Like all other 3-4 year olds my Daughter thinks she’s a mermaid. She’s even picked out what color her fins are going to be when they “come in.” So it wasn’t a surprise she wanted a mermaid birthday party. So I asked her, “But what about the boys? Will they be mermen or pirates!” Quickly she exclaimed, “Pirates!”
So Mermaids and Pirates was the theme. I asked Mayfly and Junebug to do a custom birthday invitation, stickers, and address labels.  They turned out adorable and for anyone who doesn’t want to go the licensed character route, they were perfectly whimsical and fun. My daughter loved them!
I then asked Mayfly and Junebug for the okay to make “put-your-face-in” banners out of her designs.  They said it was okay and these banners turned out to be the fun hit of the party.  Just look at these pics below:
I decorated the tables with these paper placemats from Dabney Lee at Home. Since it was a waterside party, I got them laminated at the last minute so they wouldn’t get soaking wet by kiddos running around.
I did let her have a character birthday cake, but made sure it was as magical as a mermaid cake could be.
These were the party favors: the placemats and a small favor in a bag with a mermaid tag on it. They were adored by all the little mermaids and pirates.
It’s one thing to see some new product in the store or online but it’s another thing to see how they are used In Real Life (IRL). So I thought I would post some pics on a few products our family is using around the house.
Clairebella Large Cutting Board
We’ll start out with the products I love so unexpectedly.  First up is this beautiful personalized cutting board from Clairebella that never leaves the kitchen counter! We use it throughout the day, from cutting morning fruit to dinner salads. It looks gorgeous on our counter top.  It comes in two sizes, the large cutting board sells for $50 and the small one sells for $38. It is the perfect hostess gift and can be personalized to anyone style and color preference. Click here to buy
Kelly Hughes Harlequin Platter
My daughter had her 4th Birthday Party last week and wanted to take some cookies to Ballet Camp to celebrate.  So I took out my Kelly Hughes Harlequin platter and put some Frog Prince Cookies on it to celebrate! It made a lovely presentation. Platters are all personalized and come in a variety of colors and styles. They are a great buy at $38. Click here to buy
Mayfly and Junebug Waterproof Labels
I’ve been using these waterproof labels from Mayfly & Junebug on the kids items for two years now. Hundreds of washings and they still look pretty good.  I’m going to post a pic of a newish label next to one that is 2 years old, so you can see and compare.  I am so impressed how well the Mayfly and Junebug labels have held up. And if you are really wondering how many labels I have IRL.. well I have Mabels Labels, Stuck on You and Mayfly and Junebug. So far the Mayfly and Junebug labels have held up the best. The Mabels Labels and Stuck on You have faded… see the blue bottle below.
I adore this personalized tray from Clairebella. While it gets it uses for drinks and cocktails on the deck, I have to admit it gets more use these days for modeling clay and keeping the moon sand from getting all over the house.  Here’s a pic just taken this morning of my budding little artist’s modeling art. This tray gets an A+ for being multipurpose and stylish. It’s great gift for children, hostesses, and anyone who likes to entertain. It’s $39 at Baileybea.com. Click here to buy
It was a Mom’s perfect storm; the new nanny quit and moved unexpectedly, summer camps were not lining up, and my son was starting Kindergarten in the fall. And while I have a ton of work to do on my desk, I felt like a higher power was telling me to stop and enjoy the children.  I gave in!  I worked when I could and tried to never to tell the kids “No” all summer. So the house wasn’t the cleanest, the work is still on my desk, but it was nothing less than the “Sweetest Summer.”
Here it is September 2nd and this morning on the way to drop off my daughter I couldn’t help reflect on the summer highlights in her hair, the tan lines on her arms, and her sea shell necklace.  Then there is my son who has a speech and language disorder called Mixed Expressive and Receptive Language Disorder. Time with him this summer was miracle I was lucky enough to have witness.  This summer his language blossomed, so did his imagination, creativity, and happiness.  He grew up so much this summer. He’s so calm, mature, and happy.
My son is not a big talker, but this summer my son introduced me at Sports Camp to his teachers and friends as “This is my AWESOME Mom!” {insert tears of joy in the car afterward.. I never thought this day would happen} My Daughter who usually can’t wait to go socialize suddenly won’t let go of my leg and wants to just be with me. ” Come play with me Mom, “ “Let’s go to the pool” and “Let’s go have Ice Cream” are things often said around here these days.    The new favorite car game is “Once Upon a Time,” where my son makes up stories about animals and people we know with the wildest creativity.
My Son and Daughter are 18 months apart and are closer than ever. Usually my son runs up to his sister and gives her a big bear hug and introduces her to everyone around him.  We often find them asleep on the bunk bed next to each other hugging one another. And when I heard them conspiring against me and giggling on the baby monitor I knew I was in trouble. Ha ha!
So it was the Sweetest Summer! Totally worth it! But now.. it’s back to work for me!
Where do I begin? It’s been a busy day but I am feeling great about the summer and Bailey Bea’s new products. So here’s a bit of an update.
Twitter – Bailey Bea is now on Twitter… so go follow me for the latest Tweets and I promise not to put too many boring posts… only exciting stuff from me… So look up Baileybea on Twitter.
Weddings – While I currently do not carry too many lines for weddings I do have a lot of fun, classic, stylish, beautiful Bridal Shower things coming up that I am sure many a bridesmaid, brides mom, grooms mom, and friend would love to use a bridal shower.
Whitney English – lots of new stuff from Whitney English is coming but… it was easier for us to remove most of the Whitney English items and load a few new items each day for the next two-three weeks. So don’t worry… Whitney English will be back soon will lots of NEW products to choose from.
Speaking of NEW… We loaded a ton of New Products from In Good Company in the last week. Right now we are busy updating all those things that take online retailers a long time… like search engine optimization tags. So everyday will bring new In Good Company invitations, stickers, enclosure cards, note pads, oh and this nifty 2010 Calendar, which is BTW going to be the Holiday Gift for my neighbors. So neighbors when you get this fun 2010 Calendar at your door, be surprised. WINK WINK!
Having personalized note cards is such a wonderful thing to give yourself or someone you love.   My lovely friend asked me about personalized note cards last week.  So often the price of having personalized fine stationery seems out of reach, but these days with digital printing and affordable laser printers designers can make a personalized set of note cards affordable.   Look at these lovely cards by Sweet Mady’s Designs. Beautiful and affordable at $23 for a set of 12 cards.  This card set is called “Refreshing Batik.”   You can also find it here – Refreshing Batik
I met with several of exciting companies at the National Stationery Show and it was really hard to trim it down to a few new companies to add to Bailey Bea.  I am still meeting with a few companies so stay tuned there is more to come! But until then here’s one new company I added:
PAPER AND INK DESIGNS
I really enjoyed meeting with Paper and Ink because everything was so fresh and fun. I loved the personalized canvas prints, gorgeous digital photo cards, fantastic coasters, the monogrammed wall decals, the beautiful paperweights, and super cute lunch boxes.   I think the whole line is beautiful and stylish and I am sure you will think so too! Tracy Goodwin is the designer and owner behind Paper and Ink. I appreciate her because she just hung out with me for a bit on the floor where I could put my bags down that were hurting my back while I filled out my paperwork.  She was so sweet and easy to work with and we both talked about being Moms in this biz. Ahh always good to find other Moms I believe in.  I look forward to doing business with her. Here’s some pics:
Become one of our FANS on Facebook. Just look up Bailey Bea Designs in your Facebook Search. We post new items and special sales on Facebook. Thanks!
The end of the school year is upon us and I am sure we are all thinking of what gifts to buy the teachers that do such a good job with our children.  So here’s a list of things I have given Teachers in the past year that have been great hits:
So look up Baileybea on Twitter.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
