Mammas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys

For the past couple of weeks, I have been utilizing the creative side of my incredibly shrinking brain to help plan a baby shower for a cousin’s wife. And let me preface this by saying that in all of my 27 (eh-hum) years, I have neither attended nor help plan as many baby showers in the span of a 6 month period—four to be exact. If there’s something in the water, I respectfully and mercilessly request that you serve me a Corona Light with a lime instead. Maria does a fairly good job with other people’s babies, but is not so much in need of one of her own at this time. Been there, done that—have the 20-year old to prove it.

For this shower, we planned a cowboy theme. Because nothing says cute, cuddly, and baby like this…

Why, hello there Mr. Cowboy! Unfortunately, he was not in attendance, as I am quite sure he was performing at an entirely different kind of party. The kind of party that only exists in maria’s incredibly shrinking brain. But I digress. Our party involved this type of cute and cuddly cowboy…

Which I incorporated into the shower invitations…

I also painstakingly rubber-banded 96 tiny, newborn-size diapers in order to create this cowboy-themed diaper cake. I’m pretty sure that I’ve lost all feeling in my right index finger and came dangerously close to snapping out an eyeball. Don’t try this at home, people.

I made Cowboy Cookies for take-aways, which were AMAZINGLY delicious if I say so myself! The Girl Scout cookies that are camped out in my spare bedroom ain’t got nothin’ on these babies. Or is that the other way around? Regardless, the recipe is apparently Laura Bush’s recipe, as posted by Helen over at Cowgirl Cuisine. For an extra touch, I stuck them on 7″ cookie sticks (while they were still hot), decorated them with chocolate icing, wrapped them in cellophane, tied them up with matching ribbons, and yee-haw! Cowboy cookies in a basket.

I’m thinking that I could use this idea in the future for a cookie bouquet, no? Cute, snappy, fun. Much like Maria in her twenties.

And we displayed it all on a table covered with a white table cloth topped with a vase of white daisies and cowboy confetti…

Because Maria is such a control freak and abnormally OCD about party details, I convinced Tiff (my hairdresser, dear friend, cousin’s wife, and cohort in this shower) to color-coordinate the food. Which she did.

There was actually more food, but I’m quite sure I was spazzed out about a napkin being misaligned and forgot to take a picture.

The cake was made by a young friend of Tiff’s who is just learning pastry techniques and methods. It was magically delicious, and I think that she did a wonderful job!

It turned out to be a beautiful shower with a fun theme. And much to my chagrin, not a cookie was spared. Like Maria needs another freaking cookie…