Making stationery is something I’ve been doing off and on for probably 5 or 6 years now, but it wasn’t until last year that I decided to name my line The Lovely Bee. I started thinking back to what exactly inspired me to choose this name for my company, and it’s sort of a neat story!
My fascination with bees started back in 2007 when one of my besties, Lindsey, and I lived in Oxford, England (NOT Mississippi!) right after college. We went through BUNAC (which I’m not sure even exists anymore) but it was a great company that hooked us up with temporary work visas and helped us get our feet on the ground for a few months of working abroad. (I was a waitress/barista and she was a mystery shopper… We had some awesome jobs!)
Here’s a page from our time in England. The picture of us sipping tea is surefire proof that we were in jolly ol’ England at tea time! The sign on the fence represents my love for dog humor, English style!
During a day off in Oxford, we decided to visit the Oxford Botanical Gardens and really had a great time looking at all the beautiful plants. We also saw tons of BEES flying around from flower to flower, so I got a few pictures of these guys!
One of Oxford’s botanical bees
It also so happened that I’d just finished a book called The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd (which is definitely one of my favorite books EVER.) The book became even more special after I learned that my mama had been reading the exact same book 7 time zones to the left at the exact same time I was! (If you’ve never read the book, I highly recommend it. The thing that made the divine timing of her and me reading this book at the same time was because the book is about the relationship between a mother and a daughter… SO COOL!) The book also gave me an appreciation for bees.
After becoming uniquely fascinated with these little buzzing creatures, my sweet husband (who was my boyfriend at the time) gave me a bee necklace for Christmas that year that I RARELY take off. I’ve been through three chains but have managed to keep from losing the bee charm through the years. It’s such a special piece of jewelry to me!!
I SO love this necklace!!
When coming up with the name for the business I had such a passion for, I thought it might be a good idea to name it after something else that I’m crazy about, so BEES it was!
The Lovely Bee by Laurel
The bee in The Lovely Bee logo was hand drawn, as was the laurel wreath surrounding it. The laurel wreath was my mama’s idea, being that my name is Laurel and all. 🙂 Maybe one day The Lovely Bee will be able to afford a little logo update, but for now, it’s just perfect for where “we” (me and my shop dogs!) are as a company! Right now, I’m just so happy and so blessed to be able to get to do what I love!
THE HIVE | The Lovely Bee 