Tropical Honeymoon Shower {The Main Event}

I was asked to coordinate a shower for a couple at our church. The couple was blending two households and had more than enough "stuff." What they really wanted was money to go towards their honeymoon. So I created a tropical Honeymoon Shower. To help guest understand the concept the invitations read: "give the gift of memories made, not just things that will fade." 

Here is my initial sketch for the party. I think the final layout was just what I had in my head.

The menu included finger food type desserts that included Sand (or Beach) Cups, Fruit Skewers, White Powdered and Coconut Flaked Donuts skewered with paper straws resting in crushed graham crackers (sand) and the cake.

The cake was my design, but was created by Barbara Watts. I thought it turned out beautiful and made me smile to look at it. The origami money clothes were the same ones used to create the invitation. I just stuck a candy stick into the bottom of each one and Barbara added them to the top of the cake.

I created a "Money Palm Tree" out of toilet paper rolls, black paper and mini clothes pins. Guests could clip their money to the tree along with a slip of paper that offered wishes or advice. The couple loved the tree so much they asked to use it at the wedding reception as well.

Tropical Honeymoon Shower {The Invitation}

I designed this invitation for a tropical themed honeymoon shower. The couple was blending two households and had more than enough "stuff." What they really wanted was money to go towards their honeymoon. The phrase I came up with was "give the gift of memories made, not just things that will fade." I had seen origami money folded into clothing before and thought this would be a clever way to communicate that guests should bring CASH without blatantly saying that. I followed these instructions to fold the money and then scanned them into my computer along with the drink umbrella using sand colored paper as the background. I added the text and palm tree sun design using Adobe InDesign. I saved the money clothes and used them as a topper for the cake at the event. They were perfect. People responded well to the invitation and the couple had a nice wad of spending money for their trip.

Kindergarten {Our Final Six Weeks}

 June 24-August 2, 2013. Our Final Six Weeks of Kindergarten.

We spent more time outside studying nature and learning about bees at the library, adding to our nature books with each new discovery.

 And constructing legos.

 Daddy built these super cool water and sand tables and so the girls had tons of fun with sensory play.

 Marin completed The Beginner's Bible and we celebrated the completion of Kindergarten with Pizza. We met her grandparents at the local CiCi's Pizza and invited them over for desert so that Marin could show them everything she had learned this year. 

But the highlight of this six weeks for Marin was her week at Camp Invention.

 Marin's "Duck Stand" invention.

  Someone was REALLY proud of her gold medal.