Party Preparations....

Last Friday, right at the end of the cupcake decorating session, our grandparents (who we call Bop and Nanny) arrived to help out with party preparations. They brought me a very special graduation present...my very own hope chest! I absolutely love it and can hardly wait to fill it up!

Bop made this gorgeous chest in his basement wood shop, and Nanny woodburned a little plaque for the inside. I will cherish it always!

Later, we all ate supper and headed outside to begin setting up the garage. Bop helped set up the tables and chairs.

Mom and Nanny put on the centerpieces.

I hung some tissue paper flowers from the rafters. After a while, my dad's sister Beth, her husband Derrick, and their kids Logan, Carson, and Emilee arrived to help us get ready for the party.

Carson and Emilee had fun making a welcome sign on our chalkboard.

Funny story about our centerpieces: Mom thought it would be fun to have some potted flowers on the tables. We had some begonias on hand, but nothing to put them in. Then Mom remembered all of the empty frosting containers left over from the cupcakes. We dressed them up with some pink polka-dotted ribbons and lace flowers and put in the begonias. They looked pretty cute, if we do say so ourselves! After several hours of set-up, we all went to bed, eager to start the party the next day.

When we woke up, we had much more to do. But finally, the cupcakes were set out,

the tables were set,

the guestbook and card basket were ready to go,

and the pictures were on display.

We were ready for a party!

(Stay tuned...party pictures coming up next!)