June has been a busy month.....

Washcloth lollipop, a photo by mad4marvin on Flickr.

     After I finished the Graduation Afghan for my niece's best friend, I then have become a whirlwind of knitting. I also have been knee-deep in my niece's baby shower planning! My niece is having a boy, her second child, and is due in September. I have decided to make all of her baby items in Pound of Love Antique White because it can easily be for a boy or a girl (I began knitting before knowing the gender) and I even wrote my very first pattern for her baby afghan. Now I am in the middle of making a washcloth with my niece's last name initial, booties, hat, and possibly a vest. At the same time I am making centerpieces, deciding on color schemes for tables, cups, plates, and silverware. I am also working on games, favors, deciding on menu ideas, and about a million other small details for the shower. On top of that--I am also co-planning a baby shower for my nephew who is due a week or two before my niece-they are also having their second child and its a girl. Teddy bears are the theme for this shower while pacifier/blue/white is the little boys shower theme. I am also knitting for the little girl but not anything nearly as complex as for my nephew....I am making the new little girl a pair of booties, a hat, and maybe a bib...I am not sure.

     Planning baby showers is something I really enjoy. I have planned several different kinds over the years for various nieces and nephews. I love the picking of the theme, shopping for all the little pieces, and crafting up centerpieces. In the past, I have held a Baby Block theme where I made handmade ABC blocks that I woodburned the letters into, sanded, and spread all over the baby shower. I have also done Baby Ducks with a duck floating in a ceramic bathtub and I have made centerpieces of vases filled with washcloth lollipops.

     For my nieces baby boy I did something I have never done before...I handmade every single invitation. 35 individual handmade cards...it was A LOT of work but I loved the end result. As soon as the baby shower is over I will be posting a TON of pictures but right now everything is kind of under wraps....for right now I will offer a peek of the lollipops I have made for this shower....