Nina’s been pregnant for 8.25 months so it was high time to have a baby shower. I don’t want to say how long it’s been since I’ve attended one, and I think it’s been three times longer since I hosted such an event. But she’s my youngest best friend and my next door neighbor so it made sense.
In the U.S. there’s every possible gimmick available to decorate for a party. I wouldn’t be surprised to find a baby shower kit complete with storks and tiny white diapers with miniature safety pins, rattles, giant pacifiers…? But this is Bali. The Balinese culture is rich with celebrations and ceremonies, but they don’t have baby showers, therefore they don’t have baby baubles, doodads, or trinkets.
I scoured the massive Delta Dewata on one end of town and the equally enormous Bintang Supermarket on the other to see what I could glean from the paper products, arts and crafts aisle, tourist gizmos, and whatnot. The first time out was a bust. I was going to have to be creative.
“Ketut, could you buy flowers and make two big arrangements for Nina’s party?” Bali does have flowers.
“Oh no. Not buy. Cut-cut no problem. What you want?”
“I want red, pink, and white colors. It’s okay, you can buy them.”
“Maybe I borrow.”
“Borrow flowers? Where?”
His answer would definitely incriminate him so the source of the borrowed flowers will remain a mystery. But he augment the heisted blooms with two dozen purchased stems of the sinfully fragrant bunga sedap malam (delicious night flower) that emits the most powerful scent after dark.
The shower was three days away and the time had come to get serious. Balloons are universal but the colors they come in are not. I wanted baby girl hues, pinks, lavenders, and splashes of rose. Bintang Supermarket had pepto bismal and fire engine. Pass. In the Delta Dewata I found an enormous bag of the most hideous shades of mud, spruce, beige, and dusty navy. But hidden in the same bag among those eyesores were exactly the colors I wanted. I grabbed the package and ran. On the way to the cashier a flowery painted offering basket caught my eye, the perfect alternative to a box and gift wrap.
The house is ready for guests with bunga sedap malam, and the colorful offering basket.
After stopping on the way home to order a cheesecake at Cafe Wayan, I conferred with Ketut regarding a shower lunch. He suggested lumpia, satays with peanut sauce, steamed mixed vegetables with onion and garlic sambal, and rice. Lovely.
I ordered it with strawberries…they got the color right…!
No self-respecting baby shower is complete without games, even I know that! Again at a loss, I Googled baby shower games. The internet yielded a dizzying feast of choices.
So today from 1:00 – 5:00, Nina and friends celebrated the imminent arrival of the newest member of their family, and judging from the constant babble punctuated by peals of laughter, I’d say a good time was had by all!
writing for self-discovery 
Aug 02, 2015 @ 09:00:33
Doesn’t she look so lovely? It looks like a wonderful baby shower. Great job!
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Aug 02, 2015 @ 19:08:44
Yes, she does look gorgeous…absolutely radiant!
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Aug 02, 2015 @ 09:05:37
You are so lovely to have put on a baby shower for your friend. I’ve never been to one – I think that they are quite new to the UK so I missed them by a long way! The offerings basket was an inspired choice. They make such pretty containers for all sorts of things. I bought quite a few back with me to Spain and wish now that I’d bought more as they make great gifts too. I hope that you all had a lovely day and that the cheese cake was as good as it looks. p.s I had an email notification earlier for another post of yours but when I clicked on it, it said that it wasn’t available?
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Aug 02, 2015 @ 19:15:38
Ha! Regarding that mystery post…the internet was acting strangely last night and suddenly it decided to publish all on its own! I had about 3 paragraphs and no photos so quick as I could I copied the text then trashed it and started over! And I’m not surprised that the rest of the world hasn’t caught on to all the special party days that are so commonplace in the U.S. Retailers mastermind 99% of them I’m sure, and once there’s a Boss’s Day or an Underwear Day (Yup!) or a Romance Awareness MONTH…aren’t you obligated to give a gift?
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Aug 02, 2015 @ 17:51:30
Again, you have my highest admiration Sherry. I haven’t attended a baby shower since Noah was a toddler and I’d be way too intimidated to produce one in Bali. You did so well and your house looked gorgeous.
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Aug 02, 2015 @ 19:17:16
I know, Shane! But my girls are making baby noises, like maybe at some time in the not too distant future I may be a grandmother after all. So I’m getting a little practice to stay one step ahead of the game.
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Aug 02, 2015 @ 18:02:09
Yes Sherry you also have my deep admiration and also I’m green with envy writing this from the depths of winter in Melbourne. I just tried posting but it escaped me so my apologies if this ends up coming twice.
The doodads are over here in Australia, plenty of them along with the whatnots.
Another Ketut classic “maybe I borrow” the flowers ha ha.
What a gorgeous event you created and I”m sure everyone enjoyed with bright colours, illicit flowers, wonderful food, friends and cake!
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Aug 02, 2015 @ 19:19:06
I especially enjoyed the flowers! Hope all is well in your part of the world. I heard it’s been really cold…brrrr! Come back to Bali soon!
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Aug 02, 2015 @ 18:14:29
Monkey Forest Rd beckons. Great photos. It was 4C this morning here in Australia’s Bowral. Cafe Wayan and the Ketuts of Bali.!
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Aug 02, 2015 @ 19:20:03
That’s an unfamiliar word…Bowral…what is it exactly?
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Aug 02, 2015 @ 22:33:01
Sweet congratulations to Nina! She looks great, and I’m sure they’re thrilled to be adding to their family. You did such a nice job on the shower, Sherry–fun! 🙂
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Aug 03, 2015 @ 01:34:28
It WAS fun, despite my anxieties! But I have a sneaking suspicion that Nina and friends know how to have fun with or without balloons and cheesecake!
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Aug 02, 2015 @ 23:49:37
Congratulations to the about-to-be parents and their lovely hostess. Everything looked beautiful and the menu was delicious. Let us know when baby arrives.
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Aug 03, 2015 @ 01:35:37
Thanks, Di…I’m sure there will be a post when that new little bundle arrives!
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Aug 03, 2015 @ 02:38:40
Sherry, you did a lovely job hosting Nina’s Baby shower. The flowers are beautiful and Nina looks radiant. I can’t thank you enough for being so kind to my daughter. I wish I could have joined you. Soon we will meet.
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Aug 03, 2015 @ 03:03:21
The kindness is mutual…do you have any idea how badly I craved popcorn my first year here? Nina fed me popcorn!!! And when I’m missing my own daughters, a visit from yours warms my heart. I’m so looking forward to meeting her mom!
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