alison-delamota

Millie Mae Café: My Dream Baby Shower After Loss

alisondelamota@gmail.com (Alison Delamota) — Fri, 23 May 2025 17:49:13 GMT

They say good things take time—and this celebration was years in the making. After two heartbreaking miscarriages and a season of waiting, praying, and healing, I finally had the honor of planning my very first baby shower. And not just any shower—this was a full-blown, croissant-filled, pastel-sprinkled brunch dream for our baby girl, Millie.

We called it the Millie Mae Café , and the idea was simple: what if we turned our love for cozy cafés, good company, and beautiful design into a sweet Parisian-inspired bakery experience? I wanted this day to feel soft, joyful, and sacred. And thanks to the help of friends and family, that’s exactly what it was.

The Backdrop: Our Mini Bakery Moment

The centerpiece of the day was a custom café setup that looked like it came straight out of a fairytale patisserie. With a blush arched niche, white scalloped awning, and café counter adorned with “Millie Mae Café – est. 2025,” it felt like walking into the sweetest little storefront—one built on faith, love, and almond croissants. Behind the counter: pastries, donuts, and a delicate white cake topped with fresh blooms. It was playful yet elegant, just like I imagine our girl will be.

A New Hobby: Florals, from My Heart to the Table

Confession: I made all the floral arrangements myself. It was my first time attempting something like this—and now I’m pretty sure I’ve found a new creative outlet. From garden roses to ranunculus to playful pops of pink, every arrangement was built with intention. It wasn’t just about filling vases—it was about creating beauty in bloom, a mirror of the season I find myself in now.

We even tucked little teddy bears among the centerpieces for a playful touch—tiny reminders that this wasn’t just a fancy brunch. It was a celebration of new life.

Details That Made It Feel Girly

From the start, I wanted this shower to feel personal & warm yet I knew I wanted the focus to be PINK. The kind of event where you walk in and immediately feel the heart behind it and know how excited we are to be welcoming a baby girl into our family.
Here are a few of my favorite details:

Place settings : Floral-patterned plates with pink knotted napkins and name tags made each seat feel special.
Blush glassware & gold flatware : Because I believe even a sip of water feels more magical in the right cup.
Teddy bears at every table : Each wearing tiny pink bows—because Millie is already so loved.

Can't Have a Cafe without Coffee

Sofia's Cup was an amazing vendor to work with. Their coffee is so tasty and their menu is complete with several flavors to enhance your lattes, several milk options & of course matcha - for those that love their tea.

Having a coffee cart at our wedding was such a success, I knew I wanted one for the shower.

Baby Shower Games

I have a love hate relationship with Baby Shower Games. On one hand, they are necessary - it's a time old tradition and pretty much expected at any shower. On the other hand, no one really likes to eat baby food blind folded racing against a timer. I opt'd for a few simple games with really cute gift bags to entice my friends & family to play.

The best game we played that didn't involve getting dirty? Teddy Bear Diaper Change Relay! It was so fun, a lot like playing flip cup but with the use of teddy bears and diapers. Everyone was excited to play and the winning team yelled with excitment. It was a great game to bring a lot of joy and laughter and some friendly competition to the vibes of the event.

The gifts were very personal to us. I am from a Cuban family and Manny is from a Dominican family. So we gifted cuban coffee makers with a Dominican Dulce de Leche treat. It was a nice way to celebrate our baby girl and the heritages she will be apart of.

The Most Important Moment: A Prayer for Millie

Before brunch, before cake, before gifts, we took a moment to pause and pray. Surrounded by women who had walked with me through both grief and joy, we lifted Millie’s life up in prayer. It was quiet, powerful, and holy. The kind of moment you lock away in your heart forever.

After so many months of wondering if I’d ever get to celebrate a baby of my own, standing there—hand on belly, Manny by my side—I was overwhelmed with gratitude. This wasn’t just a baby shower. It was a declaration of faith, a celebration of answered prayers, and a tribute to the God who makes beauty from ashes.

None of this would be possible without my amazing vendors. If you're planning an event in or around the Miami / South FL area, be sure to check them out.

Backdrop: E_ECreative

Photos: Jennifer Cortiella Photography

Table Setting Rentals: Different Look Rentals
Coffee Cart: Sophia's Cup

Venue: Doral Park Country Club

Whether you stumbled here from Pinterest looking for baby shower ideas, or you’re in your own waiting season, I hope this gives you more than just visual inspiration. I hope it gives you hope that you too will have the shower of your dreams and while all of the small details are cute to look back on - nothing beats the memory of sharing this special day with those you love most. Because even after loss, life blooms again. And when it does, it’s worth celebrating—pink napkins, prayer circles, and all.

With love,
Alison

Italian Garden Baby Shower

alisondelamota@gmail.com (Alison Delamota) — Fri, 19 Apr 2024 06:51:03 GMT

All photography by Mar Faedo

Naturally, it couldn't be me. There is no way I could wait until I birth my child to find out what the gender is. I am too much of a controlling person for that. But my sister on the other hand? She's in total bliss. It's been the sweetest few months watching her belly and her heart grow making room for this little miracle who is going to bless the family. The first baby of the family on this side of eternity. Man, we can't wait to meet her little ray of sunshine.

For her shower, we explored a few ideas but quickly landed on an Italian garden theme. She loves pasta, and I knew the color green would work so well .

I first went to Pinterest for ideas and inspiration and quickly got to work on sourcing the best vendors to execute this vision within our budget.

Tables & Chairs:

In my opinion, the way you dress the table sets the tone for the day. We went with green checkered linens from Over The Top linen rentals with a beige underlay. Wooden cross back chairs, terracotta napkins and white china. I choose a green goblet, but I think a standard glass goblet would have looked equally as nice - in the case you can't find something similar.

For the centerpiece we went with $2 terracotta planters from Home Depot and went to our nearest Publix to buy all of the basil, oregano, and rosemary plants they had. We cleared 3 different Publix' to be exact. I also choose to sprinkle tomatoes throughout the table to help fill in the empty spaces. It was a pasta party afterall, so I figured they fit in nicely.

Food & Dessert:

Food choice can also be critical when designing an event. I think it should naturally flow with your designs. We went with a local "pasta station" caterer. They brought in 2 chefs, 2 burners, and with 3 different noodle choices, 20 toppings and 4 different sauces, the options were limitless. I personally went with a bow-tie pasta in pesto and alfredo sauce, topped with mushrooms, grilled chicken, and peas. YUM!

For dessert we ordered cannoli cupcakes from a local italian market. Truly so delicious. I am going to recreate that recipe soon. I made some sugar cookies for decor and my aunt made her famous pecan balls.

TO RECAP:

Overall the event was such a beautiful time spent with loved ones. We prayed over my sister's belly, played some typical baby shower games, and enjoyed some great food. If you're looking for a relaxed but beautiful gender-neutral theme, this could be the one for you.

Prayers for Baby R. I love you my sister.

Decorated Sugar Cookies

alisondelamota@gmail.com (Alison Delamota) — Wed, 24 Jan 2024 06:40:31 GMT

So you’re asking … what’s the trick? How do you make delicious cookies that don’t spread? Well the answer is pretty simple but it took me years to figure it out. Looking back I don’t know why it took me so long to search for this kind of recipe. But the trick to non-spread cookies is not looking for a sugar cookie recipe - but for a shortbread recipe which is what I am going to share with you today. The pros to using a shortbread recipe are endless. For starters it’s buttery, flakey, and of course they keep their shape in the oven.

A few things to note, frosting can take a long time and cookies also take some time to dry completely. If you were planning for your child's birthday party that falls on a Saturday I would personally bake the cookies on Tuesday. Frost my first layer on Wednesday. Frost my second layer/accents on Thursday. Let dry completely on Friday and serve on Saturday. Don't worry these cookies won't dry out.

‍

You can freeze them for months as well.

So let’s get into the recipe!

prep time

20 mins

cook time

13 mins

total time

35 mins

servings

24 Cookies

calories

300 (approx.)

cuisine

Dessert

Ingredients

2 Cups Cold Unsalted Butter
2 Cups Pure Cane Sugar
2 Eggs
1 Tsp Vanilla
2 Tsp Baking Powder
1 Tsp Salt
6 Cups All Purpose Flour

Equipment

Standard Mixer
Mixing Bowls

Prep Your Ingredients

I like to take all of my ingredients out and pre-measure them. It's never fun when you forget a key ingredient like baking powder. To make things easier I put all my dry ingredients in the same bowl.

Cream the Butter & Sugar

Add The Eggs & Flavor

Whisk Dry Ingredients

Take your eggs and add them in one at a time. Mix well. Scraping the sides of the bowl. Then add in your vanilla. If you want to play with different flavors, I know almond extract is a great choice.

Start adding in your dry ingredients little by little. You don't want to add them all in at once or you'll end up with a huge mess once you turn on the mixer.

Take your butter and sugar and begin to mix them on medium speed. Cold butter helps the cookies keep their shape, but it might take extra force from your mixer. So I like to make sure my butter is cold but not necessarily rock hard. Cream these together until well mixed. Do not overmix as the butter will begin to melt.

Mix & Kneed

Cut Your Shapes

Extra Step For Perfection

As you get to the end of your dry ingredients you'll start to notice your machine begin to struggle. If you're unable to achieve a full ball of dough, transfer your dough to a working surface and need it by hand.

Once you have a perfect ball you can split your dough into two discs. Roll the dough to your desired thickness - about a quarter of an inch - and cut out your desired shapes.

This is an extra shape but you can freeze your cookies overnight, or even keep them in the fridge for a few hours before baking. I rarely do this step as they keep their shape pretty well. This is a good step if you're prepping your cookies in advance.

Bake

Let Cool & Frost!

In a 350 degree oven bake your cookies for 13-14 minutes or until the edged begin to golden.

Cool your cookies completely before you frost. I usually frost my cookies on day 2!

Happily Ever After Party

alisondelamota@gmail.com (Alison Delamota) — Tue, 16 Jan 2024 06:34:06 GMT

When Manny and I thought about what we wanted for our wedding we knew two things, 1 - we wanted breakfast and 2 - we wanted everyone we loved to be there. So we did exactly that. We had our brunch wedding at The Rusty Pelican and then had a huge after party at our favorite local bar, Better Days Miami. Fortunately my best friend knew the owner, and we were able to book the bar for a few hours. The only patrons present were those that knew us personally.

We had our signature cocktails, a Lemon Drop Martini “Hers” and an Old Fashon “His” available as well as a full bar with a staff ready to take everyone’s orders as they liked it. We hired a 360 Photo Booth and ordered Pizza from the pizza joint next door. I can confidently say, this was the most fun I’ve had with all of my friends and family in one room.

When I look back at our special day, I remember all the beautiful flowers, and our special vows, but I smile remembering all of the fun we had at this bar.

If you have the capability of doing something similar, I would recommend it 1,000x over.

Vendors:

�� @marfaedo

�� @rorafilmco

�� @betterdays305

�� Brickell City Pizza

�� 360 Photo Booth - YWF Studios

Tips For Getting Married At The Court House

alisondelamota@gmail.com (Alison Delamota) — Tue, 16 Jan 2024 06:27:14 GMT

Manny & I had a once in a life time opportunity to buy a house. So we took all the money we had saved and purchased our dream home. We knew we wanted to live together with God's blessing under our union so a few weeks after he proposed, we got married in our new backyard. It was a beautiful day, and one we have circled on the calendar - June 17th. We will probably celebrate this date with dinner and a movie for years to come, but we decided that we are going to celebrate our anniversary on the day of the wedding for a few reasons. First and foremost, on December 3rd we took personal vows that we wrote to each other which made our promise extra special and secondly, we were surrounded by those we love most which makes the memory of our wedding in December that much more important.

If you are looking to elope, or get married at a court house to save some cash, I totally understand. We were extremely blessed that my mom gifted us our wedding so we were fortunate to enjoy both a new home and a wedding, but had things been different, and we had to make a choice between our home and a lavish party I would choose our home 100 times over. All that to say, if you are someone sitting in a similar situation, trying to pick between a home or a wedding, I would recommend to buy your home and opt in for a nice dinner with your loved ones instead.

Here are some tips to getting married at the court house:

Check in with your state and coun ty laws. We had to show proof that we took a pre-marital class to apply and leave with our marriage license on the same day. Without that certificate we would had to come back three days later.
Buy a dress you can wear again! I love that I get to wear my "wedding dress" on special occasions.
One of my biggest regrets was not having my most important family members with me. I convinced myself because we were having a wedding later on that this wasn't a big deal. In fact, it was a really big deal and the emotional and spiritual weight was felt for weeks and months to come. I regret not having special people there to witness it with us.
Hire a photographer! Do your make up! Buy a beautiful flower bouquet! You won't regret these little details. I cannot say enough about Luis & Dania - not only are they some of my greatest friends but they are the most talented photographers. I got my makeup done professionally and I bought a beautiful bouquet from a florist I found on IG. It made the day feel really special.

Details:

Location - Miami Beach Court House & Delamota Backyard

Photographers - The Montejo's

Makeup - Flirtatious Looks

Dress - Reformation

Flowers - Rose Coloured Florals

Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Blondies

alisondelamota@gmail.com (Alison Delamota) — Sat, 13 Jan 2024 06:21:32 GMT

This is a perfect recipe for cookie lovers who are crunched with time and don’t have the ability to chill their dough before baking. We’re mixing blondies with cookies and what we get is a bar you’ll make over and over again. The best part is that you’ll be done baking these within the hour!

prep time

cook time

total time

1 Hour

servings

calories

250 per bar (approx)

cuisine

Dessert

Ingredients

1 Stick Melted Unsalted Butter
2 Eggs
1/2 Cup Packed Brown Sugar
1/3 Cup Granulated Sugar
1 Tsp. Vanilla Extract
1 Cup AP Flour
1/2 Tsp Salt
8 Oz Premium Chocolate Chips
Dark Chocolate Chunks
Flaky Salt to Top

Equipment

Square Baking Dish
Mixing Bowls
Whisk
Parchment Paper
Cutting Board & Knife

Trust me once you see how easy these are to make, you'll be making them for every event moving forward. Easy prep time with maximum flavor? Yes please! Some notes for you. Browning your butter is totally optional but will help bring out those nutty flavors.

Prep Your Oven & Ingredients

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and grease your 9x9 square pan. You can always line it with a parchment paper which is what I prefer. I like to pre measure my ingredients into bowls to ensure I don’t miss anything. I also pre-chop my chocolate.

Brown Your Butter

Whisk Your Wet Ingredients

Add Your Dry Ingredients

Combine both brown and granulated sugar with the melted butter and vanilla. Whisk well. Then add your eggs one at a time, mixing well in between.

Add in your flour, baking soda, baking powder, & salt. Fold your dry ingredients into your wet ingredients. Don’t over mix.

Take a saucepan over medium heat, add your butter and allow it to melt. Continuously stirring once it comes to a simmer. Keeping an eye on it to ensure a nice brown color. Remove from heat once achieved. Be careful not to burn your butter.

Chop and add your chocolate

Bake

Let Cool & Enjoy!

Take a sharp knife and a wood cutting board and chop your dark chocolate bar into thick pieces and thoroughly incorporate your chocolate into your dough

Add your mix into your pan and bake at 350 degrees for 20-22 minutes

The secret to gooey bars is to allow them to finish baking outside of the oven and to cut them once cooled. They will keep their bar shape and the chocolate will still give that pull-apart ooze. (Which you and I both know is the best part!)

My Dream Dress -The Dream Weaver By Anne Barge

alisondelamota@gmail.com (Alison Delamota) — Tue, 19 Dec 2023 06:07:22 GMT

Shopping for a wedding dress was interesting for me. You see, because we were having a brunch wedding I convinced myself I didn’t need a dream wedding dress, and I would be okay wearing a shorter cocktail dress (nothing wrong with short cocktail dresses) but deep down I knew I always wanted a Cinderella dress for my big day.

So one day on a trip to visit my mom in Nashville I said, let’s go to a boutique just for the experience of trying on wedding dresses. Knowing I would for sure find the dress of my dreams. While browsing through the dresses, nothing truly caught my attention. A lot of lace, a lot of white, and some interesting pops of color, nothing new. Now, my mom was on the other side of the store and she saw this dress and said why don’t you try this one on. When I walked outside and stepped on the riser and I looked in the mirror, I instantly knew this was the one for me.

She is a little heavy but not as heavy for a dress this size. The lace was so elegant it worked well with a daytime wedding and I can see it transitioning to a nighttime affair just as nicely.

I pray I have daughters and they can all wear this dress on their 15th birthday for their quinces.

You know what they say, a picture is worth a thousand words so no need for more text, just look at her in all her glory.

�� The Dream Weaver by Anne Barge

�� @madisonaycoth

Brunch Wedding Of Our Dreams

alisondelamota@gmail.com (Alison Delamota) — Tue, 19 Dec 2023 05:59:23 GMT

Breakfast is our jam - literally. One of the first things Manny and I connected over was our mutual love for breakfast. I remember in our dating years our Saturday breakfast dates were the dates I would look forward to the most. So when it came time to plan our special day we knew we wanted to have a brunch wedding with those we loved most.

Before I dive into all of our details and vendors - you have to watch our wedding video... I seriosuly cry every time I watch it. I am so very thankful for the Rora Film Co. team. I cannot say enough about Jimmy & Lex and the amazing video they made us. Seriously the most talented videographers in the game.

So let's dive into the details. When it came to selecting vendors I knew that was the most important part. Nothing would have been possible without my amazing team.

First of all, Kelsey with Birch & Honey Wedding Planning brought this wedding to life. She was the mastermind behind all of the colors and elements that made up the special day.

The love I felt and the tiny details is what I remember most from the wedding. I am a details, textures, and color girl so where to some, the color of the menu sign isn't too important - for me, it was. The flowers, the seating chart, everything was carefully selected and I am so happy with how it all unfolded.

There is so much that can be said from this day but I will let my amazing wedding video and the photos do most of the talking. But I did want to highlight some of my favorite moments and details (there's that word again) from the wedding.

Seating Chart

Wow Esther and her company really knocked this one out of the park!

The Flowers

I mean just look at them!! Especially that cascade action on our sweetheart table.

Table Decor & Centerpieces

We went with a simple yet elegant table to really let the Miami skyline take the lead in this space.

Cake Table

Literally the best cake in Miami - Juliana you are so talented!

Coffee Cart

I am a latte fanatic and Manny is a hot chocolate enthusiast. Safe to say our "Him & Her's" were a hit. We also made custom cups with icons that represented Manny and I.

Our Alter

Saying our vows while everyone was already sitting at their tables was a nice way to cut out an hour of our timeline while also having a more intimate moment.

Dream Guy - Dream Day! Huge thank you to all of our vendors!

�� @birchandhoneycollective

�� @rorafilmco

�� @madisonaycoth

�� @marfaedo

�� @flor.mosura

✒️ @scarlet.gilia.creative

�� @rustypelicanmiami & @betterdays305

�� @e_ecreative

�� @julicantarella

☕️ @koffeeologyespressobar

Let's Dive Into My Bridal Shower

alisondelamota@gmail.com (Alison Delamota) — Tue, 19 Dec 2023 05:38:36 GMT

The Theme Inspo:

Mama Mia 1 & 2 are some of my absolute favorite movies and soundtracks on this planet. These movies have the power to transport us to a world of pure joy and celebration. So, I couldn't resist infusing that same excitement into my bridal shower. And the color pink... she's my spirit color! By blending the disco balls for some Saturday Night Fever vibes, and incorporating a fall color palette you get "From Miss to Mrs. Dancing Queen"! All of the images are by the one and only - Mar Faedo

Details:

The incredible attention to detail put into every single element of this shower is what keeps me coming back to relive this day. I was determined to have the shower of my dreams, and I hope these elements inspire you as you plan any upcoming events.

Photography

First and foremost, all of the elements were beautiful but without Mar, there would be no way to go back and relive this amazing day. Thank you my friend, you are so very talented. Marfaedo.com

Venue

I choose to host the bridal shower at Bulla Gastrobar. This is where Manny and I spent our date nights throughout our dating years. It was special for me to host the event in a place that meant a lot to both of us. I love the Spanish architecture and decor.

Bulla is famous for their tapas and Spanish dishes. We went with a hearty menu filled with tapas, shared plates and main dishes served family style. This was a huge hit because of the guests had plenty of food and no one stayed hungry. My biggest advice when choosing a venue is making sure that the food tastes good. They won't remember the color napkins, but they will remember the chicken they ate.

Colors

This is where things got fun. I am a huge PINK kinda girl. But the event took place in October, so I wanted it to feel like fall, but still feel like me. That's why I went with hot pink, light pink, and orange, mixed with the silver disco balls. I am so happy with the color combo.

Flowers

The team over at FLORMOSURA knocked this out of the park. I gave her the theme name and the vision and she brought it all to life. She sourced all of the vases and really brought life to the event through the use of using different textures and flowers. Do your research when finding vendors. A good vendor will make your event, just like a bad vendor will break your event. The team was amazing to work with, they complimented my taste and style and I am excited to continue to work with her for years to come.

Backdrop

Esther at E & E Creates is AMAZING to work with. She is my go-to set designer in Miami and she brought my vision to life through the arches, and disco wall. It complimented nicely with the flower installation and just wait until you see what she created for my wedding.

Table Setting

I saw printed table place mats on Pinterest once, and I fell in love with the idea. So I had these placemats and menus made by the amazing Scarlet Gilia Creative. This is where I really wanted the pink colors to shine, so we used light and hot pink to bring the tables to life. That with the white napkins and table cloths allowed the flowers to stand out.

Cake Display

Why have one cake, when you can have two. I love dessert, I love to bake and I knew that I needed to have good cake at the shower. Juliana, with Juliana's Pastries & Cakes is the most talented baker. I love working with her. I gave her some disco balls to top the cakes with and sent her some inspo pictures. The rest is history. I wanted both cakes to feel fun flirty and the disco balls added a nice touch to the flair of the cakes. Juliana added edible pearls and really brought my dream dessert table to life.

Favorite Photos

So much love for my family and friends who came to celebrate me on this day.

alison-delamota

Millie Mae Café: My Dream Baby Shower After Loss

The Backdrop: Our Mini Bakery Moment

A New Hobby: Florals, from My Heart to the Table

Details That Made It Feel *Girly*

Can't Have a Cafe without Coffee

Baby Shower Games

The Most Important Moment: A Prayer for Millie

Italian Garden Baby Shower

Tables & Chairs:

Food & Dessert:

Decorated Sugar Cookies

Ingredients

Equipment

Prep Your Ingredients

Cream the Butter & Sugar

Add The Eggs & Flavor

Whisk Dry Ingredients

Mix & Kneed

Cut Your Shapes

Extra Step For Perfection

Bake

Let Cool & Frost!

Happily Ever After Party

Vendors:

Tips For Getting Married At The Court House

Here are some tips to getting married at the court house:

Details:

Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Blondies

Ingredients

Equipment

Prep Your Oven & Ingredients

Brown Your Butter

Whisk Your Wet Ingredients

Add Your Dry Ingredients

Chop and add your chocolate

Bake

Let Cool & Enjoy!

My Dream Dress -The Dream Weaver By Anne Barge

Brunch Wedding Of Our Dreams

Seating Chart

The Flowers

Table Decor & Centerpieces

Cake Table

Coffee Cart

Our Alter

Dream Guy - Dream Day! Huge thank you to all of our vendors!

Let's Dive Into My Bridal Shower

The Theme Inspo:

Details:

Venue

Menu

Colors

Flowers

Backdrop

Table Setting

Cake Display

Favorite Photos

Details That Made It Feel Girly