LotusHaus

Sushi for Dessert? Make sweet mochi with fruit!

Making sweet mochi is super easy and tasty! Via the awesome bento blog JustBento and a guest post by The Tiny Urban Kitchen, I discovered a way to make "sushi" using mochi and fruit! So delicious! Wouldn't this be great for a baby shower or bridal shower! Pair this with some "floral sushi" styling for a sweet sushi inspired party!

Modern Safari Baby Shower Invitation

Here is a baby shower invitation that I was commissioned to do (the details have been changed for privacy). The theme was a modern take on the Safari animal theme and the mother-to-be recently purchased this cute elephant mobile for her nursery. If you want this invitation for your baby shower email me and I can customize it for you for a small fee and you can print it at your own convenience!

My Asian Inspired Baby Shower!

These little baby monk figurines and Chinese display stands were the inspiration for my Asian themed baby shower! You can see my evite design here. Thanks to my mom, my hubby and two of my dearest friends, I had a colorful, meaningful and fun filled party!

In Chinese culture (as with many other cultures), food is so important during special celebrations, so I wanted to celebrate the concept of Dim Sum with my guests at this lunch time party, (Dim Sum literally means "to touch your heart," and consists of a variety of dumplings, steamed dishes and other goodies). Check out this colorful spread! I just have to share with you some of the dishes we served and what they mean to me.

Dim Sum is all about small delicacies with big flavor! We had shrimp and chicken dumplings along with eggrolls, pot stickers and edamame from Uwajimaya. My girlfriend steamed them all herself! As a mommy to be, I love these dishes and enjoy thinking of myself as a little dumpling with a special treat inside, like a pea in a pod!

I found an appetizer recipe for Asian Chicken Salad on Endive Spears and wanted this dish to represent a baby in a cradle. Super easy and so cute! The trick is to use the cooked rotisserie chicken readily available at the grocery store.

I'm Filipino and my mom makes two dishes that I absolutely love! Fresh Lumpia and Pancit. Fresh Lumpia is basically a crepe roll with an assortment of cooked meat and vegetables. My mom made these ones vegetarian with sweet potatoes, potatoes, jicama, cilantro, seasoning and lettuce. She wrapped them in wax paper and tied it with raffia. They are served with a sweet dipping sauce. The other dish I love is Pancit, which is a Filipino noodle dish. There are different kinds of Pancit but my favorite is Pancit Canton, which is a Chinese style version using egg noodles. We had to have noodles because they symbolize long life and prosperity!

I think the Chinese translation for lotus root is " lin ngau,"  which sounds like "lin yau", and means "every year you have plenty." I found fresh sliced lotus roots at Uwajimaya and made a quick lotus root stir-fry with sesame, green onions, cilantro and bean sprouts. Guests were surprised and delighted with the texture and flavor of the lotus root.

For dessert my hubby made these tasty Chinese Moon Cookies using wooden Chinese molds in the shape of koi fish and fu dogs (they turned out so cute!!!). As a surprise, one of my friends baked and decorated this gorgeous French Vanilla cake with blue fondant and cherry blossoms!!! It was amazing! The cake was so beautiful and delicious! Another surprise dessert was a batch of Nutella Chocolate Chip cookies made by one of my dearest girlfriends who helped to host the party.

For the buffet table decor, I used blue and orange cotton fabrics for runners. The blue fabric is called Koto by Alexander Henry (above left) and it also inspired my invitation design (above right) and color theme.

Since goldfish are also good luck, I thought it would be fun to have them floating around! I put them in glass cubes with a glass shelf that raised up the display stand. I love how it turned out!

I just love brocade fabrics and Chinese handicrafts with their bright colors, pretty patterns and intricate knotting and tassels... I also love tiny shoes and booties. So when I found these Baby shoes and lucky charm amulets in various stores in Chinatown I thought what a cute display these would be together. What great luck to find them in matching colors! Plus I can use all of these display goods for the baby later!

Here's how the living room was arranged. For munchies, we filled a fish bowl with rice crackers, sesame sticks and good ol' goldfish crackers.

Here's my Asian inspired diaper cake! I discovered an easier way to arrange the diapers than the last diaper cake I made. This cake uses about 90pcs of organic cotton newborn diapers, 60pcs on the bottom layer and 30pcs on the top. To do this, take a drinking glass and arrange a handful of diapers on their side in a circular pattern around the glass and wrap a really big rubber band around it. Add more diapers until the rubber band is tight. Remove the glass and rearrange diapers to fill in the hole. Make another layer and decorate. A Hostess Blog post about an Asian Inspired Bridal Shower gave me the idea to use a 3 tiered bamboo plant for the cake topper.

For the alcove decor, I took extra fabric and made simple fabric scroll hangings and anchored them with wooden double happiness accent pieces that I found a long time ago but haven't had a chance to use until now. To change up my existing metal wall art piece, I printed out various Asian patterns and just taped them up.

For our baby shower game, the ladies had 5 minutes to use play dough and design little tiny booties. They were all so cute! I picked a winner and she received a prize. 

Instead of a wishing tree or guest book, I made rice paper fortune cookies and we asked guests to write their parenting advise or sentiments for the fortune saying. We will read through these after the baby is born!

For favors I wanted to create something meaningful and I had read about the tradition of a Blessingway, which is a mother-focused shower that honors and nurtures the pregnant women. Since most of my guests were already mothers, I wanted to tap into their courage and strength when my time comes to deliver Rafael. After searching without success for a blessing or prayer for a healthy delivery, I eventually wrote my own. So, for the favor I included a candle and a copy of the prayer. When I go into labor, my friends will get a text or email to light the candle and read the prayer. This way, all of these strong women will be thinking of me at the same time and I can look forward to receiving their encouragement! For the actual favor box, I used a DIY template from Twig & Thistle and altered it to fit my theme. 

Here's me (in the middle) and my dearest girlfriends looking lovely with these pretty Asian fans. I had all of my guests sit on the couch and take a picture with me. You can see more of these "fan shots" here. Thanks to all my friends and family that came to celebrate with me!!! I am grateful to have you all in my life!

My Baby Shower! Sneak Peek

I can't believe I'm already 32 weeks along in my pregnancy! My baby shower is this Sunday and being a DIY-er of course I had to throw some things together! Here is a sneak peek at my invitation... I uploaded this image to my event web page at www.pingg.com. It's a great online invitation service and a wonderful way to save money and the environment!!!

DIY Favor Boxes by Twig & Thistle

Quick download these beautifully designed favor boxes by Twig & Thistle for your next event! I love the yellow waves and pink flowers (very Japonesque)! I also love how the pattern surrounds the top like a lid and not all over - saving you ink and money! Perfecto!

Asian Cotton Fabrics at Harts Fabrics

While doing some online research for Chinese inspired cotton prints for my baby shower, I came across a wonderful selection of fabrics at Hart's Fabrics. You could create a plethora of different color stories and themes inspired by any of these fabrics! I love the top left purple and brown patchwork print with Japanese Temari balls, the koi fish and the whimsical leaves and kanji character.

JaydaOnline } Stationary and Gifts with an Eco-Twist!

For lifestyle stationary that is modern, fun and eco-friendly look no further! Jayda is a fantastic source for invitations for weddings, baby showers and parties! The founders, Johanna Reyes and Yadira Chevere are the sisters and designing women behind this beautiful event planner's resource (The company name is a sweet combination of their first names). Check out their impressive environmental commitment here. Jayda also has awesome blogs! For wedding inspiration check out Down the Aisle and for some baby love check out Blue, Pink and Green. In addition, to being eco-savvy and hip, the MOST IMPRESSIVE thing about Jayda's offerings is that when you purchase invitations for a wedding or baby shower, you get your own coordinating blog site!

Eco-Origami Elephant Print + Eames Plywood Elephant! Too cute!

I am giddy over these super cute origami elephant prints by Etsy seller Mingus in Melbourne, Australia!  The card set is printed on recycled paper and includes matching recycled envelopes. The mini zippered pouch is hand printed and made with either eco-friendly hemp or a blend of hemp and organic cotton. *Also design related: Check out "The Gathering of Elephants" a sweet little motion video of retro plywood elephant toys from the famed Eames design duo...

Hmmm, I see a baby shower theme here for the global modern, design oriented mama ...don't you?!!!

Amy Atlas } Dessert Tables to Live For!

Ok, pick your jaw up off the floor! What you see here is an expertly designed dessert table by Amy Atlas, a highly sought after New York party planner. Yes folks, that is a lollipop tree and those other stick treats are Browniepops. I want those cake stands and candy dishes!!! This sweet discovery is via the Bride Ideas blog!

Warholizer } Easy Graphics!

Get your own Warhol style poster! Check out the Warholizer that I discovered from visiting the lovely and talented blogger Maritess B! Wedding couples, use this for your thank you card or save the date...Baby shower planners, use this with an image of a bottle or diaper...Sweet sixteeners, use your face to make posters and flags for your party...too much fun!

My Interview at BabyLifestyles.com

Check out Baby Lifestyles, the newest online resource for lots of tips and inspiration about baby showers, gifts, party planning and going green! You will also find examples of real parties along with the scoop on today's celebrity babies. I was fortunate enough to have been interviewed for the fun work I've done with baby showers and my special focus on Co-Ed baby showers. Read both articles here and here! Also check out this interview with my buddy Amy of Stem Parties.

Cupcake Onesies } by The Baby Bunch

You've seen the Baby Bunch Flower Bouquet, but now you can score these super cute onesie packs rolled up and presented as cupcakes for your next baby shower! I'm hoping they will launch an organic cotton version soon, but in the meantime, aren't they just adorable!

Lucky Koi Wall Mural } Inspiration for your Nursery and Baby Shower!

One of my creative visions for an upcoming baby shower was the use of temporary or removable wall murals and artwork... Here's an awesome example of this idea by Anika, using Blik Wall Decals by Mel Lim and incorporating nursery decor with the baby shower. The amazing cake design was done by A Little Bit of Heaven. Luckily, I discovered all of this joyfulness by subscribing to BACE, the new Business and Creative Exchange blog by Mel Lim and her husband...check it out if you are an entrepreneur and looking for tips to make your creative business more joyful and more prosperous! Speaking of prosperous, I'd better feed my Koi fish! You can help me feed them too (see my Koi Pond in the left sidebar)

Oh Baby! Here's the Tropical Boy!

I thought I would post an update to my Tropical Baby Party and introduce you to our precious little godson Isaiah. He will be 4 months old on Friday and already has quite a personality! I am chatting with Isaiah in the photo above and my husband is enjoying his godfather status as shown below right. Check out Isaiah's raised eyebrow action in the middle photo! Isn't he just scrumptious!!! (P.S. my best friend is the designer mommy who made the cute white outfit and stylin' hat)

Baby Bunch } Organic Gift Set that looks like a flower bouquet!

I was shopping around Madison Park today after an appointment with my Naturopath and saw this great organic baby gift set from Baby Bunch. I wish I would have picked these up for all the baby showers I attended this year! This beautiful gift set includes organic cotton baby essentials presented in a floral bouquet with wood veneer roses, faux foliage and a lovely decorative lidded box!

Modern Asian Style } Baby Announcements

I'm really diggin' these modern Asian inspired Baby Announcements from Fine Stationary! When baby gets bigger, I would highly recommend getting a custom silhouette/cameo print. Click here to see what I mean. So cute and modern!

A Modern Co-Ed Baby Shower } Chocolate, Raspberry & Lime

I recently hosted a fun co-ed baby shower. It was a baby girl shower with a very modern theme. I designed & created the shower invitations, party favors, floral arrangements and party decor. The shower and all of the design details really turned out great! The colors were chocolate, raspberry and lime green with touches of silver.

The invitation consisted of a printed vellum overlay which opened to a irridescent invite backed with chocolate colored cardstock and wrapped in wavy wire. Vellum, paper and cardstock from Paper Zone.

The party favors were made with chocolate colored pillow boxes from Packaging Specialties and were wrapped with pink tulle, lime green grosgrain ribbon, dark pink raffia and sealed with a coordinating diecut paper medallion. Inside each favor were 2 white peony tea bags, 1 homemade green tea scented soy wax candle and 1 Choxie chocolate square.

I made a funky corsage out of aluminum wire and wrapped it with a crimped wire. Then I inserted grass blades and an orchid.

This is my dining room that opens up to the living room. I have two tables and four benches that make up a long buffet and very versatile seating. We had lots of great finger food. Trader Joe's is the perfect place to pick up easy to prepare appetizers like dumplings, quiche, coconut breaded shrimp and spanakopita. My girlfriend saved the day by helping me prepare these bites while I worked on the floral arrangements. The two table arrangements featured curled up wire, floating flowers, orchids and wire wrapped grasses. I also used spotlights to add shots of pink color to the dark corners.

Here's the living room with two chairs of honor decorated with tulle (I love using tulle! It's affordable, colorful, reusable and can work as ribbon or sheer fabric.) The white paper lanterns are from Shoji Decor and are dressed up with pink tassels from Jo-Ann fabrics. I bought a nice chocolate colored slipcover from Bed, Bath and Beyond, and wrapped (knotted at the back) my existing pillows with pink and green satin material for some quick no-sew accent pillows (fabric also from Jo-Ann fabrics).

Here's my coffee table arrangement and below are some sweet pink and brown treats - ladybug cookies, vegan cupcakes and chocolate covered strawberries.

Finally, below are images of my patio and the floral designs I created to go along with the pink and green theme.