By the time of her baby shower, mother-to-be and Martha Stewart Living food editor Elizabeth Colling had already received practical gifts -- burp cloths, onesies, and such -- from her family and friends in California. So her friends in New York, where she now lives, decided that their shower would be all about books for the baby to celebrate the expecting mom's love of literature. Not just any books, but books they had loved when they were little.

One sunny Saturday in June, the Elizabeth and her husband Stephane arrived at a restaurant in a Brooklyn brownstone. It was decorated in Elizabeth's favorite colors: pink and gray. The menu incorporated her favorite flavors, including rose and jasmine. And the space was shimmering with the magic that happens in books, where simple materials -- ink and paper -- come alive as the imagination touches them, and the future appears when you turn a page. 

Invitations come with a bookmark and a bookplate; the latter is to be put into a book for the baby. Artist Anna Bond of Rifle Paper Co. created the stationery from her own hand-painted illustrations. 

Print the Invitation and Bookmark Clip Art
Print the Bookplate Clip Art

Open miniature booklets flutter like butterflies on a bedtime-story garland. Suspend this decoration over the buffet table to extend the storybook theme.

The spines of paper-covered books list the Mother Goose-themed menu that is as
charming as it is tasty. 

Perfect for teatime, the savory-sweet menu included Mary Quite Contrary Garden Salad, Peter Piper Pickled Prawns, Little Boy Blueberry Scones, and Miss Muffet's Lemon Curd.

Skewers in moon-shaped "Goldilox" (smoked salmon) sandwiches are topped with stars cut from old book pages and glued together.

Crisped prosciutto tops a savory custard cup that guests won't be able to resist.

The self-serve bar is filled with a "pail" of Jack and Jill Iced Jasmine Tea and mellow Hush-a-Bye Bellinis.

Bake a batch of these rich chocolate brownies as fast as you can. These velvety treats are charming in cupcake liner.

Sugared rose petals garnish ethereal Ring Around the Rose Petal Fools floating on clouds (doilies folded in half ).

Banners fly from the mascarpone-frosted peaks of a towering Sugar-and-Spice Layer Cake.

Elizabeth made little lamb cookies as thank-yous for her guests to shepherd safely home.