Gender Reveal Party

One of the days I thought would never come, has finally come and gone! Lots of planning, last minute prep, and help from friends and family came together to make yesterday a very special day. As mentioned in the Gender Reveal Party Ideas blog, we went with a "What Will It Bee?" theme. Do to budget and time constraints, I did not implement every one of the ideas I found, but I was happy with the results. Most importantly, we had a wonderful time! If you are a Facebook friend, you most likely already know the results; if not, all will be "revealed" in this blog!

We will start with the menu, since we all know that food is the best part! I am proud to say that I thought up the idea of having a Bar-"Bee"-Que all on my own, but I did later see it on another blog describing how to throw a "Bee" themed shower. We had BBQ and all the fixings and sides that come along with it: slaw, baked beans, deviled eggs, pasta salad, chips and some golden Oreos. I made an easy, and tasty Yellow Punch, and of course, only Yellow SOLO cups would do. I also made the pasta salad, but it was nothing to talk about. It also didn't help that I got sidetracked on a craft project and overcooked the noodles.

Perhaps the most important menu item, the cupcakes, were made by my dear friend, Christy.

Now to the decorations. As mentioned, I was definitely on a budget for this party. I only spent about $8 on the decor! Not bad, huh? I must confess that I have lots of craft items laying around that came in handy: Sharpies, black yarn, scotch tape, construction paper, paint pens, thumb tacks, and silk flowers and other pieces from diaper cake gifts. So, had I not had those items, it would have been a little more costly, but those are the perks of being crafty and doing lots of DIY! The only decor supplies that I purchased were black and yellow balloons, black and yellow crepe paper streamers, a yellow tablecloth, and a faux lace, vinyl tablecloth.

For the sign by the front door, I used my garden flag holder, the cake board from a previous diaper cake gift, and some balloons. I thought I was going to have to give up my left leg to have my balloons blown up. Apparently, we are in the middle of a helium shortage. Who knew?! There was not to much to the piece, but I thought it turned out pretty cute.

This was the decorative focal point of the living room. What party would be complete without a pennant banner? For the banner, I used construction paper, yarn, and a Sharpie. Simple! The initial "C" was relocated from the dining room table, and the flowers were from a previous diaper cake. I also thought this would be a great place to display the ultrasound pictures. The little beehive was made by tracing black lines around an inflated balloon with a Sharpie. Once again, not much to it, but I think it turned out well.

I had seen different variations of the fingerprint guestbook, and I loved it! So, I created my own. I thought this would be a great way to see who was there, and also what they thought Nugget would be. To make it, I simply Googled (of course) "baby silhouette." I choose the clip art picture that I liked best, and copy/pasted it into a Word document. I added the text underneath, and printed it on some off white paper. I added the balloon lines by using a ruler and fine-tip Sharpie. I got the ink pads from Hobby Lobby for about $1 each. I went with a vintage/retro look, so that it will fit in with the other Nursey decor. I plan to frame it in a white photo frame and place it on the bookshelf in the Nursery along with the other keepsakes: baby book, shadow box, etc.

Now it is time for the big reveal!

That's right! It's PINK! That means that Nugget is now officially Hadley "Haddie" Jo Clark!

Haddie received some great gifts yesterday from some great people. The sweet Wheelus family made an amazing diaper wreath! It has all kinds of goodies tucked in it. Auntie Christy made a diaper cake and bought the first gender correct gift for Miss Haddie: a sweet little outfit, the cutest pair of pink Ugg boots, and a taggie blanket. My Mom got her a soft, stuffed animal, and cute little diaper bag. I think Ed's favorite gift was from my Dad, an Alabama onesie. She will be styling this football season with her Bama pacifiers, onesie, and the crimson and white tutu that Christy promised! Haddie is already so blessed! She will be surrounded by so much love and kindness. Deep down I knew she was a girl all along. I can't wait to meet our daughter!