Holiday Reading for Party Planning

Happy belated Thanksgiving!  I hope you all had a fantastic holiday and that you're still nibbling away at those yummy leftovers! 
As the creator of The Ballerina Birthday, I obviously love a party.  Holiday parties have a special place in my heart as well, since the Christmas season is one of my favorites.  (It's one of the things that inspired me to create our Sugar Plum Party! Have you checked it out yet?!)
I'm sure I inherited my love of the holidays from my Mom, our family has always made a point to dress up our house, meals, crafts, and parties around the holidays.  It's a tradition that I love, and one I'm sure I'll pass on to my own family someday.
I also inherited my love of books from my Mom, she has a huge collection, and she especially loves cookbooks and entertaining books. I've been known to snoop in her collection from time to time, and I've found two new books that I think are great especially at this time of year, with parties and events and gift giving opportunities around every corner.
Pippa Middleton really captured the media's attention by being her sister Kate's Maid of Honor at the oh-so-memorable Royal Wedding last year.  Ever since then I've had a slight fascination with these sisters; they are both so elegant and chic, and as I dove into Pippa's new book, Celebrate, I came to like and respect her even more.  I love that her introduction opens with this:

"It's a bit startling to achieve global recognition (if that's the right word) before the age of thirty, on account of your sister, your brother-in-law and your bottom."

Classy, witty, and well-spoken.  I love her!  With years of experience working at her parents business and within the London event planning industry, Pippa offers not only useful tips, observations and ideas on hostessing, but history on events and holidays celebrated in the UK, which I found particularly interesting.  The pages are filled with beautiful photographs as well, taken by David Loftus.

Another great book I've found is Cupcakes and Cashmere.  Inspired by her very successful blog of the same name, Emily Schuman gathered some of her most popular blog posts, some additional in-depth tips, tricks and tutorials on staying organized and getting the most out of each season, and great photographs into her book.  I love that this book offers ideas not only on organization and hosting parties and gatherings, but tips on fun seasonal make-up, and festive wardrobe looks.

If you're looking to host either a grown up holiday party, or a kid-friendly festive gathering, both of these will get your planning wheels turning and inject a good dose of party planning excitement into your process!

Ballerina Tea

Well with Valentine's Day over and March around the corner, I'm itching for spring.  The Bay Area hills have started to turn green and I see buds persistently trying to poke out, the signs of spring are beginning and I love it!  I have a few spring Ballerina Birthday parties coming up which I'm really looking forward to, and in anticipation and celebration of spring I've been searching for inspirations and fun new ideas.  I suppose tea isn't a specifically spring thing, but it does conjure images for me of lounging outside among green grass, flowers and roses with something to sip and enjoying the sunshine after a cold winter.  I've always been a fan of tea: iced, hot, pots of, and parties!  I remember my mom teaching me about English tea traditions, reading about the history of tea, and visiting several beautiful tea houses with her.  (Camilla Tea Room in Benicia has always been one of our favorites).  Although I don't think of tea as a specifically girly thing, tea parties do bring to mind visions of small tea cups and saucers, mini sandwiches and scones, and little girls giggling over petite treats.

I found the blog 'Stylish Children's Parties' and a submission by Melissa on a beautifully done ballerina tea party.  It looks like the epitome of imagination, fun and little girl delight.  I suggest you check out the blog here, and I've included some of the beautiful photos as well.  This party definitely provides some wonderful inspiration; now in addition to itching for spring to come I'm itching for a ballerina tea party!

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.  

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!

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

Tutus Chic

I know, I know, the number of time I've mentioned or blogged about Etsy is probably getting a bit ridiculous.  But they just have some of the greatest things!  My mom, always on the lookout for ballerina bobbles for me, found Tutus Chic on Etsy, and I'm pretty much in love with their dreamy, ethereal and pretty products. 

I'm always on my students to come to class in buns (especially my teenage students... oh to have those hormones).  Hair pieces and accessories are super trendy these days, but Tutus Chic have a nice vintage and extra girly hair options.  Who could not want to put their hair in a bun if you had these pretty pins to dress it up?

Headbands are all the rage now too, and sadly, I've felt like I could never really rock them, but isn't this one so chic?

And because ballerinas and their grace and poise are so timeless, there are many wedding trends and inspirations to be gleaned from ballerina fashions.  I love this blue wreath, something blue in a flower girls hair would be too sweet!

Creator Sarah says she is "...known to have been inspired by the paintings of Degas and his Paris Opera dancers whose waists are wrapped in silk over clouds of tulle. However, nothing is better than old world elegance influenced by today's world market."  I couldn't agree with this or her vision more, hurray for Tutus Chic!

And a Very Happy (Un)Birthday To You!

I was so excited to celebrate the festivities of the holiday weekend with my family.  In addition to our plans for the fourth, we had an unbirthday party for my niece since neither my mom, dad or I got to spend the actual birthday day with her (hence the unbirthday bit), but my family is not one to need a cause to celebrate, eat good food, and have a good time.  Of course, my mom is the master of making fantastic sweets, and she found some fun party ware that brought some extra giggles to the table.

Along with the unbirthday, we were also celebrating my brother's birthday (belatedly), and Father's Day (again, belatedly). Their joint gifts were trips to The Art of Shaving in downtown Walnut Creek to get treated to a traditional shave (they highly recommend it too!  They both came out with faces smooth as a baby's skin.  We actually did do a comparison check to my 3 month old nephew...success)!  So it's only fitting that we had mustache straw to sip our tea and be silly with at lunch.  Mustache straws you may ask? Yes, indeed.  Check them out Etsy, or click here to see these super cute and fun/ny creations by so & such.  

The pink stripes add a fun girly punch, and the different styles of mustaches are fun to try on and pose with.  Obviously my niece and I had a blast not only playing with our 'stashes, but eating our pink lemonade cake and Funfetti cake pops; I'm so glad I have these pictures and memories to look back on and smile.

Hope you had a fantastic fourth!

A Party For My Favorite Ballerina

I recently had the pleasure of putting together a little work party for Janice, and had so much fun putting together a few yummy and pretty things for one of my favorite ballerinas.  With the help of my fellow co-workers Kristina, Kim and Angie, we were able to pretty up our normal office spaces and treat Janice to some sweet treats.  Of course, a party for Janice wouldn't be complete without the fabulous goodies from Kara's Cupcakes in Walnut Creek and Sweet Tart. Thanks especially to my Mom for her baking expertise and making some delicious cake pops and for sharing her beautiful flowers!

Flowers compliments of my Mom's garden

Pretty little mini's from Kara's Cupcakes

More mini's!  From Sweet Tart

Cake Pops by Mom

Sprinkled Pretty!

Jolie Miette

A few weekends ago my mom and I took a jaunt to the San Francisco Ferry Building and it proved to be both a beautiful and delicious adventure.  I think I've mentioned before that my mom is a fantastic cook and baker, and her latest interest is macaroons.  And what's not to be interested in?  These delicate tasty delights are enjoyed universally, and there are many variations on them from country to country.  North Americans usually associate macaroons with a flour-less coconut cookie (the original recipe was adapted by Italian Jews since it has no flour or leavening and can be eaten during Passover), but my favorites are the French version, which are like mini sandwhiches and so so delicious!  For some more interesting history on macaroons, check out The Nibble.  

So, back to the story.  My Mom had read about a bakery called Miette (which means crumb, or little sweet thing in French) in the Ferry Building famous for their macaroons (click here for their website), so we jetted off to San Francisco one sunny Saturday morning via ferry to seek out some sweets.  And oh, did we find sweets!

Miette's pretty displays of goodies

So Mom and I get to the register and order our macaroons (vanilla, chocolate, almond, and strawberry), but of course our eyes were caught by their beautiful cupcakes and some delicious looking ice cream sandwhiches.

Even the bag was pretty!  So off Mom and I went to enjoy our sweets and the rest of the sights and sounds of the Ferry Building.  I can't help but think what fabulous goodies these macaroons would be for a ballerina birthday!  They are so kid friendly (not too big and relatively mess free) but don't skimp on flavor at all.  They are just perfect in so many ways, and I can't wait to plan a party with some marvelous macaroons!

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!

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!

Tutu Easy

Ballerinas can never have too many tutus!  (Say that five times fast)!  Tutus are works of art in and of themselves, and definitely qualify as a labor of love. However, there is something to be said for busy women with demanding tutu lovers (children, grandchildren, nieces, cousins, or in my case, my students) on their hands.  Enter the easiest, no sew tutu you'll ever find.  I have to give my mom credit for this one (again).  She has a knack for finding great sites with fun flourishes like littlelizardking.blogspot.com.


Mom and I tried the Tutu Tutorial out (you can purchase the pattern for $5) and we had a full, fluffy tutu in under an hour.  Thanks to Deacon the dog for willingly modeling our hard work (can you see him eyeing his treat/bribe in the pictures below)?  I'm planning on making a green one for my niece for St. Patty's Day, and I'll definitely be trying to make a few every week, so that future Ballerina Birthday girls can enjoy!

Interested in the history of the tutu?  Class Act is a great resource not only for ordering tutus, but for a brief and fun history of all that tulle! 
www.classacttutu.com/hints-history-of-tutus

Urban Ballerina

The Ballerina Birthday loves girly stuff!  What gets more girly then Sephora?  I'm a sucker for the place.  Put me in a room full of girly stuff with the promise that it'll make me look beautiful and smell great and I'm hooked.  With spring around the corner, there were floral scents, bright colors and feminine accents all around.  My mom saw OPI's new line out called Urban Ballerina via an e-mail, so forming our own search party of 2, we tracked it down at Sephora in Walnut Creek.

I love not only the colors (both feminine and edgy), but the names of the colors are cute and clever.  From left to right they are: Leotard-Optional, The Way Tutu His Heart, Who's Spinning Tonight, Break A Leg-Warmer!  Rock on Urban Ballerinas everywhere!