Let's Plan a Party

We had catered a few events at a small venue in Johnson City, and Elizabeth knew it was the perfect spot to celebrate baby Rosie. It is called Knob Creek Meadows, and if you are looking to have a small gathering, we would recommend it!   

Anna Catherine, the queen of charcuterie, said cheese and crackers wouldn’t cut it for this hungry baby, so she opted for a little taco bar. Instead of complicating the prep with many sides and offerings, Elizabeth kept it simple and offered two proteins, shredded chicken and flaked tilapia, and one hot side, Mexican Street corn. Of course, a big pot of queso was a must as well. We then arranged the toppings charcuterie style, offering shredded cabbage, sliced limes, and avocado wedges in addition to the usual lettuce, tomato, and cheese spread. Add in a few types of salsas, three different kinds of sour cream (chili lime, sweet siracha, and plain), and a plethora of fresh fruit, and the taco bar looked like a work of art! Anna Catherine’s favorite part about the food might have been the fact that while Adam stood behind the bar to handle the buffet line, her other two brothers joined in (more than likely to avoid social interaction and watch sports on their phones) and ended up being the smiling faces who helped serve the food, a compliment in addition to their presence at a primarily female filled baby shower.   

For dessert, per Anna Catherine’s request, we made oatmeal cookies and sourced marvelous pink almond cupcakes from Unique Cake Shoppe in Bristol.    

We wanted to keep it simple regarding games since the party was a drop-in, so Elizabeth found this quick and easy group game on Etsy. She filled a large baby bottle from Party City with money and small gifts and read the prompts on the card. We passed the bottle around the room to the person who best fit the description until it ended, and someone took it home! It was a fun way for guests to learn a little bit from the others around them. The second game we played was a quiz about Anna and her family. It included silly multiple-choice questions about cravings, who they told first, and a guess-who section for baby weights and favorite stuffed animals. Since Anna already has three daughters, we were able to create lots of fun questions about the girls and her husband, Robbie, as well. The room took it at once, and the winner (Anna Catherine’s sister) got a diaper with money stashed inside. 

For décor, we grabbed some plates and napkins from Amazon and blew up some pink and gold balloons, but a dear family friend who helped host the shower went the extra mile and sourced gold chargers and florals from Tennessee Florist Supply in Bristol. She also had maternity photos printed and framed in golden dollar store frames. These were perfect because, at the end of the party, family members got to take home a framed picture and a bouquet of fresh flowers.