Pierson's 1st Bee Day

Pierson's 1st "Bee" Day was Bee-yond fun.  I had so much fun finding ideas for his party.  My great friend, Kristin, and I decided to tag team the birthday planning (her son, Jude, turned 1 in September)... so we started w/ her party and I used lots of the same things in my party.  No need to reinvent the perfect bee day! (So you caught me, I planned his party 6 months early.... I am a bit of a overachiever when it comes to being prepared and planned ahead of time!)

#1 Priority: Invitation:  Had to have a cute way to get the "buzz" out about his party!

It reads:

Have you heard the buzz?

Pierson is going to bee 1!

Join us at the Anders Hive

for Pierson's Bee-day celebration

Address/date etc

It'll bee the sweetest place to bee!

Buzz the Queen Bee to RSVP

Maureen #

Bee-bee-que and Bee Hive Cake to be served

#2 Priority: Outfit:

I appliqued a bumble bee on top of a black/white gingham jon jon that I made for Pierson.  The lining is a soft yellow and white plaid and it has white pique piping.  The yellow buttons have little white polka dots going around the circumference.

I also made him a bib (for the cake mess that was about to occur).  I used a yellow hand towel and cut a neck and sewed in a t-shirt collar.  Then I appliqued the number 1 in black/white gingham to match the rest of his get-up.

I almost forgot Priority #2.5... Cotton's outfit.  Yes, my dog had a bumble bee costume on.  He looked so pitiful, but I loved it.  He was just humping stinging and buzzing kids all over the house, left and right.  He looks so sad, but I think he was happy.

#3 Priority: Favor (of course): I decided to use empty honey bear containers for a "sweet" part of the kiddie favors.  I filled them to the top with Earth's Best Organic Smiley Cereal for the babies and Tootsie rolls and Butterfingers for the older kids.  (black and yellow packaging was key!).

Then, I topped each honey bear off with a party hat that had paper shred for the pom pon, ribbon around the base, slapped the kids name on the hat, and put a little personalized sticker on the front of the honey bear that said "Thanks for Bee-ing so sweet... Pierson's 1st Bee Day - 1.30.2009"

For the toy part of the favor, I wrapped up books for the children.  The babies each got 2 chunky board books (by Bright Baby), and the older kids got a book by Eric Carle.

I used the most fabulous wrapping paper, houndstooth!!!  Black and white.  I found that and almost had a panic attack (I am being completely serious) at Hobby Lobby over Christmas.  I mean, how perfect?

Each gift had a circle giant tag with the child's name personalized.  It says "Thanks for buzzing by to bee here for Pierson's first bee day".  Ok, I went a little overboard using "bee" in place of "be".  Wrapped with yellow and black raffia.

Baby books (above).  Toddler books were larger (below)

Look at the happy bears just waiting to be handled by all the kids that were there!

Then, of course, I had to send home a sweet confection for the road.  I know most people opened it on the car ride home and devoured those sweet little bees!

Like the glass shaped hive (courtesy, Kristin) that we put bumble bee stickers on.  Thanks, Kristin!

#4 Priority: Food:  We had an array of foods, theme appropriate, of course.

Menu:

Bee-bee-que (with buns if the guests wanted it on a sandwich)

Cole Slaw

Baked Bee-ns (Kristin's famous)

Fruit cups w/ honey yogurt dip

Bumble bee Nectar (Lemonade punch)

Bee-r (J found the most perfect beer, it had a yellow wrap w/ a huge bumble bee on the front of the bottle!)

Bee and Hive Sugar cookies

P.Bee Honey bees (can't even describe - yum)

Bee-bee-que.  Not the midwestern type bbq. (When I first moved south, I thought bbq was when you put chicken on the bbq.  Totally different down south...in a better, fattier kind of way)

My mom and I were up the night prior until 1 am shredding this dreaded pork butt bbq.  I had never made it, ever.  We decided to go all out and do it ourselves.  Bought 30 pounds of pork ass and roasted that pig right up... all day long.  By 2 am it was shredded and ready to go.  We split it into 2 crock pots - one was plain (just some vinegar sauce to keep it moist) and the other had the mustard based sauce.

Turned out scrumptious!  We had 3 sauces (in honey bear containers, of course).  Red sauce from Mac's BBQ in Charlotte, Mustard from Maurice's BBQ, and The Q-Shack vinegar based.

Bee and Hive Sugar Cookies

Priority #.... Well, lets start back at 1: CAKE

I was bound and determined to not have to buy that $40 William's Sonoma cake pan.  That would have been too easy.  So I did a 3 layer cake, with a dome cake (from Jeffrey's previous birthday where we had sports balls cakes) on the top.  It was actually very simple.

Dr. Oeteker Organic cake mix, my favorite.  Layered chocolate/vanilla/chocolate/vanilla so when that hive was cut into it looked like a striped bee!

The bumble bees on top were chocolate covered almonds with almond wings and yellow frosting stripes.

Placed the cake on a black/white Houndstooth covered cutting board.  Yes, the houndstooth that I almost had a panic attack about at Honny Lobby. (I won't tell you how many rolls of that paper I purchased that year.  Hey, its an investment)

I also made a small hive cake for Pierson to crush.  J's mom, Vicki, had her birthday the day of the party (Jan 31!) as well, so we I made her a cake of her own!

To my girl, Kristin, super help! ;-)  Thanks!

To my mom, Kathy, for taking my orders.... some call me "host-zilla".

With all the chaos, this was the only family photo we GOT!  Oh well!  There is always next year.

J's mom was the birthday girl, too.

The guest of honor.  Pierson Burke.  Otherwise known as Peanut. (He was smiling at Auntie Claire)

May the bees be with you.