When's a jar not a jar?

When it is a vase!

Again, today I have been neck deep in trying to sort out the stuff for my daughters naming ceremony and I had my first panic when sitting discussing the arrangements for the day.

So? Have you decided on the table decoration?
Yes. Giraffe themed tags to go on the tea cups and brown and yellow table gems.
And centre pieces? What about the flowers?

Damn, I thought. I hadn't thought of those!

At this time of year the roads and gardens are filled with daffodils so at least that would make things easier... It was just finding something for them to stand in.

After raiding my garden cupboard I found three jam jars that were all the same and gave them a quick rinse (who knows what kind of insects and bugs had been living in them!)

I then measured a length of giraffe print felt which fitted around the circumference of the jar and cut it to size. I also took a length of giraffe print ribbon (the same as the ones on the name tags!) and stuck that to the felt.

I then stuck the felt to the jar and stuck a fimo giraffe to it.

I can't wait for the ceremony now... A giraffe themed afternoon tea - what more could a 7 month old wish for?!

Time for tea?

My daughters naming ceremony is in a couple of weeks time and I am slowly realising that there is a lot to do and not a lot of time in which to do it!

I also have very little money on which to spend it on as the ceremony has cost a lot more than I had hoped for so the ideas need to be quick, simple and cheap.

After the ceremony there will be an afternoon tea and I wanted to make it personal to my daughter.

A few weeks ago I made some name tags that I wanted to tie to the handles of the teacups. After making them I came back to them and I wasn't happy. So I would have to do them again.

This time I used some rubber stamp letters to spell out the names - taking time to make sure that they all fitted but instead of the names as I know them I did them from my daughters point of view. The black ink worked well against the tags I had bought.

On the other side I used letter outlines to have 'with love' in gold and stuck a giraffe that I had painstakingly made a couple of weeks ago (they were going to be used!!!)

The ribbon I bought was then threaded through the label.

I am much happier with the result ... So happy that the guests get to have a keepsake from, what I hope to be, a very special day!

You're having a giraffe...

My 5 month old daughter loves giraffes. She saw her first one at Blackpool zoo at 3 months and now every time she is shown a picture of one or sees one on tv she breaks out into a massive grin.

I have been trying to find a decor for her naming ceremony which is taking place in April and thought that a giraffe theme would be a nice way to incorporate something my daughter loves and something for the guests could take away with them to remind them of the day.

I also needed to come up with a way for the guests to know where they are sitting so came up with a combination of place card and guest memento!

The little giraffes were made from fimo which had been made in a silicone mould and then baked in the oven for only three minutes. These were then stuck to luggage labels and then the names of the guests were then stamped on the labels (although I did think about writing on them at one point like the one in the photo!)
On the back there was a small note saying that is was our daughters naming ceremony and the date.

I was pleased with these and then tied the labels with giraffe print ribbon.

I will let you know what the guests think!