Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!  I have a new favorite site - HelloGiggles, and as I was browsing the site this morning, I found this fantastic craft idea and blog post by Charlotte Townsend and thought I'd share. 

I'm more of a New Year goal setter rather than resolution maker.  I find that I tend to rise to the challenge more of goals; resolutions seem a bit too... resolute to me.  And as Charlotte points out, I usually find that if I try to make 'resolutions' they are too often filled with negative words "stop ____ ing" or "be better at ____".  Goals, for me, encourage and inspire me to do positive and better things that I know I'm capable of.  This craft project is a great way to get into a positive and invigorated mindset, not to mention super cute!  I will definitely be trying my hand at this project this weekend and looking to it throughout the year for encouragement and inspiration - both things that I hope 2012 holds in store for you!

Guest Blog! A few favorite holiday things from my Mom

Merry Christmas!  I have another guest blogger - my mom!  As a fantastic and creative forger of making holidays bright, I asked my mom to write about a few of her favorite Christmas things, and as Christmas night comes to a close I wanted to post her blog to share with you all, to give you food for thought for this year and for the years to come!  Happy Holidays!

When my daughter asked me to write a contribution to her blog about  favorite Christmas things, I confess:  I procrastinated.  Not because I didn't want to be cooperative, but honestly, because I didn't know where to start.  There really isn't much I don't like about the holidays, except that I rarely have all the energy to do all of everything I would like to do. Having served as a pastor, I am used to writing three point sermons, it would be natural to come up with my top three favorite things but I don't think I want to go there.  I'll just start in and see where I end up.

First of all, my very most favorite part of the holidays are CHILDREN.  I love seeing the joy of little ones this time of year... their wonder, excitement and enthusiasm.  I love seeing them dressed up in their special occasion clothes: hairbows and shiny shoes, luxury fabrics we wouldn't dare dress them in any other time of year, jingle bells and reindeer sweaters and all kinds of silliness. Children are the reason for the holidays... why we pass on our traditions and beliefs and share our history and hopes for the future.

Christmas cookies are another yuletide favorite of mine, maybe because all children love cookies.  My love of cookies began with both of my wonderful grandmothers and the love of baking and cooking they shared with me.  I have accumulated a mountain of cookie cutters and cookbooks, and Christmas cookbooks and magazines are almost an obsession.  I rarely end up making all the cookies and candies I have ear-marked but, like children looking at toys in the * Wish Book, I spend hours choosing my favorites for this year.  (* OK, I know most of you will be too young to remember this but every year, Sears used to put out a Christmas catalog and the back half of the book was always devoted to TOYS.  It would arrive in the mailbox shortly after back-to-school and the cover was worn off by Thanksgiving.)

Christmas customs and traditions are another favorite of mine.  Every family has their own.  I love the ones my family has chosen as our own and am always up for trying a new one.  In our family, a tradition is anything we have done at least once and enjoyed.  Over the years we have celebrated St. Nicholas Day in the Dutch fashion, St. Lucia's Day in the Swedish fashion, Christmas Tea in the afternoon and dinner in the English style with Roast Beef and Yorkshire Pudding and Trifle. Our Christmas Eve suppers have varied from the New England Clam Chowder to Swiss Raclette and sometimes our Mexican favorites including Ensalada de Noche Buena (Christmas Eve Salad with orange slices and pomegranate seeds).  Customs and traditions are great if they are handed down from generation to generation, but they also just as much fun if they come from a friend, a magazine article or the Food Network.

There is no end to the things I love about the season but I will just close by adding one last holiday favorite of mine: Christmas Carols.  I pull out the Christmas music (sheet music and CDs) before the last of the Halloween candy is eaten.  Because I have had piano students for the last 20 years, "we" start practicing carols the first of November, and most years ended with a Christmas recital. I love introducing my students to new carols and teaching them the stories of how our favorite carols came to be.   I remember the year my daughter first played Carol of the Bells (beautifully, I might add!) and the year my son and I played a trumpet-piano duet.   And then there were many years of carols in church: The Hanging of the Greens, the Service of Lessons and Carols in the chapel of San Francisco Theological Seminary,  watching the children's choirs in the white robes and big red bows, trumpet duets performed by Son and Friend, Sunday School Pageants, caroling in the nursing homes and homes of shut-ins, and sitting with  big wooly gloves on and rubbing my fingers so they would stay warm enough to play Silent Night by candlelight  at the close of Christmas Eve Service.  Every year was different but, miraculously, every year is the same.  And I love every minute of the entire season.  

Guest Blog! Giving Ideas from Janice

Well, the countdown to the holidays has officially begun.  The malls are crazy crowded, online stores are dishing out the last minute offers, and people are in a frenzy of wrapping and crossing their fingers that mailed gifts arrive on time.  Amidst all the craziness, my good friend Janice (and author of Pretty Ponderations) has put together a handy list of ideas to help you make it through.  She shares her ideas with The Ballerina Birthday in this blog, thanks Janice!  And make sure you read all the way to the end... there's a surprise offer waiting for you!

There are many types of holiday shoppers.

•  the online shopper: who actually follows the gift guides that instruct you on what to buy for “chic celine” or the “adventurous adam”
•  the planner: who knows what they want to get people by early fall and spends three months gathering the goods
•   the suggestion-maker: who buys you a pot when you don’t know how to cook
•      the clueless: who buys you a colander, thinking it’s a pot
•    the procrastinator: who is reading this a mere four days before Christmas, wondering what to do now?!?!

I am a planner, and annoyingly so. The day before Thanksgiving all of the presents were wrapped and just awaiting a tree. But in an attempt to be less annoying I have some last-minute gift ideas that can complement a variety of people. And here they are:

• Give creatively. Specifically, make a collage because it is the easiest DIY project that there is. Feel free to steal my idea – cut up the ugly wrapping paper that is “so last year” and use elmers glue to collage it. Or to steer away from holiday, print out a bunch of facebook pictures and collage the pics in a picture frame.
• Give calories. Buy the premade cookie dough from Safeway and bake it. If you’re lazy, get the rolls that have the designs in the middle. If you’re ambitious, mix milk + powdered sugar + food coloring and make your own royal icing and decorate away!
• Give coffee. Starbucks gift cards, done.
• Give convenience. Buy someone an Amazon Prime membership. It will change their lives because they will have access to thousands of products on Amazon for two-day shipping FOR FREE.
• Give Gilt. Full disclaimer, I work for Gilt Groupe. But I feel that for the amount of shopping that I do on Gilt Groupe I am within my rights to shamelessly plug my company. If you’ve already missed the shipping deadlines, go on giltcity.com and gift an experience to your fancy friends! And just because you are Ballerina Blog fan, click this link to get 25% off your next order:  http://www.giltcity.com/sigma 

Happy Holidays! 

It's A Wrap 2.0

I forgot to include one of the cutest wrapping items in my last blog!  For my mom's birthday I found this adorable gift bag at Cost Plus and filled it with her birthday goodies.  My mom shares my love of Spanish and Flamenco dance and was my biggest supporter when I was dancing with a Flamenco dance company. So this bag was perfect for her, and a bit Christmassy and definitely fun and festive with the polka dots.

I love Cost Plus, they always have fun and interesting things, especially around the holidays.  Their gift wrap section is great as well, from chinese take out style boxes, hand painted wrapping paper and a variety of bows and bags, it's a great place to find some wrapping inspiration!

It's a Wrap!

'Tis the season for wrapping!  And I do love a nicely wrapped gift.  I've only ever met a few others with the same penchant for nice wrapping as myself (ahem... Mom and Janice).  If you're wrapping a ballerina birthday gift, a Christmas or Hanukkah gift, a well presented package is just so... fun!  So, with the season of wrapping around us, I thought I'd share a few jobs that I did with you all.

For my package to my brother and family I used a traditional ribbon and bow (love this red with white).  I'm a big fan of silver as a holiday color, and thought the red popped nicely.

You know how one acquires those leftover wrapping bits?  Bows, curly ribbon and decorative tags that you just can't bear to toss out?  Well I have those in spades, but I also have a vast amount of leftover tulle from my tutu making projects.  I thought wrapping would be a great way to put those pieces to use!  Tulle is nice and can have a nice wintery and delicate feeling as a bow.  Here is a traditional pinkish white version, and a more bold black and red one.  The picture doesn't show it, but that black tulle actually has some sparkle to it!

If you have any fun wrapping ideas I'd love to hear them!  E-mail me at: theballerinabirthday@gmail.com to share!

Nutcrackers on Parade

To say that my family has a collection of Nutcrackers may be an understatement.  'Brigade' or 'Regiment' might be more appropriate.  Like I suppose all collections do, our Nutcracker collection started as a modest appreciation for the craftsmanship and as I grew up and became more involved in dance and my own performances of The Nutcracker, our collection increased to include a Mouse King nutcracker to commemorate the year I played a mouse, or a fly fisherman Nutcracker to include my dad's love of the hobby.  One summer I spent touring Europe with my high school choir I bought a beautifully carved and pristinely white snowflake Nutcracker from the homeland of Nutcrackers, Germany.

The Magic of Nutcracker website has some interesting facts on the history of these wooden creations:

"According to German folklore, nutcrackers were given as keepsakes to bring good luck to your family and protect your home. The legend says that a nutcracker represents power and strength and serves like a trusty watch dog guarding your family from evil spirits and danger. A fierce protector, the nutcracker bares its teeth to the evil spirits and serves as the traditional messenger of good luck and goodwill."

Our collection has gotten too big to house on just one or two shelves during the holidays when we pull out our festive decor. They've invaded many nooks and crannies, and I wanted to share some of my favorites with you.  If you have a budding ballerina who can't get enough of The Nutcracker, Sugar Plum Fairies, and the like, you may find yourself in the market to start your own collection, or if not, they are always just a fun and festive decoration to deck the halls!

A selection of the brigade....

Firefighters Pirates and Soldiers, oh my!

The two on horses are two of my favorites, they're rather rare and these two keep each other good company

The Snowflake Nutcracker from Germany and one of my favorite "squatty body" Nutcrackers purchased at a Sacramento Ballet Nutcracker performance years ago.

Minis from many nations...

Decking the mantle...

Unique Treasures

A few weekends ago I took a jaunt up the coast to Mendocino for a mini getaway and had such a great time exploring the area and shopping around the local stores.  I've been trying to see more of the beautiful places that are in my own California backyard; I'd never been to Mendocino before but had always heard great things about its picturesque landscape and quaint town.  A quick google search and I had found a fun Western themed Bed and Breakfast (The Blackberry Inn), and a list of delicious sounding restaurants that I knew I wanted to try out.  The weekend called for rain but it was a beautiful drive up, the sun tried its hardest to poke out when it could, and made for some spectacular photos.  

Besides exploring the lighthouses, beaches, state parks, coffee houses and restaurants, I expolored a few local shops and was excited to find The Village Toy Store.  I've always been a fan of toy stores, and this one was a true delight.  Filled with unique handcrafted wooden toys ranging from swords to dollhouses, spectacular kites, books galore and everything else a kid (of any age) could have fun with, The Village Toy Store made me excited to play again and soon I was trying on silly hats and poking my tongue out the side of my mouth trying to solve wooden Rubik's cube type puzzles.  

I found these great alphabet blocks and purchased the letters to spell out my niece's name.  I can't wait to see a picture of her playing with them and hope they'll be fun play toys as well as help her learn her letters. They're magnetic as well, so the letters can be mixed up and re-arranged, and anything that you can tote around like a train is fun in my book. 

I also found this cute ballerina tote, I'm sure it could be used for a number of things... ballet shoes, snacks, any kind of little girl treasure will do, I'm sure.

So, if you're in Mendocino, be sure to check this fantastic shop out.  They don't have a website but they are reviewed on Yelp, and with the holidays around the corner, I'm sure that there's many treasures to be found and enjoyed in this unique little place.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving!  This is probably my first post that is non dance related, I can usually find a way to tie any subject or muse or observation into something relating to dance, but today I just want to wish you a wonderful day full of whatever things make you happy and thankful.

I personally, have had some frustrating events occur over the past few months and have at times I'm sure, not been the most graceful, accepting, or thankful for the trials and tribulations that have been thrown at me, and although everyday I try to remind myself that despite feeling frustrated, upset or angry, life is pretty darn great, and I'm one lucky individual to have people in my life who love me, to have a job(s) that I enjoy, a roof over my head and food on my plate, sometimes there is still that small grumbling inside my head going "harumph" when things don't go as I'd planned.  I found this quote and thought it was fitting and very true:

Gratitude is the inward feeling of kindness received. 

Thankfulness is the natural impulse to express that feeling. 

Thanksgiving is the following of that impulse.

What an awesome place the world could be if everyday we received kindness and gave gratitude in return, expressed our thankfulness, and followed that emotion through with thanksgiving to those around us.  So, may your Thanksgiving, and your days to come be filled with gratitude, thankfulness, and thanksgiving!  (Oh yeah, and hopefully some pumpkin pie too)!

Hooray for Benicia Ballet!

Last month Benicia Ballet Theatre held a Silent Auction and Wine Tasting fundraiser, the culmination of many weeks of hard work by myself and many BBT parents, volunteers, and board members. I wanted to share some of the pictures from the event since it was quite beautiful (if I do say so myself), and held in the newly renovated historical Arsenal building in Benicia.  I’ve always loved this building, having grown up in it, and spent my childhood and adolescence dancing among the original brickwork and big open windows, and it has an interesting history as well: it was a staging area during the Civil War for Union troops from the West, and remained a garrisoned post until 1898 when troops were assigned to duty in the Philippines during the Spanish-American War. 

So you’ll see with the hardwood floors, exposed brick, and beautiful natural light, this was the perfect space for some balletomanes to come together for the afternoon in support of a great organization.  I was so impressed and grateful for the support of the local businesses that donated items for our silent auction, it is really inspiring to see the community band together for non profit organizations, it’s one of the things I like best about belonging to a small community.

A sampling of some of the silent auction items 

A fun photo of our band for the evening - Groove Management

Janice helping perfect our displays!

So festive and fall-ish!

We were also lucky enough to have a favorite local Benicia band, Groove Management play some great jazz standards for us.  These high school musicians did a fantastic job and had me tapping my toes all evening long.

The event was definitely a success, and raised a nice amount of money to support future performances and endeavors of Benicia Ballet Theatre.  I’m sure there will be more fun events such as this one in Benicia Ballet’s future; fundraising and raising awareness about the benefits of dance and performance both for Benicia Ballet Theatre and for other non profits with great goals will always be an ongoing process, one that I’m happy to help in and excited to see reach new heights.  Hooray for Benicia Ballet!

It's beginning to look a lot like....

Halloween is over, the time has changed and there is definitely a chill in the air.  While Christmas and holiday decorations are already pouring out of stores, I'm not quite ready for it yet, I do like to have my Thanksgiving first and Christmas in due course, but what this month of November really gears me up for is... Nutcracker season!  And, holiday ballets in general.  Living in the Bay Area, we are so lucky to have so many fantastic performance companies and opportunities to see a variety of holiday shows.  So, I thought I'd take today's blog to share a few of my favorites with you and encourage you to see as many of them as you can!  There's something for everyone, if you're looking for a classic Nuctracker that's kid friendly or something a bit more entertaining for the adults, check out the list I've complied as your guide to all the holiday dance options jete-ing towards a Bay Area stage near you.

Let's start with the most traditional of holiday ballets: The Nutcracker.  San Francisco Ballet does a lovely production with grandiose costumes and sets (above is a clip from their Waltz of the Snowflakes). SFB does theirs with a slight twist; the original time frame of the ballet has been moved to the World Fair in 1915 San Francisco (traditionally the ballet is set in the late 1800's in Germany).  This year it hits the stage at the War Memorial Opera House from December 9-27.  Or, be sure to keep your eyes peeled for it to air on PBS, each year around this time they air the 2007 recorded version.  There are of course, many school productions that are nicely done as well, the two that are closest to my heart are Community Youth Center's in Concord and Benicia Ballet Theatre.  Having invested much of my own time and love into both of these productions, it is not only heart warming to see the tale of the Nutcracker played out but to see young dancers invest their own talent and love into a story that is magical and captivating for many different reasons.  Check out their websites for information on performance days, times and tickets!

Benicia Ballet Theatre's The Nutcracker

Not all holiday ballets are your usual Nutcracker though, Sonoma Ballet Conservatory brings a different magical tale, The Magic Toy Shop to the Sebastiani Theatre in Sonoma November 19th and 20th.  It's a refreshing plot change from The Nutcracker, but equally magical: a shopkeeper’s beloved toys come to life and perform for prospective customers, until the day when two spoiled girls enter the store with their mothers and decide to purchase and separate a pair of Can-Can Dolls.  The night before the families are to return for their selections, the toys share an evening of farewell performances before the Cossack declares they should rebel and fight to keep the Can-Can Dolls from such a wretched fate as being purchased by spoiled children.  But, I couldn't tell you the ending... you'll have to go see it for yourself!  

Sonoma Ballet Conservatory's The Magic Toy Shop

Additional companies that do a variation upon the usual holiday ballet are Smuin Ballet with its Christmas Ballet, ODC Dance with the Velveteen Rabbit.  I've been a fan of Smuin's Christmas Ballet for many years, it has a wonderful variety that is entertaining to both children, ballet goers, and dance newbies.  From tap dancing Christmas trees to sultry Santa Babies, this ballet will definitely get you in the mood for the holiday season.  Here's the website for more information.  ODC's The Velveteen Rabbit is a classic for many San Franciscans, and although I've never gotten the chance to see it myself, I've heard rave reviews and am hoping to see it this year.  ODC is well known for their ground breaking work, and I'm sure this ballet with choreography by KT Nelson and narrative based on Margery William's classic tale is well worth seeing.  Performances run from November 25-December 11th, click here for more information.

Do you have a favorite holiday dance show that I didn't list?  I'm always searching for new and exciting performances, so please let me know at theballerinabirthday@gmail.com!  I'm sure as the season gets underway I'll find more things to share, and would love it if you would share too!

Too Too by Betsey Johnson

Dance (and specifically ballerinas it seems) are having more and more influence these days on fashion and now, fragrance (check out my posts - Urban Ballerina, Ballerina Jewels and Ballerina Inspired Threads).  I was pursuing the perfumes at Sephora a few weeks back (which I find enjoyable but usually completely overwhelming) and noticed a new scent from Betsey Johnson called Too Too.  I'm not surprised that Betsey Johnson would find inspiration in tutus as a former dancer herself.  If you're at all familiar with her fashions, they definitely have a lean towards the frou frou and fluffy; lots of tutu skirts, sparkles and feminine details.  The packaging for her new fragrance is indeed feminine as well, and I appreciate the handiwork that went into making each tiny tutu for these bottles.  It also has a bit of a snow globe effect to me and reminds me a bit of a jewel box ballerina, dancing inside her little dome to a tinkling 'Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy'.

If you're interested in trying the scent out, it is available at all Sephoras and as you might imagine has a youthful scent including mandarins, passion fruit, ginger and strawberry.  Happy smelling!

The Tutu Tower

A few weeks ago I mentioned the invention of a new state of the art contraption that will likely change the lives of tutu owners everywhere (well... at least its changed my life, but I'm probably one of a handful of people who own more than 2 tutus).  But in any case it's changed my life and made my tutus so much more organized!

For Georgia's ballerina birthday a few weeks ago, I made sure to have at least 24 tutus on hand since the guest list for this party included 20 RSVPs!  As my pile of tutus grew and grew, I thought to myself that I needed a good way to stack and store all this tulle so that it would keep its shape and decrease the risk of crinkled tulle.  I explained my dilemma to my dad, and saw him get that problem solving glint in his eye... the next day I was presented with a rolling base and PVC tubing, along with a triumphant smile from my dad.  Although I was skeptical at first, he retreated into the man cave/garage area and within a week I had the Tutu Tower, and it worked beautifully!

Before the tutu tower....

After!  This is the lower half...

And the top half!  I needed it in 2 separate sections to fit into my car...

Fall Tutus

I got to go on a little get away this weekend up to Tahoe, where the colors are swiftly changing to warm fall shades, which made for a beautiful drive and planted a seed of inspiration for a fall colored tutu.  JoAnn's is great for always having lots of seasonal craft items on hand, including tulle, which is great for my seasonal tutu making ventures.  I love the colors I found for this tutu, lots of warm burgundy and plums, along with green and gold makes for an awesome autumn tutu.

I made this Halloween tutu a few weeks ago and have been meaning to post about it for awhile.  Here it is as if it grew off my parents lemon tree, a bit sweet and sour at the same time, perfect for a Halloween fairy to do some trick or treating in.

Soon we'll be falling back and changing the time, which is always a bit bittersweet for me... officially saying goodbye to summer and longer days, but with fall colors and warm holidays ahead it's not such a bad trade off!

A Backyard Ballerina Birthday

It was a beautifully sunny day for little Georgia's ballerina birthday this past Sunday in San Mateo.  The birthday girl greeted me in her leotard and tutu, with pink bows in her hair, ready to turn 4 and to celebrate... ballerina style!  So that's exactly what we did!  Heather, Georgia's mother had a beautiful set up in their backyard, and Georgia's guests' eyes grew wide as I wheeled in my tutu tower (the tutu tower deserves its own blog post...to be attended to at a later date), stacked high with over 20 tutus for Georgia and her guests to choose from.

But, first things first!  We had to set the mood of our dance lesson by sitting down to read Angelina Ballerina.  After our reading, we warmed up by trying out some of Angelina's moves, including our arabesques, which were beautiful, but had the unfortunate effect of knocking over Mrs. Mouslings cheddar cheese pies (insert silly miming by the dancers and an explosion of giggles).  Being nice and warmed up, it was time to choose tutus, then we paraded around in butterfly wings and perched on flowers, skipped in partners across the patio and finished things up with a game of freeze dance using our fairy wands. 

Once our curtsies finished up the dancing portion of the day, it was time to make our own fairy wands, and there were some beautiful creations, these were some crafty ballerinas.

It was such a fun afternoon, Georgia was the perfect hostess and all her guests were charming as was the setting of the party.  Thank you to Georgia and her family for letting me celebrate with them!

Hats and Sparkles and Spiders... Oh My!

With the thoughts of a girly Halloween party dancing in my head I was tickled to find these fun sparkly witches hats at my local TJ Maxx.  Gotta love TJ Maxx for cheap and festive finds.  I think my favorite is the purple and hot pink hat (perfect colors for a girly Halloween), but the turquoise with the skull is a close runner up.  Usually I'm not a fan of any type of skull, should it be in the Halloween spirit or not (I guess I truly am a "girl" in that sense... I prefer sparkles to skulls any day and for any occasion, and it is a rather friendly looking skull...), but the juxtaposition of the skull and the glitter of the hat hits just the right chord with me!

And these sparkly spiders are technically supposed to be napkin rings, but just think of the possibilities... decorating a Halloween wreath, spinning a web on some cotton batting in a corner of your living room, or maybe even attached to a ponytail?  Happy spooking!

Make it a Girly Halloween

Halloween is just around the corner, and I've been thinking how fun a girly Halloween party would be, which got me to searching around the internet to see if any other crafty ladies had the same idea and what their inspirations were.  A To Zebra Celebrations blogged about their Girly Halloween Celebration last year, and I love their colors, sparkles and fun feminine touch.  Check out their blog here, and make sure to check out all their pictures of the event, so pretty!

A few weeks ago while I was at Benicia Bay Company I saw a sparkly chandelier like this one and thought to myself what a great addition it would be to any Halloween get together.

Polka Dot Design has tons of wicked cute Halloween invitations, here are two of my favorites.  (You know I love a polka dot, these orange and white ones are festively fun).

If you're planning a Halloween get together hope this gets your juices going with some spooky and girly ideas for your own bash.  Happy planning!

Little Prince Kids Restaurant

While in Southern California last weekend for a family event, I got to visit the Little Prince Kids Restaurant in Buena Park with my niece and nephew.  Upon first entry, you're made very aware that this is a place for kids, and boy do they love it.  It takes a lot of kids and a lot of action to overwhelm me (dancing with and teaching pre-school age kids in large groups is the name of my game, I'm used to a certain amount of chaos and am usually pretty unruffled by kiddie ruckus), but I was overwhelmed and then some by stepping into the Little Prince.  After my initial shellshock at the sheer amount of children jumping, skipping, and bopping on different play structures, it struck me that this place is cool.

At the Little Prince, kids can come in and play for a fixed rate while the parents can sit at a booth or table and order off the menu.  The menu was Korean inspired, but ran the gamut from pizza and pasta to PB&J and the dish that I had and some of the ones I snitched food off of from my family was delicious.  I don't think I saw a single kid sitting to eat though, they were all too busy sampling costumes from the dress up section, reading books to each other in the library, or in the case of my niece, sliding down a toddler friendly zip line into a pool of plastic balls.  The volume of the restaurant definitely indicates that there are young kids having a good time, but the adults were still able to talk and watch their kids on TV monitors.  If you wanted to follow your munchkin into the play area you were welcome to, but there was plenty of staff supervising the play areas and helping kids get on costumes and reach toys.

I got to sneak a peek at the back room that the restaurant uses for parties and it was loaded with fun goodies: colorful party favors, creative games, and bright decorations were just waiting to be torn into, I can only imagine how much fun those party guests had in store.

As our dinner was wrapping up, the Little Prince himself came out to visit with the kids.  A costumed staff member came out as the character from the St. Exupery book to take pictures with kids, sing a few songs and do a few rounds of the Hokey Pokey, which really is what it's all about.

Here are some pictures from the Little Prince's website gallery.  If you're ever in the Southern California area and are looking for something that your kids will go crazy over (and will also ensure a fantastic nap later on in the day), check out the Little Prince.  It's such a great idea and is so refreshing to see a place that embraces kids being in restaurants and lets them enjoy it, and their parents too!

Ballerina Slippers

Happy almost September!  My mom is always looking for new projects, no matter the season, and she found these adorable knitted ballet slippers on e-patternscentral.com.  How cute are they?!  Now I know ballet slippers are a shoe for all seasons, but I have to say I think the knit of these makes them perfect for a fall project to keep small ballerina toes warm.  Needless to say we'll be making a pair and donning them on the first willing ballerina in training we can find.  What's also great about these is the variety in color that knitting provides.  If you're not digging the dusty rose, try a hot pink, or maybe an orange if you're planning a ballerina or fairy type Halloween costume.  Check out e-patternscentral.com for other fun patters and enjoy!

http://www.e-patternscentral.com/list.html?mode=list&criteria=ballerina+slippers&go.x=0&go.y=0

Fun Finds at Benicia Bay

Benicia Bay Company is a great place to gift shop, which is just what I found myself doing earlier this week.  While looking for a little something for my sister-in-laws upcoming birthday, I found these cute personalized birthday cards.  I love a little personalization, and was impressed that there was a plethora names on these cute cards.  I found a Camille, a Garrett, and a Gabrielle, but there were tons more to choose from, and with the fun birthday cupcake artwork I can think of a few friends of mine who would enjoy getting one of these on their special day.

Artwork by Ramona Lowe

Another fun find was this magnetic bulletin board.  Also customizable, Benicia Bay had lots of different magnetic background boards to choose from, from stripes to polka dots, and lots of accoutrements to jazz it up, almost like being able to scrapbook on a magnetic board.  Here's what was on display, this would be fun to display photos from birthday parties or sleepovers, maybe even a wedding or baby shower.

Magnetic Customizable Scrapbook

If you happen to be in the Benicia area be sure to check out Benicia Bay Company.  Located right on First St it's a great place to look for a gift for someone else or for yourself!  And they have a cute coffee and chocolate shop located inside, what more could a girl ask for?!