Baby Shower for Paula

I believe in living life in Oman fully, to the very end!  I may have crammed more into the month of May than advisable to maintain sanity, but here's to crazy!  :)  I have been glamping and boating, and helped with a week-long celebration of Staff Appreciation at my kids' school.  I hosted the Bible Study Fellowship leaders at my home this morning, a group of 18.  But yesterday, I hosted my first baby shower in years!

I hosted the baby shower for my good friend, Paula, of Ninja Turtle Birthday Party fame.  

It is not easy to host a party when most of your party stuff is in storage in Chicago.  It literally took a village to pull off this shower.  It was a total group effort!  Luckily Shatha, one of our friends, owns a flower shop, Little Shop of Flowers.  It is located right next to where Dairy Queen used to be, in Shatti.

My friend, Kristi, must do some heavy-duty entertaining.  She loaned me 35 white plates, forks, cups and saucers, and tablecloths.  Oh, and a coffee carafe.  Debi loaned me an electric kettle (which I never even knew existed till moving to Oman.)  At least I brought my iced tea dispenser from home.

This is the Pinterest picture I gave Shatha's flower shop.  But a request for no pink flowers.

I received three beautiful arrangements.  Nice how Jennifer matches the candle holders!  :)

Quite a few ladies brought food.  It started out as a 'normal' brunch menu, but turned more international.  :)

I bought blue and white gingham and cut it into two squares and two table runners.  I took them to be hemmed at a tailor for sake of time (remember crazy May schedule.)  He only charged me 2.5 rials, or $6.50!  

So the theme of the baby shower was baby blue and camo, short for camouflage.  The baby's father is a former Army Ranger.  Now trust me when I say there is nothing camo to be found in Muscat!  Luckily we had a few things imported from the US by Debi.  But I also found this amazing picture (on Pinterest, of course) of these camo cupcakes a couple of weeks before the party.  I had never seen anything like this before!

Natasha took them to Gateau Bakery, in Ghubra.  He did an wonderful job pulling off the camo cupcakes.  They were so moist and delicious.

Debi made a diaper cake with ribbon from Hobby Lobby, in Texas.  However, the blue gingham curling ribbon came from Lulu's!

Paula (and Lukas)

I caught beautiful Beata with a full mouth!  I just wanted to get a shot of the inside of the camo cupcakes.  :)  Beata is from Hungary and this was her first baby shower.  Actually, Paula has a very international group of friends.  It was the first baby shower for a number of them.  I didn't realize that baby showers were not more universal.  

Paula, Natasha, Debbie

Frannie and Shetha

Let's imagine that bowl of chocolate is a working chocolate fountain.  We had a fountain disfunction. Cute camo plates came from the US.

Debi just happened to go to Texas in April for two weddings and came back with a suitcase full of camo plates, napkins, ribbon, baby clothes, and Spanx.  Yes, Spanx, for a friend  (not me).  No matter where you live in the world, a woman needs control. 

I told Paula we couldn't have a shower without any shower games.  The newbies were expecting it.  We played a baby version of Pictionary, and it was a lot of fun.  Funny seeing how competitive these sweet ladies could be over guessing 'changing table'!

Then Paula opened the baby gifts.  Baby Lukas will be one well-dressed baby!

As guests were leaving, we noticed smoke.  There was a brush fire across the street!

This is the first fire truck I have ever seen in Muscat.  And to be honest, I have no idea what the number is to get a fire truck.  I don't think 911 will work here.

Here's wishing the Bowlin family the best with the arrival of baby Lukas!

It was a fun shower!  So what is left in May?  Bible study, a farewell brunch, Prom, a dinner party, and a dream vacation to The Maldives.  Not all that much.