Actress Tichina Arnold honored with celebrity baby shower in Beverly Hills

Expectant mom Tichina Arnold celebrated her impending motherhood in a big way. A star-studded co-ed celebrity baby shower was given in her honor at the Lladro Gallery on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, CA.

The internationally renowned creators of fine porcelain transformed its 11,000-square-foot gallery into a party setting with shades of pink and leopard prints, Arnold's favorite.

The event was hosted by some of Arnold's close industry friends, including actresses Tisha Campbell-Martin and Regina King and singer Miche'le Toussant.

Arnold is expecting a daughter this month, whom she plans to name Alijah Kai Haggins. Noted songwriter/music producer Carvin Haggins is the father. As one of Philadelphia's finest producers, Haggins is most associated with the "neo soul" sound and his collection of work with popular musicians like Musiq and Jill Scott.

"The amount of love that was shown to Alijah Kai and I was completely overwhelming and I never expected to see so much love," Arnold told JET. "It was incredible. It was a day that I'll never forget and I can't wait to show the videotape to my baby so that she can see all the love that she got."

Called A Celebration of Love, the gala was presented by Purple Talk Consultants, Inc. Shawnda N. Wilkinson, CEO of the Washington, D.C.-based marketing and public relations firm, also served as one of its hosts. Wilkinson, a close friend of Arnold's, is also the wife of NFL veteran Dan "Big Daddy" Wilkinson. Sharon L. Bowen, Shawnda's mother and business partner, is COO/president of Purple Talk Consultants, Inc. She is the wife of late Ohio state senator William F. Bowen.

The expectant mother greeted guests with her bright smile and plenty of warm hugs. She also showed off her fancy footwork on the dance floor to the music of rapper Biz Markie, who deejayed at the party.

Lladro presented Arnold and Haggins with a beautiful fine porcelain figurine titled The Gift of Life. It was personalized by David Lladro, the son of Vicente Lladro, the youngest of the founding brothers, belonging to the famous Spanish sculpting family.

Guests were given the Lladro Winged Dreams angel figurine.

Artist Winford Galmon of Charlotte, NC, presented Arnold with a magnificent acrylic-on-canvas framed, gallery-quality portrait titled, Tichina "A Mother's Love." Among his many endeavors, Galmon is the official artist for the NFL Quarterback Club.

Celebrity well-wishers included Duane Martin, Vanessa Williams, Kym Whitley, Clifton Powell, Kenya Moore, Elise Neal, MC Lyte, Dominque Wilkins, Robert Griffith, Terri J. Vaughn, LisaRaye, Nichelle Nichols, A.J. Johnson, Tatyana Ali, Angie Stone, Chris Spencer, Shanice Wilson, Curtis Martin, Yo Yo, and Rolanda Watts.

Arnold, who won fame as the feisty Pamela James on the long-running TV comedy "Martin," currently has a recurring role on the UPN sitcom "One On One."