What Will It "Bee" - extras....

Remember those pom pom bees I mentioned in the "What Will It Bee?" party? Well, I thought I would post a picture of one because pictures, as they say, are really "worth a thousand words". I made a few of these and had them hanging above one of the tables, as well as some paper flowers (see here for the Ruche tutorial: http://shopruche.blogspot.com/2010/02/diy-wall-decor-from-ruches-lookbook.html) hanging at different levels with the bees.

The "Bee Surprised" drinks were just some Fuzzy Navel drinks, and I made up a quick label in the party colors to cover the original label and to match the theme. Then people could guess at what they were drinking. And at least one person at the party apparently guessed correctly!!
Were the labels done with professional programs, etc. - nope. You too my friend can make these if you have something like Microsoft Word or some word processing tool. Just write up what you want them to say and cut it out. Then add whatever extras you like! I added a small sticker of a bee and a little dashed bee trail with a pen or marker.

So are you getting sick of "bee" stuff already? Don't worry - I am already thinking of another gender party theme idea for someone else to copy and enjoy. I will try to post more on that at a later date...

More Gender Reveal Party Ideas To Come...

Stay tuned for more Gender Reveal Party ideas in the coming days.... Once my little mind got working, it seemed to just keep going and since there seem to be a lack of ideas when it comes to gender revealing parties, I thought I would share some and hopefully help someone else out! :)

What Will it "BEE"? Party

Our home was "buzzing" (I just couldn't resist) over the weekend as we threw a gender revealing Bar-"Bee"-Q for a family expecting a new little one. The pictures above will give you some idea of what we did.

And the cost for all the decor, etc. (not including food and drink)? Would you "bee-lieve" (Agh - someone stop me quick!) it was probably only around $15-$30? It is amazing what necessity and a little bit of creativity will accomplish... A lot of these items could probably be easily found or recreated from things you have in your own cabinets at home!!

Starting from the top:
* Ginger Honey: actual recipe should be on http://www.evanwilliams.com/
* Dezzzssert: cupcakes and cake with marshmallow fondant bees. Marshmallow fondant - incredibly easy to make - just basically marshmallows, water, and powdered sugar! Google it or find it on Wilton's website. The bee idea with nuts for wings I believe was on Martha Stewart's website.
* Complementary Crowns: we wanted to recognize the visiting queen bees from other "hives/families" so we made sure to distinguish them by offering complementary crowns at the entrance (made with elastic and a stiff kind of felt - check in your local craft store. I think we made all of ours from just one large sheet that cost around a dollar or less maybe?).
* Beehive Silverware Dispenser: yup - you read that right - my little last minute silverware dispenser. When life hands you an empty large cereal box, you get creative with it! Just paint or paste a picture on it and cut out the bottom front. Then dump your rolled bundles of silverware inside - I wrapped mine up to look "bee-ish" in a yellow napkin tied with black pipe cleaner - the ends curled to resemble little antennae.
* Beehive Pinata: this was how the family let people know what they were having. Found the pinata idea on a forum somewhere and then found instructions for this little pinata gem here - http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://media.canadianfamily.ca/images/beehive-pinata_.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.canadianfamily.ca/articles/slideshow/teddy-bears-picnic-invites-pinata/3/&h=350&w=300&sz=141&tbnid=68oU2NUf8K3boM:&tbnh=120&tbnw=103&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dbeehive%2Bpinata&hl=en&usg=__ARxjf9hVGYQ3KCdvYjmvZ8mkE_I=&ei=_Om_S8SlFMGonQflrqCyCg&sa=X&oi=image_result&resnum=4&ct=image&ved=0CBUQ9QEwAw We filled the pinata with different shades of blue paper with the words printed on them"It's a...BOY!!" Other people might want to add candy or small prizes in the same shade of gender that is being revealed.
* Faux Blackboard: this was made using a piece of white foamboard painted black. I think the cost of the foam board was around a dollar or less at my local craft store (after a 40% off coupon).
* Drink Labels and Holders: I don't have fancy label holders but came up with what I thought was a cute and maybe even better idea as it went along with the theme. Take one jar (could be store bought or just a leftover clean jam jar) and add water with about three drops of yellow food coloring. Tie with ribbon and/or raffia around the top and you have a cute label holder that looks an awful lot like a jar of honey! Then add your labels - I made mine with craft paper (purchased when the paper went on sale) and pipe cleaners. And just so you know - we had other drinks which were non-alcoholic as well - like our non-buzzed (non-alcoholic) lemonade! :)
* Baby Picture: if there are other children in the family - why not add to the decor by asking them to draw a picture of their new sibling-to-be and framing it? This was the case here - I had the family's three year old draw a picture of what the baby would look like. Came out cute, don't you think?
* Flowers in "vases": want to know an inexpensive way to decorate a lot of areas but for very little? Wildflowers in cans - we are talking the kind of cans you probably open at dinnertime every night and then toss out without a thought to the metal treasures they are! I think these were cans of tomatoes and beans at one point. I just removed the labels, washed them out, and painted them white. Want to add a little more of a color punch - just add ribbon or craft paper or both.
* Banner: this simple banner was easily made using some craft paper (again purchased when it went on sale), computer, and craft scissors.

MORE IDEAS...
** We had a name suggestion jar for those simply "buzz-sting" at the seams to let the parents know what they thought the baby should be named.
** We had little tissue paper pom pom bees floating above the table. For directions on making these pom poms - try Martha Stewart's website. I just alternated back and yellow for a striped effect and then glued on small pipe cleaner antennae and paper wings.
** A fun idea that did not come to fruition due to time constraints - favor bags for each family with honeycomb candy (recipe here: http://chemistry.about.com/od/foodscienceprojects/a/honeycombcandy.htm) inside or a kind of trail mix bar with items set out where each family can decide what kind of mix to make and take home (suggestions for bar: honey nut cheerios, honey grahams, honey graham cereal, honeycomb candy or other type of honey candy, etc.).

What Will it "Bee"?

I am about to throw a gender reveal party for a family. I wanted to come up with something a bit different and creative - alas, I was also taken by the cuteness of a bee theme that I noticed at least one other person using. Original or cute, original...or...cute.... Cute won out. :) Not that something original isn't cute - this bee idea just captured my mind and I began to "buzz" with ideas. :) Perhaps next week, I will try to post some of the other fun concepts I came up with for a gender reveal party theme because there just do not seem to be a lot of ideas out there that are non-traditional...

The picture attached is the invitation to the party. I also used "Paperless Post" invitations for some people.

Amy from Stem Parties...

Once upon a time, there was a girl who was desperately trying to find some creative ideas for throwing a baby shower for a dear friend. She searched and searched online, knowing that innovative ideas and people MUST be out there somewhere - she just had to find them. Her quest went on and on and on (had she been in a desert, this might be the point at which she would find herself on her knees with parched throat, still moving forward but ever so slowly).

Suddenly, one day - she stumbled upon it! An interesting blog authored by a creative person who loved throwing parties and putting thought into details. And the best thing - she was willing to share her ideas and pictures as well! Eureka!!!

I must say, for me, it was like striking a gold mine when I came across Amy from Stem Parties. Love her site, love the pics and ideas she posts, and love that she has links to other creative geniuses as well! Thank you Amy for breathing some life back into showers and festivities for me! :)

Her wonderful blog is: http://www.stemparties.blogspot.com/

The Humble Beginnings....

Every little blog, company and idea must commence somewhere, right? I recently began a small - hmm, maybe miniscule would be a better word for it since we only have four items on there at this point (LOL) - maternity/t-shirt design company on Etsy called "The Nature of Grace" (http://www.etsy.com/shop/natureofgrace).

The name comes from the quote by Goethe "It is the nature of grace always to fill those spaces which have been empty." Somehow that quote just seemed to encapsulate the idea of pregnancy and of adoption. And so from the humble beginnings of a quote was born our little company dedicated to the celebration of life given by God in all its many shapes, sizes, colors, and packages!! :)

So is this blog solely dedicated to the happenings of said company? By no means!! :) Yes, there might be a little plug for the company every now and then, but the main purpose of this blog is to share the incredible blessing and wealth of creativity I have stumbled upon in the blogs and websites of others, as well as fun ideas I might come up with on my own. These include but are not limited to - parties, homeschooling, and running a very small business/hobby venture.
So will I post every day or even every week without fail? Sorry to disappoint, but that is not the plan. Life keeps me quite busy as every wife and mother can understand. But when the occasion or an idea arises (and the laundry and dishes allow), I might just sit down with a cup of decaf and post some pictures or notes or ideas for others to see and share. Please, please, please - if you LOVE an idea I post, COPY it (except for maternity t shirt designs) unless otherwise stated. :) Some of my own homeschooling, party ideas and creativity often stem from the seeds of originality shared by others. I would ask though, that if you like something I have to say or an idea I posted - please provide a little mention of me or link in your blog or on your site. I would appreciate it!!! :)

Thanks for checking in and reading today! :)