Fairy Cupcakes!

Last weekend while wandering around Walnut Creek with my mom she found and bought me this adorable cupcake kit!  There were other varieties, but of course I had to go with the ballerina-like fairies.  Meri Meri has everything from partyware to stationary journals, and all of it so cute!

Fairy Wishes Cupcake Kit

But wait... there's more!  My mom is nothing if not a fabulous cook and baker, and with Easter this past weekend, her house was a haven of Easterly sweets.  She made a delicious lemon cake with lemon curd and buttercream frosting, and there was enough left over for some lemon cupcakes for us to decorate.  For the frosting we added some pink food coloring for a strawberry lemonade type feeling and taste.  And oh, do they taste good!

My favorite part (besides how yummy they taste) is the cute little fairy ballerinas for toppers.  Their skirts have real tulle, and they stand on their toes atop each cupcake so gracefully!  Check out the Meri Meri website for their cute products and fun party ideas, or if you're an East Bay-er, my mom and I found these at David M. Brian.  Bon Appetit and Happy Easter!

Esmeralda Variation

I had to share this cutie tackling the famous (or infamous) Esmeralda variation.  Too cute!

Just in case you're wondering what the real variation look like, here's one of my favorites.  Enjoy!

Ballerina Cookies!

There's not a ballerina I've met (big or small) who doesn't like cookies, and usually, if you ask a little ballerina what their favorite kind of cookie is, you'll get a plethora of answers ranging from "pink sprinkles with rainbows and glitter", to "chocolate chip with unicorns and strawberries".  (I took a poll during one of my classes I taught this week).

While I'm not too picky when it comes to flavors, with sprinkles or without, I did want to share these cute cookie cutters I found on etsy.com awhile back.  (Thanks again to my mom, who helped me find them).

If you search 'ballerina cookies' on etsy, you'll find some super cute ready to eat and order cookies, like the ones below.

 I love the pastel tutu and leotard combo cookies!  These would be great for any party, I think I might have to throw one for myself just to get my hands on some cookies like these!  Speaking of parties, CYC's Dance Program is getting ready to kick off National Dance Week with a dance party this Friday.  I'm making tutus for some of the other CYC staff (Kristina's from a few weeks ago was such a hit!) so keep your eyes peeled for some upcoming fun party pics!

Bella Umbrella

My students are preparing for our annual Spring Showcase, and this years theme is seasons.  I've always been a fan of Vivaldi's The Four Seasons (my mom used to play it on tape for me as I was falling asleep), but there are a number of other pieces for piano and orchestra that have a season theme as well, such as Glazunov and Tchaikovsky.

My goal for this year's performance was to incorporate some fun props for the students to use, which is not only visually interesting from a stage perspective, but teaches the students spacial awareness and encourages their creative thinking (which they are already masters at).

So far, I've found some super cute butterfly/bug catchers in the dollar bin at Target, beach balls, and park benches to conjure up images of different seasons. While Janice and I were searching around the web looking for ideas and inspiration, she showed me Bella Umbrellas.  I have a natural affinity towards anything old school, and these umbrellas definitely take me back to a different time. Who knew they came in so many shapes, styles and had such history?!  Pagodas, parasols, and lots of ruffles... oh my!

I did decide to use umbrellas for a piece from our spring dances, and while we didn't rent any from Bella Umbrella this time around, we did find some cute ones at JoAnn's.  These are just the right size for my students, and seeing them peek out from under them is pretty priceless and would make any rain clouds disappear. 

Fabulous Kids Parties

My mom passed along the magazine Celebrate by Phyllis Hoffman a few weeks ago to show me an absolutely adorable article that featured a fun little girls party, along with some tips for all party throwers to be.  This particular party (thrown by Kate Landers Events, LLC) had a fun lady bug and polka dot flare, and of course pink was the color of choice.

Photo by: Andrea Winchenbaugh

I've always been a fan of pink and polka dots, so this party definitely tickled my fancy.  Among my favorite items that the party was sprinkled with were pink tulips, polka dot straws, and lady bug cake pops. Here are the pdfs for bottle labels, cake toppers and tent card, as well as a ladybug invitation, favor tag and address label.


http://www.hoffmanmedia.com/pdfs/LadybugA.pdf
http://www.hoffmanmedia.com/pdfs/LadybugB.pdf


Having been in the business of kids parties since 2009, here are some of Kate's  top tips for a fabulous event. Keep the guest list small, usually the age of the child plus two is a good number.  Also, timing is key, host your party between 1:00 and 4:30 p.m.  No meal will need to be served, which will keep messes and costs down.  Place cards are functional and pretty, they also make guests feels like they each have a special place.  Invest in some classic linens and tableware, they'll carry you through years to come.


Enjoy and have fun!