We Believe/Black and White

New Beginnings is an annual event held each new year to welcome any new young women and to celebrate personal progress.  As the personal progress advisor, I was really excited for ours and drew most of my ideas from the amazing Jenny Phillips.  We used her DVD, her songs "Honest" and "We Believe"  We also used parts of a script she had written for events like these.  Each of the girls had a speaking part and they did so wonderful!!  Of course we added our own little "flair" to things, but it turned out amazing!!  The theme for the night was Black and White.

(Cute poster made by our President, Cindy.)

We started planning early so we could get as many girls and parents there as we could.  (It worked, we were only missing two!!) We practiced the song every week and talked about it every chance we could.  We mailed invitations and the girls seemed excited to wear their "black and white"  The biggest thing I was stuck on was decorations and dessert.  Then I talked to my sister and she sent me an Amy Atlas link and my fire was ignited!!

 I knew I HAD to do a black and white dessert table.  It was perfect, use food as the decorations!

Now, keep in mind I had to do this el-cheepo, so it isn't EXACTLY how I envisioned it, but I think it turned out pretty cute!

I'll try to list everything on the table left to right: cake pops, junior mints and york bites, dark chocolate truffles, oreos dipped in white chocolate, mini peanut butter cups, hugs, kisses, oreo cakesters, homemade cupcakes, golden oreos, rice krispie balls, long cream cookie things (not sure what they are called!) white lifesaver mints, black licorice and mini charleston chews.  I basically went shopping for anything black and white.

I loved this cupcake stand (two boxes wrapped with white paper and a ribbon glued around them) with the little flags spelling "believe"

The cakesters had little flags with each of the Young Woman values.

On most of the jars I tied black or white ribbons with a little tag that had a word from the 13th article of faith.  (there's a lot of great words in that one!)

I love my calling, and I LOVE these girls.  (I know it looks like a small group, but I served in young women around 2000 and we had one sometimes two girls on Sunday, so this is a lot of girls for our ward!) It was a wonderful night!  (Don't you just love the black and white too!?)  I had a little too much fun doing that dessert table.  I had so many ideas I didn't even use.  I think I found a new hobby! (and the next "big" event coming up is my birthday!!) Hmmmm.......Beth