Don't Worry..."Bee" Happy!

I don't know about you, but I am sooooooo ready for Spring.  I am usually a fan of the colder months because it gets so hot here.  But this year, I have had cold hands and feet since about December 1st.  So imagine my excitement a couple of weekends ago when the mercury rose to a practically balmy 65!  Top that off with the fact that it was the day for a Miss Manners party, and I was downright giddy!

As you are about to see, my partner in crime, Nancy Itson, is a master party thrower!  She pulls out all the stops and lets it all hang out.  Well, that may be a little bit of an exaggeration...or is it?  Buckle up folks, here we go!

Nancy loves a party theme better than just about anyone I know.  She takes a simple idea and then absolutely sends it over the top.  For this party, she choose to use a "bee" theme.  And subsequently, so will I.  You're about to see what I mean...

 

Who doesn't love lemonade?  And this cute beehive dispenser allows the girls to fix their own drinks.  (Remember I told you that at our first party, we talked about good party manners when the hostess sets a buffet?  Well they are getting to practice what they have learned!)

Each girl had a little vase of daisies with their name tied to it.  Nancy does a great job at mixing glass and paper for a really pretty effect.  The paper plates make great chargers.  Clear glass luncheon plates rest on top.  Baby food jars (contributed by her grandson, Crews!) and jelly jars for glasses rounded out the place settings.  She glued daisy petals to the back of a butterscotch lollipop for a treat fit for a queen bee!  Finally, each girl had a flag attached to their black and white striped paper straws.  Sayings like "Bee Helpful", "Bee Truthful" and "Bee Patient" decorated the straws and came into play during our lesson later on.

A menu board greeted the girls as they entered the dining room.

It set the stage for the yummy treats to come!

There were "Bears Like Honey, Too! Sandwiches.

(Peanut butter and apple jelly on WHITE WHEAT bread.
She's so sneaky!) 

 Yellow and green M&Ms candy mixed with Honeycomb cereal made a nice party mix.

"Bumble Chips" were a huge hit!

 

Bee Blossom Cookies

Bee Hive Cupcakes (decorated by Nancy's daughter, Haley Scott, each cupcake is just a little different!) were a tremendous hit and a "bee-utiful" centerpiece.  Believe it or not, all the little bees came from Wal-Mart in the cake decorating section.  Bet there's about to "bee" a rush on those! 

Nancy even made a special snack for the adults who were there.  Her chicken salad ball is "bee-licious" (ok - that one was a stretch) and so easy to make.  Mix one can white meat chicken (drained and broken up with a fork) to half a block of softened cream cheese and dry ranch seasoning to taste.  Shape in a ball and refrigerate until firm.  Sprinkle with ground pecans and stick a couple of honey bees on it!  Yummy.

Pretty floral arrangements complimented the beautiful Spring day.

The girls acted like such little ladies!

The decorations were whimsical, but the girls still felt (and acted) so grown up!

After the girls finished eating, we had our manners lesson.  I used the scripture Proverbs 16:24 as the basis for our lesson.  "Kind words are like honey - sweet to the soul and good for the body."  We talked about the fact that everybody has to "bee" somebody.  We should strive to "bee" who God wants us to "bee".  Each girl shared the phrase on her straw and what she thought it meant.

After our lesson, we moved to Nancy's kitchen where she had set up a craft table.

Hon. E. Bee had left everything the girls could possible need to stamp the covers of their own journals: blank spiral pads, stamps and stamp pads in yellow and black and flowers and gem stones to glue to the cover.

Our group of girls had grown to 26 young ladies from 1st to 6th grade, so we decided to divide them into "Little Miss Manners" (grades 1-3) and "Miss Manners" (grades 4-6).  Nancy asked my daughter, Jewell, and my niece, Mary Reagan, to help that day.  They are part of the older group.  They helped the younger girls do things like fix their plates and make their crafts.  They really enjoyed getting to help!

Each girl was very creative as she decorated her individual journal cover.

Nancy had made pens for the girls ahead of time,

and Haley helped the girls tie the pens to their journals with coordinating ribbons.

The girls agreed to pose for a picture at the end of the party.

You can see by the smiles on their faces how much they enjoyed the party! 

In an ever-increasingly in-formal world, these young ladies really enjoy the chance to dress up and attend parties that make them feel special!  It is so important to give them an opportunity to enjoy "bee-ing" (last time, I promise!) a girl!

  

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I'm so glad you stopped by my neck of the woods!

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