Baby showers aren’t what they used to be! With new and creative ideas, baby showers are no longer the same old theme or style. It’s sill okay to stay traditional and make it a get-together just for the ladies, but get creative with it!  “New Mommy to Be” baby shower invitation

And if the daddy-to-be is looking forward to being part of the celebration, make it a Jack and Jill shower, and make it unique and fun for all! Be sure to choose a “his and hers” invitation that lets the guests know the guys are welcome too. Couples baby shower invitation in blue or Couples baby shower invitation in pink

Don’t know where to begin with the planning? Start with a sweet or sassy MyGatsby.com baby shower invitation and let the invitation be your guide! Incredible cakes can be decorated using the invitation as the template. Carry the colors and designs of the invitation throughout the party planning to make a beautifully choreographed theme for that once in a life-time celebration. It doesn’t have to be intimidating to be amazing! There are simple and easy way s to create a fun and unique baby shower.

One fun idea is to select a baby shower invitation from the many choices that have a “baby clothes theme”. Boy or Girl Invitation Use that theme and color scheme to coordinate and create a unique and memorable baby shower. If the sex of the baby has already been determined, be sure to tell the guests so they know whether to shop for a girl or a boy! The easiest way to let them know is to choose a baby shower invitation that spells it out! Blue Line Invitation or Pink Line Invitation

To get started with the “baby clothes theme”, generously decorate the room with vases, baskets and flower pots filled with fresh or silk flowers. Daisies would be perfect! Several colorful, silk butterflies in different sizes, and even a couple of chenille bumble bees and dragonflies make beautiful embellishments placed randomly on the daisies, and incorporated into the table arrangements and on the cake. (If you know that it’s a girl, play up the butterflies. If it’s going to be a boy, play up the bumble bees and dragonflies.) Overhead, towards the ceiling, hang white clotheslines throughout the room. Crisscross them and string them from one side of the room to the other. On the clotheslines, clip large, plastic clothespins in the color combo of your choice, still keeping within your color scheme. Every here and there hang a color coordinated balloon on the clothesline with a clothespin. (Note... you won’t need to purchase helium balloons when hanging them on the clothesline, but if you have vaulted ceilings, helium balloons tied on with various length ribbons make a beautifully, festive affect!)

Here’s where it gets fun! Ask the guests to bring only gifts of baby clothes, and bring them unwrapped and still on their hangers. (The guests will love this! It makes for easier shopping, and it eliminates the expense and fuss of having to wrap their gifts!) As the guests arrive, have them hang their gifts on the clothesline either using their own hangers or the clothespins. They can clip their cards to the clothesline with a clothespin as well, or clip them to their gifts. You will have instant decorations and instant fun! This theme is a great ice-breaker for conversation and laughter.

This fun style of gift giving has other pluses, as well! Sometimes opening gifts the traditional way can feel awkward. This eliminates that whole uncomfortable situation. And for the guest who has to leave early, often before the gifts have been opened, they get to enjoy knowing that their gift has been displayed throughout the baby shower.

In keeping with the “clothesline theme”, instead of using humdrum, adhesive name tags, get creative and make your own out of heavy paper or card stock that has the look of fabric or a fabric print, such as rose buds, pastel plaid, Winter-Pink Argyle Card Stock or Baby Blue Linen Card Stock and cut out name tags in the shape of baby clothes, such as: booties, diapers, t-shirts and sun dresses, and let your guests fasten their name tag on with a cute, plastic clothespin. (No sticky adhesive or pin-hole damage to the clothes is another plus!)

Let the cake follow “suit” (pardon the pun) with the “baby clothes theme” by stringing a clothes line across the cake. For the poles that support the clothesline, use 2 tall peppermint candy sticks. Swirl some icing onto the designated spot on each side of the cake, where your clothesline poles will be placed, and insert the candy sticks through the icing and into the cake for stability. (Candy sticks come in all colors and flavors so it will be easy to find them to match your color scheme.) For the clothesline, add a piece of very thin, white, rubber-coated wire. (You can find an assortment of wire at the craft store or hardware store.) Firmly attach the clothes line to the poles by tightly twisting the wire around the tops of the candy sticks. (You may want to measure carefully and attach the clothesline to the poles prior to inserting the poles into the cake.) A touch of decorative icing can be piped on to hide the twisted ends of wire, if desired. Using tiny clothespins (found in the scrapbooking department of your local craft store) hang an assortment of miniature (paper or cloth) doll clothes on the clothesline, but before clipping them on, neatly stencil one letter onto each piece of clothing to spell out your greeting, “Welcome Baby” or use baby’s name, such as, “Welcome Baby Skylar”. The doll clothes and letters don’t have to hang perfectly even, or be identical in size. Remember, you are simulating a clothesline with laundry! It should be a bit uneven and mismatched in size!

For a little fun and games, play the clothespin game: Each guest is given a wooden clothespin which they will clip on to their clothing in a visible place. The rule of the game is, do not cross your legs (or substitute not using hand gestures) because if you do, another guest can steel your clothespin away! At the end of the party, the guest with the most clothespins wins a prize. The fun is endless and the memories are timeless!

Make it fun. Make it special. Make it MyGatsby.com!

Summer is here and it’s time for a getaway! But with gas prices high and vacation budgets low, bring the Islands home with a Luau that sweeps you away to a tropical paradise... right in your own back yard!

Greet your guests at the door with a fragrant orchid lei and a cool and refreshing tropical drink garnished with exotic fruit and a fun and whimsical umbrella straw. Then let the mouth-watering aromas of tender, teriyaki short ribs, tangy mango glazed wings, and sweet pineapple, grilled on the barbeque, draw them outside for some tasty appetizers, to get the party started. Get your family and friends in on the planning and make it an Island flavored potluck. Assemble a list of traditional island ingredients and let each guest pick an ingredient from the list and bring a dish with that predominant ingredient ...coconut, mango, papaya, pork, Maui onions, seafood, macadamia nuts, to name a few. And don’t let those bachelors get away with bringing a bag of chips or a six pack of soda! They can bring the tiki torches, a suitcase full of sand and sea shells, or even a cooler of shaved ice and flavored syrups for snow cones for the kids! Get creative, get it together and get those invitations out!

MyGatsby offers an assortment of Luau invitations as unique and beautiful as the Islands, themselves. Trade out browsing through travel brochures for browsing a collection of Luau invitations that will take you to your destination....

Your guests will feel the sway of the palms in the trade winds as they open their Big Palm Trees invitation... perfect for a luau and great for many other occasions with a tropical theme, or celebration at the beach, be it a luau, a beach baptism, an end-of- the- year school party, a family reunion or a good old fashioned clam dig! Get your guests in the mood at first glance of the invitation. Then get the party started by slipping some coconut confetti inside the card for a little extra surprise!  

Hawaiian Shirt is another great luau invitation and is also a perfect choice for a tropical themed bachelor party or poolside retirement party. On the back of the envelope glue a tropical colored shirt button on the point of the closure flap, for a fun embellishment.

Hula Feet Invitation sets the theme for a fun luau or beach party invitation, and is a great choice for that barefoot beach wedding’s rehearsal dinner. Purchase some raffia or a natural color grass skirt at your local party shop and cut it into long strands. Tie a bow around the envelope like you would a gift package and for a little extra style, thread some white seashells on to each end, and tie a knot. Slip the whole “package” into a padded envelope, have the post office hand stamp it and your party is on its way!

Make it special. Make it unique. Make it MyGatsby!