LyBly Prints

Hot off the press!  Superhero Birthday 

Very exciting news to share with you today... I opened a new shop on Etsy! "LyBly Prints" is currently a collection of birthday and shower invitations, available fully handmade for immediate send out, or do-it-yourself versions if you want to print them yourself. The selection is limited, but I have made it my personal mission to out-do each and every new invitation I do for friends and family members, so I expect the collection to grow quite quickly.  For instance, this dolphin card is my latest:

Dolphiin Birthday
The disk with the dolphin rotates,
making the dolphin jump in and out of the water!

This one is for real. My daughter Lyric is turning 10. T-E-N. Oh. My. Gosh. Where does the time go? I feel like I'm barely an adult, and still fighting to be responsible and all that... and my baby girl is 10!  So, keep an eye out for another fabulously overdone and craft-crazy soiree coming soon from me.  Until then, here's a look at some of the other items available at the new LyBly Prints!

Patchwork Owl Birthday
Also available for Baby Girl

Rock and Roll Birthday Girl
Also available for the Rocker Boy

  

Southern Themed Invite
This probably looks familiar, the full party can be viewed here.

Baby Bedding

Baby bedding you just can't buy in stores!  After completing the Chain Linked quilt a couple of months ago, we searched far and wide for the perfect baby bedding to complete the full room and just couldn't find anything that fit the Mommy's taste just perfectly.  So, I decided to try it myself!  What do you think?

Some of the details of the design include:  

I used the gorgeous dandelion fabric (that backed the baby's room quilt) for the outside of the bumpers.

The offset hexagon pattern, from scraps used in the quilt.  This detail is on two of the six baby bumper panels.

The horizontal quilting on the Kona 'Bone' color that completed the inside of the baby bumpers. 

Detail

I wanted something a little less traditional for the piping, so I found some 1" wide flat element, with the piping in the upholstery section of the fabric store.  I sewed square pockets out of the brown organic polka dots fabric and slid the piping into the pockets, then attached the piping to the bumpers.  I especially liked this technique because it eliminated the need for sewing/tucking the piping into the sides of the bumpers.  The piping is only on the tops and bottoms of each bumper measured to the exact width of the final bumper size.

Piping

The ties are double-sided.  I cut very elongated triangular pieces of the organic dots fabric and the dandelion fabric.  Placed them right side matching and sewed three sides of the ties.  I then had to turn each inside out (a wooden spoon worked best) and iron them flat.  Love the way these turned out!

Ties

Mommy bought brown, white and cream fitted sheets to match the bedding and we made the bed skirt.  We chose the Kona bone, a green organic dots fabric, and some brown fabric.  I added a pleated detail in the center of the front and back of the bed skirt.

Bed Skirt

Since this was my test run at bedding, I failed to snap photos of my process... but if there are any elements that anyone would like to see a photo tutorial of, I would love to hear from you!  I would love to have an excuse to do this all over again!

Bedding retails for such insane amounts and doing it yourself just adds so much originality you could never buy in stores!  I love the final product we came up with and hope dearly that I get the opportunity to do this for many more babies-to-be (and mommies- and daddies-to-be)!

Southern Summer Night Baby Shower

I organized and hosted a baby shower for an absolutely amazing couple this weekend. To understand their story, is to understand why this shower had to reach simply amazing proportions. And, I am pleased to say I think that we achieved just that! Baby Evangeline "Eva" Walker Norwood will be joining this world very soon, but for now, let's just enjoy the day we had to cherish the excitement that the mere thought of her gave to all of us.

Our theme was a "Southern Summer Night Soiree."  Baby's colors are greens and browns.  Mommy is from Mississippi.  We tried to narrow in on treats and goodies that fit our theme.  Our appetizer menu included a veggie garden, marinated mozzarella sprigs (with sundried tomato and rosemary), prosciutto bites (slices of pear, red pepper and havarti sprinkled with black pepper, wrapped in prosciutto), ham rolls, spinach rolls and a mouth watering summertime dip, we named backyard dip for out purposes.

The sweet station included: apple and buttermilk pie; blackberry and peach cobbler; cherry chocolate and red velvet mini cupcakes; lemon, butterscotch pecan and raspberry bars; peach pecan pound cake; petit fours; fruit, cheese and herb skewers; and a big batch of mixed fruit skewers,  Drinks were the classic southern selections of lemonade and sweet tea, with some special mixed drinks for guests who wanted something a little stronger.

All our antique decor was borrowed from family and friends to add the beautiful vintage touches; including antique fruit crates, strawberry baskets, mason jar lights and many antique treasures.  The flowers stole the show, however, with arrangements spiced up with cotton bowels and green apples.

Favors placed in an antique milk wagon were
Vintage Soda Bottles, a muslin baggie of
vintage candies, and a few classic candy sticks.

Eva's Letters were purchased at Hobby Lobby
and covered with fabric used in baby's room

.

Fruit, Cheese and Herb Skewers

Drink Station

Veggie Garden

Spiked lemonade and Raspberry Spritzers
for guests.

Centerpieces

Now just add the guests!

Our lovely greeters.

Photo Booth

The boys got to go down on another side of the yard for their own little area for cigars, galvanized tubs full of beer and a Baggo tournament, while the ladies stayed for the presents.  While the men competed for a gift card, the women played a game of their own for another gift card.  Upon arrival, the greeter tied a small ribbon around each ladies wrist that had 3 safety pins on it.  Every time you were caught saying the word "baby," the person that called you out could take a safety pin off your bracelet.  The winner was the person that had the most safety pins by the end of the shower/present opening.  Definitely a fun and simple little game!

 

 

After the presents were opened and all the 'oohs' and 'awws' had left our systems, we served a BBQ dinner of pulled pork and sliced brisket, baked beans, potato salad, and had cake.

And, we kept it going on into the night.  :)  Fun times!

So Inviting

I've gone into the party planning business!  (Well... Temporarily)  I'm planning a huge baby shower bash for my bestie and loving every minute of it.  The theme of our soiree is 'A Southern Summer Night.'  I know it doesn't take much imagination to know you will be seeing a lot of mason jars and wooden crates, but I hope I can stretch it as far as possible!

But, before I get too carried away with the details, we had to get the invitation out.  What southern party wouldn't give you ample time to prepare to attend, right?  So, to kick off the theme, we put together this  layered invitation using kraft cardstock, scrapbooking paper, and linen paper to print on.  The tags are the same materials, with the addition of using scrapbooking sheets of burlap and a cotton honeycomb textile, my favorite!

The invite.

All the pieces.

The finished product.

And, now that the invites are in the mail and the guest list is growing, I have to shift my focus.  I've already met with the florist, now on to food and sweets... the best part right?  Anyone have any ideas on southern themed finger foods that would win everyone over?  Would love to hear some ideas!