Here's a couple ideas for you... The link I'm sending you has your palm trees of many styles for centerpieces. You will love this website-it's full of ideas, etc. On the home page, click on 'theme decor'on the sidebar-when that comes up-click on Tropical/Luau. Don't know how many tables you have to decorate-but you know the bamboo roller blinds? You could get them in narrower sizes & cut them to fit as table runners-probably would get 2 per shade. Another centerpiece idea might be to get the sheets of green styrofoam & cut into 12' squares-1 per table..as the base. Then cut 1/8 or 1/4' wooden dowels as the 'posts' for a tiki hut that would secure into the 4 corners of the styrofoam. You could cover the foam w/silk palm leaves (as flooring) and then use more of the bamboo shade cut & glued on the top of the dowels as the roof of the tiki hut. Then place your sand/shells on the leaves & maybe 1 larger baby. I would surround the styrofoam's edges (either by poking them in or hot glue)..with tiny orchids. Here is a link that might be useful: STUMPS

"I always thought you were not supposed to put where a person is registered on an invitation. And especially not ask for gifts. But oh well." The entire point of a baby or wedding shower is to "shower" the guest of honor with presents, so putting the registry information in with the invitation is typically considered appropriate. It's events that are NOT specifically oriented toward the gifts, such as the wedding itself or a graduation party, where open reference to gifts is inappropriate. Did anyone else think a shower invitation from the cousin's daughter-in-law, whom the OP has met maybe three times, is casting the "gimme" net just a tad far out? Maybe if OP and cousin were very close friends, sure, but good grief! My standard shower gift is onesies. Lots and lots of plain white onesies, because my baby brother (now changing his own kids' diapers, how time flies!) could easily go through a dozen in a day. Budget is pretty much always around $25 unless it's a really close friend, because that's what MY budget can afford. If you shop right you can get a lot of onesies for $25! (I think my record is 10 6-packs that had been put on clearance for $2.50 a bag, down from $10, because the packages were ripped up. So I took them out of the packages, folded them nicely into a pretty box, and went merrily off to the shower - where I got in a viciously polite whispered argument with the host because I refused to play the "baby food tasting" game *retch*). Kiddo often outgrows them well before they wear out anyway. No one I know has done the "clothesline" although I do think it would be pretty cool to do a clothesline specifically to donate to the local women's shelter, and put that right on the invitation; I do find it very ironic that my lower-middle-class family ("you might be a redneck if...") thinks wishing wells are tacky. Diapers can be tricky, unless a specific type is noted on the registry, because of that whole cloth-vs-disposable thing. There are some verrrrry strong feelings on that subject! I do appreciate registries, both for weddings and baby showers, if I'm not very close to the recipient because it tells me what the recipients are interested in - I don't necessarily need to purchase something off the list, but if I see 20 Winnie the Pooh items on a baby shower list, that tells me that Mum is diggin' Pooh and might appreciate some mint-condition vintage Pooh books to read to her child or decorate a shelf in the nursery. It also does indicate to me what's NOT really welcome. For instance, if I see on the registry that everything the parents chose is either khaki, sage, and/or cream (such as at the last shower I attended), it's a pretty good bet that the parents are unlikely to be overly enthusiastic over primary colors or the old pink/blue routine.

I had a unique one. I was working in Detroit and living in Ann Arbor and took the New York Central train that ran between Chicao and NYC, which came through Ann Arbor at just the right time to get me to work. One of the other commuters worked in the art department at J. L. Hudson department store and planned a lovely surprise shower in the bar car of the train going home. More men than women, but lots of fun. Just the other day I found the large tri fold card she drew with me on the front in my favorite maternity dress, and inside she drew a head on picture of the front end of the engine with drawings of each commuter hanging from the front, all signed of course. They bought me as lovely layette. Even one of the bar car attendants slipped me a bottle of Johnny Walker Red from the train after I slit. One of the best hours I've ever had. Great party.

You guys are the kindest people I know. I am beaming reading these comments. My daughter went home today (with the leftover cake) and I just posted the backdrop and blocks on our community giveaway page. Hopefully someone else can put them to good use. Also, I could not have done all this without my co-hosts. Especially the one who owns a printing business who ensured that all the packages were sent out in time. In this case, it takes a villiage to throw a shower. ETA: It was snapped up in under a minute on the site by someone who is planning a shower for next month. Happy all around.