I hosted a baby shower for a dear friend's expectant daughter last weekend. Those of you familiar with my fondness for Halloween will not be surprised that I wanted to create centerpieces with disjointed doll heads, arms, and legs. I asked my son what he thought of the idea, and his response illustrates the folly of seeking counsel on a baby shower from a nineteen-year-old male. He said, "You be you, Mom. It'll be great."

Never fear, the doll heads remained in my basement where they sit on the shelf, staring blankly into the darkness. One doll did make it upstairs. I painted his body to match the invites and the cookies and then attached him to the back of April the wicker giraffe. The parents-to-be took such a shine, I simply didn't have the heart to point out his lazy eye.