Two years ago for her wedding, my dear friend Jen, had us, her bridesmaids, wear purple; I hemmed and hawed (not my most flattering color). For her baby shower I put aside my hue biases and embraced lavender. With a Parisian theme and menu, we kept the day simple with thoughtful touches like iron-on napkins. A French brunch buffet included tangerine mimosas, quiche, brie, baguette, salads and plenty of french pastries. (The very ones that contributed to my significant weight gain during a semester in Paris where a macaroon a day gradually became a bag of macaroons a day. They’re just too enticing.) And I’m not afraid to admit that the majority of our spread came from San Francisco’s famed bakery Tartine. Sometimes it’s fun to focus on the other details and take a break from the kitchen. Our theme developed with a playlist of Edith Piaf, Pink Martini and Brigitte Bardot. The game: a who’s who guessing game with all party guests’ baby photos pinned up on a clothes line. For favors: bars of lavender soap from the farmer’s market with Jen’s due date as the tag. Now we’re all excited to meet baby Charlotte and get her in some Petit-Bateau.
