Not many things that excite me more than to celebrate new life with a good friend. Today, I was able to have my happy cup filled to the rim! What better way is there to celebrate and welcome a new arrival than to throw a BABY SHOWER?! I mean, who does not love a good baby shower? I, for one was honored to have this event at my home and host along side two incredible women. All for a dear friend who certainly deserved to be showered with love and support.  Having just been through that stage of excitement and anticipation, I know how the last few months can be overwhelming. I think it is so important to let the future Mom know that  there is love and support surrounding the growing family. It was my prayer that Kenzie (Mom-to-Be) felt loved, cared for and to know that she is not alone. 

     The three of us hostesses had so much fun with this shower. Once we chose the idea and theme, we took off running! Thank goodness for Pinterest. We decided to do a Honey Bee/Mom to Bee theme with a mix of Butter Yellow, Black, and Grey. 

     This is a good time to mention the fabulous ladies who helped with this shower: Lisa and Dena. Lisa, lives in Charleston and has her very own baby bundle who is 7 weeks. Lisa means so much to me! We roomed together for a year in college and she was there right by my side when Madison entered the world 7 years ago! I am always uplifted and encouraged whenever we get a chance to catch up. She and Kenzie grew up together as best friends, so it was sweet to see them together and going through the same season of life. Dena, lives locally and is truly amazing! We have known each other for a while and our friendship is so special to me. She and Kenzie were roommates before they both were married. We all have great memories together and I am so thankful these ladies welcomed me into their lives. 

    Enough of the cheesiness, right?  I  wanted to share a glimpse of our time together today. I am going to try and give all the plugs and credits that I can. Im still learning. 

 Enjoy!

Invitation to the shower framed.

This was the main food table. The menu: Honey Roasted Almond Chicken Salad, 4 Cheese Pimento, Bacon and Swiss Mini Quiche, Fruit Skewers, Lemon Squares, and a Veggie Tray. We also had yellow and black candy coated chocolates and Honey Roasted Nut Mix. The nut mix and candy were courtesy of The Fresh Market. The Lemon Squares were courtesy of Lisa's mother-in-law Mrs Beth and the fruit skewers were courtesy of Lisa's Mom Mrs. Sandy. I always love making and serving this chicken salad (recipe to follow). The pimento cheese was a new creation for me. There are not too many southerners who do not love pimento cheese, so I thought it would be worth a try to make my own variation. The invitations were perfect. Lisa had a contact in Charleston who designed these beauties.

Honey Roasted Almond Chicken Salad

The beverage station. We went with punch and water. Dena and her mother Mrs. Dollie made this delicious yellow punch. It was all gone by the end. I ordered the mason jars and the grey/white striped straws from Amazon.com. I was so thrilled to find this beehive dispenser at our local Belk. 

Our favors. We were so excited that Dena was able to share some honey from her family's property in N. Georgia. I  bought wide mouthed 4 oz mason jars, cut some black and white gingham fabric squares, and wrapped with a twine bow. The little tag says, "thank you for bee-ing here". 

BeeHive Cake

This cake was created by a local who makes cakes from her home. She does fantastic work and the cake was just as delicious as it was adorable! 

Mom-to-bee Kenzie and her sweet Mother. 

My Little Hostess in Training. Madison organized the game for the shower and had a blast preparing for it. So proud of her and I enjoy that she loves entertaining as much as I do! We are a good team.

Banner

Check out this amazing banner Lisa made! Precious.

Onsie Craft

We set up a Onesy and Burp cloth Craft Station. Each guest was invited to make a unique Onesy or Burp cloth for the Mom-to-Bee. 

Lisa and Kenzie

It was such a great gathering of friends and family.

Dena and Kay (my mother-in-law) 

My doodlebug is 4 months!

Lisa's sweet angel

The two little ladies awaiting on the arrival of their new friend! 

The recipes and tutorials mentioned in this blog will be continued...when I get some sleep! Busy days for Mommas! Much Love

Let me just preface this entire blog by sharing a few words from the beloved Dr. Seuss.

"Be who you are and say what you mean. Because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind."

 Today has been a good reminder for me to not get so caught up in myself and the needs of my family, while neglecting the opportunities to BE or DO something for someone else. I have been so blessed to have such a great circle of friends and family and yet I can not tell you what I have done lately for any of them. Though gifts and lunch dates are great and meaningful, it is the important things like: kind words, encouragement, an ear to listen, and a shoulder to cry on that seem to make the biggest impact. Not just being available, but making sure he/she KNOWS that you are available. Being the "seeker" of needs has never been easy for me. I have no problem in being available, I just tend to play the "wait and see if they come to me" game. 

One can display hospitality and know all there is to know about social graces and yet be cold as ice on the inside. That is not how I want to live. Its my prayer tonight that God would give me the strength and courage to be a genuine friend.

Being said, I am excited to start my day tomorrow afresh and seek out a friend in need. 

I havent figured blogging out entirely, but it would be great to hear if anyone has anything they want to comment or share on the matter. Even so,  let me know if you give this a try yourself.