It's a Girl! I was overjoyed when my close friend Brianna "Bri" Madison called to tell me she was expecting a baby girl. We met in 2016 when my son MJ and her son Orion booked their first baby modeling job together in a promo for Baby Einstein. We became fast friends. Bri also has an older son (nicknamed MJ just like my son), and we loved to hang out with our boys. Bri's a talented and highly sought after web designer. My website and logo are designed by her company, Websites X Bri.
Bri was expecting in 2020, so I sprung into action planning a virtual baby shower for September 2020, about mid-way through Bri's third trimester. We were in the midst of a pandemic, and like most things that year, our baby shower preparations didn't go exactly according to plan. About a week before the shower date, Bri suddenly went into labor. Fortunately, Bri safely delivered a healthy baby girl. Bri and her husband and children are all very tall, so even though Denise Renee was born a bit early, she was already over six pounds.
Once Baby Dee Dee was settled, I changed course and planned a virtual sip & see. A sip & see is a Southern tradition for friends and neighbors to sip tea or cocktails and see the newborn. My original baby shower design was over-the-top girlie with frills and lots of pink. Once Dee Dee was born, Bri was juggling a busy career working from home and caring for her husband and three children. Taking this into account, I went back to the drawing board to design a sip & see that was fun and colorful with a more laid back vibe.
Valentine's Day was coming up, so I wanted to incorporate the holiday. I also thought about Bri's family and their super cool energy. Her husband is a music producer, and their style reflects this. One day Bri sent me a photo of a Pac Man t-shirt with hearts that she bought for her boys for Valentine's Day. At that moment, I knew exactly what to do. I decided to go with a 1980's theme, inspired by early hip hop and bubble gum soul.
Bringing the '80's valentine theme to life was a blast. I found a graffiti inspired photo backdrop with a notebook paper print- so 80's!
My son MJ and I had a ball dressing up for the sip & see. I wore a heart themed Keith Haring sweatshirt, and MJ wore an Adidas track suit. The ultimate in 80's street style.
Valentine's Day is all about the candy and cookies. I made custom conversation heart cookies and sipped pink lemonade.
The sip & see was short and sweet. There were well wishes from grandma, aunties, friends, and roommates from college. We included a brief slide show of Baby Dee Dee and played virtual valentine themed games. The highlight came when Bri's mother-in-law recited a surprise poem she had written for the occasion:
Dee Dee's Valezoombration
Thank you for Dee Dee's Valezoombration that we're having today.
It was such an honor for Brianna to name her daughter,
Denise Renee after her mother and me,
And I am so glad that Brianna shares her pictures for all of us to see.
She's such a beautiful baby, happy and loves to take pictures everyday,
It is truly unbelievable that she has so many poses and expressions leaving me often asking, "What did she say?"
Denise Renee's beautiful smile lights up a room,
And everyone here today, gets to see her on Zoom.
Have a totally awesome Valentine's Day!
Tammi
Baby Dee Dee's Denim Valentine Jumper: Carter's
Orion and Big MJ's T-Shirts: Mr Ben Valentines Day
Keith Haring Sweatshirt: Target
Track Suit: Adidas
Grafitti Backdrop: Duluda
Valentine Cookie Cutter: Cookie Imprinter
Heart Shaped Plate: Meri Meri
XO Plate: Spritz for Target
