a week after the big bbq shindig, i threw mama a surprise retirement party. yes, i tried to do too much in a matter of a week, but it was so much fun! and i left for a week of nothing but waves and sand the very next weekend, so it was all good...
so, mom finally ended a 32 35 year teaching career....teaching elementary school, mind you. there are a lot of teachers in my family, but i can honestly say that i absolutely got NONE of that "educatin'" gene. God bless her and all those teachers out there because goodness knows what they have to put up with!
she truly had no idea that we had organized a surprise for her...she thought she was going to a baby shower for ashton (we sent her a fake invite in the mail) so, she bit the bait and arrived at her own party with a baby gift in hand. priceless!
arriving....confused....
...annnnd she's figured it out!
the venue before the party started-isn't it pretty? it's the old train depot in my hometown of
westminster, sc. unfortunately, some jerkwad burned it down a few years ago, but the town completely rebuilt it. the colors are gorgeous and the floors are original. they un-nailed each board and flipped them over, so now the burned part is on the underside...cool, huh?
decoration-wise, i made
martha stewart's pom poms (always perfect for any occasion and so easy to make) and i also made a pennant banner with black construction paper and chalk. what can i say?
i like cheap and cute. :-)
the theme was granny smith apple green and black. of course it had to have an apple theme!
(so original, i know...)
a close up of the banner (click it make it bigger)
the entrance table
no time to make 70-something caramel apples, but these caramel apple suckers did just the trick!
i used handwriting paper to write little placards on.
petey penguin comes to every major family event/holiday. he's a member of the family.
long story--i'll share it with you one day.
i went online and made a crossword puzzle with facts about mama for everyone to do while they were waiting on her to get there. they were a hit!
pencils for the crossword stuck
down in alphabet dry pasta
instead of a traditional guest book i bought "the giving tree" by shel silverstein and had everyone write personal messages to mom throughout the book as a keepsake for her.
the start of the food table--i used mini chalkboards from michael's to note what was what. i also used granny smith apples in vases with sticks to carry the theme through.
...and can i just say that deli spirals from costco are a MUST for any event? they are a lifesaver!
and gooooooood!
of course we had to have a slideshow!
zack practicing his daddy-ing skills on sweet little parker
mama with papa and grandmama
us
all of the teacher buddies
happy retirement to my wonderful mother!
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4 comments:
you are quite the party planner lindsay! and you gotta love the m.s. pom poms - i think i've used them for every baby shower i've done recently. carrie (ray) even kept them for her little girl's nursery. cheap and so cute! and i love the chalk board signs - so creative!
i just came across your blog and love it! you had me on the post where you say it's hard to say soda because southerner's call it coke - i totally agree! i also love your diy projects :) i'm a new follower!
You are so creative!! I know your mom was surprised :) You did a great job!
The party was a TOTAL SURPRISE...I should know your tricks by now! For those who don't know my extremely talented and beautiful daughter, she really knows how to throw a party. It was wonderful! I actually taught for 35 years and loved it! I have many memories,but now it is on to new adventures! Thanks Lindsay for all you did to make my retirement celebration a day I will never forget! I love you a bunch!
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