barefoot contessa love...and a baby shower.

i am obsessed with all things ina.  ina garten, that is.  the barefoot contessa for all of you non-food network junkies.  there is something about her show, her recipes, her cookbooks, her fabulous hamptons home (and "barn" that is to die for) and just HER...that just intoxicates me.  i have been known to schedule appointments and errands around a new episode of hers on saturdays at 1:30...which reminds me a little bit of when i was 11, i would make my family rush home from church on sundays so that i could catch 'clarissa explains it all' on nickelodeon.  it came on at 12:30 p.m. and that was the only time i could catch it!  clearly sacrifices had to be made.

in fact, my love for her is so great that my good friends threw us a baby shower and served only barefoot contessa dishes (more on that below).  how amazing is that?!  and just recently, along with my friends betsey and jen (fellow ina disciples), we planned to fly to a city ina was stopping by on her current book tour...i am not kidding.  now i don't get into series like harry potter, twilight, lord of the rings or similar...but ina is someone i would stand in a line for overnight with a camping tent.  with maybe a couple of parchment paper wrapped chicken salad sandwiches.  and outrageous brownies too. we were all set to go to boston, kansas city, or maybe short hills, new jersey.  alas, we all had schedule conflicts, but jen did travel from her home in austin, texas to dallas yesterday...only to find a line wrapped around the length of the entire mall and every cookbook sold out!!!  operation ina foiled!!!  (ina did walk past her at one point so all was not lost.)

yesterday, my friends, was a big day in the life.  i purchased ina's new cookbook and basically skipped home to read it. 

luckily at my local borders, there was no line out the door.  i started reading the cookbook last night and am only through the 'cocktails and starters' section, but i am intentionally taking it slow so that the ina lasts for longer.  and man, there are some good meals to be had!  i love it.

want to see more of the fabulous baby shower that my friends were so kind to throw rbb and myself?  my friends are the best, and they went all out for us. 

the invitations arrived like this in a little kraft paper box with a black and white polka dot ribbon holding it together, sealed with the address label.  SO adorable.

appetizer and drink bar. ina's tzatziki, cheese straws and grilled chicken on skewers.  inside were ina's roasted shrimp and orzo and roasted vegetables.  no one left hungry!

table with favor cookies. (cute abode belongs to sara lovell, btw.)

how cute are those?

jen dipasquale (the mastermind behind the flowers and decor for merrell's baby shower too) worked her magic on the arrangements.

see what i mean?!  she's the best there is! 

the unbelievably tasty (and pretty!) cake that was imported from chattanooga.  mmm.

the amazing hostesses who put this shindig together!  l-r, sara, dot, jen, me, brin, kate, betsey, merrell and brooke.  love these gals and so thankful for them!

now who wouldn't like that?! 
xo