.

Backyard Baby Shower

Backyard Baby Shower Setup

The centerpieces had greenery and a wooden easel with baby pictures of the mom, dad and big sister-to-be.

Rustic Baby Shower Centerpieces

Mother to be Sign on Chair Big Sister to be sign on chair

One of my favorite parts of the place settings were the printed placemats (bought here) with the clear plates and cutlery. It was almost as if the plates and utensils were invisible!

Baby Shower Placesetting

Okay. Let’s get to my favorite baby shower game. Ever. OF ALL TIME.

Play-Doh Babies.

For this game, each person gets a mini play-doh tub. They need to “make a baby” in 9 minutes…just like the mom-to-be makes a baby in 9 months!

This game is seriously hilarious. And realllllllly shows you which of your family has no creative ability whatsoever. (i’m talking to you grandma..)

I always do 3 prizes: Most Creative, Ugliest and Best Overall.

I’m case you’re curious…my grandma’s is the purple one on the bottom right. Nope, that’s not roadkill. That’s supposed to be a baby. Needless to say, she won the prize for ugliest baby.

The last game we did was a little tougher for guests – and a smidge tougher on your wallet (to be honest).

I bought 15 items from Target and guests had to guess how much each item cost. Not as easy as you’d think!

But, at the end of the game, the mommy-to-be has a lot of useful items to take home with her!

To keep with our #CelebratingBabyMateo tagline, I ordered these custom flags and straws from etsy. #obsessed

Gold Straws with Flags Gold Straw and Champagne Glass

Baby Boy Punch

handwritten menu for baby shower Baby Shower Menu

Rustic White and Green Baby Shower

As favors, every guest took home a mini succulent.

Succulent Baby Shower Favor

Printables:
Guess How Many Game Guessing Card
The Price is Right Game Card

Now that the shower’s done…the countdown begins until Baby Mateo arrives!

L,

Mrs. Alex Paul

Travel Memories

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I love vacations.

A tropical beach + a piña colada in my hand = heaven.

But when the trip is over (and those post-vacation blues are setting in), my husband and I pull out our travel souvenir and ceremoniously add it to our magnet collection.

Monogram with Travel Magnets

I found this metal letter online at PBTeen. It’s made out of iron and I called the customer service line just to make sure it’s magnetic. They confirmed it for me, so I ordered P for Paul!

I’m obsessed with it. And it’s a little more fun than just displaying them on the fridge.

The other tradition we have is adding a photo to our travel gallery wall in our dining room.

Travel Gallery Wall

We have a picture from every trip we’ve taken: Vancouver, Bora Bora, New York City, Washington DC, Cabo San Lucas, and Nassau.. (and maybe too many photos of ourselves? #vain)

Sprinkled in with our travel photos, we have a few prints: a map where we put dots on all the spots we’ve been and a family print of Alex and I with our 2 bunnies done by InkLane Design on etsy.

Travel Gallery Wall Closeup

Now after reminiscing about these trips..let me just hop on over to expedia to book another one!

L,

Mrs. Alex Paul

 

Parisian Bridal Shower

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Let me tell you about one of the great loves of my life.

Bridal showers.

Bridal Shower Tent

I’m obsessed. Girly decor. Games. Dainty food. Present-opening. Sign me up for every bridal shower on earth.

This past weekend I was lucky enough to host my cousin’s Parisian Bridal Shower. #iwasinheaven

Parisian Bridal Shower Color Palette

Gold Eiffel Tower Future Mrs. Ross

With each invitation, we asked guests to bring a special recipe to the bridal shower. Such an awesome way to get old family recipes and start a collection of yummy newlywed meals.
(Printable at the end of post)

Parisian Bridal Shower Invite and Recipe Card

Recipe Card Insert Closeup

We had a birdcage for small envelopes and a recipe box on the gift table for guests to put their recipes in.

Bridal Shower Bird Cage

Recipe Box

Bridal Shower Gift Table

Recipe Cards Filled Out

When guests walked in, they put on a pearl necklace and couldn’t say the groom’s name for the rest of the event.

Pearl Game Frame 1

Pearl Game Frame and Floral Letter

More details on the floral letter R on my previous post, DIY Floral Letter Monogram.

For the first activity, guests wrote advice for the happy couple. The bride read each one out loud and gave a prize for the best advice card. (Printable at the end of post)

Advice for the Happy Couple

 

Our second game, my absolute FAVORITE game to plan for showers, was a Q and A game with the bride. We asked the groom 27 questions before the shower, covered up his answers and asked the bride those same questions. The guests then had to guess whether their answers matched or not.

(Printables and Questions at the end of post!)

He said She said start

He said She said cards
(Printable at the end of post)

He said She said with card

Here are the 27 questions I asked:

(Printables at the end of post!)

He Said She Said Bridal Shower Game Questions and Printables

He Said She Said Bridal Shower Game

Printables:

Parisian Invitation: Blank Parisian Invitation

Recipe Card: Bon Appetit Recipe Card

Advice for the Happy Couple: Advice for the Happy Couple

He Said She Said Questions PDF He Said She Said Bridal Shower Game
He Said She Said Questions Word He Said She Said Bridal Shower Game
He Said She Said Game Card: He Said She Said Game

L,

Mrs. Alex Paul

 

DIY Floral Letter Monogram

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My last name used to start with an A. Oh how I miss that maiden name. Always at the front of the line. Always at the top of lists. Always #1.

Then I got married. And became Mrs. Paul.

That P is much further down the lists. #16 in fact. But despite dropping far down the alphabet – I’ve embraced it. #APforever

So when it came time to plan my cousin’s bridal shower, I knew I wanted to highlight the letter of her new last name – R. (She dropped down the alphabet from A also..it’s a rough ride my friends.)

Since her shower was a girly and pink Parisian themed event, I knew a floral letter would be perfect. #futureMrsR

R and Eiffel Tower

I got all of my supplies at Joann’s Fabrics: cardboard letter R, fake flowers, pink paint, foam brush. Plugged in my glue gun and was ready to roll.

Floral R Before

Floral R Painted

Once it was all painted and dry, I started playing with flower placement.

Floral R First Try.JPG

At first, I thought I had finally nailed it. Then I realized I had used too many big flowers and lost the entire shape. It doesn’t even look like an R anymore!

R after

The mix of big and small flowers really works much better. So perfect for my cousin’s bridal shower as decor on a table, tray or even on the door!

Floral R Single

R on front door

DIY Floral Letter

Love,

Mrs. Alex Paul

A Kappa Kappa Gamma Bride

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Kappa Kappa Gamma + weddings.

One of my favorite combinations.

Kappa Kappa Gamma Badge Detail

When I got married, I knew from the start that I wanted to incorporate some of my favorite Kappa traditions. What can I say, #blueandblueforever

Kappa Kappa Gamma group

1 Kappa Bride + 13 Kappa Guests = PERFECTION

One tradition that my Maid of Honor took charge of (a belated thanks to my girl Ali) was getting my Kappa bridesmaids’ key badges. They were pinned on the inside of my dress – as the saying goes, “Wear the Key under your dress and over your heart.”

Kappa Kappa Gamma badge

Another awesome idea is to pin the badges to the stems of your bouquet – love that!

The other tradition that I was looking forward to the most was singing “Oh Pat” surrounded by a circle of Kappas.

I know for every other wedding guest and family member, we looked like crazies out on the dance floor, but I loved every second!

#imsohappythatiama

Kappa Kappa Gamma Oh Pat

Just one of the best memories ever.

And the cherry on top? Having it featured on Kappa Kappa Gamma’s official instragram! #goals

Kappa Kappa Gamma Instagram

L,

Mrs. Alex Paul

The Perfect Engagement Gift

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There is nothing I love more than gift giving.

(I mean, other than carbs and real housewives marathons and my husband…but those are a given..)

But when it comes to finding the perfect gift, (and my husband will agree) I’m kind of a monster. It can take many hours, and many trips to the store, and many websites, and many return trips to the store to find what I’m looking for.

(sorry hubby)

Luckily, I’ve finally perfected my go-to engagement gift.

I give you, the 5 items you need for a perfect engagement gift:

5 items for the perfect engagement gift

  1. Mugs, about $8 each
  2. Tying the Knotie nail polish, about $8.50
  3. Couples Q&A Journal, ranges from $12-$16
  4. Ring dish, about $8
  5. Thank you notes, about $13.50

Being that I’m in my late 20s and I have a friend getting engaged like every day, this fool-proof template has been a life saver.

What I love about these items is that they can be customized for every bride – a glam, black & white theme or a feminine, floral theme. The mugs and ring dish can even be a DIY project if you’re brave enough!

And if you’re a little more budget conscious but still want a “WOW” gift, I highly recommend this customizable t-shirt. It’s under $20 dollars and is personalized with their future last name..I’ve ordered it for many friends and can definitely say I love the finished product every time.

So there you have it, my fool-proof engagement gift for the best friends in your life.

L,

Mrs. Alex Paul